Toyota Tacoma window and wiper problems

VISIBILITY/WIPER

The wiper motor does not move fast enough to keep the windshield clear in heavy rain. Yes it is available to be inspected. Unable to see while driving even after slowing down. Only when encountering heavy rain. No No

NHTSA complaint #11757586 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:COMPRESSOR

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a whining sound coming from the steering wheel. Additionally, while starting or while driving the vehicle, the vehicle was making a ticking sound. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power, the screen froze, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle experienced a failure with the steering, the vehicle lost motive and electrical power. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with an unspecified steering failure and the vehicle was repaired under warranty, however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to a dealer but was not initially diagnosed; however, a mechanic duplicated the failure during a test drive. The pulley system and other undetermined parts were replaced, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to a dealer where the technician stated that the vehicle was operating normally, but the pulley system was replaced a second time, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to a dealer, and the entire pulley system was replaced, and the display screen was re-flashed, but months later the failure recurred and became worse. The vehicle was repaired another time, but the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle remained with the dealer and was diagnosed with an air conditioning compressor failure which caused the ticking sound. The vehicle was repaired, but the dealer declined to accept fault if the air conditioning compressor failed again. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 23,000.

NHTSA complaint #11747781 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:CONDENSOR/EVAPORATOR

The contact owns a 2026 TOYOTA Tacoma. The contact stated while driving the vehicle at an undisclosed speed, the AC went out. The vehicle was driven to a dealer where it was diagnosed to have a rock damage at the AC condenser. The contact stated that it is located in front of the grill which has no protection or cover on the condenser, allowing the issue to occurred again. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 12,000.

NHTSA complaint #11737808 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

The rear cabin pressure vent leaks water into the cabin creating an unsafe vehicle to drive during rainy days. I took the vehicle to Sarasota Toyota and was told that my claim to get it fixed thru the Toyota warranty was denied because it is considered trim. I contacted the warranty company and Toyota about this issue but was told the same.NOT COVERED. I am also concerned that the water intrusion can affect the safety and health hazard of more drivers with this problem if not addressed by Toyota as soon as possible.

NHTSA complaint #11689472 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

2024 new 4th-generation Tacoma Hybrid Limited. During driving in snow or rain, the front chrome grille or another component in the front, appears to collect water. Periodically, it releases a sudden burst of water or snow onto both sides of the windshield. The impact is abrupt, like having a snowball or large splash of water thrown at the glass, and is startling because it’s unexpected. This happens on both the driver and passenger sides, (but not at the same time) temporarily impairing visibility and potentially increasing the risk of an accident. Note: This occurs every time it snows or rains.

NHTSA complaint #11679728 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Passenger side windshield washer nozzle sprays the lower part of the hood. Only a little of the stream reaches the windshield. Outcome is that dust, grime, debris typically smear on passenger side of the windshield. This causes reduced visibility. Truck is a Toyota Certified Pre-Owned (TPO) delivered 18Mar24 at 13K miles. Washer nozzle problem has been existent since delivery. Repair request was made at first oil change. Unlike many other brands & makes, the nozzle can't be re-aimed by simple bending. Problem could be solved by using a nozzle with a lower "aim," or some sort of adjustment. Nozzle part is difficult for car owner to remove and replace.

NHTSA complaint #11675828 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

When raining me than a sprinkle you cannot see wipers seem to bog down

NHTSA complaint #11675591 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Driver seat does not hold after setting to correct height. After driving the seat rests to the lower position. Wipers make a tapping noise when in operation at full left wipe. At times blind spot warning engages when surrounding is clear.

NHTSA complaint #11672595 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

On several occasions in the previous two months, I have been driving during heavy rain. On the first occasion, while high speed wipers were on, they suddenly stopped working. I slowed down, but was able to get them going again prior to pulling to the shoulder of the highway. I had to switch to the slow wiper speed to get them going. I switched back to the high speed wipers due to heavy rain, and kept stopping each time. It continued this cycle and stayed on after about 15 attempts. Today, on [XXX], I drove down [XXX] from Flint, MI towards Detroit at approximately [XXX]. The wipers again quit working and I had to switch the wiper speed to get it working again while at full highway speed during a deluge of rain and nearly had to stop in a construction zone with no shoulder and heavy traffic, nearly causing a collision until I was able to get the wipers to begin working again. On a previous occasion, I turned them on. When the rain stopped, I was unable to stop the wipers, but was eventually able to stop them by carefully moving the intermittent delay wheel to a position between on and off. It appeared that there may be a short in the wiper circuit. This was a definite safety issue in that my attention was taken away from driving to try to fix the wiper situation. In speaking with my service adviser at Randy Wise Toyota in Grand Blanc, MI, he went out to their lot and tried to duplicate the problem, which he confirmed happened on that same Toyota Tacoma model. I attempted to get this repaired under warranty. Their response was that there was nothing they could do since it appeared to be in the design of the wiper system. My opinion is that this is a serious safety issue which needs to be addressed immediately. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11672341 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

I’m filing this complaint regarding a known issue with the A/C evaporator core on my Toyota Tacoma (3rd generation). The evaporator core has prematurely failed, leading to a complete loss of air conditioning and, more importantly, reduced defrosting and defogging capabilities that directly affect visibility and driver safety. This issue is widespread and well-documented among Tacoma owners, and Toyota has issued TSB T-SB-0145-20, acknowledging that corrosion in the evaporator core leads to refrigerant leakage. Despite the known defect, Toyota has not issued a recall and is charging owners thousands of dollars to repair a part that is failing far earlier than expected. In my case, the system began blowing only warm air, and the defroster can no longer clear moisture from the windshield, which is a serious safety issue in humid or cold conditions. This should be treated as a systemic defect, not regular wear and tear. Toyota needs to be held accountable for this manufacturing flaw, which affects safety-critical components like the defroster and visibility systems.

NHTSA complaint #11668776 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

On 11/14/2024 the windshield wipers started malfunctioning on my leased Toyota Tacoma. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. On 11/22/2024 I took the vehicle to Premier Toyota for service. I was told they do not have the parts, that was 9 weeks ago. This vehicle is unsafe with malfunctioning wipers.

NHTSA complaint #11636806 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the contact became aware of a large crack in the middle of the windshield. There was no impact to the windshield to cause the failure. The dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.

NHTSA complaint #11605922 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

The windshield has a visual defect which presents itself as diagonal lines in bright situations when a car or other object is in front of the vehicle. The diagonal lines will appear in high contrast situations during the day, or at night when an oncoming vehicle's lights are on.

NHTSA complaint #11595258 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

The camera system is sub par. The video is grainy fuzzy and jumpy. It looks as though you are looking through a dark tunnel. Much worse that my 2021. Service advisor agrees the clarity and quality was unacceptable. The head unit was replaced but nothing changed. TAS case [XXX] was opened. Tech states quality was the same as other 2022 Tacomas when compared. I guess if everyone’s is the same that makes it ok. I feel the quality of the video might be 200x300 and is unsafe at this quality. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11551985 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

Passenger Side windshield wiper fluid sprayer. It sprays the top of the vehicle hood during operation preventing fluid from the sprayer reaching the windshield. Prevents potential debris from being cleared off the windshield whether dirt, mud, and bugs or Ice and snow in the winter. The dealer confirmed that 2/3 2023 Toyota Tacoma's on the lot had a similar problem and Toyota had no available fix. A fix was attempted by Maguire Toyota on Grand Island NY. Unsuccessful they attempted to contact a Toyota Rep and have no solution available. No warning lamps or messages illuminate.

NHTSA complaint #11532114 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

In March, 2022, we had ice that coated the car and the driveway of my residence that led to schools being closed. The next day conditions were better, and on my way home from work I noticed that the passenger side view mirror had developed a strange crack that at first made me think that a sticker had been placed on the mirror. When I examined it closer, I found it to be a crack in the mirror that I tend to think was the result of the icing from the previous day. My concern is that the crack will spread and make the mirror unusable. I discussed this with my service advisor at Wilde Toyota in Milwaukee on 4/11/22 and told him that I felt the crack was a manufacturers defect. The advisor told me that they would not cover the damage as a defect, but that he had taken photos and sent the information to Toyota for consideration. The paperwork provided to me did not confirm or state that anything had been sent to Toyota.

NHTSA complaint #11517602 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Defect in windshield consisting of thousands of tiny bubbles in the laminate which cause the windshield to become slightly opaque in direct sunlight or bright oncoming headlights. Dealer insists this is rock strikes. Toyota says the windshield is out of warranty. This defect began to appear at about 40,000 miles and is getting worse. (Vehicle is now at 54,000 mi.) I have seen other Toyotas (a RAV4 for one) with this defect. A definite safety issue, especially in bright sunlight.

NHTSA complaint #11506260 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

The mechanical design of Toyota's plastic visor assemblies that are installed in my Tacoma truck is disgustingly worthless and every last one of them will ultimately fail unless they are left securely fastened in the end visor holding clamp, permanently, and at all times while driving. That means not rotating them to shade a glaring sun through a door window glass. Toyota needs to redesign and replace all of their defective visor assemblies. The problem is with the rod holding design on the back side of the visor mounting plate. It is supposed to securely hold the plastic rotating arm from falling out of the mounting plate. It is wholly inadequate and will not safely support even the meager weight of the visor leaf itself. The only safe option is to leave the visor arm snapped into the end stabilizing/holding clamp. Mine dropped out of the mounting plate, twisting and dangling from the power cord wiring at a vulnerable time in moving traffic. It not only restricted my view, I was struggling to grasp the swinging visor to remove it from obstructing my view. All the while, steering with my other hand and merging into freeway speed traffic. It was a very serious problem at an inopportune and critical time. Since I was merging into freeway lanes from an on-ramp, there was no exit opportunity and stopping was not an option; all I could do was fight to avoid colliding with other vehicles. The hazard was compounded by a glaring sun that I was trying to mitigate by using the visor to shield the bright glare coming through the driver's door window. I was left purely with luck and good fortune; no guarantees at all. Compounding the problem was that it occurred during semi-rush hour traffic. It had significant potential of becoming a very serious life-threatening accident. I took the truck to my dealership for repairs but the only option was to purchase a duplicate assembly in excess of $400 U.S. Dollars, installed. Toyota needs to do the right thing and warranty all of them.

NHTSA complaint #11498006 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

I purchased my vehicle (Toyota Tacoma TRD PRO) on September 23, 2022 and identified issues with all of the exterior cameras immediately. I scheduled an appointment with Toyota to inspect the problem with blurry cameras on September 29, 2022, but they advised that all 2022 vehicles have similar blurriness issues. I also own a 2018 Toyota Highlander that has a much more crisp image, so I know Toyota has a problem with the cameras. Fast forward to approximately November 20, 2022 when my first problem occurred. I was backing into a parking space that had a shopping cart that was left on the sidewalk behind my parking space. Knowing that I was clear to park, I proceeded to back into the space, but as I started to back up, the already blurry camera flared up because of the direct sunlight and I could not observe anything. It so happens that the shopping cart started to roll towards my parking spot and hit the bumper of my truck, because of the high tailgate I was not able to observe this moving cart in my mirrors. Because of the flared and blurry camera image, I could not see the cart and the minor collision occurred. There was no damage to either my truck or the cart, but this could have been a child or animal and could have resulted injury or loss of life. As I have learned, this particular camera cannot be relied upon for the safe viewing behind the vehicle as it was intended. As my vehicle is equipped with multiple front, side, and rear cameras and they are all blurry, I would presume the problem lies somewhere with the computer or image controlling board that the cameras are attached to. This issue has not been inspected by the police or insurance company as no loss occurred and there were not faults indicated on the vehicle. Toyota did state that this was the normal operation for all 2022 vehicles and I presume this is a widespread issue what will inevitably have dire consequences down the road. Please evaluate and encourage Toyota to produce a fix.

NHTSA complaint #11495606 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

2022 TOYOTA TACOMA. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE NEW WINDSHIELD DESIGN ON VEHICLE HAS CAUSED BLIND SPOTS.

NHTSA complaint #11481135 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.