NHTSA Complaint #10671252 — 2013 TOYOTA RAV4

WE HAD A WINTER BLIZZARD WITH ICE, SHOW WIND ETC. WHERE THE WIPER BLADES REST ON THE WINDSHIELD THEY RECEIVE MINIMAL IF ANY DIRECT HEAT. (I CAN NOT GET A THIN PIECE OF PAPER BETWEEN THE DASHBOARD AND INSIDE THE WINDSHIELD. THE PAPER IS 2 1/2" ABOVE THE WIPER BLADE.) I WARMED THE RAV 4 FOR AN EXTREMELY LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND THE ICE THAT HAD FORMED ON THE WIPERS BEFORE I STARTED IT WOULD NOT MELT OFF. I THEN SCRAPED AS MUCH OF THE ICE OFF THE WIPER AS YOU CAN REASONABLY DO WITHOUT DAMAGING THE WIPER AND ICE AND SNOW OFF THAT PART OF THE WINDSHIELD WHERE THE BLADES REST. I STARTED TO DRIVE BUT ICE AND SNOW IMMEDIATELY STARTED ACCUMULATING ON THE LOWER PART WHERE DEFROST DOES NOT HEAT AND THE BLADES STARTED TO ICE UP AND THEY SCRAP ACROSS THE UNHEATED AREA. HAD TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE VISION. WOULD STOP EVERY SO OFTEN AND SCRAP EVERYTHING BEST AS I COULD. START DRIVING AND A TOTAL UNACCEPTABLE VISION WINDOW ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. I HAVE DRIVEN IN THIS AREA FOR 47 YEARS IN A LOT OF BLIZZARDS AND WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT VEHICLES. I HAVE NEVER HAD A SITUATION WHERE I COULD NOT KEEP MY WINDOWS SO I COULD REASONABLY SEE TO SAFELY NAVIGATE. THIS RAV 4 WOULD NOT LET ME DO THAT AND I HAVE BEEN IN A LOT WORSE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS THAN THIS ONE. SOME TOYOTAS HAVE WIPER DE-ICERS WITH LINES THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD TO HEAT THIS PART OF THE WINDSHIELD WHERE TOYOTA DECIDED TO PLACE THE WIPERS. WHILE WE WERE NOT AWARE OF THIS ISSUE WHEN PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE NEW, SAFETY SHOULD NOT BE AN ADD ON YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR. TOYOTA PLACED THE BLADES WHERE THEY ARE SO THEY SHOULD DE-ICE. I UNDERSTAND HEATED SIDE MIRRORS AND THE LIKE BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE SAFELY REMEDIED BY A DRIVER WHO DOES NOT HAVE THEM. THIS WIPER PROBLEM CAN NOT BE. THANK YOU. *TR