2016 Toyota Prius

2 MONTHS AFTER GETTING THE PRIUS, I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH ON A ELEVATED, SINGLE-LANE HIGHWAY OVERPASS WITH NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME WHEN I HEARD A CRACK AND NOTICED A CHIP IN THE WINDSHIELD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I HAD IT REPAIRED THAT DAY, BUT IT STILL SHOWS UP. IT HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE THEN. 8 MONTHS LATER, I WAS DRIVING AT AROUND 50 MPH ON A HIGHWAY AND SAW A MAN IN A PICKUP TRUCK THROW HIS ARM OUT OF HIS OPEN WINDOW, LIKE HE WAS TOSSING SOMETHING. ALMOST INSTANTLY I HEARD A CRACK AND THERE WAS ALREADY A CRACK A FEW INCHES HIGH, FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD, ON THE LOWER-LEFT OF THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. I TOOK A PICTURE OF THE TRUCK WITH THE LICENSE PLATE, JUST IN CASE IT MIGHT HELP. WHEN I HAD GOTTEN TO MY DESTINATION, I CHECKED THE CRACK AND WHERE IT LOOKED LIKE IT HAD STARTED, FROM A SMALL CHIP NEAR THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE WINDSHIELD. BY NOW, THE CRACK HAD EXTENDED SEVERAL MORE INCHES. I THEN CALLED MY INSURANCE TO MAKE A CLAIM. THAT WAS 3 WEEKS AGO AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET A REPLACEMENT AS I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS A NATIONAL BACK ORDER ON PRIUS 2016 WINDSHIELDS. THE FIRST INCLUDED PHOTO WAS TAKEN RIGHT AFTER THE CRACK APPEARED. THE SECOND PHOTO, ALTHOUGH A LITTLE OUT OF FOCUS, HAS A SMALL WHITE CIRCLE, WHICH IS WHERE IT LOOKED LIKE THE UNKNOWN OBJECT STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD.

OUR 2016 PRIUS 2 SEDAN WINDSHIELD WAS STRUCK BY A SMALL ROCK CAST LATERALLY ACROSS THE FREEWAY FROM SEVERAL LANES TO MY RIGHT, AS ONE WOULD SKIP A STONE ACROSS WATER, TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH. UNFORESEEABLE, UNAVOIDABLE ACT OF CHANCE, KICKED UP BY ANOTHER CAR'S TIRE. INITIAL DAMAGE (SEE PHOTO SERIES) WAS TWO UNSIGHTLY BUT REPAIRABLE CRATERS IN THE OUTER LAYER OF GLASS. WITHIN MINUTES / BEFORE AN EPOXY REPAIR WAS POSSIBLE, TWO CRACKS GREW AT AN ALARMING RATE. A SMALLER CRACK WENT VERTICALLY, AND A FAST AND LARGE CRACK RAN HORIZONTALLY. WITHIN A DAY IT SPANNED THE ENTIRE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE CRACK REFLECTS AND REFRACTS LIGHT INTO THE DRIVER'S EYES, AND IS THICK ENOUGH TO OBSTRUCT VISION EVEN IN DIM LIGHT. OUR PRIMARY TRAVEL IS EAST IN THE MORNING AND WEST AT NIGHT, SO THE OBSTRUCTION OF VISION IS AN ACTIVE DANGER AS WE ARE TYPICALLY ORIENTED ON THE SUN. I WAS ADVISED BY THREE DIFFERENT GLASS SERVICES THAT NOT ONLY IS THERE NO AFTERMARKET WINDSHIELD AVAILABLE, BUT THAT THERE WAS AN UNKNOWN WAIT TIME TO RECEIVE ONE FROM THE ONLY AVAILABLE SOURCE, TOYOTA. THERE IS NO INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY AND I WAS QUOTED REPLACEMENT COSTS OF $800-$900, NOT COVERED BY INSURANCE. I HAVE REVIEWED THE FORUMS, NHTSA SITE, AND A PROMINENT COMPLAINT SITE, AND EXCESSIVE CRACKING APPEARS TO BE A FREQUENT FLAW, BOTH FROM DEBRIS IMPACTS AND WHEN OWNERS REPORT "SPONTANEOUS" CRACKING. OUR GLASS SHOPS STATED THEY SAW THIS PROBLEM MORE FREQUENTLY ON TOYOTAS THAN ON ANY OTHER CAR. GIVEN THE COST AND FREQUENCY THIS PROBLEM IS REPORTED, I AM HESITANT TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD UNTIL I GET A REASONABLE RESPONSE FROM THE DEALER, AS IT OTHERWISE SEEMS LIKELY TO RECUR. THIS IS NOT A ONE-OFF PROBLEM. DEALER WON'T RETURN CALLS. GLASS SERVICE STILL HAS NO ETA ON REPLACEMENTS. WE WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHY THIS PROBLEM IS SO COMMON. THANK YOU.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE PLASTIC RIDGE ON THE CENTER CONSOLE CAUGHT THE DRIVER'S SHOE AND CAUSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO STICK TO THE FLOORBOARD OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO RELEASE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE CONTACT CALLED THE FITZGERALD TOYOTA DEALER IN GAITHERSBURG, MD AND WAS ADVISED TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR INVESTIGATION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,700. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.

CRACKED WINDSHIELD. NEW MODEL VEHICLE W 10000 MILES WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM AN IMPACT OF A SMALL ROCK OR OTHER ON THE HIGHWAY. NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN, 30+ YEARS DRIVING. VERY THIN AND FRAGILE GLASS AND COMPLICATED EXPENSIVE ELECTRONIC SENSORS WILL REQUIRE 2 REPAIR SHOPS, 7 OR MORE COMBINED HOURS, AND MANY DOLLARS FOR THE REPAIR. TOYOTA DOES NOT COVER THE REPAIR, ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY AND I HAVE PURCHASED A TOYOTACARE PLUS PREPAID PRENIUM MAINENTANCE PLAN. AAARGH!! FRUSTRATED CUSTOMER! IS TOYOTA GOING TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THESE LOUSY WINDSHIELDS?

I TOOK DELIVERY OF MY 2016 PRIUS IN JANUARY 2016. AT HE TIME OF DELIVERY, THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED MPH, HOWEVER THE OWNER'S MANUAL INDICATED THIS COULD BE CHANGED TO KPH VIA A SIMPLE USER INTERFACE ON THE DASHBOARD. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT SUCH A CHANGE IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR MY CAR, AS IT WAS MANUFACTURED EARLY IN THE 2016 MODEL YEAR PRODUCTION RUN. THE INABILITY TO ADJUST FROM MPH TO KPH MAKES IT DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO CORRECTLY FOLLOW THE POSTED SPEED LIMITS WHEN I VISIT CANADA. THIS REPRESENTS A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH SHOULD BE REMEDIED.

THE VEHICLE DOES NOT REPORT SPEED IN KPH, ONLY IN MPH. THIS MEANS THAT EVERY TIME I CROSS INTO CANADA WITH THIS VEHICLE, I HAVE DIFFICULTY DISCERNING WHETHER I AM FOLLOWING ALL VEHICLE SAFETY AND TRAFFIC LAWS OR MAINTAINING A SAFE SPEED. TO REPEAT, WHILE EVERY OTHER VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED HAS A SPEEDOMETER THAT READS IN BOTH ENGLISH AND METRIC UNITS, THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT. IT REPORTS SPEED IN MPH *ONLY*. THIS IS FINE IN THE UNITED STATES, BUT EVERY TIME I CROSS INTO CANADA I'M LEFT GUESSING.

THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITHIN 3 DAYS OF PURCHASING THE CAR AS BRAND NEW. I DIDN'T HEAR A ROCK HITTING IT AND I CAN'T SEE AN IMPACT PATTERN. I WOKE UP ONE MORNING AND THE CRACK WAS OVER A FOOT AND IT SPREAD FROM THERE INTO MULTIPLE CRACKS. THERE WAS NO CHANCE TO GET THE WINDSHIELD REPAIRED AT ALL AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BUT I DON'T HAVE THE 1300 DOLLARS THAT THE DEALER IS SAYING IT TAKES TO GET IT REPLACED AND THEY CLAIM IT WAS A ROCK AND NOT A DEFECT WHICH I'M DISPUTING.

RODENTS WERE ATTRACTED TO THE SOY-BASED WIRING USED BY TOYOTA AND CAUSED EXPENSIVE DAMAGE BY CHEWING WIRES. TOYOTA HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS WIRING AND RODENT DAMAGE FOR 4 YEARS AND I WAS UNAWARE OF THIS WHEN I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. THEY REFUSE TO PAY FOR MY DAMAGE AND ALSO REFUSE TO REPLACE THE WIRING WITH NON-SOY WIRING, WHICH MEANS IT COULD EASILY HAPPEN AGAIN. MANY OTHER CUSTOMERS, I DISCOVER, HAVE REPORTED RODENT DAMAGE TO WIRING BECAUSE OF THE SOY-BASED MATERIAL.

THE CAR'S WINDSHIELD SEEMS TO BE SOFTER THAN PREVIOUS MODELS. I HAD THE WINDSHIELD COMPLETELY REPLACED A FEW MONTHS AGO, AFTER A FAILED REPAIR OF A LARGE CHIP. A CHIP REPAIR WAS DONE ON THE NEW WINDSHIELD ON APRIL 7TH. IN THE CAR WASH LAST FRIDAY, I NOTICED SEVERAL SMALL CHIPS IN THE WINDSHIELD. MY HUSBAND DRIVES A 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. HIS WINDSHIELD WAS ALSO REPLACED EARLY THIS YEAR. HE NOW HAS A SIZEABLE CHIP IN THE NEW WINDSHIELD. IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH 2016 TOYOTA WINDSHIELDS, NOT JUST IN THE PRIUS, BUT IN OTHER MODELS AS WELL.