I think the official name for the part is a cowl - one of these.
I have a 1996 Corolla and a big shunk of the middle of that base is missing - nothing that holds/affects the windshield wipers - it’s a piece right in the middle that would let debris in. How important is that to get fixed, and how hard to replace?
It’s not important at all, but eventually leaves and debris will clog the drain holes.
Fixed typo in thread title.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
The cowl is generally where you’re getting the air for your heater/AC - so leaves and such plugging drain holes is less of a problem than leaves and debris plugging your HVAC blower.
Replacing it is probably easy, on the ones I’ve dealt with it’s just a handful of plastic screws you can access with the hood open.
If the debris plugs the cowl drains (and it does happen), rain water will flow into the heat/vent/A-C ductwork inside the cab. The debris itself may get into said ductwork, which usually isn’t a significant problem, though it can be occasionally. Small rodents have been known to build nests in various parts of cars, again rare but it has happened.
If what’s missing is a center piece that doesn’t require wiper arm removal to access, replacement should be quick and easy, probably 4 or 5 screws.