What visibility & wipers problems are reported on the 2013 Toyota Avalon?

Owners report rear power sunshades sticking in the up position, wipers activating on their own, rear window distortion or shattering, headliner sagging near the rear glass, and dashboard glare affecting visibility.

How common are these complaints for the 2013 Avalon?

NHTSA lists 29 Visibility & Wipers complaints out of 137 total complaints for the 2013 Avalon, or 21% of all complaints for that model year, the highest share among Avalon model years listed.

Is there a recall related to this issue on the 2013 Avalon?

Yes. Recall 13V505000, reported October 17, 2013, covers a wiper switch assembly and applies to the 2013 Avalon along with certain 2013-2014 Camry, Camry HV, and 2014 Corolla vehicles. Toyota's remedy is a free replacement of the wiper switch assembly.

At what mileage do these visibility & wipers problems typically show up?

The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this component on the 2013 Avalon is 7,000 miles.

Were there any crashes, fires, or injuries linked to this issue?

NHTSA records show 0 crashes, 1 fire, and 3 injuries associated with Visibility & Wipers complaints on the 2013 Avalon.

2013 Toyota Avalon Visibility & Wipers Problems

Visibility & Wipers complaints account for 29 of 137 total complaints (21%) on the 2013 Toyota Avalon, the highest share of any model year for this component. A related recall (13V505000) covers the wiper switch assembly. Median mileage at failure was 7,000.

Visibility & Wipers complaints: 29; 21% of 137
Crashes reported: 0
Fires reported: 1
Injuries reported: 3
Median mileage: 7,000 mi
Related recalls: 1

Typical visibility and wiper symptoms owners report

Rear power sunshade gets stuck in the up position and won't retract, blocking rear visibility, sometimes with no manual override.
Windshield wipers activate on their own at full speed and won't respond to controls, in one case accompanied by an electrical odor, smoke, and the horn sounding.
Rear window glass reported as distorted or shattering spontaneously, reducing visibility or scattering glass into the cabin.
Headliner near the rear glass droops and creases, restricting the view out the back window.
Dashboard glare reported as strong enough to obscure the view of oncoming traffic at various speeds.

When 2013 Toyota Avalon visibility and wiper complaints were filed

First complaint Mar 22, 2013, latest Jan 2, 2025.

29 complaints filed with NHTSA from Mar 2013 to Jan 2025; peak Jun 2013 (2).

Visibility & Wipers recalls for the 2013 Toyota Avalon

NHTSA 13V505000Oct 17, 2013Visibility & Wipers9,795 vehicles
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:switch/wiring
Toyota Motor Engineering & manufacturing North America, Inc. (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Camry and Camry HV, model year 2013 Avalon and Avalon HV and model year 2014 Corolla vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the windshield wiper switch assembly may short circuit. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, No. 104, "Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems."
Risk: A short circuit could cause inoperative windshield wipers, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiper switch assembly, free of charge. The recall began on November 8, 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Visibility & Wipers complaints by Avalon model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

20055 (2%)
20064 (1%)
200712 (5%)
200811 (3%)
20094 (4%)
20103 (7%)
201114 (13%)
20124 (13%)
201329 (21%)
201413 (14%)
20151 (2%)
20163 (13%)
20170 (0%)
20180 (0%)
20192 (3%)
20201 (10%)
20210 (0%)
20220 (0%)

Frequently asked questions

What visibility & wipers problems are reported on the 2013 Toyota Avalon?: Owners report rear power sunshades sticking in the up position, wipers activating on their own, rear window distortion or shattering, headliner sagging near the rear glass, and dashboard glare affecting visibility.
How common are these complaints for the 2013 Avalon?: NHTSA lists 29 Visibility & Wipers complaints out of 137 total complaints for the 2013 Avalon, or 21% of all complaints for that model year, the highest share among Avalon model years listed.
Is there a recall related to this issue on the 2013 Avalon?: Yes. Recall 13V505000, reported October 17, 2013, covers a wiper switch assembly and applies to the 2013 Avalon along with certain 2013-2014 Camry, Camry HV, and 2014 Corolla vehicles. Toyota's remedy is a free replacement of the wiper switch assembly.
At what mileage do these visibility & wipers problems typically show up?: The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this component on the 2013 Avalon is 7,000 miles.
Were there any crashes, fires, or injuries linked to this issue?: NHTSA records show 0 crashes, 1 fire, and 3 injuries associated with Visibility & Wipers complaints on the 2013 Avalon.