Tiny Windshield Specks in Bright Sunlight

our new prius has same problem with specs in windshield. it is not pitting. had that happen to cars years ago in sandstorm. these look like water spots. we scrubbed with everything! Polish remover, vinegar solutions, professional window sprays. even Ajax. nothing works. terrible reflection in mornings can't hardly see through it. very dangerous.

 

I not sure if the windshield is one solid piece of glass... But the "specs" on mine seem to be underneath the surface, or between the layers of glass.

 

Have you shown the problem to your dealer? There might be a manufacturing problem.

 

Perhaps affected Toyota owners can report this problem to the NHTSA: File a Vehicle Safety Complaint | Safercar.gov | NHTSA

This problem appears to go back to vehicles produced as early as 2010, possibly even earlier.

 

I was parked facing the sun this morning. Washing the car. I used Rain-X window cleaner on the outside of the windshield 3 times, and the inside once. I could clearly see the specs. I don't know if it's possible, but they appear to be inside the glass layers? They are not surface specs. Very strange.

I think I can live with it. The specs are only noticeable (to me) when the sun is low, early in the morning. And I'm always wearing sunglasses, so maybe that helps minimize them? Beats me.

 

had the same problem with my envoy used 0000 steel wool to get rid off these nasty little spots. just get one and lightly scrub the windshield. do not use any chemicals or water.

 

Do you still have issue with specs on windshield? If so look in sky when this is happening, see if there are planes leaving chem trails some will disappear some will linger and expand to be a big cloud. It might be from that. And we breath it.

 

C'mon people, it's a Prius we're talking 'bout! Those are not just "specks", it's glitter!

 

The white vapor trails see under certain conditions from jet airplanes operating at high altitudes are almost entirely condensed water vapor and are called contrails. I do not see how the jet emissions could plausibly cause this windshield problem.
Conversely, I have had certain kinds of tree sap + pollen form durable spotty deposits on our windshield, that I finally had to used a rather strong cleaner (409) and a very soft plastic scrubber to remove.

 

Try using a new razor blade. It's a good way to really clean glas before you put window tint on.

 

Lets stop it from starting by protesting the chemtrails in the sky.

 

I saw this and had to post. I have 2019 Jetta and had a white spot. It looked like it was inside the glass. I tried all cleaners and pit filler. Nothing worked. I took to dealer and they insisted rock chip. They submitted photos to VW who replaced the glass. Now, my new one seems to have a similar speck. FML!

Glass is pressed together during manufacturing. I saw somewhete if the environment is not dust free, there can be dirt, or air bubbles pressed in the glass. It can also be less noticable and become more noticable over time with the windshield delaminating. Delaminating can happen faster do to uv, temperature and pressure.

I complained to VW that it was under warranty and the windshield is a safety part of the car. Even though it was extremely small, it is an integrity issue and more issues could arise due to the poor winshield, or batch.

If you go this route, don't let the service advisor insist it's a rock chip. Some are busy and don't care. They want you in and out. Insist that they send pictures to the manufacturer and then call your manufacturer and ask them to assist you ( making sure pic received, claim was initiated and give feedback on how the dealer handled it)

The manufacturer is likely to stand behind it's warranty, especially for a safety piece. If you can, try to have three glass shops who acknowledge there is a stain in the glass. This will make your case much strong if the dealer tries to reject you.

Now, do I feel like doing all that again? Not really! I'll keep me eye on this one for a few years while under warranty. An option will be to go non oem. I heard newer cars have cheap windshield as a way to cut cost. Mine I think is from Mexico.

Good luck and I hope you find this useful.

 

I have bookmarked this topic because of Renan post. This post can help others with a similar problem.
When you Google this issue 97% say it's pitting or soap scum.
I have a million of these specks in a brand new vehicle, 300 miles.
It is extremely frustrating reading posts where users can not relate to the glass being defective.
I have had 10 new vehicles and know when there is something that is not right.
A glass shop told me they only buy windshields made in the USA.
Again thanks Renan for your post.

 

Hi all,

I am having the same problem with a brand new VW golf at the moment. I have been on it for months, between the repair shop and VW. The dealership service didn't do a thorough job at all and dismissed it by saying it needs a polish. The very kind assessor and detailer at the repair shop have checked the car again, gave it a proper polish and buff and then both agreed it's 100% on the inside and should be replaced under warranty, aka VW should have no excuse for endangering their customers on the road.

Now booked another service with VW. I am putting them in contact directly with the repair shop, supplying a million photos from every check-up to show there were no improvements to the issue. I live in Sydney and it is not something that is possible or safe to be ignored under the bright Australian sun.

 

I have this odd metal flake windshield problem on my new 2021. It appears to be more or less evenly distributed within the plastic laminate layer between the tempered glass panels. They look like little splinters and are all oriented in the same direction. I can see them with certain angles of street lighting and sometimes with low sun angles. Trying to photograph this would be difficult, but I'm going to try. I will also be mentioning it to my service writer on my next visit. Hopefully I will have figured out how to illuminate the defect by then. I can also see some exterior surface mineral accumulation (water spots) near the center of the windshield and switched from using the Invisible Glass glass cleaner product, which I still use on the inside, to Windex with vinegar. It has been slowly removing the obvious water spot accumulation, but the strange crazing remains.

 

Well, no more worries about this flakey windshield glass. A couple nights ago driving through moderate rain and trying to pass 18-wheelers I took a stone into the lower driver's side portion of the windshield. It came in at an angle missing the wiper arm and now there is a 12-inch travelling crack meandering toward the passenger side. Extends right across the HUD reflection. Reported to insurance, and looks like I'll be waiting for a while since there is a global shortage of windshield glass. This is a special piece because of the polarized section that the HUD shines on and the front camera and windshield wiper rain detector. Maybe find out next week how long the wait might be. Always something...

 

Make sure it's a TOYOTA windshield. Not a cheap aftermarket one.
Maybe contact Toyota and ask if they have one or if they can get one soon...

 

Roger that. My insurance is aware of the special requirements. They may very well contract with Toyota to acquire a replacement. Now, I'd better quit posting Gen IV chats in the Gen III thread...

 

One last post for closure. The replacement and camera alignment went well. Everything works as before, minus the previous imperfections. This new piece of glass is entirely transparent. Lets see if I can keep it that way.

 

Did they use a Toyota windshield?