2012 Prius Two windshield wiper issue

Welcome to PC.

You haven't included your location, do you live in an area where there is a lot of moisture, rain, snow, etc? Do you park outside?

If your mechanically inclined you might consider taking the black plastic cover (rear of engine compartment) off when they are frozen and see why they won't move.

The response you have gotten from your dealer is, unfortunately, fairly typical. They don't want to try to fix anything unless it throws a code or they can see it while it's broken. You might consider letting them know you will keep their response, or lack thereof, in mind next time you want to buy a car.

 

Hard for the dealer to remedy something they can't replicate. I'd suggest checking the weather forecast and leaving the car with the dealer overnight when it's forecast to be cold enough, so they can start the car up cold in the morning.

 

This is typical of the Gen3 Prius (i.e. they all do it) usually about 3 to 4% high. Toyota's way of trying to make you happy. . Enough of us have checked this out to know that the "old-fashioned method" is telling you the truth. Interestingly the Gen2 Prius was pretty close.

 

My wipers have worked down to -16F, no problem. When it is that cold up here it is usually very dry however.

 

I just found this thread by searching for "wiper". Why? Because when I got in the car this afternoon the front wipers didn't work. First time this has happened to me.

The car was cold soaked to 23 F. I turned the car off then to ready again, but still a problem. The rear wiper was working. I looked up the fuse location in the owner's manual, pulled the cover off and determined that I couldn't pull the fuse without a tool (but I did push against the fuse panel a little). When I turned the car back on the wipers worked.

On the way home I stopped the car to drop something off, then drove to an empty parking lot to reinstall the panel cover (took a few tries). When I turned the car on the wipers were unresponsive again. I reached down and pressed up on the panel and when I tried again they were working. :-(

I'll be checking their operation each time I drive, going forward. I work very near a dealership, so if I can reproduce the problem ome morning I'll bring it in.

- Chris

P.S. - I'm quite sure this isn't a black plastic cover issue--there clearly was nothing even trying to move. Clearly an open circuit at some level.

 

Please keep us posted. Since the car lives in a garage I don't use the wipers much first thing.

It does not seem to be a common problem. I'm thinking it might just involve "seating" the fuse panel somehow.

Friday morning update:
Wipers failed then worked then failed on the way to work. Went to the dealer instead, were inoperative as talking to the service writer, then started up on their own as we talked!

They've parked it outdoors to cold soak. Temp is currently in the teens.

 

What a bizarre problem. Can't wait to find out what it is.

 

I have a 2011 and I recently encountered the same problem. My car had been sitting out overnight in -10 degree weather and the wipers did not start... AT ALL. I had to drive an hour back home, luckily it didn't snow and I didn't need them but my rear wipers worked fine. Another time previous to that it didn't work when I sprayed my windshield so I had to stop the car and wipe off the window... seconds letter the wipers worked. It's so weird.. and extremely dangerous in MN winter conditions!

 

Well, nothing to report.
Cold soaking the car in 15 degree weather for four hours didn't work. The service writer drove it around for 20 minutes as well.
At my request they changed the fuse.
The wipers worked fine all the way home (single swipes every few miles to test them).
We'll see what the weekend brings.

 

Looks to me as a wiper fuse problem. Keep us posted.

 

I have nowhere to go today but did a successful single swipe of the wipers in the garage this morning (25 ° F in the garage).

 

That's my experience too, coming from an '06 Civic Hybrid. Pretty much the only thing Honda did right with their hybrid, but yes: if the Civic displayed something like 5.0 liters per 100 km, when I calculated it might be 4.9. In other words: very close, erring slightly on the pessimistic side.

With our Prius OTOH, if it's displaying 5.0 (units per above), calculated usual comes in at 5.4.

 

After a night shift at work and my car sitting in the freezing cold, the wipers once again did not work. Called Toyota and was told to bring it in, of course it had been sitting in a warm garage for close to 30 mins. On the drive there it decided to work. Toyota didn't do anything, but the service person told me that they would call HQ Monday to see if there has been similar problems and will see the course of action then.

 

That confirms my experience (the delay). I had tried a few times (for a few seconds at a time) on the drive to the dealer. It wasn't until I left them on while talking to the service writer that they came to life.

 

After another NOC shift and the anxiety of driving with no wipers on wet snowy roads I got my Prius to the dealer with the wipers not working. They already had planned to replace the windshield wiper motor going just by word alone, but now I actually got to show them that the wipers do not work. They'll have the car for at least 3 days, I'm looking forward to finding out what is the cause of all this.