Condensation On Side Windows Isn't Cleared When Rolling Windows Down

Certainly a complaint here - I am having tremendous challenges with my windows not clearing, in rain or fog. It's really hard to roll down your window to check you blind spot and wipe your mirrors in order to do a safe lane change while going 120 km/hr. I am so pleased I found this chat - my toyota dealer told me that no cars "squeegie" when you roll them down, despite me assuring him that every car I have ever owned did this effectively. He knew nothing about what the other dealer spoke to above. I am going to try the rainex to help with the rain, hope that helps. I love my prius, but have never experienced such horrible visibility problems before.

 

I experienced this the very first morning of owning my Prius last month. Couldn't clear the windows and had to roll both front windows down in order to safely pull out of my complex's entrance into the road.

My previous '07 Civic Hybrid did this - but, of course, it also after the first two years fairly regularly had irregular auto-up functionality on the drivers window, which may have had something to do with the squeegee action. The car before that, my '00 Ford Focus also did this as far as I remember.

Obviously, it's fairly easily remedied with a rag, but I may just Rain-X both front windows so that dew will roll off at slower speeds (since I'm obviously not getting up to highway speeds before I exit my neighborhood).

 

ditto my 2011 has the same issue, no matter how hard I push outwards on the glass I get no squeegee action as mentioned, coming from a GM to the prius it is different
I have a small squeegee and do all the windows as I do a quick walk around each morning

 

Window condensation not clearing when windows rolled down must be a design flaw. I find this very aggravating on my 2012 Prius Four. This problem did not exist on my 2008 Prius (nor on any of my previous cars). Anyone have any luck getting Toyota to come up with a solution? RainX seems like a poor work-around.

 

I'm glad it came up, too. I was wondering about it.

 

I suggest putting Rain-X on all of your windows and mirrors. It makes a huge difference.

 

Design flaw? I don't think so. Those little rubber weather strips are to seal the windows when in the up position. They keep the air drafts out of the cabin when at speed. I don't believe they were ever intended to squeegee the windows. That would cause a high failure rate of window motors due to overworking. Then there would be complaints about the windows operating too slowly. Just clean your windows before take to the road.

 

I have never owned a car where this did not work.

Ask yourself this. Where does all that water go during a rainstorm if most of it is not deflected by this little piece of trim.

If you roll your window down all all the water is still there and nothing has changed then you can assume while it’s pouring rain and your car sits there, all that water hitting your widows is rolling down INSIDE your doors!!

I have two 2008 Prius Touring and they do squeegee off most all my condemnation.

I now also have 2018 Subaru Outback and it does NOT so now I’m worried and thus found this thread here...,

Really, where is all that humidity, rain, and moisture going? How long till something rust away???

I just started my hunt to find some kind of answer. Hoping it’s not an issue. But If I wash my car and hit my windows with a stream of water... down INSIDE the door is where it must be going...

 

True, but that seems like more water and moisture than should be getting down into a door and constantly getting into the door.

I have had to repair all of my electric door locks and thus get inside the doors. There’s not much there. A plastic sheet I believe attempts to keep most of the moisture away from the inside of the car. But it’s not a perfect seal. Then there’s the inside door panel.

I can imagine a small amount of water getting in and draining out or drying with luck and warm enough weather. But I guess I’m having a hard time imagining a constant flow of water through my doors in a down pour being good for the doors, window and lock motors, and the eventual humidity levels against the inside door panel if that seal is not good separating the layers of the door.

Of course I’m a bit spoiled living in California and having enough sunny days to really warm up the doors and probably dry them out.

Well it’s been like this for years in the auto industry I guess. Strainge that most every car I have driven has a very good seal against the glass and thus most of the water would deflect down the outside of the door (note I did not say all of the water). For me, my 2018 Outback is the first I have driven that I have noted does nothing to deflect the water. Both of my 2008 Prius do, my Ford Excursion does, the Jeep Cherokee I once owned did, the Chevy Caviler as well as the Pontiac Gramd Am as well as any car I remember renting. It just does not seem “normal” not too deflect and thus act like a squeegee when the windows go up and down...

I guess as long as the door stays healthy and no mold and mildew issues occur and humidity levels in car are ok.... then there’s bigger issues in this world to worry about....

 

You are missing a critical point here:
The seals need to seal when the window is CLOSED.
If your car is exposed to water with the windows OPEN, some leakage down into the door is the least of your worries.

And whether the strip contacts the glass as it goes down or not is a "don't care" for the designers.

P.S. This thread is about 5 years old. It might have been better to start a new one.