I don't see why they'd turn the wipers off. It seems like one of the last things they'd be thinking about at the time. Also, the water could have affected the electrics on the car, like not shorting out the entire thing right away but shorting out the controls.
The thing I find creepy is that in these filmed tsunamis, the water just starts out as a trickle around the corners before quickly becoming a torrent. If it were a movie, the leading edge would always be a huge wave, but I think the trickle is actually a lot creepier.
Today I learned that the flood part of the tsunami isn't the most terrifying part; it's when the water starts to recede just as (or even more) rapidly.
Whether he's alive or dead probably depends on whether or not they managed to get to higher ground or a roof or something. I do like that he was polite enough to run back to close the car door before fleeing again.
I get the idea that the people inside this car probably did survive, though. Maybe in this situation it's just best to float in your car, at least you have a metal shell around you to protect you from debris.