Windscreen crack.

[Chuffmonkey]

Annoyingly I have a small windscreen crack from the base of the window behind the steering wheel, going up around 5 inches long. I didn't hear an impact just spotted it. In over 20 years driving this is only my 2nd windscreen damage I have experienced, the first time it happened, it was on an older car and I just let my insurance replace it.

With this being a 9 month old car, what are my best options? Let the insurance replace it using Auto Glass etc, or see what Toyota would charge me? Is there any tech in the windscreen that I would need to be concerned about?

[marlinleg]

Have a word with auto glass I had a very small crack they drilled it it did stop it good luck 

[TonyHSD]

5 minutes ago, Chuffmonkey said:

Annoyingly I have a small windscreen crack from the base of the window behind the steering wheel, going up around 5 inches long. I didn't hear an impact just spotted it. In over 20 years driving this is only my 2nd windscreen damage I have experienced, the first time it happened, it was on an older car and I just let my insurance replace it.

With this being a 9 month old car, what are my best options? Let the insurance replace it using Auto Glass etc, or see what Toyota would charge me? Is there any tech in the windscreen that I would need to be concerned about?

Hi, 

yes there are sensors attached to the windshield below rear view mirror. A new original replacement screen can cost close to £900 from Toyota all in. You can request insurance work and they most likely will be auto glass, they offer ok service but in some cases they don’t fit the windscreen flush with the roof line but make it poke out a bit. After screen replacement there are procedures to set up sensors and radars, but they usually know that and will take care off. You may ask auto glass for original Toyota part but this might come at extra expense. 
Best to speak to your insurance and then to the contractor who is going to replace the screen. 
Good luck 

[marlinleg]

When I had a Lexus NX they used Auto glass for window screen replacement I found Auto glass very good. Pop along they will advise you then check with your dealership 

[Chuffmonkey]

Thanks for the replies, previously my insurance sorted the windscreen on my old Volvo and I had no complaints with the service. With this car being newish I was more concerned about technology and potential warranty issues.

[FROSTYBALLS]

If you use a Toyota dealer, they will probably subcontract the fitting anyway.

[Chuffmonkey]

I am probably over thinking it, Ill go through my insurance. After all, no doubt that they replace thousands of windscreens on all models and ages with no issues. Thanks the replays all. 

[Cyker]

I know Autoglass offer a lifetime warranty on the work, so if the windscreen leaked or a problem cropped up with the ADAS systems you can go back to them (Actually I'm not sure if the lifetime warranty is just for the glass) but it won't affect the warranty for the rest of the car.

 

I had my windscreen replaced not that long ago due to a foot-long crack developing in it from the left edge; My insurance used Autoglass, but they strung me along for months due to lack of glass (They kept getting it, booking it in, then cancelling!), and this went on so long it was still unresolved when I renewed my insurance with a different provider!

I ended up having to contact my now ex-insurer (Who thankfully honoured it after confirming with Autoglass) and authorized me to goto Toyota, who got the glass but ran into their own series of problems (First booking was cancelled because glass hadn't arrived, was told it had arrived in the evening so turned up the next day only for them to tell me it was broken, so was re-ordered but then they couldn't book me in due to it being xmas!)

Hopefully yours will go smoother!!

One downside with ADAS-equipped cars is they can't go to you to fit the screen like you might have been used to - You have to go to one of their fitting centres so they can calibrate all the cameras after fitting.

 

[Chuffmonkey]

My insurance is due for renewal in June, ill get the ball rolling for a replacement. Funny thing is, I heard no impact I just spotted it in the sunlight. On my old Volvo I heard and seen the stone hit my windscreen and I could see the impact point. This time on the Toyota It is such a small crack on the windscreen I have no idea what caused it and I cant see an impact point.

[fred88]

 I believe its not unknown for a windscreen to crack on its own. Poor fitting is one cause but there's probably others I'm sure.

[Jiff]

I've had window glass crack on a supermarket we were building. It was believed to have been cause by a microscopic inclusion in the glass. When the sun hit the window after fitting, it went bang. The only one on the whole frontage. 

Glass can last weeks or years (or never) before a particular set of conditions cause the fracture. Just one of those things. 

[simond64]

4 hours ago, Chuffmonkey said:

Annoyingly I have a small windscreen crack from the base of the window behind the steering wheel, going up around 5 inches long. I didn't hear an impact just spotted it. In over 20 years driving this is only my 2nd windscreen damage I have experienced, the first time it happened, it was on an older car and I just let my insurance replace it.

With this being a 9 month old car, what are my best options? Let the insurance replace it using Auto Glass etc, or see what Toyota would charge me? Is there any tech in the windscreen that I would need to be concerned about?

This happened to me at xmas on a 8 month old Corolla GR Sport, insurance used autoglass and they also calibrated the sensors, it has a HUD and that was fine too. £75 excess was the only cost & done in around an hour. 

[Glynn H]

I recently had a windscreen replaced by my insurance along with some paintwork on bonnet and wing, caused by vandalism. All seemed fine until it rained, the auto sensor for wipers did not work, returned to insurance repair agent who checked everything was setup correctly with OBD reader and had to pay for Toyota dealer to check and sort it, they had not fitted a Gel pack which you would expect glass replacement people to know needed doing.

[Bper]

Are the number of posts reporting cracked windscreens but without any idea how they happen just coincidence or could a design floor be present in the manufacture or fitting of these screens.

I suppose I have been lucky and only had one screen damaged by a stone that was flicked up by a lorry years ago but did not break the screen but certainly heard the stone hitting the screen.

Are the screens more fragile today or is the fitting of these putting increased pressure on the glass.?

[simond64]

9 minutes ago, Bper said:

Are the number of posts reporting cracked windscreens but without any idea how they happen just coincidence or could a design floor be present in the manufacture or fitting of these screens.

I suppose I have been lucky and only had one screen damaged by a stone that was flicked up by a lorry years ago but did not break the screen but certainly heard the stone hitting the screen.

Are the screens more fragile today or is the fitting of these putting increased pressure on the glass.?

Or, are the roads in such a bad state of repair they are breaking up and providing stones to fly up and crack screens?! The state of our motorways is a scandal, some have big pot holes in them and on major routes

[Swanthecat]

I had a small chip/crack in my screen last year due to a stone hitting it. I used one of the repair kits on Amazon and was amazed how well it worked. A 5” crack would probably be too big to repair but it sounds like it is not in the no repair zone but it might be worth asking a professional if it could be repaired which would save you a lot of hassle

[Swanthecat]

32 minutes ago, Bper said:

Are the number of posts reporting cracked windscreens but without any idea how they happen just coincidence or could a design floor be present in the manufacture or fitting of these screens.

I suppose I have been lucky and only had one screen damaged by a stone that was flicked up by a lorry years ago but did not break the screen but certainly heard the stone hitting the screen.

Are the screens more fragile today or is the fitting of these putting increased pressure on the glass.?

I seem to recall there was a problem with Mazda SUVs a few years ago with cracking of screens due to too much stress caused by flexing of the car body. Also these days the screens are glued/bonded so a lot more stress than the old screens held in by flexible rubber gaskets

[camellia30]

My windscreen had a stone chip on the passenger side that developed into a wide crack within minutes.

I had it replaced at autoglass last December, took about an hour. They replaced it with acoustic glass and it seems quieter from the front to me. No complaints.

[Chuffmonkey]

I have ended up going through insurance via Auto Glass. Due to sensors and calibration requirement I have to take the car to nearest center, cant be done on the drive. The booking had about a 8 day lead time which is fine as the car is still usable. 

Lots of positive reviews on here around using Auto Glass so hopefully ill be another. 

[Toejo]

On my 3rd split window and 7th window change in 10 months.  Auto glass have been a nightmare at aligning the HUD and 3 tiny stones have created huge cracks in the window. The GR glass definitely has a design flaw that Toyota isn't talking about.

[Chuffmonkey]

2 hours ago, Toejo said:

On my 3rd split window and 7th window change in 10 months.  Auto glass have been a nightmare at aligning the HUD and 3 tiny stones have created huge cracks in the window. The GR glass definitely has a design flaw that Toyota isn't talking about.

Ahh, that don't sound good. Are all the windscreen replacements under AutoGlass warrenty?

[Toejo]

6 were, the 7th is a new claim. It's not been changed yet. Make sure you ask them for OEM glass or they will put a rubbish screen in especially if you have a GR with HUD.

[Helen and Paul]

We have a 23 Yaris Cross. My partner has just driven 300 miles, got to the destination and rang me to say the same thing and sent a photo. A crack from start it at the bottom middle to left hand side up for about 6 inches. She didnt hear anything regards stones. Is this an issue with these cars?

[Chuffmonkey]

8 hours ago, Helen and Paul said:

We have a 23 Yaris Cross. My partner has just driven 300 miles, got to the destination and rang me to say the same thing and sent a photo. A crack from start it at the bottom middle to left hand side up for about 6 inches. She didnt hear anything regards stones. Is this an issue with these cars?

Not sure if its an issue with the current cars, our roads are terrible with pot holes and debris etc. However I should have updated his thread after I had mine replaced. Auto Glass were great via insurance, they replaced it no problem, all the tech works fine including the HUD. I cant actually tell I had it replaced. 

[Gerhard_Corolla]

I think there's definitely an issue with these cars, I'm already on my third windshield, all changed at the dealership with OEM parts. The theory is that a few things concur to produce so many failures: glass thickness and strength due to weight savings considerations, and not an ideal frame rigidity...

Both windshields were damaged by tiny stones driving on the highway at high speed, but quite surprisingly, the third was not damaged by a huge hail storm; maybe it was pure luck, we could park under a huge tree and maybe a huge branch coincided with that area of the car. The others were not spared by the storm: our car looks like a teenager with severe acne.