2018 Toyota Prius Wipers & Visibility Problems

Your right side mirror suddenly shattered and the back cover blew off while you were driving at 35 mph, with nothing hitting it. Toyota has stopped shipping replacement parts for this issue but hasn't issued a recall, and you've been waiting 4 months for a resolution.

Your windshield has cracked twice while driving normally on the highway without any impact from objects or other vehicles. Both times, the cracks spread quickly across a large portion of the windshield, requiring full replacement. The first crack happened just days after you bought the car, and the second occurred months later. The cause appears to be a defect in the windshield itself rather than external damage.

I OWNED A 2008 PRIUS WITH 273,453 MILES WHEN I TRADED IT FOR A 2018 PRIUS ON 3/15/18. MY 2008 NEVER HAD THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED; MEANWHILE, THE 2018 HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE AND THE 2ND IS NOW CRACKED WITHIN 2 MONTHS OF REPLACEMENT. ON 8/7/18 I WAS DRIVING IN A SINGLE LANE ROAD WITH NO VEHICLES AHEAD OR IN THE ONCOMING DIRECTION WHEN I HEARD A POP. WITHIN 5 MINUTES A CRACK BEGAN AT THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD AND EXTENDED ABOUT 9' UPWARDS AND TOWARDS THE PASSENGER SIDE BY THE END OF THE DAY. NEXT MORNING THE CRACK WAS 17' LONG, AND BY THE 3RD DAY THE CRACK WAS 26'. AFTER THAT THE CRACK SEEMS TO STABILIZE. ON 10/9/18 I WAS DRIVING ON I-95N HEARD ANOTHER POP AND A 2ND CRACK BEGAN TO FORM. THERE WERE NO VEHICLES IN FRONT OF ME WHEN I HEARD A POP. AN ADDITIONAL CRACK STARTED THAT CURVED FROM THE DRIVER SIDE AND EXTENDED 14' FROM THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD 3' FROM THE OLD CRACK TOWARDS THE DRIVER SIDE. THE 2ND CRACK AFFECTED MY VISION SO I HAD HAVE IT REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. ON 11/2/18 I HAD THE OEM WINDSHIELD REPLACED FOR $250 (DEDUCTIBLE) PLUS $477 (TOYOTA CAMERA RECALIBRATION). ON 12/19/18 I HEARD A POP WHILE AT A STOP SIGN AND THE NEW WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED A CRACK FROM THE BASE OF THE GLASS EXTENDING UPWARDS 4' THEN CURVED TOWARDS THE PASSENGER SIDE FOR ANOTHER 7.5' BY THE END OF THE DAY. THE NEXT DAY THE CRACK CURVED UP AND TO THE RIGHT SIDE FOR ANOTHER 7.25'. BY THE 3RD DAY, IT GREW ANOTHER 12' UPWARDS. ON 1/29/19 A SECOND CRACK FORMED NEAR THE INITIAL CRACK AT 3' HIGHER FROM THE BASE. THIS CRACK EXTENDED FOR 12' TOWARDS THE DRIVER SIDE. SO NOW I AM FACED WITH REPLACING THE WINDSHIELD AGAIN; INCURRING THE COSTS AND INCONVENIENCE. GIVEN THE FACT THERE WERE NO VEHICLE AROUND WHEN THE CRACKS HAVE REPEATED APPEARED I FEEL THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND NOT A FACTOR OF MY DRIVING.

LAST YEAR,JUNE 2017, WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED WE NOTICED THERE WAS A HAIRLINE CRACK ON THE WINDSHIELD. WE RECEIVED SOME QUOTES SAYING IT WOULD BE ABOUT $900 TO FIX. SO WE DECIDED TO GO WITH AN ADHESIVE INJECTION AND PAID ABOUT $50 FOR SOMEONE TO COME FIX IT. HOWEVER, AFTER A MONTH, IT SPREAD. WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD. LAST MONTH, SAME THING HAPPENED. CAR WAS PARKED, NOTHING HIT IT. SAME HAIRLINE CRACK. I HAVEN'T FIXED IT BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY EXPENSE. BUT IT HAS SPREAD. CHECKED ONLINE TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS THE SAME ISSUE AND FOUND THERE'S A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THIS BUT IT'S FOR 2014-2016 TOYOTA PRIUS. APPARENTLY THEY HAVE NOT FIXED THIS PROBLEM FOR THE 2017 PRIUS. ALSO, THERE'S A RECALL FOR MY CAR FOR ANOTHER ISSUE.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE RAIN AT 55MPH A VERY SMALL PEBBLE/BUG STRUCK THE LOWER RIGHT WINDSHIELD BELOW THE WIPER. IT WAS NOT VERY LOUD, BUT DID CREATE A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD WITH A FEW MINUTES. WITHIN A FEW DAYS THE CRACK HAS SPREAD ACROSS THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD.