Wipers need fixing. Where should I start?

Walmart is pretty good with wipers. If you purchase wipers, they will install them for you at no charge. Just ask before you purchase in the automotive department.

Not sure about the rear wiper arm, though.

 

I'd go to Auto Zone or PepBoys before WalMart.
New front wipers will set you back about $20 a set these days.
You can't get just the rubber inserts anymore, as far as I know.
Wipers need to be changed AT LEAST every 2 years; more often if it sits out in the sun all the time.

IF....the back one doesn't run off the window when running, I wouldn't worry about it.
If you can find an independent shop that specializes in Toyota, they might adjust it for you for free. If you know how the mechanism works, it only takes a couple of minutes. Some business owners still understand the value of "good will" as it pertains to attracting new customers.

 

Two Suggestions:

(1) Use Rain-X Latitudes
(2) use Clay-Bar to clean the class, then wax with a good carnuba wax!

Here's how:

There have been many threads on this subject, and I don't want to get into a pissing match, but it has worked for me for the past 4 years, and still does…

[/End_of_Recommendation]

 

People here do the rear wiper delete all the time so I wouldn't worry about even bothering replacing the rear wiper if the rear window doesn't even need any wiper action.

 

I think they mean remove all traces of the wiper, that is the blade, the arm, the motor, and then blank off any remaining holes with plates/plugs/inserts. I'd thought about doing that to my 2009 Gen II, but when I checked the legality of removing what is actually a "safety feature", the State Law (at least here in New Hampshire) says that all safety features fitted to the original vehicle must be operational and functioning in order to pass inspection, so delete the rear wiper at your peril!

Of course you could do something like this:

Clean Sweep (334x203) by WilDavis posted May 19, 2017 at 10:55 AM

 

Got that pic at your fingertips .

Does that mean you’ve done the mod?

All we ever see of your Prius is the front.

 

Ah, Ray, you're starting to sound like one of those impatient pick-up drivers which are always passing me and mouthing words which I can only assume are "Oh my goodness, what a pretty Prius, I love the view of your behind, but I'm on my way to a nimportant meeting which involves me an' my ego (sitting right in the back there), see the way it overhangs all the way round? I guess I need to get a truck with a bigger bed!"

To answer your original question, I removed just the rear wiper arm and blade for a while to see exactly if it improved the rear vision, and found it to be only marginal, so after learning about the state inspection, back on it went!

…and as for the picture, well I nicked it! (…just like most of my stuff!! )

 

If you still have the original wiper arms, there is nothing better than the OEM wiper inserts from the dealer. They last almost forever and are only about $9 each from my local Toyota dealer. They are a little more effort than just swapping out the whole arm, but they are well worth it.

In fact, when I found out how good they are, I got oem arms for my wife's '07 so I could install the oem inserts. Worth every penny, imho. Here's a thread where, interestingly, one person wondered why not get something cheap from Walmart, but had a very different opinion a few years later.
Gen III Prius Wiper blade inserts OEM part numbers | PriusChat

 

You'll be appalled how many here done wiper delete mod. I'm still waiting for search feature delete mod.

 

like wildavis i,too, am a huge rainx fan. when going over 45-50 mph i hardly ever need the wipers because the rain just rolls up and blows off. here in daytona area we can have blindingly heavy squalls and that extra clearing i get from rainx helps phyically and mentally. almost never need to change wipers partly because of it.

 

I'm with jerry ... get the inserts from the dealer or online. The OE Denso are the best -- the frame is very strong with proper support. The rubber lasts forever. People don't understand and toss out the blade and they end up with a cheaper fix. Get the inserts.

Denso also has a line of replacement blades -- they are not widely available ... but I always get them as replacements when I have to. I use them on my old Jags and I just had to replace my Denso frames on my old pathfinder (rust) ..used the DENSO aftermarket blade. Autohaus sells them.

 

My oems still work perfectly after at least six months. Seems like no matter how much I spent on aftermarket wipers, I was seeing streaks in about a month or so.

 

I've heard that if you buy silicon wipers, they need replacing far less often than rubber wipers.

 

I’ve seen people put a sock over the entire back whiper and call it good.

Does that mean don’t enter vehicle?