Toyota Prius Visibility/wiper Problems
Owners have filed 151 complaints with NHTSA about visibility/wiper problems on the Toyota Prius across 20 model years. The 2016 model year has the most (40). The words owners use most often: “front windshield” (10% of reports).
- 151visibility/wiper complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,050typical repair cost reported by owners
- 66%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Front windshield: mentioned in 15 of 151 complaints (10%)
- Above below: mentioned in 11 of 151 complaints (7%)
- Rock hit: mentioned in 9 of 151 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical visibility/wiper repair on the Toyota Prius at $1,050, and half of them between $710 and $1,150.
Based on 10 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2017–2019), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do visibility/wiper problems happen?
Based on 123 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 151 complaints, 1 an injury.
Toyota Prius visibility/wiper complaints by model year
| Model year | Visibility/wiper complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Prius | 1 | 17% | — |
| 2025 Prius | 1 | 6% | — |
| 2024 Prius | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2022 Prius | 2 | 8% | — |
| 2019 Prius | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2018 Prius | 5 | 14% | 22,000 |
| 2017 Prius | 17 | 19% | 10,000 |
| 2016 Prius | 40 | 26% | 17,900 |
| 2015 Prius | 4 | 2% | 18,175 |
| 2014 Prius | 9 | 4% | 8,490 |
| 2013 Prius | 6 | 1% | 550 |
| 2012 Prius | 28 | 7% | 850 |
| 2011 Prius | 2 | 0% | 71,000 |
| 2010 Prius | 8 | 0% | 68,000 |
| 2009 Prius | 2 | 0% | 112,200 |
| 2008 Prius | 7 | 0% | 101,000 |
| 2007 Prius | 8 | 0% | 102,012 |
| 2006 Prius | 5 | 0% | 136,500 |
| 2005 Prius | 3 | 0% | 186,000 |
| 2004 Prius | 1 | 0% | 118,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists visibility/wiper for the Toyota Prius. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
- Windshield washer fluid reservoir level going low. It is available for inspection. - Safety concern: No liquid to wipe off windshield particles, dirt that may hinder driver visibility. - The issue was brought up to Jaymee of South Coast Toyota, Costa Mesa CA when Prius was taken for delivery May…
Design of rear window, side mirrors and large rear pillar greatly reduce the visibility and checking of blind spot if you are a taller person. Blind spot electronic detection can not be trusted as it's performance is intermittent. Solution would be for Toyota of retrofit electronic mirror feature…
Background: Nothing failed or malfunctioned. There is no incident. This reports describes a design defect that puts the driver at risk. The dealer has acknowledged that the cars performs this way and says it cannot be fixed. Toyota customer service says this is how the car operates and short of a…
There is no incident occurring to me .but I change some parts like head light.& whisper .engine .
This happened about 3 weeks ago. I drove to work on local roads with no incidents of debris hitting windshield - no visible cracks. After my shift I spotted about a three foot crack in the middle of windshield leading down to passenger side. No warnings or symptoms of a problem. Although car is…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Toyota Priuss have visibility/wiper problems?
No. NHTSA has 151 owner complaints about visibility/wiper for the Toyota Prius. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Toyota Prius visibility/wiper?
No recall currently lists visibility/wiper for this vehicle.
How much does it cost to fix visibility/wiper problems on the Toyota Prius?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,050 (half paid between $710 and $1,150), from 10 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about visibility/wiper problems on the Toyota Prius?
The most frequent phrase is “front windshield”, in 15 of 151 complaints, followed by “above below” (11).
Other Toyota Prius problems
- Exterior Lighting problems (3,505)
- Service Brakes problems (2,039)
- Electrical System problems (1,595)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (1,594)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (1,050)
- Service Brakes, Electric problems (817)
- Engine problems (479)
- Structure problems (428)
See all Toyota Prius problems.