2003 S40 - Why No Wiper for Rear Window?

I've had this car for almost two years and really do like it. I have
always been puzzled, however, by the lack of windshield wipers for the
rear window, considering Volvo's reputation for safety. I would think
them to be more useful than the headlight wipers that are on the car
(how do you get them to turn on anyhow, and why would you want to do
that?)The other day was rainy and when I got into my car at the end of
the work day I had to get out and wipe the rear window off before
starting out. I'm pretty sure my 1986 240 had rear wipers.

 

decided to add:

Headlight wipers come on with the screen jet washers...

 

I dont think there's any sedan on the market that has a rear wiper (The
mazda 6 hatchback does... but it's a hatchback... even tho it looks almost
identical to the sedan... and some coupes do, but they have bad enough rear
visibility). Sedans don't have that kick-up of dirt/water that wagons/true
hatchbacks do that requires a rear wiper... The rear window never really
gets totally blocked.

You don't understand headlight wipers? - Move to Canada during the winter
(or anywhere in the snowbelt region of the USA) - you get a layer of
salt/sand so thick over your headlights you start to lose at least 1/2
intensity - I WISH my cars had wipers on the headlights... or at least
washer nozzels... You tend to have to stop every night on the way home for
work at the gas bar, not to fill up, but to clean off your headlights... Of
course some people just don't care, it does make a big difference when they
are clean tho... If you do live in the snowbelt, you may be one of those
people who just doesn't notice that your headlights keep getting less and
less effective the more covered they get.

I've never seen a 240 sedan with a rear wiper, and my dad said neither of
his old 240's, nor his 140 had one - only front wipers.

 

240 sedans never had rear window wipers, nor did any sedan I've ever
seen--Volvo or otherwise.


| I've had this car for almost two years and really do like it. I have
| always been puzzled, however, by the lack of windshield wipers for the
| rear window, considering Volvo's reputation for safety. I would think
| them to be more useful than the headlight wipers that are on the car
| (how do you get them to turn on anyhow, and why would you want to do
| that?)The other day was rainy and when I got into my car at the end of
| the work day I had to get out and wipe the rear window off before
| starting out. I'm pretty sure my 1986 240 had rear wipers.
|

 

I dont think there's any sedan on the market that has a rear wiper

They are quite rare. Ford did put them on the Orion a few years ago in
Europe and Subaru fit them today on the Impresa.

 

I think I''ve also seen rear wipers on some old Mazda 323 sedans from the
80's(?)....
Never seen any rear wipers on a Volvo sedan.

 

As I was driving my old 86 Jetta across on the freeway for several hours
during constant rain at 75mph the front wipers were on full throttle and the
rear window never even got wet. It's all aerodynamics.

 

Yah but the 323 was more of a fastback/hatchback style car... so is the
Impreza isn't it?... Both had/have a liftgate.

On a formal sedan there tends not to be a wiper.

 

So you haven't seen any 340/360s then?

Cheers, Peter.

 

Only Volvo wagons (and hatchbacks) have rear wipers and they are there
to remove the mist kicked up while driving. Headlights don't have
wipers per se, they have washers. The are headlight wipers are only
activated when you wash your windshield.

 

Yes, but at least over here, there used to be a 323 sedan besides the more
common hatchback, and some of them had a rear wiper. Looked kond of
strange...

 

Seen a lot of 340/360's, but only rear wipers (not very common though....)
on hatchbacks. Never seen a rear viper on a 340/360 sedan, but luckily I
haven't seen them all....

 

A little late to reply to this post but I just had to.
75 mph in the rain in an '86 Jetta? Please...tell me your name and
address...I want to take a massive Aetna term life policy out on you.

 

Jetta's aren't bad in the rain.... and 75Mph (120kph) isn't all that fast...
pretty much everyone still drives that fast in the rain around here......
Hell people try it when it's snowing around here tho (the ditchbound ones)