Windshield cracked again!

Yes, my windshield crack in LC FE started at the top in front of the drivers seat and went straight down. It took me 3 months for Toyota to supply a new windshield. I suspect there is some issue. Also, the door seal on the rear hatch came detached and had to be replaced.
 
Hi All, I just had my windshield replaced at 7500 miles. This thread seems to be mostly about Bug Deflectors, which is what I want to talk about. I’m looking for a Bug Deflector that might help deflect small rocks along with bugs. I don’t really care about bugs, I just want to alter the trajectory, if possible, of the rocks that LC seems to be have magnetic properties that attract rocks! I was hoping to find something with a flared trailing edge but most seem to only want to protect the paint from rocks. Any ideas out there? Thanks!
 
Yes, my windshield crack in LC FE started at the top in front of the drivers seat and went straight down. It took me 3 months for Toyota to supply a new windshield. I suspect there is some issue. Also, the door seal on the rear hatch came detached and had to be replaced.
Wow my rear hatch seal is coming off too. I need to have it replaced
 
Hi All, I just had my windshield replaced at 7500 miles. This thread seems to be mostly about Bug Deflectors, which is what I want to talk about. I’m looking for a Bug Deflector that might help deflect small rocks along with bugs. I don’t really care about bugs, I just want to alter the trajectory, if possible, of the rocks that LC seems to be have magnetic properties that attract rocks! I was hoping to find something with a flared trailing edge but most seem to only want to protect the paint from rocks. Any ideas out there? Thanks!
Sorry, that I don't have an answer for you, but I just had my windshield replaced and researched bug deflectors. I decided against one because there's no way to telling if debris or even water will collect where it makes contact with the hood. I'm not saying all designs are subject to this, but if it's a bolt on item it stands to reason. Still interested in this option if anyone offers anything viable. Good luck.
 
Made it 8k miles and my windshield just cracked! Tiny little rock chip at the top of the windshield and I now have a 6 in crack running vertically on the drivers side. I bought the replacement plan from Toyota. Hopefully it’s legit!

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Directly from Toyota, or a 3rd party via a dealer? Definitely interested, as we are in a high-risk locale. Cost? "endorsed by the U.S. Army" raises suspicion.
 
Directly from Toyota, or a 3rd party via a dealer? Definitely interested, as we are in a high-risk locale. Cost?
I have no idea on OEM vs aftermarket, but I’m guessing it’s be aftermarket. Although, there is no aftermarket replacements for the 200 series. I’ll update.

I think I paid around $2k upfront with the finance guy at the dealer. So, we’ll see it it was worth it.
 
Made it 8k miles and my windshield just cracked! Tiny little rock chip at the top of the windshield and I now have a 6 in crack running vertically on the drivers side. I bought the replacement plan from Toyota. Hopefully it’s legit!

View attachment 62894
Endorsed by the US Army and Kushner, Witkoff & Co. for 2K!
I got my windshield coverage from my insurance company for $26/month extra. All guaranteed OEM. Zero deductible.
 
Made it 8k miles and my windshield just cracked! Tiny little rock chip at the top of the windshield and I now have a 6 in crack running vertically on the drivers side. I bought the replacement plan from Toyota. Hopefully it’s legit!

View attachment 62894
If you have the heads up display, the plan will be worth it, over 2K for windshield and installation/HUD.
 
Yup. Just suffered my first crack. It's near the upper corner of the passenger side. Could it be some kind of stress crack and not from an impact?
I got my windshield replaced recently due to a vertical crack starting from the top of the windshield. This was clearly from an impact as I could see (and feel) a small dent about a inch below the upper edge of the windshield. Started as a small crack (about 3 in long) but quickly progressed to about 8 in.
During my almost 50 years driving I had numerous windshields broken. When a stone impacts the glass several inches away from the edge, it usually results in a bullseye type of damage (unless it's a really strong impact). However, if a stone hits near an edge, it almost always results in a crack that quickly progresses perpendicularly from the glass edge. This is because an impact closer to the center allows the glass to slightly amortiguate the impact - the windshield acts like a flexible membrane and the deformation absorbs part of the energy. Also, the energy can propagate in all directions from the point of impact, so it's absorbed over a larger area.
But if the impact happens near the edge, two bad things combine. First, the glass is supported by a rigid metal frame, so all the energy is absorbed in the glass without the possibility of any elastic deformation. Second, the shock wave of the impact reflects from the frame and the edge, meaning that all the energy is concentrated on a narrow section pointing away from the glass edge instead of getting distributed uniformly all around. This is why impact close to the edge almost always result in a crack instead of a circular bullseye.
There are numerous dynamic FEA (finite elements analysis) models that illustrate this phenomenon.
BTW, my windshield was replaced twice, because Safelite screwed up the first repair and had to redo it under warranty. Two things to watch out for if you have the windshield replaced in your LC:

1) Inspect the upper edge of your windshield after the repair. The windshield comes with a rubber seal attached to the glass. The main purpose of this rubber seal is to reduce wind noise, but it also helps to divert water over the roof instead of having it flow sideways. The windshield needs to be installed carefully to prevent misalignment of this rubber seal. If the windshield is installed too high (even a couple of millimeters matters), or the installer doesn't put it in carefully, the rubber seal can get tucked in over the entire width or a portion of the upper edge. Another defect is if the installer puts too much adhesive and it gets squeezed out, pushing the rubber seal out. BTW, this is not unique to the LC, many other Toyotas and Lexus come with this type of seal and I had the same mistake done on other Toyota vehicles, requiring Safelite to redo the job under warranty. I recommend you to take photos of the factory installed windshield to compare before and after repair. If the rubber seal at the top of the windshield does not look right, ask for warranty repair. The old glass can't be reused so the shop will have to reorder a complete new windshield.

2) The two small black plastic trim pieces on both sides of the cowl under the windshield are held with small plastic clips that are essentially one-time-use only. It's practically impossible to remove these trim pieces without braking the clips. The clips can't be replaced, so the entire trim pieces must be replaced instead. You can reinstall the trim pieces back in without the clips so the damage may not be apparent at first sight, but if you pull on them, they will come out easily, and can fly off at highway speed or in a car wash. Again Inspect the trim pieces immediately after the repair to confirm that the clips are not damaged (99% chance they will be broken or completely gone). The trim part numbers are 53869-60040 and 53868-60060 and clips are 90467-07227.

Here is a photo of how the rubber seal should look like after the repair. If it's tucked in, folded or sticks out, ask for warranty repair (new windshield). And here is the photo of the trim pieces I am talking about above.

20260321_210740.webp
20260321_210642.webp
 
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I got my windshield replaced recently due to a vertical crack starting from the top of the windshield. This was clearly from an impact as I could see (and feel) a small dent about a inch below the upper edge of the windshield. Started as a small crack (about 3 in long) but quickly progressed to about 8 in.
During my almost 50 years driving I had numerous windshields broken. When a stone impacts the glass several inches away from the edge, it usually results in a bullseye type of damage (unless it's a really strong impact). However, if a stone hits near an edge, it almost always results in a crack that quickly progresses perpendicularly from the glass edge. This is because an impact closer to the center allows the glass to slightly amortiguate the impact - the windshield acts like a flexible membrane and the deformation absorbs part of the energy. Also, the energy can propagate in all directions from the point of impact, so it's absorbed over a larger area.
But if the impact happens near the edge, two bad things combine. First, the glass is supported by a rigid metal frame, so all the energy is absorbed in the glass without the possibility of any elastic deformation. Second, the shock wave of the impact reflects from the frame and the edge, meaning that all the energy is concentrated on a narrow section pointing away from the glass edge instead of getting distributed uniformly all around. This is why impact close to the edge almost always result in a crack instead of a circular bullseye.
There are numerous dynamic FEA (finite elements analysis) models that illustrate this phenomenon.
BTW, my windshield was replaced twice, because Safelite screwed up the first repair and had to redo it under warranty. Two things to watch out for if you have the windshield replaced in your LC:

1) Inspect the upper edge of your windshield after the repair. The windshield comes with a rubber seal attached to the glass. The main purpose of this rubber seal is to reduce wind noise, but it also helps to divert water over the roof instead of having it flow sideways. The windshield needs to be installed carefully to prevent misalignment of this rubber seal. If the windshield is installed too high (even a couple of millimeters matters), or the installer doesn't put it in carefully, the rubber seal can get tucked in over the entire width or a portion of the upper edge. Another defect is if the installer puts too much adhesive and it gets squeezed out, pushing the rubber seal out. BTW, this is not unique to the LC, many other Toyotas and Lexus come with this type of seal and I had the same mistake done on other Toyota vehicles, requiring Safelite to redo the job under warranty. I recommend you to take photos of the factory installed windshield to compare before and after repair. If the rubber seal at the top of the windshield does not look right, ask for warranty repair. The old glass can't be reused so the shop will have to reorder a complete new windshield.

2) The two small black plastic trim pieces on both sides of the cowl under the windshield are held with small plastic clips that are essentially one-time-use only. It's practically impossible to remove these trim pieces without braking the clips. The clips can't be replaced, so the entire trim pieces must be replaced instead. You can reinstall the trim pieces back in without the clips so the damage may not be apparent at first sight, but if you pull on them, they will come out easily, and can fly off at highway speed or in a car wash. Again Inspect the trim pieces immediately after the repair to confirm that the clips are not damaged (99% chance they will be broken or completely gone). The trim part numbers are 53869-60040 and 53868-60060 and clips are 90467-07227.

Here is a photo of how the rubber seal should look like after the repair. If it's tucked in, folded or sticks out, ask for warranty repair (new windshield). And here is the photo of the trim pieces I am talking about above.

View attachment 62899View attachment 62900
I learned a new word today.

Amortiguate

Now my brain hurts. 🧠

I’ve actually wondered about much of what you so intricately described, but I don’t think that I could have ever so eloquently put it in words.

Thank you.
 
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