Careful if you crack your windshield on the 2010 Prius

Wow...that is a total bummer!!!

 

kevine062657, I have no familiarity with 2009 Prius'. When you say it doesn't even come close, how so? Is the 2010 longer, different curvature, wider?

Cracked windshields are real common in Colorado. It would be helpful to know what to watch for. Thanks --TK

 

Just so that everybody knows, most insurance companies will waive the deductible for repairable windshield cracks so be sure to call insurance first.

 

The 2010 glass is *quite* different. It's even got a funny little
bump along the bottom line, which we saw upon pulling the cowl
from one the other weekend.
.
_H*

 

Hey, 32kcolors,

I understand what you're saying about windshield REPAIRS versus replacements, but I believe the repairs you're talking about are for "bullseyes" or chips only & NOT for cracks. Bullseyes & chips usuallly are confined to a small spot on the windshield about the size of a nickel (certainly no larger than a quarter), & yes, they can usually be filled in & repaired so it's almost impossible to see the original damage. But the ONLY acceptable correction for a crack (especially one that is spreading) is a full windshield replacement.

When I had mine done they (insurance & glass shop) told me that the windshield is part of the structural integrity of the car in addition to being a safety part of the airbag system (if the airbag has to go off in an accident, it's supposed to be held in place by the windshield). If the glass is cracked, it's likely that the explosion that deploys the airbag will rupture the glass & the airbag won't be where it needs to be to protect your head. So kevine062657 was doing the right thing in requesting a replacement in this case.

He even also tried to do the right thing by stressing that it was one of the brand new 2010 models, the glass for which they said they had one on hand. I kind of find that amusing & unfortunately I expect the OP to wait longer than 5 days (like maybe one or 2 weeks to get one from a dealer in this country---or longer if it has to come from the factory in Japan).

If I had been in his shoes with a new 2010 model, I would NOT believe they could possibly have one on hand for such a new model & I would have made the glass guy get the new windshield out of the truck & try a preliminary fit/match-up before even allowing him to go ahead & remove the old glass. That's just my scepticism for his situation. I wouldn't have worried at all about the glass not being the correct one for an '04 thru '09 replacement.

Ken (in Bolton,Ct)

 

Ken, That's very interesting information about a cracked windshield and the airbag deployment. As I said, chipped and cracked windshields in Colorado is real common. It is also real common for insurance companies to refuse to authorize or pay for a windshield replacement if the crack is not in the drivers direct line of sight, causing a visual impairment while driving.

kevine062657, thanks for the response about the differences. --TK

 

When I took a rock to the windshield of my Highlander Hybrid I learned a couple of things. Cracks in the line of sight can be repaired, but in Virginia it won't pass the safety inspection. Crack or starbursts over at the edges can't be repaired because the resin won't set up properly. Cracks that can be covered by a dollar bill can be repaired. Yes, not a nickel, or quarter-sized starburst, but dollar-bill sized cracks.

Safelite Auto Glass - Windshield Repair Guide

 

jay_man2,

I work one day a week at an auto auction that sells betweeen 2,500 to 3,000 cars a week on an average week & Safelite has done lots of windshield replacements on-site in the days before each auction. Even though they say they can repair cracks up to 6 inches, my insurance company warned me NOT to do any business with Safelite because they have had many, many problems with their repairs & replacements.

I don't know how a resin repair can stop a crack from spreading because usually temperature differentials just keep the crack growing & I'm sure a lot of road vibration can contribute to growing a crack larger also. It seems to me that putting resin on a crack is just a meer temporary solution like putting a band aid on a cut that should require sutures. And as you said yourself, the state of Virginia doesn't consider a crack repair safe.

I'm sure the resin approach works fine on the "bullseyes" or "star" chips though because I've never seen any of those grow that don't get repaired anyway. But the resin just seems to fill in the damaged spot & make it disappear.

Ken (in Bolton,Ct)

 

I wonder if glass companies fix cracks by first drilling holes at the end of the cracks, then filling them and the cracks with resin.

That's how I've stopped cracks from spreading in other materials. The drilled hole at the end of the crack prevents the crack from spreading any farther. But I don't know if this is done for windshield glass or not

 

After going through countless windshields over the years, I have come to realize that OEM glass is the way to go. The non-factory glass seems to not be of the same quality glass and chips, pits and seems to crack easier. Now I specify OEM glass to the insurance company and have never been denied that yet.

 

Just to clarify, I said that in Virginia a car won't pass the safety inspection if there's a crack in the driver's line of sight. Crack repairs are okay, but in the driver's sightline you'll end up replacing the windshield to get it to pass inspection.

 

On my TCH they simply applied some sort of epoxy. Problem is, even though it was sealed, the guarentee only went with me and not to a new owner. I would have a hard time buying a car with a crack in the windshield and the word of the owner that "don't worry, they fixed it" guarentee. Additionally, as the light would hit it you could still see the crack. I found it totally unsatisfying as a repair.

 

That's for sure. I found that this fact was reflected in insurance rates. For our CRV it was roughly the cost of 1 windshield per year. Since we have to replace ours maybe once every 18 months, we declined the insurance and just paid cash for windshields.

The good news is, Toyota wanted just a bit more than the cost of one windshield for the life of the car, to buy their extended windshield warranty. So even though extended warranties are usually a bad deal, for windshields it was a very good deal, at least if you live in Colorado.

 

???? Windshield cracks are part of the comprehensive coverage on your policy. Replacing them won't raise your rates like a collision will.

 

Maybe where you live. Not here.

 

Just to say I empathize with Kevine. A couple of weeks after I got my new 1985 Volvo, Ding! a rock kicked up by truck passing on a hill in New Mexico hit my windshield. The crack spread before we could get to a place to fix it--new windshield.
I've had about 4 windshields on my 1999 Toyota Corolla. One broke when a basketball goal I had parked it near blew over within a few minutes of being at the home of a friend my wife and I had not seen in probably 15 years.