Anyone had to replace their windshield yet?

True.

 

Would you mind posting what your top and side windshield seals looks like? What I have found (twice) is that using aftermarket may be ok glass wise but they use really crappy seals which deteriorate significantly faster than OEM and that they won't use OEM seals unless it is with OEM glass.

 

I got a big chip about the size of a marble that never spiderwebbed the 1st month I owned it. I wish it would though since they won't replace it until it does.

 

Safelite's repaired about 5 chips, haven't had to replace the windshield yet.

 

I would get it repaired if it made it look new, but I doubt it will.

 

No hurt in trying if it doesn't cost much, I'm not sure of your coverage though.

 

It’s not so much the quality of aftermarket glass itself, it’s the installer. A good installer will take their time, break the window seal cleanly, use high quality adhesive, use high quality seals (assuming they came with the windshield kit), clean everything up nicely, and not ding your vehicle in the process. Check the reviews of your glass shops and consider using an independent installer.

 

I had State Farm previously and had a windshield replaced in my one year old Prius. State Farm said they would not cover OEM, I basically demanded OEM and they paid for it but I had to be kinda a jerk to get it.

 

Oh, you mean you had to be firm with them?

 

Interesting. My last windshield glass replacement has big gaps in the corners of the seals were it looks like a lot of water could run down. Didn’t notice it until months later. But it occurred to me that it didn’t look right. Certainly not an OEM look. I didn’t realize there were aftermarket seals. Just figured they’d use Toyota parts for a Toyota.

They also dented my A pillar.

 

On my 2014 SR5, I had to windshield replaced with a PGW-branded windshield. I think I got the letters right there. Apparently they are an OEM provider for Toyota in various countries.

Simple enough, good Orange County installer.

My 2020 Off-Road was bought TCUV. Toyota-branded glass. I was getting tons of wind noise and initially thought it was the hood scoop. Moving my head around, I determined it was on the driver's side A-pillar. I pulled the cover out and saw some very irregular mastic along with evidence of water intrusion (see picture of the inside of the A-pillar cover). It appears that the car had its windshield replaced. I ran a bead of 99¢ Store RTV Silicone up and down the entire length and am letting it dry now.

I'm hoping I resolved the problem, I really don't want to go back to the Toyota dealership to argue about this. The last time I went to them with things to correct, they didn't do anything but scratch up my clear coat even more and ignored by bullet list. (Battery/parasitic draw issues, misaligned wipers, mis-mounted tires, upholstery and odd rust issues.)

 

I’ve replaced mine twice. First time I heard a rock hit the windshield when passed by another car, but didn’t find a chip. A week later I got in and there was a crack running from the bottom to the top of the windshield. I found a small chip below the wiper that I must have missed when I looked prior. Second time I was off road and saw a sxs coming up behind me so I slowed down and moved to the side of the trail to let him pass. Guy came by me with it matted throwing rocks everywhere.

 

What about those with the keypad that attaches to the windshield? Can you reinstall it to the new one or do you have to replace the keypad every time with the new windshield?

 

Good question. An opportunity to say "get good comprehensive insurance, a low deductible AND INSIST ON HAVING A TOYOTA BODY/SERVICE SHOP DO THE WORK.”

 

I have learned that if you can afford to pay out of pocket, do it. I live in SC and its free, so many people think.
But when you look at your insurance policy, you will see it is listed as a claim when you have them replace it.
On my Corvette, the safelite people used their C4 Corvette gurus, so they said. Well, they ripped part of the thin butyl rubber under the trim and my Vette leaked real bad. Took it to a Corvette specialist to have it redone. No leaks.
Point being, you pay for what you get, and insurance is devious. Nothing is Free.

 

the old adage you get what you pay for still applies

 

I had previously posted that I now carry glass coverage which is separate and apart from the auto policy. It was recommended by my insurance provider, Amica. It is a stand alone policy that covers glass replacement all the way around and there is no deductible. A claim might go against the glass policy (thankfully I haven’t had to use it yet) but doesn’t go against the auto policy. It was not free but was very affordable, so much so that I immediately got coverage for my wife’s car as well.

 

So my wife and I are sitting (not moving) in our driveway in her 22 Limited warming up the vehicle in the 4 degree cold spell and the windshield makes a loud pop and cracks from one side to the other. I’m not aware of any rock chips or small cracks where it might have started/expanded. Definitely needs replaced asap.

Just wondering here - has anyone has a 4R 5th Gen windshield just crack due to temperature? We had the defroster running and also the heated wipers.

 

No personal experience but I have read a few forum posts of this happening to other 5th Gen 4Runners, when the wiper heaters were on. Others attributed it to little chips near the heating elements, but I’d imagine any flaw in the glass could cause this.

 

We had a similar situation with our '16. Getting some shut-eye at a Rest Stop, below zero temps, fired the 4R up and switched to defrost. A few minutes later, snap!
In hind sight, we should have left it on the feet position and let the cab warm up first.
That and the simple fact that the glass is glued in tight and the slightest flex will crack it. Poor design = job security $$$.

 

Headed home from the dealership with 4 miles on the odometer. Rock chipped the windshield. Cold weather 2 days later turned it into a long crack. Safelight replaced it with OEM glass. Very pleased with the entire process with them. I pay for glass coverage so mine was free of charge

 

If your Toyota has the optics behind the windshield, read on...

If any of you have an issue with your insurance company forcing you into generic glass and having anybody but a Toyota certified body shop do the calibration, there is a service bulletin that clearly states that the safety system is not guaranteed unless it is OEM glass and calibrated using Toyota's proprietary software.

Your local Toyota Collision Center should have that document ready to email off to any insurer.

 

After a year and a half of driving with two huge cracks in the windshield, I finally had it replaced by a local glass shop. Cost me $300 less out of pocket than going through safelite, dealer, and insurance. We'll see how it holds up.

 

I looked at some old receipts and messages about my 2014 windshield replacement...

The brand is PPG, not to be confused with the paint people, a division of Pittsburgh Paint & Glass. Apparently this company is an OEM part supplier to various Toyota factories somewhere on planet Earth, I'm not sure if it's other models or includes the 4Runner.

The shop that did it for me was Signature Auto Glass primarily in Orange County, California. Nick took care of me very well and the installation was perfect. My paperwork shows that the insurance was billed under $300. I did go to their location as opposed to having a remote truck come out, that may have played a part in the billed amount.

One thing though, he ordered three windshields for the work and all three of them had things that I didn't like. He knew I was driving an hour and there is a good chance that he ordered the multiple windshields because he just didn't want an incident to occur that would cause me inconvenience. It is also possible that he knew their quality control sucked... Handling scratches and rough edges that, in my music gear engineering mind, might lead to future structural failures. True, very small imperfections, but still noticeable to me.

The PPG windshields also had a nicer defrost element system compared to what I saw on a couple of photos supplied by Safelite for their replacement glass. I thought that, considering the horror of Safelite quality control and talent of their labor force, staying away from them was of the utmost importance.

 

I’ve fixed two chips myself with a kit over the past few years. Took a rock today that chipped the windshield and when I was trying to fix it, it spread, DAMNIT! Gonna have to get it replaced and have the new windshield tinted again.

 

Not going to lie... I'm terrified to driving on the highway because of this (2024, 1400~ miles). Our QX4 went through 3 windshields in the past 10 years (2 of which were pretty much 2 months apart) and my Honda went through 1 - I just got a big chip on it last week.

So far, nothing on the 4runner, but I know this will come with time.

 

I'm insured with SAFECO Insurance, which is owned by Liberty Mutual. Under the Comprehensive portion of the coverage, they include ACV for windshields only, no deductible. So far, no replacement needed on the 4R. But had to have the windshield replaced on my previous 10' FJ Cruiser. On the FJ, I was lucky I had to replace only once in 10 years, but had to repair rock chips three times. The FJ's, like the Jeep Wranglers, with "straight" type windshields are notorious for picking up highway rocks. They replaced the FJ windshield using Safelite. Apparently, Safeco owns Safelite.