Broken windshield club

Not yet a member of this club, but I do have a very, very small scratch though not in a visibility area. Can you specifiy original equipment Toyota windshield?

 

Hypothesis: I bet there is a correlation between gas mileage and windshield breakage rate. Those who get better gas mileage get fewer windshield hits because they follow cars at a greater distance to reduce the need for braking.

I get 5+ mpg better gas mileage than my wife does (has been true for every vehicle we've owned), and she has broken a half-dozen windshields in her driving career. I've never broken one (ooops, knock on wood).

 

Yup,

Had a piece of tire tread hit me at about 12K. Cost me a new windshield also. I would suggest to get a Toyota Windshield cause the aftermarket ones never worked out very well for me. It is expensive thou, cost me about $750 total but well worth it cause I don't have one whistle or sound from the edge.

 

In our country the most common insurance price for full windshield replacement is about USD100/year. It is not bad if I count the new widshield glass price around USD1000. Yes, so much as we have a special glass because the HUD on all models).

 

My windshield was hit by something when I had only 1800 miles on the car. It was replaced with a Toyota Windshield. The strange thing is when the winsheild got hit there were no vehicles around at all. I was just driving at 30 mph and whatever is was hit at the base of the windshield and sounded like a bomb had gone off. No one was around and it left a mark the diameter of a pencil eraser on the glass and the windshield cracked from the impact at the base in several seperate lines up to the to molding.

 

This is not club I wanted to join but here I am. Driving down the freeway in the left lane passing a truck in the right lane, both of us going the speed limit (70 for me; 60 for the truck). Rock flew up and hit the windshield about 6 inches up from the bottom in the center. Really loud POP when it hit. Big chip out of the glass and radial cracks about an inch long appeared immediately. No chance of fixing it.

I stopped by State Farm on the way home and they agreed that it was unfixable. Went to a local auto glass place that I have used before and had them order the windshield. I made sure she ordered the one for cars with the LKA because the "dots" up by the mirror don't go over in front of the camera, I'll look at it and make sure it's right before I let them remove the old one.

I decided to go ahead and try the after market replacement instead of trying to get the Toyota one. I'll post how it works out. Appointment is for Tuesday morning.

BTW I ask the Toyota dealer, they use the same shop and use after market glass.

 

^ bummer Tom. My glass is really pitted now after two winters... I almost wish a big hit now so I have to replace the glass.

 

I'd agree. Closely following a car ahead of you increases the odds of a broken windshield

And of course: hood paint chips, excessive brake wear, decreased mileage, front end collisions, and so on.

 

Just a heads up- The OEM windshield is sound-insulated.

 

Has anyone had success having their insurance company pay for most or part of an OEM windshield?

 

Mine just cracked, i have a V with ATP. My question is, do I NEED a Toyota windsheild for my ATP features to work properly? I remember my sister had a Pontiac with Head Up Display and she HAD to get a Pontiac windshield.


Also how about for the black trim around the windshield?

 

My windshield (2010 Prius V w/ATP) was replaced yesterday. You must be certain they order a windshield for LKA equipped cars. The "dot" pattern on the left side of the mirror does not go down as far so the camera can see out.

I tried to get State Farm to use an OEM windshield and they absolutely refused. I don't know what the price difference is but I was told it was considerable.

The auto glass place I use recommend a windshield from Pilkington, it is part number FW03140 GTNPLK made in Mexico.

So far so good, I can't find any difference between it and the OEM glass including the black trim, the dots at the top, and the cutout for the VIN. Tint is the same as far as I can tell and it even has the little dots at the bottom to show where the wipers park. Haven't noticed any more wind or road noise. I don't know about UV blocking or heat reduction because there are no specs available from Plikington, I did ask. I was told that everything was the same as the OEM glass.

I warned the installer to be very careful of the LKA camera and explained if it were bumped and knocked out of alignment it would have to go to the dealer and be realigned, expensively. He said he didn't even touch it and it still works great.

 

My windshield cracked from the bottom with a half circle shape. I had it for almost a year before I got it replaced. Insurance paid for most of it while I paid the $100 deductible.

 

How does the aftermarket compare to OEM? I've heard of many horror stories with aftermarket glass. I hope never to replace the windshield. Is there also UV protection built into the OEM glass ?

 

Btw the OEM windshield will cost around $1,100.. An aftermarket windshield like safelite will cost about $340.00

 

Well, I just joined the club. Took a rock to the passenger side and the next day it cracked about 18 inches. AAA insurance, my rates will not be affected if the AAA payout is < $750. Henderson glass said the OEM glass is over $1200 and their aftermarket brand, which they say is "Toyota approved", whatever that means, is just over $500. Will go with the aftermarket,which they said does have the same acoustical properties as the OEM glass.

If our roads weren't in such bad shape, we'd have a lot less gravel flying around. I was surprised I took a hit given how far behind the car ahead of me I was. The only upside is I had the windshield repaired last fall and the repair was almost in my line if sight right out the front so that distraction will be gone with a new windshield.

 

I have had my replacement windshield for over two months and a couple of thousand miles. I can tell no difference between it and the original. From talking to the installer I understand there are good and not so good quality replacements, no surprise. Pilkington is apparently one of the better ones.

 

Mine broke at 20,000 miles. from the edge straight across. 420$ replaced