Windshield design is bad

It has molding on the bottom. So in your case rocks hit the side edges of the glass twice?

 

Hello:

I can't say that I've seen this windshield issue reported before, either with the G2 or G3. Lighting does indeed strike twice in the same place sometimes!

Many with the G2 reported that the front end and hood are susceptible to nicks and dings from rocks. The hood is aluminmum, and the paint on the Prius tends to nick easily, both of which contribute to problems with front end blemishes.

One thing that I've tried to do with our G2 to keep it looking good is to stay well back from pickups with large wheels but no mudflaps. Same for utility or farm trailers, and big rigs with damaged or missing flaps. All those vehicles tend to be the worse at throwing stones.

Staying back aways will probably help the windshield, also.

 

I seriously doubt it is a design issue, I have had several different make vehicles, and if you suffer a direct hit from a rock chances are good your windshield will be chipped or cracked. I have had several windshields replaced due to this problem and they were from many different brands of vehicle over my life. 2 Honda/Acura, yes 1 toyota land cruiser, 1 Audi.

On some occasions the rock has merely glanced off and left a minor scuff mark, but that was lluck since the hit was at an acute angle and not a direct head on hit.

Good luck with your next windshield.

 

large windows are succeptable to cracks. My 200 trans am had one when I was traveling. By the time I got home, it had to be replaced. It's a matter of luck.

 

Good news: The windshield is set at a steep angle so some objects would deflect off.

Bad news: That's one big sheet of glass.

 

I find it hard to believe that the glass costs $900. In the area where I live we have a glass company called Safelite. I believe they are regional (possibly even national). Their rates for glass have always been reasonable. I remember once having the windshield on my Mercedes C280 changed and it was around $300. Since there are so many Prius on the road I imagine third party manufacturers have them in stock. Regardless, the insurance company pays but if it is indeed $900 that is a big nut for the insurance company to swallow.

I'v had a few pebble strikes but luckily I have not gotten a crack yet.

 

This is a new design that has only been out since spring so the aftermarket glass may not yet be readily available. OEM glass is always high.

 

Hi Nick:

Sorry to hear about your windshield being 'dinged' several times now. No doubt frustrating and can get expensive if you don't have insurance or after so many hits your premiums go up.

I saw this website the other day and thought it might be of interest to you since you seem to be destined to have rocks come back at your windshield.........or so it seems!!

The website is:

ClearPlex Invisible Windshield Protection Films .::. Manufactured by MADICO

I am not 'promoting' this company, but it does look like an interesting protection for those who are in your situation. What is that old saying 'Third time's a charm'............

Take care.....

 

NEVER buy Safelite windshields. They are junk.

 

Not true! It was commonly reported on the G2. I even did a survey on it that revealed most G2 chips resulted in cracks. (Many reported no chips, which was novel for me.) Mine cracked like that. A single potential chip on the windshield edge and a giant crack. No impact ever observed.

The OEM Toyota glass for the Prius on mine was from Thailand and may be weak. My Tundra has many chips, several on the edge, nary a crack. PPG glass. I've never had a vehicle windshield crack like this. They've all had chips but didn't crack.

I'm still running the old glass as an experiment to see if another chip occurs. And if it does will it crack too? That would be 100% proof of defective glass--two chips, two cracks. Lightning strikes in the same place twice for a reason. I might have to abort the experiment though as the wife wants new glass. :yield:

One thing I've done since the initial crack is to install the stiffening plate and tower brace. There was some suspicion that the high degree of body flex in the G2 could contribute to window crack formation. For that reason I decided I wouldn't replace the glass until after the stiffening work.

 

Depends on whether or not you want OEM glass AND if it has the built in rain repellant. I believe the P has the option but not sure its on the II/III. I had a Toyota Avalon from 04 through 08 and I went through two windshields in the first two years living in Boise, ID, due to so much construction, and no tarp law. The second two years in the PDX metro were no problem.

I never found the built in rain repellant feature to work well, then was shocked to have the installer tell me my insurance company was paying about $900 (in 05) to them to replace; almost double what a OEM windshield would have cost without the feature. My insurer chose who did it, not me.

The second one I allowed non-OEM (my policy gives me the choice) as I thought the cost ridiculous. It was about $500. I was lucky that I had a no fault glass insurance policy ($250 ded) but did learn I will never buy enhanced glass again (esp as it often means loosing the intermittent wiper feature). Will be interesting to see if my hood deflector helps

 

Well heck ... in Montana, you don't even bother getting cracks replaced until it spiders across the whole length ... what with all the dirt roads, logging trucks, and anti ice gravel. On the other hand, with the poor economy, there HAVE been less rock chips occurring


.

 

With regards to my statement: "I can't say that I've seen this windshield issue reported before, either with the G2 or G3.":

Thanks for the correction, Shawn. That was an ignorant statement on my part, since it gave the impression that I might have done an exhaustive study on this topic, which I had not.

My intent in making the statement was that I had never read of this failure mode on the G2 or G3, at least during my short tenure here on the PC forums

Sure, I'd seen posts on people replacing their windshields (and the problems getting glass that looks the same as the OEM), but I did not come to the conclusion that this was some widespread problem, just the normal windshield damage that any make of car experiences. Not at all like issues such as "I can't fill my gas tank with the proper amount of fuel", or "why is my 12v battery dead already", or other topics such as those which seem to come back to life every month or so.

So thanks for setting the record straight.

Best wishes,

 

I had 2 dings on my G2 windshield. One I could not recall, the other was when a vehicle slightly ahead of me had a blow out and steel wheels started to chop pavement. I have often had chips but rarely the major spider cracks over the years.

Stuff just happens. Driving up the Amalfi coast my daughter says she is going to stay farther back from the truck ahead of us as they often knock rocks loose from the cliffs above us....within 2 minutes a rock bangs on the roof (thankfully not the windshield!) Stuff just happens and you can only avoid some of it!

 

If it's OEM (which at this point in time I suspect it is) then it's acoustic glass (laminated).

 

I would stay away from Safelite. They did TWO glass for me on my old vehicles, both had their gaskets peeling after two months. I do not need that on a brand new car

 

I think all front windshield has to be laminated to prevent glass shatting upon impact

 

Yep. My 06 was hit with what I guess was a small stone in town at under 35mph. It caused a small star on impact and before I drove the five miles to my home the crack grew to 18". I've been hit before but that was the first serious windshield crack I've ever had in over 40 years of driving.