2016 Toyota Prius

WHILE DRIVING FROM TUCSON TO PHOENIX ON US ROUTE 10 AT AROUND 65 MPH ON THE WAY TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ON AUGUST 24, 2018, IN 100 DEGREE F. HEAT, A CRACK BEGAN IN THE LOWER DRIVERS SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD AND WAS A FOOT LONG WITHIN SECONDS. BY THE TIME I REACHED HOME AT 5:00PM, THE CRACK HAD GROWN HORIZONTALLY TO MORE THAN TWO FEET IN LENGTH. I HAVE AVOIDED WASHING THE WINDSHIELD WITH COLD WATER, OR AT ALL, AND IF THE CRACK HAS LENGTHENED FURTHER IN THE MORE MODERATE TEMPERATURES, I HAVE NOT NOTICED. THERE IS NO OBVIOUS SIGN OF A ROCK IMPACT. WHEN THE SUN IS A THE WRONG ANGLE, THERE IS A DISTRACTINGLY BRIGHT GLARE FROM THE CRACK.

OWNER OF A 2016 TOYOTA PRIUS 3 WITH ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE: I'LL PREFACE THIS THAT I'M SATISFIED WITH MOST/IF NOT ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF THE PRIUS (EXCEPT ENTUNE...). HOWEVER, IT SEEMS THERE IS A DEFINITE ISSUE WITH WINDSHIELDS CRACKING. I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT THE START OF ROADTRIP WHEN I HEARD AND BARELY SAW A ROCK/PEBBLE HIT LOWER LEFT DRIVERS SIDE SECTION OF THE WINDSHIELD. I INSTANTLY SAW 1-2 INCH DIAMETER CRACK/CHIP APPEAR. OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS I SAW IT GROW AND EXPAND. READING UP ON THIS IT SEEMS I'M NOT ONLY ONE WHO'S EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE. I DON'T KNOW IF ITS JUST THE DESIGN OR GLASS IS UNDER SOME HIGHER STRESS. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE CAMERAS AND SENSORS, ONE HAS TO GO TO TOYOTA SERVICE ANYWAY TO GET THE CAMERA RECALIBRATED. OEM GLASS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE CHEAP EITHER!

SMALL ROCK CHIP CAUSED WINDSHIELD TO CRACK ALL THE WAY THROUGH ACROSS THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD. I'VE BEEN DRIVING SINCE I WAS 17 AND NEVER HAVE HAD A WINDSHIELD CRACK FROM A SMALL ROCK CHIP, EVEN THE SHOP SAID HE HAS SEEN A LOT OF THIS GENERATION PRIUS COMING IN FOR REPLACEMENTS. TOYOTA HAS MADE A SUB PAR WINDSHIELD THAT ISN'T ABLE TO WITHSTAND ANYTHING. THIS GLASS IS THIN, AND VERY UNSAFE. NOW MY WINDSHIELD IS CRACKED ALL THE WAY ACROSS IMPARING MY VISIBILITY.

WHILE DRIVING, WITH NO OTHER VEHICLE WITHIN 100 YARDS, AN APPROXIMATELY 12 INCH LONG CRACK APPEARED FROM THE LOWER PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD. I DID NOT HAVE THE RADIO ON AND DID NOT HEAR OR SEE ANYTHING STRIKE THE WINDSHIELD. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION I INSPECTED THE CRACK AND SAW NO CHIP OR OTHER EVIDENCE THAT SOMETHING STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD. AFTER A FEW HOURS I CAME BACK TO LEAVE AND NOTICED THAT THE CRACK HAD GROWN EVEN LONGER. I ASSUME FROM BEING PARKED IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT, ALTHOUGH IT WAS ONLY ABOUT 80F DEGREES. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PROUD OF TOYOTA'S DURABILITY AND HAVE OWNED EVERYTHING FROM THE PRIUS TO THE TUNDRA. I'VE EVEN GOTTEN MANY OF MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS TO SWITCH TO TOYOTA. I NOW HAVE TO WONDER IF TOYOTA HAS STARTED TO "CHEAP OUT" LIKE MANY OTHER MANUFACTURERS. I AM ESPECIALLY DISAPPOINTED AT THE FACT THAT THIS APPEARS TO BE A "FIT AND FINISH" DEFECT. EITHER THE WINDSHIELD MUST BE CHEAP AND THIN, OR THE QUALITY OF WORKMANSHIP MUST BE LACKING. A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH REVEALED THAT THIS IS A DISPROPORTIONATELY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE NEW 4TH GEN TOYOTA PRIUS AND THAT THE WINDSHIELD HAS BEEN BACK ORDERED. TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, THE NEW TOYOTA SAFETY SENSE SENSORS MUST BE RE-CALIBRATED WITH THE REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD, WHICH CAN ADD UP TO $500 TO THE TOTAL COST OF REPAIR! I CANNOT RECOMMEND THE NEW 4TH GEN PRIUS IF IT COMES WITH SUCH A DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD. THIS IS CERTAINLY A SAFETY ISSUE AND IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. I WISH I KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE BUYING!

WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED IN DRIVE WAY FOR NO REASON. NOW HAS SPIDER WEBBED ACROSS WINDSHIELD OBSTRUCTING MY VIEW. CALLED TO REPAIR AND FOUND OUT MANY PEOPLE ARE REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM. EVEN AFTER THEY FIX AND REPLACE NEW WINDSHIELD I=ITS CRACKING AGAIN. NEW WINDSHIELD IS $600PLUS INSTALL AND RE CALIBRATION IM LOOKING AT $1300. PLEASE HELP US CUSTOMERS BECAUSE WINDSHIELD IS DEFECTIVE!

WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS I WAS STRUCK BY A ROCK. WINDSHIELD CRACKED. HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED. COSTLY AND NOW I AM TOLD IT WILL COST ANOTHER $400+ TO HAVE IT CALIBRATED. I AM NOW READING THAT THE PRIUS IS PRONE TO WINDSHIELD BREAKS AND THE COST OF RECALIBRATION IS BOTH EXPENSIVE AND THE DEALERS DON'T LIKE DOING IT SO THE TIME TO GET IT DONE IS EXCESSIVE. I NOW WORRY IF SAFETY FEATURES ARE COMPROMISED AND IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE.

I HAD PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT MY PRIUS WHERE I RECEIVED 2 CRACKS ON MY WINDSHIELD WITHIN A WEEK OF OWNING THE CAR. I NEVER HEARD A ROCK HIT MY CAR. I REPORTED IT HERE AND TOYOTA CALLED ME TO REPLACE MY WINDSHIELD SO THEY COULD KEEP MY OLD ONE FOR QUALITY CONTROL. I WAS FINE WITH THIS BUT JUST TODAY I GO OUT TO MY CAR AND SEE A 6 INCH CRACK THAT STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD THAT WASN'T THERE BEFORE AND I DIDN'T HEAR A ROCK HIT IT EITHER. I FEEL LIKE MY PRIUS WINDSHIELD PROBLEMS WILL NEVER EVER END