2017 Toyota Prius

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE WIPER BLADE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE IN THE MIDDLE OF A RAIN STORM. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER, EXITED THE HIGHWAY, AND PURCHASED A NEW WIPER BLADE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE CONTACT HAD TO USE TOYOTA WIPER BLADES EVEN THOUGH THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW WHERE THEY COULD BE PURCHASED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME THE BLADES DETACHED AND THE BLADES WERE CURRENTLY ZIP TIED TO ASSURE THEY DID NOT DETACH. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

CAR WAS PARKED IN PARKING LOT IN 100 DEGREE TEMPERATURE. WINDSHIELD HAD NO DAMAGE WHATSOEVER. RETURNED TO CAR 4 HOURS LATER. TWO AND ONE-HALF FOOT CRACK, ORIGINATING IN BOTTOM DRIVER'S SIDE CORNER OF WINDSHIELD, APPEARED. NO CHIPS WERE PRESENT. DUE TO THE CRACK, VISIBILITY THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD IS COMPROMISED AND POSES A SAFETY RISK.

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH ON A SURFACE STREET, I HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND A CRACK APPEARED AT THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE WINDSHIELD, ADVANCING LEFTWARD UP AND THEN ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD AND INTO MY LINE OF SIGHT IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND HAVE NEVER HEARD A SOUND LIKE THAT IN NEARLY 50 YEARS OF DRIVING. AFTER RESEARCHING REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELDS, I DISCOVERED THAT THEY ARE BACK ORDERED BECAUSE SO MANY PRIUS OWNERS ARE HAVING TO REPLACE WINDSHIELDS. IN FACT, A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT RELATED TO THESE DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELDS WAS FILED THIS MARCH. (SEE HTTPS://WWW.COURTHOUSENEWS.COM/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2018/03/TOYOTA.CA_.PDF ) I AM NOW DRIVING WITH WHAT I FEAR IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO ME AND ANY PASSENGERS.

IN EARLY OR MID MAY 2018, WHEN MY NEW 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS PRIME HAD LESS THAN OR APPROX. 10,000 MILES ON IT AND WHEN I WAS GETTING INTO MY CAR ONE SUNNY MORNING IN MY GATED PARKING LOT, I FIRST NOTICED A VERY THIN VERTICAL CRACK (CIRCA 2-3 INCHES) ON MY WINDSHIELD - STARTING AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD BELOW MY WIPERS. THE CRACK WAS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GLASS, I.E. BETWEEN DRIVER & PASSENGER. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY, AND HAD SAT IN MY PARKING SPOT FOR THE LAST DAY OR TWO, AND THEN ON THIS MAY MORNING, THERE WAS A CRACK. NO CHIP MARK HAD EXISTED PRIOR TO THIS, AND NO ROCK HAD HIT IT WHEN I DROVE IT LAST. THERE WAS NO LARGE TREE NEAR MY PARKING SPOT, PLUS NOTHING WAS ON THE WINDSHIELD WHEN I GOT TO MY CAR THAT MORNING, SO NOTHING FELL ON IT. IN LESS THAN A WEEK, THE DAMAGE ON THE GLASS GREW LARGER (6 INCHES) AND WAS SPREADING. I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR 10,000 MILE SERVICE PER TOYOTACARE, BUT TOYOTA DENIED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT OF ITS FRAGILE PRIUS PRIME'S WINDSHIELD, DESPITE IT BEING WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND THE DEFECT MANIFESTING ITSELF WHEN THE CAR WAS STATIONARY. WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, THE CRACK GREW AND SPREAD LARGER, EVENTUALLY TURNING 90 DEGREES AND EXPANDING HORIZONTALLY. IN LATE MAY OR EARLY JUNE 2018, I REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD VIA SAFELITE AUTO. THE TOTAL BALANCE OF THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS ABOUT $800 - I.E. THE REPLACEMENT COST WAS ABOUT $400, BUT I WAS TOLD MORE MONEY WAS NEEDED TO PROPERLY FIX CAMERA (ADAS) PROBLEMS CAUSED BY REPLACING THE WINDSHIELD. IN JUNE 2018, THE NEW WINDSHIELD CRACKED, ALMOST 1 OR 2 WEEKS AFTER I JUST HAD IT REPLACED. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, I NOTICED A TINY OBJECT HIT MY WINDSHIELD. I CONTACTED THE DEALER. IN AUGUST 2018, THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT KNEW OF NO PROBLEMS WITH THE 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS WINDSHIELDS.

IN EARLY OR MID MAY 2018, WHEN MY NEW 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS PRIME HAD LESS THAN OR APPROX. 10,000 MILES ON IT AND WHEN I WAS GETTING INTO MY CAR ONE SUNNY MORNING IN MY GATED PARKING LOT, I FIRST NOTICED A VERY THIN VERTICAL CRACK (CIRCA 2-3 INCHES) ON MY WINDSHIELD - STARTING AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD BELOW MY WIPERS. THE CRACK WAS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GLASS, I.E. BETWEEN DRIVER & PASSENGER. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY, AND HAD SAT IN MY PARKING SPOT FOR THE LAST DAY OR TWO, AND THEN ON THIS MAY MORNING, THERE WAS A CRACK. NO CHIP MARK HAD EXISTED PRIOR TO THIS, AND NO ROCK HAD HIT IT WHEN I DROVE IT LAST. THERE WAS NO LARGE TREE NEAR MY PARKING SPOT, PLUS NOTHING WAS ON THE WINDSHIELD WHEN I GOT TO MY CAR THAT MORNING, SO NOTHING FELL ON IT. IN LESS THAN A WEEK, THE DAMAGE ON THE GLASS GREW LARGER (6 INCHES) AND WAS SPREADING. I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR 10,000 MILE SERVICE PER TOYOTACARE, BUT TOYOTA DENIED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT OF ITS FRAGILE PRIUS PRIME'S WINDSHIELD, DESPITE IT BEING WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND THE DEFECT MANIFESTING ITSELF WHEN THE CAR WAS STATIONARY. WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, THE CRACK GREW AND SPREAD LARGER, EVENTUALLY TURNING 90 DEGREES AND EXPANDING HORIZONTALLY. IN LATE MAY OR EARLY JUNE 2018, I REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD VIA SAFELITE AUTO. THE TOTAL BALANCE OF THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS ABOUT $800 - I.E. THE REPLACEMENT COST WAS ABOUT $400, BUT I WAS TOLD MORE MONEY WAS NEEDED TO PROPERLY FIX CAMERA (ADAS) PROBLEMS CAUSED BY REPLACING THE WINDSHIELD. IN JUNE 2018, THE NEW WINDSHIELD CRACKED, ALMOST 1 OR 2 WEEKS AFTER I JUST HAD IT REPLACED. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, I NOTICED A TINY OBJECT HIT MY WINDSHIELD. I CONTACTED THE DEALER. IN AUGUST 2018, THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT KNEW OF NO PROBLEMS WITH THE 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS WINDSHIELDS.

I PULLED INTO THE CAR PORT AND PUT MY CAR IN PARK. I THEN HEAR A POP SOUND AND SAW THE SMALL HATCH WINDOW WAS SPIDER WEB CRACKED COMPLETELY ACROSS THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE SMALL WINDOW. I WENT OUT TO INSPECT THE REAR WINDOW AND IT HAD CRACKED AND FALLEN APART ON THE SIDES AND PART WAY ACROSS THE TOP. A WEEK EARLIER, I WENT TO GET IN MY CAR AND SAW A CRACK GOING ACROSS THE FRONT WINDSHIELD THAT WASN'T THERE THE PREVIOUS DAY. THERE WAS NO SIGNS OF ROCK OR OTHER OBJECTS HITTING THE WINDSHIELD CAUSING IT TO CRACK.

FRIDAY JANUARY 12, 2018, DROVE VEHICLE 3.5 HOURS ON HIGHWAY DURING PERIOD OF DECLINING TEMPERATURES- 34 TO 29 FAHRENHEIT, WITH SNOW BEGINNING HOUR 2.5. OPERATED FRONT DEFROST CONTINUOUSLY FOR ENTIRE 3.5 HOUR TRIP WITH CABIN TEMP BETWEEN 72 AND 75F. MADE 2 STOPS, 10 MINUTES EACH- ONE AT 1.5 HOURS AND ONE AT 3 HOURS. PARKED OVERNIGHT IN HOME GARAGE AT END OF TRIP. AIR TEMP DECLINED TO 19F OVERNIGHT. BACKED CAR OUT OF GARAGE IN MORNING AND WINDSHIELD CRACKED AT CENTERLINE OF FRONT DEFROST VENT. CRACK HAS CONTINUED TO EXPAND TO POINTS ALMOST EXACTLY 5 INCHES BEYOND EACH END OF DEFROST VENT, THEN STOPPED EXPANDING. PASSENGER SIDE (RIGHT SIDE) CRACK IS ALIGNED EXACTLY WITH CENTERLINE OF DEFROST VENT. AT POINT 5" OUTBOARD OF VENT, PASSENGER SIDE CRACK TURNS DOWN AND EXTENDS TO BOTTOM EDGE OF WINDSHIELD. DRIVER (LEFT SIDE) CRACK IS PARALLEL TO VENT ON LINE 3" BELOW VENT, THEN TURNS UP, CROSSES VENT, AND PARALLELS VENT 3" ABOVE VENT TO TERMINATION OF CRACK AT 5" OUTBOARD OF VENT. NOTHING IMPACTED WINDSHIELD DURING TRIP AND WINDSHIELD WAS NOT CRACKED AT END OF TRIP. ENGINEERING DEFECT- INADEQUATE GLASS STRENGTH- UNABLE TO USE DEFROSTER FOR EXTENDED PERIODS. CRACK CREATED BY STRESS FROM LOCALIZED THERMAL EXPANSION- ALIGNED WITH HEAT SOURCE OF DEFROSTER VENT AT LOWER MIDDLE REGION OF WINDSHIELD. THIS IS FIRST EXTENDED USE OF DEFROSTER IN CAR- PURCHASED MAY 2018. CURRENTLY HAS 21,800 MILES.