Well my '03 Sport is barely 3 weeks old and I need a new windshield! Got hit by a rock on the highway yesterday. Anyway the stealership says for Toyota glass it would be over $700. Now this is just a plain windshield, no electronics involved.
A local company will come out to my house and do it fo r$375, except it is not Toyota glass. My question is are there any reasons or advantages to getting Yota glass?

 

Welcome to my world. I got a cracked windshield on my 03' in the first month I owned it. Not to mention 2 flat tires! These things are magnets for road debris.. Anyhow, just get the aftermarket glass. There isn't any advantage to gettig Toyota glass. I can't tell a difference between my windshield and the Toyota's. Just make sure it's tinted! BTW, $375 is high for the 4Runner glass. I think I paid $275 for mine..

 

I would try to see if you can get the crack fixed using one of those repair places that puts the stuff into the crack to keep it from spreading. I had one done and it stopped the crack and you could hardly tell it was there. I would never replace a windshield unless it had a running crack or numerous little ones and even then only if it messed with my vision. Windshield cracks are usually only really noticeable from INSIDE the vehicle and unless they are a vision issue, strictly cosmetic. Doing the crack fill thing will save you some dough because it was only like $50 as opposed to a new windshield.

My 0.02



Brian

 

Thanks. Unfortunately the chip is right in my line of vision. It doesn't have any crack lines yet. Just a shatter about the size of a quarter. I could live with it for awhile if it weren't for the fact that it is so new.

 

if you can, try to get PPG glass, i believe they make toyota's glass just no TOYOTA stamp on the lower left hand side of the glass.

 

what's PPG glass?

 

Pittsburgh Paint & Glass. They make auto glass and paint for the majority of OEM and aftermarket applications in the U.S. Most manufacturers use it as OEM glass.

 

Might want to check with your auto insurance, mine (Statefarm) will come to my house and replace a windshield for free.

 

Yah PPG is the standard for Glass in the US, but every Japanese made car I have seen uses Asahi Glass, which is Japan's conterpart to PPG.

I have always used non Toyota Glass, and as long as you tell them what color the vehicle is, the Generic (PPG or whatever) usually match the tint almost perfect.




Joe

 

I had the same thing happen. Had my '03 Limited for 1 month and had *many* windshield collisons.

On a raod trip from Seattle to Wyoming I got hit by some flying rock or whatever every single day of the trip. I have no idea what it is about the design or shape of this truck, but it is a fact that it takes more damage in normal driving than any vehicle I have owned over the last 20 years. What is that about?

At any rate I counted up all the damage and it worked out like this:

- 14 pits (white crater, not cracks) in the windshield
- 1 bullseye spider crack about the size of a dime in windshield
- 1 pint chip on hood
- 12 cuts, chips or nicks in the plastic front bumper, headlamps and grill.
- 1 large silver dollar size ding on the *roof* near the rear hatch

This is all from ONE 5 day road trip in sunny windless weather. What a joke.

I did took my Runner and had the crack in the windshield repaired for 30 bucks and it is barely visable. The pittings was left alone since nothing can be done for it.

I would take it to a windshield repair shop first, no matter what. See if the repaired crack is something you can live with. The way I see it why replace the windshield when you KNOW the new will be cracked within a year anyway???

UB

 

In FL if you have full coverage, they (your insurance company) are required to replace you windshield free of charge and with no increase in your rates, if you the crack is of certain length... I think it's 1", but don't quote me on that.

Now... I know people who get really irk'd about a rock hit and keep pushing on it with their thumb... After doing this a few times, the crack tends to expand. I don't know why a person would have such a nervous condition, but I don't know a lot about people.

FWIW, I got one the other day under the mirror... Bummer. You'd think the auto makers could think of a fix for this.

 

When getting quotes for your windshields (Toyotas or otherwise) ask the windshield repair company who and where the 'glass is manufactured. The autoparts market is being flooded w/ cheap, questionable quality Chinese reproduction parts of some of America's popular sedans and trucks. They say DOT approved but they DO NOT perform like their OEM counterparts.

 

Some glass manufacturers just put out junk. My previous car (lets not mention names, but very very German) had a windshield problem in all years of manufacture. The windshield would crack around the edges from cornering too hard and rapid temperature changes, not to mention road debris.

Aftermarket was the only solution.

 

This has got to be one of life's little mysteries. My wife's Accord goes through a windshield a year, my 92 Miata (130k miles) has never had a crack and it is nothing but low and in the slipstream of everything else out there. My 4Runner has already sustained one nice nick in the front grill and I can tell that the front fascia is not going to look good for long.

 

My whole front is really not doing well so many little nicks, I've even noticed small nicks on the rear bumper where the rear tires throw everything, even a nick or 2 on the side of the truck, seems like the paint is paper thin, actually paper might be to thick.

 

Wow, I feel lucky. I haven't gotten a rock chip in my glass yet (me knocking on wood). I have a wierd situation though. My ENTIRE windshield has tiny pits in it from hail. They are everywhere. I don't have full coverage, I have only what is required by law so I can't get it replaced, its not noticeable until you drive at night especially in damp conditions, then it looks like a bunch of rain drops or even a mist across.

With the front of my truck, I haven't noticed any dings... Maybe automanufacturers should start using metal again.

 

I happened to read some posts on the Lexus site for the 'other' version of the 4Runner and they are having all the same problems as the Runner.

Not so surprising since they are sibling vehicles made in the same factory. BUT, having owned a Lexus prior to my '03 Runner I know that the paint is one of their claims to fame. Supposed to be thicker and all around superior to Toy models. Well, what do you know, folks there were all complaining about how thin the paint was and how many chips they had on the fron end, sides and rear.

Toyota F@#$D things up good on this model when it comes to wear and tear issues. I think this may be one of those trucks that look like complete ˟˟˟˟ in two years or less.

 

Not a single mark. The fit and finish/paint are good.

If you live in a construction zone and follow gravel trucks thats what you get. Don't blame it on the manufaturer/factory. Thank your local government.

Take some responsibility. ˟˟˟˟˟ happens.

 

I've heard broken windshield complaints from so many different makes and models. It's just bad luck.

As for the paint, I don't know about the thickness but the quality is great. No orange peel, nice even color and consistent clearcoat. No pooling of metallic.
I don't know about chipping- none yet but it resists bird crap pretty well
I dunno, I'm very happy with the quality and durability so far. We'll see in a few years, but I feel like it will be great.

oh about replacing glass:
do it as a last resort. If you can do a liquid repair (usually invisible) do that instead. Many companies do this.

The windshield is a major part of the structural integrity of any car. You should use OEM or OEM-quality glass (for optical clarity and strength) AND it must be properly glued in. You really need a quality installer- actually hard to find.

 

My brother works for a windshiled distributor/installer and he says most companies just use the cheapest (meaning thinnest) glass available unless specified by the customer that's why so many windshields crack very quickly.

Try and request PPG glass which my brother highly recommends. I had a PPG windhield in my Eclipse for over 3 years and while it had a couple of chips it never cracked.