NHTSA Complaint #10760223 — 2014 TOYOTA CAMRY

THE REAR WHEELS OF A PASSING TRUCK THREW A BLANKET OF MUDDY WATER ACROSS MY WINDSHIELD AS I BEGAN TURNING TO THE RIGHT. I TURNED ON THE WINDSHIELD WASHERS ONLY TO FIND THAT THE DRIVER'S WINDSHIELD WASHER (AS WELL AS THE PASSENGER'S WASHER) WETTED ONLY ABOUT 8 INCHES OF THE LOWER WINDSHIELD AT TWO POINTS ABOUT 8 INCHES APART. THE WIPERS WERE INEFFECTIVE IN MOVING THE TWO LOW STREAMS OF WATER HIGHER ON THE WINDSHIELD TO PROVIDE VISIBILITY AT MY LINE OF SIGHT EVEN THOUGH I AM NOT TALL. FINALLY THE WIPERS BEGAN SCRAPING OFF THE MUD, WITHOUT THE HELP OF THE WASHER FLUID, PROVIDING ME MARGINAL VISIBILITY. SUBSEQUENT TESTING AT THE DEALER'S LOT SHOWED THAT NEITHER THE 2014 NOR THE 2015 CAMRY WINDSHIELD WASHER WETTED THEIR WINDSHIELD HIGH ENOUGH TO BE REALLY EFFECTIVE. AT MY REQUEST THE DEALER REPLACED THE FACTORY INSTALLED WASHERS WITH ONES THAT ELEVATED THE WATER STREAMS BY ONE MORE DEGREE. ALTHOUGH THE REPLACEMENT WASHERS TENDED TO DELIVER ABOUT 35% OF WATER OVER THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD AT REST, AT ANY REASONABLE ROAD SPEED, TO INCLUDE SLOW ONES, THE WASHERS WETTED THE WINDSHIELD WELL ENOUGH FOR THE WIPERS TO IMPROVE VISIBILITY. TOYOTA COULD NOT PROVIDE A MORE EFFECTIVE SOLUTION EVEN WHEN THE CONDITION WAS REPORTED TO THEIR REGIONAL REP. THE WASHERS SHOULD REALLY BE REDESIGNED AND REPLACED FOR EFFECTIVENESS UNDER ALL DRIVING CONDITIONS.