Windshield Clarity- Water is the Enemy

The other day I got stuck in a rain storm and finally had to use my windshield wipers on my new Tacoma. After several seconds I noticed large spots forming across the windshield after the wiper made a pass. These spots were roughly the size of a half dollar and would not disappear from the wiper as long as it was raining. It resembled a chemical film/residue. It made it incredibly difficult to see out of while driving.

Once I got home I used my Chemicals Guys soap to remove any oil residue that may have gotten on it from the road. Rinsed it with water then used Stoners Invisible Glass cleaner.

Rained again today and the spots immediately came back. Has anyone experienced such a thing? I’ve searched and found multiple posts on the glass quality and wiper issues but couldn’t find anything resembling what I am experiencing. Any insight would be appreciated.

Edit 10/26/18- I attempted to clean the windshield using:
Chemical Guys Car Wash
Dawn dish soap
Windex
Rubbing Alcohol
No Touch GS8 Glass Stripper
Bar Keepers Friend
Clay Bar & Wax
Simple Green
Cerium Oxide
Acetone

Nothing I used made any difference. Something went wrong during the manufactinging process and the lamination between the glass was the culprit.

New windshield and wipers- no more clarity issues while driving!

 

Are you sure they are on the outside, not the inside? Appearing because of temp change with the rain? The suction cups used to hang signs and such often do that on the inside.

I use Barkeepers Friend to clean the glass outside, and alcohol to wipe the blades. Just in case you want to redo that.

 

I don’t have this problem in my 2nd gen. Maybe try washing the blades them self? I do this every time I wash the truck and seam to get quite a bit of dirt. Also maybe use some rain X( I use the washer fluid)

 

Yeah gonna be that guy

Get new wiper blades that arent oem. Live in washington and that is one of the top things to do if you're questionable about wiper blade performance. Also rain x


Edit: also took me a little to realize I had the same thing. Looks like a streaking oil spot. Cleaned it off well and I havent had a problem since. Still got better blades though

 

That’s a great suggestion. I believe I cleaned the inside when I first got the truck but will try this in order to eliminate the possibility.

Yes, I do the same thing when I wash the truck. I wash twice a week but have never had any residue visible on my mitt from cleaning them.

That’s a good way to describe it. I originally thought it was oily road grime. What did you use to ultimately remove it?

Thank you to all for the suggestion so far. I have never seen a windshield do this before.

 

I did similar to what you did. Also clay bared the windshield and put on a coat of rain x as well as use the washer fluid. Honestly after the 2nd time I washed it I no longer had it. I did notice when I would approach my vehicle from the drivers side in the sunlight I could see the " rainbow effect " probably has something to do with shipping ( probably has a paper film over the windshield similar to the hood )

 

Polish your windshield and then do the RainX.

 

Leave it!!! It’s aliens leaving you/us a message! ...

 

Bosch Icon wipers, aquapel glass coating and rain x wiper fluid. Been a great combo.

With aquapel alone I don't need wipers above 35mph.

 

Sounds like you have a new truck that has had all kinds of work orders and assembly sirections stuck to the windshield. Just clean it a few time with whatever. It eventually gets clean. It took me like three times I think.

 

I have the exact same thing as OP. I have yet to try barkeepers friend, but all store glass cleaners or paste have done diddly squat. It is dangerous to drive my truck in anything but light rain.

 

Wanted to give a quick update. I went and purchased: No Touch GS8 Glass stripper, Bar Keepers Friend, and a new clay bar. I spent 3 hours last night cleaning the interior windshield, and cleaning, stripping and polishing the exterior. I had my wife use the garden hose to similate rain on the windshield... the spots were still there.

First thing this morning I went to my fathers house and he shared some cerium oxide he had left over from a project. I polished every possible inch of it and repeated the water hose test. The spots were absent for a minute then slowly came back.

Currently at the dealership service department. I’ll update what they say.

 

Wow. Disconcerting.

My truck has this same issue. Water does not bead at all. Just spreads and distorts. Same blotches after the wipers pass and on humid days.

Also i have scratches in the wiper arc. I hope its not junk glass. Please keep me updated. This is a safety issue for me.

All my other toyotas, 6 cars spanning from 80s to early 2000s do not exhibit this issue. I dont use rainx either.

Edit: could it be something in the wiper blades?
I keep finding inferior parts sourced on these american built trucks vs my other japanese toyotas.

 

So the service manager worked directly with me and he said the exact same thing. The logic makes total since too. He had his head detailer use a chemical that resembled acetone and wiped the windshield down.

@Burro09 I feel your pain. I have owned 10 vehicles and never had an issue like this. It is a direct safety issue as far as I’m concerned as the inability to clean the windshield during rain showers makes visibility all but impossible.

The service manager was very patient and listened to my concerns. He took me down to the wash bay and let me demonstrate what I experienced. While this is exactly what I was hoping would happen during my visit the demonstration didn’t go exactly as planned. They only had high pressure wands available and the vehicle was parked with the sun coming straight though the windshield. It was almost impossible to make out the spots. He could see signs of streaking but not nearly to the effect driving at night and raining.

He said he would call a Toyota area rep and see if they had any experience with this type of issue and give me a call once they spoke. He made it clear that it could be dangerous and he would do his best to resolve the issue with a new windshield however he just needed to follow the protocols in place.

I’m indifferent after it’s all said in done. Describing such a bizarre effect is challenging to say the least.

 

spray the entire windshield with some glass cleaner. Then take some steel wool and scrub the entire glass. Then wipe away with some paper towels. Then afterwards apply some rain-x or similar product or a wax. Also clean the inside as well

 

Received a call from the service manager today stating he spoke to the local Toyota corporate rep. The rep stated he had never seen or heard of glass issues other than from instances where customers used an inappropriate cleaner and a case would have to be opened with Toyota on determining if the issue was my fault. I was about to get defensive since it’s a brand new truck and I clean the truck meticulously with quality products but before I could interject the service manager said he didn’t want to go through that procedure and would be ordering a replacement glass for me.

 

Also here is an example in how water responds to the windshield compared to my wife’s car. Notice how the Tacoma’s is more of a sheet vs bead. I tested this on other family vehicles and the Tacoma is the only one that doesn’t allow the water to bead up.

 

If it is water spots? You can use Invisible Glass to clean glasses. Then Rain X them and water will bead off will not dry on glass.

 

This is EXACTLY my issue. Keep us updated. Pisses me off that I have to drive at 30 mph in mild rain because the wipers cant keep up.

 

1- Move to AZ. Rain is a miracle. Problem solved.
or
2- Drive backwards.