Tired of replacing windshields...

[eatSleepWoof]

Replaced windshield in early 2021 with OEM, including OEM moulding, etc.

In late October of this year my windshield developed a random crack from the bottom of the driver's side area. On November 8th I had the same shop replace the windshield with another OEM one.

Less than 30 days later I have another crack in the same exact spot on the new windshield. Both times, no impacts of any sort. Simply parked the LX without any issues, came back to find a small (2-3") crack that quickly grew in the coming days.

This new crack appeared about 3 days ago. Called the shop that did the replacement, they told me there's no warranty for glass cracks, only for leaks or whistling noise. Yesterday this crack covered the entire windshield, and seems to have originated at the very outer edge.

Has anyone seen this happen on their vehicles? Any thoughts on what could be causing this? Defects in the glass? Defective installation? Some sort of problem in the LX itself? Tips/advice?

Insurance deductible is $200, but can only be used once per 12 months. I have to wait until next November for a mostly insurance-paid replacement.

 

[TLC2013]

Wow bummer. Sorry to hear, that’s wild to be going through windshields in this fashion. Has to be a defect in manufacturing or the install.
All I can offer is that my 2013 is still on its factory windshield at 116k. It has some pitting but no significant damage and no cracks.

 

[AnyMal]

Sorry bud, that truly sucks.

Vandalism out of the question?
I know you have no neighbours, but maybe a bear is climbing the rig at night?
jk mostly, but as a fellow techie (ew) im sure you have surveillance?

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Sorry bud, that truly sucks.

Vandalism out of the question?
I know you have no neighbours, but maybe a bear is climbing the rig at night?
jk mostly, but as a fellow techie (ew) im sure you have surveillance?

Haha.

No, not vandalism, and no bears. First occurrence was in my driveway, second downtown in the city, so there's no chance it's someone doing this intentionally. I asked the same question in a BC-focused Toyota group and everyone is telling me this is because the installers didn't use enough urethane and the glass is sitting directly on metal... ie. installer error. Calling insurance company right now to try to deal with this...

 

[rscoleman]

When they go to install the next windshield check that area for any ripple or protrusion of the metal. Area that is not flat and smooth. I have seen something like this before on a friends Nissan. He had like bump of spot weld or something and pressure of windshield at that spot would cause the crack.

 

[AnyMal]

Haha.

No, not vandalism, and no bears. First occurrence was in my driveway, second downtown in the city, so there's no chance it's someone doing this intentionally. I asked the same question in a BC-focused Toyota group and everyone is telling me this is because the installers didn't use enough urethane and the glass is sitting directly on metal... ie. installer error. Calling insurance company right now to try to deal with this...

I can tell you one thing though;

In my 2017, going over big road humps, i often get a significant pop flex sound right inside where your crack started by driver position.

Something is flexing there enough to either pop the dash around, or mess with the windshield seal or something in that corner.

This is of course in addition to the millions of other sounds it makes being the best built machine in the galaxy...
It could be 16+ crappy design, or not, idk.
But, I will say a special somebody who's earlier model year LC truck I rode in with “zero rattles” made an awful lot of sounds lol.

These things are not perfect, I would check that corner on the inside and see if it has the same clearance as the right hand inside corner.
As you can see here. My drivers has some kind of shim. Im not sure if yours does, or if it was a "remedy" later on.
All trucks are slightly different, and mine just may be one in need of that thing thats there. Could be wrong, i dont know what it is yet.

Also, god knows what the tint installers did, but i went to the one Lexus goes to, "best in town". Maybe there was one on the passengers too.

Have a look and check.

BTW - In case anyone was curious;
my dash cracks and pops, several door panels rattles and vibrate, my rear seats rattle, the rear trim boards around the subwoofer rattle, the first aid kit undoes itself, the seat belts all mount poorly into the retainers and all rattle, and also the third row rattles, and i get leather on leather squeaks alot.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

When they go to install the next windshield check that area for any ripple or protrusion of the metal. Area that is not flat and smooth. I have seen something like this before on a friends Nissan. He had like bump of spot weld or something and pressure of windshield at that spot would cause the crack.

That's what I'm afraid of! Hopefully not the case.

 

[CanadianRockyCruiser]

I know you said it wasn't rock chips, but every time that I drive through BC in the winter I need to get a new windshield. The road crews on highway 1 are using large gravel that they shouldn't be because it's cheaper.

 

[CanadianRockyCruiser]

I've seen equally large gravel "rocks" just south of Armstrong on 97C.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

I can tell you one thing though;

In my 2017, going over big road humps, i often get a significant pop flex sound right inside where your crack started by driver position.

Something is flexing there enough to either pop the dash around, or mess with the windshield seal or something in that corner.

This is of course in addition to the millions of other sounds it makes being the best built machine in the galaxy...
It could be 16+ crappy design, or not, idk.
But, I will say a special somebody who's earlier model year LC truck I rode in with “zero rattles” made an awful lot of sounds lol.

These things are not perfect, I would check that corner on the inside and see if it has the same clearance as the right hand inside corner.
As you can see here. My drivers has some kind of shim. Im not sure if yours does, or if it was a "remedy" later on.
All trucks are slightly different, and mine just may be one in need of that thing thats there. Could be wrong, i dont know what it is yet.

Also, god knows what the tint installers did, but i went to the one Lexus goes to, "best in town". Maybe there was one on the passengers too.

Have a look and check.

View attachment 3183786View attachment 3183787


BTW - In case anyone was curious;
my dash cracks and pops, several door panels rattles and vibrate, my rear seats rattle, the rear trim boards around the subwoofer rattle, the first aid kit undoes itself, the seat belts all mount poorly into the retainers and all rattle, and also the third row rattles, and i get leather on leather squeaks alot.

Yikes!

I can't say I've experienced any of those issues - my interior is silent, and I'm pretty damn sensitive to strange noises. I'm hesitant to pull the windshield cowl and look at it myself for fear of having the glass shop/insurance claim I did something wrong. Just spoke w/ insurance and am waiting for them to go through things on their end and call me back.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

I know you said it wasn't rock chips, but every time that I drive through BC in the winter I need to get a new windshield. The road crews on highway 1 are using large gravel that they shouldn't be because it's cheaper.

That's not surprising to hear. I've had windshields damaged by flying gravel before and it was always a very "clear" event in that there was a loud noise, instant impact "crater," and on occasion I've even seen the flying object coming.

This case I literally drove from my home, downtown to an appointment (10 mins in city), parked, came back an hour later to find the crack. Zero outer damage/visible impacts.

 

[AnyMal]

Yikes!

I can't say I've experienced any of those issues - my interior is silent, and I'm pretty damn sensitive to strange noises. I'm hesitant to pull the windshield cowl and look at it myself for fear of having the glass shop/insurance claim I did something wrong. Just spoke w/ insurance and am waiting for them to go through things on their end and call me back.

Im starting to truly believe I am wayyyyy more anal than anyone here about these things. Im a stubborn perfectionist sometimes.
But yeah, could be the 2016+ interior was stress tested less.
No idea, mine came out of the "good" factory though.

 

[radman]

Maybe those Bosch Icons are tearing your crap up

 

[Docwyte]

AnyMal, apparently your 200 was built on a "all the sake you can drink for free day". My '18 is silent inside....

 

[AnyMal]

AnyMal, apparently your 200 was built on a "all the sake you can drink for free day". My '18 is silent inside....

I mean it’s quiet dont get me wrong. But its not a tank.
I bet if you played some of the music i play, yours will reveal its secrets too lol

 

[Sinister]

Im starting to truly believe I am wayyyyy more anal than anyone here about these things. Im a stubborn perfectionist sometimes.
But yeah, could be the 2016+ interior was stress tested less.
No idea, mine came out of the "good" factory though.

Im ridiculously anal about rattles and noises and I’m still pleasantly surprised how quiet my 2011 is. Do you off road a lot? The only rattles I get is when it’s really cold out down by the bottom of the passenger side windshield and a tiny one by the instrument panel. And of corse the second row seat rattle (fixed with pvc tape) and the headrest rattle.

 

[bloc]

The metal protrusion makes sense to me, even if I hadn’t heard of that before.

I would try to find a glass installer with a lot of experience to ask about this… there are definitely one or two in your area, the trick is finding them.

 

[AnyMal]

Im ridiculously anal about rattles and noises and I’m still pleasantly surprised how quiet my 2011 is. Do you off road a lot? The only rattles I get is when it’s really cold out down by the bottom of the passenger side windshield and a tiny one by the instrument panel. And of corse the second row seat rattle (fixed with pvc tape) and the headrest rattle.

no never. My driver side rear door panel is now buzzing with certain tones in music too right behind my left ear. And my drivers mirror wobbles internally. Thats all held by plastic in there. And then the mirror housing problem is another well known issue, don't have that one yet though.

I have to fully disassemble the interior and professionally felt everything down at some point, but the point im making is all modern interiors are built exactly the same.
for all the robustness of the real stuff, the inside is still just plastic clips.

I also know my driver change pocket door is misaligned, like it is in every single LX.

Still my E92 was the most solid vehicle i have ever owned. Twin subs in the harman system banged harddd. I was 22. It was used everyday at full volume for 3 years. Not a single rattle. 3 years later every M4 on the lot was s*** box level just like mine. Stuttgart if i remember correctly, then it was Munich for the M4? I forget.
Either way if you know older german interiors you know what im talking about.
Seems like the more ornate they get, the more clippy bull**** and small trim pieces are used. No bolts anywhere.

But one thing i can promise you is im probably the pickiest guy here, i spent half my career in ultra high end AV, built world class home theaters down to the framing, i know my rattles lol. Trust

 

[AnyMal]

The ML system is fantastic BTW, not the best ever, but i have no real complaints other than maybe some upper shrillness around maybe 6-8k.
But the big cabin helps it out a lot in the low end so im not hurting for more bass.

Its still a harman group product BTW. Drivers are all cheapies.

I keep surround on too, to use the front center channel, it doesn’t really kill imaging or anything, enjoyable.

edit:

I dont have room in my sig but cars in order:

Xterra (16 years old, first car)
E92 335is
F82 M4
europe hiatus no car
Lx 470
Lx 570

Ive driven just about everything though.
Best system I ever heard was B&O M6 couple gens ago.
Keep in mind I listen to fake music, not sure on timbre and tonality.
i judge systems on technical capacity, not tone.

 

[Sinister]

The ML system is fantastic BTW, not the best ever, but i have no real complaints other than maybe some upper shrillness around maybe 6-8k.
But the big cabin helps it out a lot in the low end so im not hurting for more bass.

Its still a harman group product BTW. Drivers are all cheapies.

I keep surround on too, to use the front center channel, it doesn’t really kill imaging or anything, enjoyable.

edit:

I dont have room in my sig but cars in order:

Xterra (16 years old, first car)
E92 335is
F82 M4
europe hiatus no car
Lx 470
Lx 570

Ive driven just about everything though.
Best system I ever heard was B&O M6 couple gens ago.
Keep in mind I listen to fake music, not sure on timbre and tonality.
i judge systems on technical capacity, not tone.

I think there was a tread discussion on leaving the surround on or off. I have the JBL version and absolutely love the way it sounds, blows my wife’s BMW sound system away.