Fragile Windshield

[PhreakdOut]

Has anyone had issues with the slightest rock cracking your windshield.

The original windshield was replaced at 400 miles when the car in front of me took off from a stop and flicked a small (about ¼ the size of a dime). No big deal. It happens.

The replacement windshield cracked on the interstate when another (I'll say pebble-sized) rock hit right next to the pass side A-pillar. A chip would be OK, but it instantly cracked in several directions. This happened late March and I decided to leave it till the end of June. (So I'd have a new windshield for the Solara meet in July.) Sure enough, Michigan is paving their roads and a pebble sized piece of tar / asphalt flicked up and cracked the "already cracked" windshield. Except on the driver's side center.

As fragile as these windshields are, I'm thinking about having the windshield guy meet me the day before the Elmhurst Toyota Show so I can be sure to have a good windshield. Cripes!

(No, I don't tailgate. I'm just cursed by Murphy's Law)

[jig47]

I park my car right out front of my door when I get home from work at night. It is a private home, so no one would probably mess with it. When I walked out the door at about 10am, I noticed the windshield was cracked by the driver's A pillar with no evidence of any impact. I didn't mention this one earlier as I thought no one would believe me or just think I was a whiner. Thanks for letting me know that I'm not the only one. The Toyota dealership would probably say "oh, they all do that, it's normal".

[CHRIS CLUTCH]

Yup got a lil crack on my shield from a "pebble" pissed me off

[Down2TheC]

Jeez Phreak! Good call on holding out for pebble #3! I'm only at 13K but no probs yet and it had better stay that way! And Chicago has crap roads like MI. But I do lay back when I'm behind trucks and such (like 5-10 car lengths... size dependant. For a semi, I find some sucker to drive in front of me or zip by). I'm paranoid about the front dings so maybe it's saving the windshield too! Who knew?

With your luck, maybe you should make an appointment at Elmhurst Toyota for the night before the meet!

[msz31]

Had a car kick a stone up and left some marks on the left side. Then last summer I was hit on the right side with a pebble from a truck. Cracked right away. Lived with it for a year until it went all the way across into my field of vision. How do you guys like the price for a Toyota replacement? $1100!! I love when the service department asks you how much the parts department told you it would be and their reply is "Holy crap!".

[jig47]

Windows and door glass should be covered by your insurance company with no cost or deductible if the damage is in your field of vision. I paid nothing for my windshield replacement. The glass company told me it would cost about $250-300 installed if I did not have insurance. Btw, my insurance is State Farm.

[PhreakdOut]

I called the lease company today to see about windshield repairs. (Yeah, Mike, I know I should've waited.)

They insist it must be "repaired" if the cracks are less than the size of a dollar bill. (It's no cost to me so if I don't like the workmanship, they'll credit it towards new glass.)

I'll take before and after pics tomorrow.

[PhreakdOut]

I talked the "repair guy" into telling the lease company that's it's unrepairable. (New windshield is on order.)

I'm really curious how many Gen 2 windshields have been replaced so far. Either it's a vehicle design issue that has the shield stressed to the point that any pebble will crack it or the windshield is a poor design.

[Lone Solara]

Had the same problem. A pebble hit the windshield just below the top, and made a 2-foot crack. You can't even see the spot of the impact with the naked eye. I'd say the Toyota windshields are very, very weak. I used to have a Nissan and several Audis, and none of them had problems, even when I was hit by rocks going 60 mph (no kidding).

[PhreakdOut]

I agree about weak shields.

Here's a pic of the damage. There's no chip at the center of the impact. In fact, you can not feel it when you run your finger over it. However, if I press down on the shield near any cracks, the crack spreads quickly.

Sorry about the image quality. Camera phones are about useless when the lens is left open all the time. (Pocket lint, key scratches, dirt all screwed up the lens surface.)

[PhreakdOut]

I got the windshield replaced yesterday and murphy's law struck again.

No, Down2thec, not another rock chip or crack...yet. The installer cut through my antennea for the satellite radio. They were cool about it saying just go get estimates and they'll pay it.

I can blame myself for that one. I forgot to tell them I routed the cable up the A pillar.

Now I'm driving like Miss Daisy till the July car show. I now avoid rock haulers like the plague.

[PhreakdOut]

Just reading through: Is this also a problem with the Gen1? I see a very little chip just 3" from the windshield top and I'm wondering if it is a cause for concern.

Besides, PhreakdOut, if I remember "Driving Miss Daisy" correctly, Miss Daisy wrecked her car in a freak accident and her family insisted on a chauffer with a relationship that started out rough and eventually better, not a movie about an old lady who can't go above 20 MPH gingerly driving due to limited vision from Coke-bottle glasses and advanced cataracts (it'll be funny as hell if it was).

LOL - You got me on that one. Props to the movie buff!

[Eviltwinpsu]

Yea, so it just stuck me today...not sure when or how but i looked over at my passangerside and there was this huge crack in my windshield....

any suggestions if i should take it to toyota or look for someone around here that does glass repair?