Windshield Paranoia (2 Viewers)

[Reckless]

I got my first rock chip on my windshield about 5-6 weeks ago. I noticed another one yesterday on a different side of the windshield. Then as I am driving the urban Chicago jungle someone threw a beer can from a high rise on my windshield. Luckily, it didn't break.

I regularly drive my LC 80 mph on the highway and I have been driving cars with double pane (bulletproof style) windshields with IR coating. One of my gripes with the LC is the thin windshield, no IR coating and the windshield turning me into an ant under a magnifying glass.

So first thing I am wondering if anyone else has had to go through a number of windshields and repair with their LC. Second is SQOD can a bulletproof or thicker windshield be mounted in place of the the OEM windshield. I have a 2009 LC which doesn't have rain sensors. I believe I got a quote last time I was in for chip repair of $140 for a new aftermarket windshield (might have been oem I am forgetting) but at this rate I will need to buy a new windshield almost annually. In my top of the line 7 series and S classes the windshield was thick and made the car feel stronger.

 

[Markuson]

Hmmm... Land Cruiser windshields are not cheap, or thin in my experience. In fact, I've had a small crack from two years ago from a very significant rock strike that would have grown into a bigger and bigger crack-line by now on any other vehicle's windshield I've had over the years. This one hasn't grown at all. Stock LC windshields are quite expensive... If you found a full windshield replacement for a mere $140? Wow. That is one CHEAP windshield! I would wager it will not fare as well.

I do agree that the tinting is too bright/nonexistant (I'm in a 2008, so maybe different from yours). I had mine darkened...but I'd much rather not have to darken it.

 

[NC237]

Anything significantly thicker or bulletproof would be custom and $$$.

Bulletproof is likely the cost of a 10 year old Corolla.
From what I hear while bulletproof resists bullets - it blurs visibility.

The original LC windshields are thicker than most. The phrase "2mm thicker than other Toyotas" is floating out there.
If most cars are about 4mm thick that would make the LC 6mm thick. Keeping with the Corolla theme - they are 4.7mm thick.

IIRC the S-class was also 6mm thick. Two pieces of glass with air sandwiched in-between for noise isolation. But that was the 90s. They're not that thick anymore. The name of the game now is thinner, lighter, and glazing technology for strength / noise reduction. IIRC these days the S-class are laminated 5mm thick. This of course excludes the niche armored series that Merc puts out with bulletproof glass.

The OEM LC windshield glass is thick but thickness isn't the only factor for noise and resistance to chips/cracks. It's all about the glazing in terms of laminate and what was done to harden the glass. Which of course getting those kind of details is next to impossible. Getting a hold of thickness spec is hard enough...

OEM is expensive and original spec. Aftermarket is economical. Sometimes this means less quality. Most automotive glass is made by only a handful of companies. But they make varying specs for various buyers. Meaning Toyota spec might be more than just a logo vs. aftermarket.

I would go OEM myself and then look into some kind of extra protection.

There are plastic films that help reduce rock chips. Although I would be skeptical about visibility.
Stuff like this - http://www.dfisolutions.com/surfaces-we-improve/automotive/

 

[ekberger]

I was one-day on the road with my new LC and took a significant rock hit going through New Mexico at 3 o'clock in the morning. Sounded bad, but turned out to be just a nick in the glass. I was lucky. Three weeks later driving out of Cincinnati a dump truck pulled out in front of me coming out on an entrance ramp. It made me nervous because he was hemorrhaging rocks so I quickly pulled over on to the passing lane. It didn't help. I still took a shrapnel hit mid windshield. This resulted in a few more scratches but it didn't break. Cerium oxide may polish out the later, don't know. I've never been very nervous about my windshield's, and I'm hoping that with two bad hits it won't be "three strikes and you're out"! Perhaps these OEM windscreens are tuff, but I don't want another chance to find out. However, with a road trip to Alaska this summer I don't know how I will avoid another, perhaps fatal hit.

 

[Willy beamin]

Ive had mine replaced twice due to rock hits. One crack grew across my windsheild and one stayed put. My state dictates these are free for insured drivers every so many years. I do remember seeing an invoice just as a receipt and it was several hundred dollars like $700 or more. Could be my insirance collecting as much as they can from whomever reimburses them...idk
Anyhow im not in the mind set that the OEM shields are weak at all. I roll 80 everywhere so hope that helps the paranoia settle down. Stat outta da hood bro

 

[linuxgod]

@Reckless, what would it cost you per year to just up your comprehensive coverage on your insurance policy to $0 deductible? And was the beer can empty or was the dude trying to pass you a cold one?

When my LC arrived from Houston it had several small cracks in the windshield. I'm not sure if it took a beating enroute, if it had been in a hail storm, or if the dealer in Houston had been driving it for a couple months (since it had about 400 miles more on it than originally advertised) and had just shipped it with the stone cracks. Even though I'd paid to ship the vehicle from Houston, and it was the lowest priced 2013 LC in the country (by $2-3k), the local dealer in Chicago agreed to replace the windshield (and take care of a couple other small issues).

I had several cracks happen to my 3rd gen 4Runner when I lived in rural Virginia and worked in the suburbs. Lots of construction, lots of dump trucks, lots of highway driving, and I was kind of aggressive in my following distance at the time, and that resulted in several stone chips over 6-7 years. Mine new windshield has held up fine since replacement, though we don't see rocks as frequently and when I'm on the highway I tend to give more distance now. I have taken a few stone hits to the LC and my prior Acura, and none of them resulted in any cracks. I suspect it's because with a larger following distance the force of the stone decreases such that I'm hitting it at 70MPH, not taking a bullet with 140MPH of force.

If you don't want to change your driving style, I'd look at the lower deductible. Also it'll help with the stray beer cans.

 

[Reckless]

I think it would be cost prohibitive to go to a $0 coverage plan, plus I hate making claims unless they are big $$$.

I agree that the windshield is strong enough not to develop cracks that easily but it seems to take a lot of rock chips in such a short while. I do try to keep longer stopping distances as I don't trust the brakes to halt to a dead stop in an extremely short distance. Its nice to know that this is Toyota's best level windshield. I just wish Japanese understood opulence like the Italians or Germans, but if they did I don't know if they would make such a reliable product.

@NC237 I am very interested in the DFI film. This may be what I am looking for if it improves visibility. The thing that bothers me the most is cooking in my car because of no UV treatment. I will call them later today to find out details.

@Markuson How much did you tint your windshield? I considered this but was afraid of being pulled over by Chicago Police or interstate police.

 

[LCHardriver_02]

On my 2010 LX, which we purchased as the second owner in 2015, it came with a brand new windshield (not original). How do I know this? Well, I ended up having to replace the plastic fitting piece along the driver's side because it was warped so bad that it would not stay in place and I think it was never installed correctly when the windshield was replaced.

With that said, in the last 2 years of ownership, we have taken 3 hits from rocks of varying (small) sizes. Two have been filled and the third will be done later this week. On my 100, which I still own, it is only on its second windshield... it is over 15 years old.

It is, therefore, my opinion that the 100 series windshields were stronger and could take harder multiple hits than the 200s. Yeah, I am not impressed with the 200's windshield.

 

[TeCKis300]

Meh. A car gets used. It will see incidents and issues through its lifetime. Just enjoy it and know that short of bodily injury, anything minor can be resolved with some money, and insurance will take care of whatever else.

 

[linuxgod]

I think it would be cost prohibitive to go to a $0 coverage plan, plus I hate making claims unless they are big $$$.

IIRC when I did an esurance quote a while back, it was $35-40/year to go from $100 to $0 deductible. Every situation and quote is different, but if you really expect to need to a new windshield annually it would almost certainly be worth it.

Last time I did a claim I remember all I had to do was email my agent and ask for them to send a glass guy. The glass guy called me to schedule, did the work, and billed Allstate for everything but my deductible. Normal claims process sucks, but windshields are so common that they super easy in my experience. In fact IIRC with Allstate and a $100 deductible they would actually repair up to 3 chips at no cost to me (since I guess it's cheaper to repair them and wave the deductible than to replace the windshield later).

 

[TonyP]

Some insurance companies have a specific glass coverage you can opt for for only a few bucks.

 

[AL LC2013]

Separate issue, but does your 2013+ have lexus stamped glass on the side windows? The glass may be improved on a 2013+

 

[luke27617]

Just buy glass repair kit at Walmart. Patched two stars on my wife's car and it holding up just fine. The kit costs around $10 and will last for at least 5 repairs.

 

[LBridges]

On my way into work this morning took a medium-sized bird strike while driving at roughly 60MPH. Hit passenger side about dead center vertically. Gave me a pretty good scare just from the sound. Windshield undamaged, bird bounced off, up and over, but didn't survive.

 

[Yossarian]

Just thinking out loud here, but wasn't the Lexus supposed to have "better" glass?

Also, a few threads ago, someone linked the Toyota window installation instructions, I doubt a regular glass repair/replace company let alone the dealer even follows it.

 

[Markuson]

This article claims the LC's windshield is 2mm thicker than other Toyota windshields...

 

[gaLonghorn]

We recently had our '15 LX windshield replaced. Something flew off a big rig ahead of us and made a sizable nick. Over the next few days of driving Atlanta roads and potholes that nick spread to multiple edges of the windshield. Interestingly, I learned that there was not an aftermarket replacement option available. Insurance paid for OEM. Can't say OEM is better than aftermarket, but that little Lexus logo does give me some peace of mind about the quality.

 

[Willy beamin]

Not seeing it mentioned on here but i do remember that when i first had a replacememt installed I noticed that OE has the wiper blade heater /defroster metalic stips on the bottom
Portion of the windshield. Nothing to dbe with strenght just a side note

 

[hankinid]

Just thinking out loud here, but wasn't the Lexus supposed to have "better" glass?

Also, a few threads ago, someone linked the Toyota window installation instructions, I doubt a regular glass repair/replace company let alone the dealer even follows it.

Simplest to find a glass guy that goes by the book. I simply called the Lexus/Toyota dealer and the Toyota-only dealer here and got the name of the glass guy they use. I called him, new windshield for insurance deductible of $100. No complaints on the installation, as he brought everything needed per the ism.

Not seeing it mentioned on here but i do remember that when i first had a replacememt installed I noticed that OE has the wiper blade heater /defroster metalic stips on the bottom
Portion of the windshield. Nothing to dbe with strenght just a side note

The windshield should come with the wiper blade de-icer, easy to connect once the windshield is mounted.

 

[Redbull]

The S class also has that air pocket in between glass to reduce fog. Very cool. Mine also had a lovely habit of needing frequent transmission conductor plate replacements every year.