2013 TOYOTA RAV4 Visibilitywiper Problems

The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the front driver’s side windshield wiper was not functioning properly when activated. The front driver’s side windshield wiper would get stuck in the upright position. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V577000 (Visibility/Wiper). The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

STRUTS ARE MAKING A LOT OF NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE CAR, ALSO HEAT SHIELD GROMMETS ARE LOOSE AND PRODUCES A BANGING SOUND UNDER THE CAR. ALL THE NOISES ARE NOTICEABLE WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS. TORQUE CONVERTER AND 6 SOLENOIDS HAD TO BE REPLACED

MY FRONT WINDSHIELD HAS A CRACK FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER. THIS APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE GLASS SINCE THERE WAS NO IMPACT. IT WAS FIRST NOTICED WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WAS COVERED WITH ICE AND THE DEFOGGER WAS WORKING TO MELT IT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MOVING AS IT WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY.

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN SIX MONTHS I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR WINDSHIELD ON MY RAV4. BOTH TIMES IT HAD BEEN PARKED IN A PARKING SPOT OUTSIDE WHEN THE WINDOWS SHATTERED. BOTH TIMES THERE DIDN'T SEEM TO BE A VISIBLE REASON TO HAVE CAUSED THE SHATTERING OF THE WINDOW .

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...

THE NAVIGATION SCREEN IS TOTALLY UNUSEABLE IN DAYLIGHT. SCREEN IS FLAT AND EXPOSED TO SUN. DRIVER HAS TO LEAN WAY OVER AND HOLD RIGHT HAND OVER THE SCREEN TO GET ANY VISIBILITY AT ALL. EVEN THEN IT'S TOO DIFFICULT TO SEE, NOT TO MENTION THE DANGER OF LEANING OVER, USING THE RIGHT HAND TO SCREEN, AND STARING AT THE SCREEN RATHER THAN THE ROAD. TERRIBLE TERRIBLE DESIGN. TOYOTA WILL NOT ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. $1500 MISTAKE FOR ANYONE WHO PURCHASED THIS ADD-ON. *TR