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Scion xB Windshield cracks

135

Comments

  • lavariouslavarious Member Posts: 11
    The site is up and ready for your review:

    MyScionSucks.com
  • hondadave7hondadave7 Member Posts: 27
    Hello,
    Your web site is excellent. My xB has not yet cracked its windshield, but it's just a matter of time. Thanks for all of the time you have spent accomplishing this enormous feat.
    David
  • aathertonaatherton Member Posts: 617
    Incredible, magnificent. Congratulations and thank you! I posted it on ScionLife.com
  • scionowner2scionowner2 Member Posts: 2
    Updating post #79 re: our windshield crack that was disturbingly similar to many others on this site. No impact origin, starts behind the rearview mirror & curves at a nearly 90 deg. angle.

    On 3/24 we had the vehicle inspected by two people at the service dept. & they seemed to agree that there was no impact. Told us that they would talk to the "toyota gods" and get back to us on whether they would replace. A few days later, they called to tell us they had ordered a new windshield for us. Hurrah, we thought.

    We waited 5 weeks for the windshield to arrive. When my husband brought the car in on 4/28, it was promptly driven out of his sight. When he caught up to it, two service staff were "penning" it aggressively and came quickly to the conclusion that there was a rock chip at the top of the crack. No visible chip of course, but staff assures him that you can "feel it" with the pen. Of course we find this terribly suspicious, since 1) we never saw an impact cause. and 2) Neither did the first two people who inspected it.

    On May 1, emailed the the customer service manager at Beaverton Scion, attaching a copy of all the relevant forum posts from this site. It's May 4 and still no response. Have emailed again & am going to follow up with phone call.

    So far, not good though.
  • kosalkosal Member Posts: 1
    I window cracked overnight like what many have described.

    So I went to two Toyota/Scion Dealer in orange county, CA today and got treated like #### to say the least.

    First said right away, that’s not covered; took him two seconds. Now mind you that, we were walking to the car at this point.

    Second guy came and took his fingers and ran it across the crack and said that he didn’t know. So I mentioned this web page and things got a little more serious. The second guy called the manager who then came out with the pen.

    Now here is when I start to get really upset.

    I am not a physicists, but when a 200lb guy apply pressure through an instrument the size of the tip of a pen, things will crack. He pushed the pen so hard that you can hear the squeak on the glass. (I have before and after picture if anyone is interested. ) And you know what he told me? "...this pen is as scientific and precise and it gets as far as Toyota is concerned...." Even with the naked eye you see that the glass is uneven. He ran the pen up and down the crack and then side to side.

    My question is, which way are they suppose to run the pen?
    A: Perpendicularly across the crack ?
    B: Along the surface following the crack?

    If he ran the pen hard enough following the crack, wouldn’t this cause a wedge that would get worst when the pen is then ran the other say?

    What got me mad was he told me to come back and wait from 7am to 8pm for a SPMS person to inspect it....

    to be continued.
  • lavariouslavarious Member Posts: 11
    Answer to your question:

    B. They are supposed to run the pen along the surface of the crack, not applying much pressure, to see if they can "feel" a nick in the glass where the impact occured. You could basically throw some chicken blood on the windshield and throw some bones on the ground enacting a VooDoo ceremony because that is about a accurate as their "pen test".

    Visit this site and it will explain all you need to know about your issue:

    www.myscionsucks.com
  • bubba29bubba29 Member Posts: 1
    I have had my 2006 xB since November '05.
    I have 24000 (New Jersey) miles.
    No Cracks or Chips in the windshield, and no other problems of any kind with my xB.
  • lavariouslavarious Member Posts: 11
    I am happy you haven’t had any problems. They are a nightmare.
  • stefooshstefoosh Member Posts: 2
    My husband was using my XB one day and when he came home he said he thinks a rock had hit the windshield and made a big crack. He didn't hear anything, but what else would he think? So I was at a red light the other day and their was another XB next to me and I looked (cause I like to see what kind of other people drive the car) and they too had a big ol crack in their windshield...suspicious I am now. So I come on here to find that it is a BIG problem and I will not back down easily. I am so happy I read this before taking it to the next step.
  • robroy42robroy42 Member Posts: 4
    I have 15,000 miles on my 12 month old xB. I LOVE this car. I always keep it garaged, both at home and at work. I am amazed at the mileage and the room. I am a bass player and it is the perfect gigging vehicle. I am rabid about the thing.

    Except...

    Sunday I step in the car in my garage and halfway up the passenger side post is a crack that goes in a few inches and then straight up a few more. No impact, no nothing. I thought it was a fluke but decided to google it.

    That quickly led me here. And now I am very concerned. I wonder if this would have taken so long had I not garaged the vehicle. Heck, the ambient temperature was in the low seventies the whole time.

    What a shame. I am thinking of just leaving it cracked to avoid the hassle of replacing it over and over. I bought the vehicle for utility anyway, and the only option I got was the floor mats. I hit a pedestrian (totally his fault) after owning it two weeks and the dent from his head is still in the hood just above the headlight as a warning to other pedestrians. IOW, I am willing to put up with minor cosmetic issues.

    It's really a shame. The new xB's just don't compete with the same market as the old ones. They are too long, too heavy and get significantly worse gas mileage.

    I guess nothing's perfect. Still, it's a bummer.
  • robroy42robroy42 Member Posts: 4
    There is a reason windshields are made differently than reare and side windows. And this reason is based on normal driving impact resistance as well as resistance to cracking.

    If a vehicle - ANY vehicle - has a large enough expanse of glass for a windshield, it requires, at the very least, thicker glass than other vehicles. If windshields continue to get cracks with no object impacts, it means the windshild is the victim of a design defect.

    It is really that simple.

    If the replacement windshields are identical to the original, the problem has not been solved. It is worse than a band-aid, because the cut gets no better. You just keep replacing band-aids ad-infinitum until the car ends it's useful life from use and wear.

    That is not acceptable.

    Reminds me of the old Diesel GM cars...
  • robroy42robroy42 Member Posts: 4
    Mines almost a year old. I live in a fairly mild climate (Seattle) and garage the car both at work and at home.

    That said, If you look at my posts above this one you will see it eventually hit me too.

    I have found that most cars have a "unique" problem to one degree or another, but some are really bad. I bought a brand new 1980 Buick Skylark and it was such a lemon, I sold it a year later. I then started a new job a year later and one of my workmates had a 1980 Skylark parked in a garage pending a lawsuit. He gave me a one page, two column list of problems the car had. Mine had almost every single problem on the list. Many were safety issues.

    The old GM X-Body really was a true lemon law nightmare.

    Meanwhile, remember that there are not all that many xB's on the road. And not all that many owners know to go to sites like this. But if you want to know if this is common, just check out the windshields of xB's in parking lots, etc. Talk to the owners of cars with good windshields and see if they have ever had to replace them.

    Based on what I have seen regarding other cars, this seems to be a pretty severe epidemic, relatively speaking.

    I never would have thought to google "scion xb and windshield crack" before I bought it. I've owned 28 cars in my life and I have never come across such a thing as this.

    If I had come across this site, I would be driving something else right now...
  • dwynnedwynne Member Posts: 4,018
    Actually, most side window glass is not multi-layer safety glass as it is not required by law. Only a few top-of-the-line cars (maybe Lexus or MB) have laminated safety glass in the side windows.

    That is the reason it is not as thick and windshield glass.

    Dennis
  • robroy42robroy42 Member Posts: 4
    That is ONE reason, yes. But remember, ALL auto windows used to be laminate. It just isn't necessary on the sides.

    My main point, however, was that windshields need to be designed to successfully do what they are supposed to do. That is why the windshield on an armored car, or a 747 is different from one on a Volvo.

    But if a particular style of car keeps cracking windows from normal driving stress (no impacts), it needs to be either thickened or otherwise redesigned.

    Meanwhile, I just came across another thread where a guy bought two of the NEW xB's and both of them ended up with stress cracks within a few weeks.

    This is a very bad thing. It is really unacceptable.
  • teddi2teddi2 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2006 Scion XB. My windshield has cracked at the edge twice now. I bought the car brand new. I sincerely believe the reason is a design flaw with the model. I would like to approach Toyota with a group of Scion XB owners that have had similar problems with their vehicles.
    The windshield cracked from a small rock the first time, and the 2nd time I don't even remember anything hitting it.

    I have contacted Toyota corp. and they have lodged my complaint(s)but are not owning up to the fact that there might be a flaw in the inherent design of the XB.

    Please let me know if you would be willing to step forward to Toyota.

    Thanks.
    Teddi2
  • teddi2teddi2 Member Posts: 2
    yep, I just sent a comment before I read your. This has happened to me twice and I have had the vehicle since it was new. I am very upset also. Did you contact Toyota?
    If I hear from enough owners I think we should approach Toyota to install a better windshield and better moulding around it.
  • wheelmanwheelman Member Posts: 52
    Why are you complaining to each other? You people need to complain, not to Toyota/Scion or the dealer but to the U.S Federal Government. Within the federal government is National Highway Transportation Safety Administration/ Office of Defects Investigation (NHTSA/ODI). These people conduct investigations into unusual, repetitive automotive defects and failures, like cracking windshields. NHTSA/ODI also issues the recalls which force the manufacturers to remedy the situation. I just searched the NHTSA's data base for complaints and recalls on the Scion xB and no one complained to the authority that has enough power to get you a new windshield...free.

    Here is the NHTSA/ODI url: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/index.cfm

    Complain to the people who can make a difference. It's your government, use it.

    The WheelMan
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    follow the above poster's advice if your Scion xB's windshield has suddenly developed a crackin' Jones. Really, the post makes a lot of sense.

    We had a local Postmaster who wouldn't make us keys for our mailbox right after we moved in to the little town we live in. Every day one of us would go in to the Postal Department and ask for our mailkey to open our mailbox and get the mail that is our right as U.S.citizens to receive. They would say "Oh, the lady that makes those keys isn't in" or "she hasn't had time to make those keys yet, please hang on for a while longer." Right.

    We looked in the phone book for a Federal watchdog group for Postal Department employees and managers. We found the phone number of an organization that does just that and called it to complain.

    Guess what happened? The next morning, around 9:15AM (early in the Post Office day) the Postal Supervisor for the Post Office in our little desert town drove the keys over to our rental house and gave my wife the keys to our new mailbox. My was she polite, too!

    That group got results within about 6 working hours of one business day. You might want to follow the above poster's advice and see if it doesn't work for ya.

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • scionskepticscionskeptic Member Posts: 11
    Thank You soooooo much Wheel Man, I'm on it! Come on guys, I've already been to the site but have to find my purchase paperwork, there's also a spot where it says OEM and you have to answer yes or no....I think it means Original Equipment, but I'm not positive.
  • hondadave7hondadave7 Member Posts: 27
    OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer Go get'em.
    David
  • naomoniquenaomonique Member Posts: 1
    I just purchased a brand new 2008 Scion xb two months ago and I have gotten two cracks, one on each side of the windshield within ONE WEEK! I took it to the dealer both times and they said " no they will not replace it under warrantly becasue they were caused by a rock chip." I was infuriated by this becasue there wasn't even a chip in the windshield and both cracks had appeared and spread almost completely across my windshield within about 24 hours.

    I too have called Toyota and have gotten nowhere. I would be more than will to step forward toToyota becasue I too believe that the windshields are defective. I am tempted to trade the car in and get my money back and buy something else.
  • scioncatescioncate Member Posts: 2
    I've got a 2006 xB, and just this week, the windshield cracked for a second time after a stone hit it while driving on the highway. The first time, last summer, I didn't perceive any impact to the windshield; it just was cracked one morning when I got into the car. I just called the salesperson I bought the car from, and he said he's not aware of any issue with the xB windshields cracking. The Toyota 800 number isn't in service today because of the holiday....

    Teddi2, what did you have in mind in terms of "stepping forward to Toyota"?

    Thanks,
    Cathy
  • scioncatescioncate Member Posts: 2
    Just read your posting....the first cracked windshield in my xB last summer started just like that...an L shape crack behind the rearview mirror.
  • just4fun2just4fun2 Member Posts: 461
    Pls don't flame me for asking this, but what size tires do you run on your Xb's? The reason that I ask is the lower the profile the stiffer the ride will be and that might be sending the road bumps harder into the vehicle stressing the windshields. I agree that the windshields shouldn't crack with low profile tires, I am just trying to figure this out.

    I own a 08 xB since August 08 and thank goodness I haven't had this issue of the windshield cracking.

    I believe that those that have had their windshields crack should open a case with the National Highway Safety Administration and them maybe if enough people complain something might get done.

    Good Luck
  • hondadave7hondadave7 Member Posts: 27
    Yes, that salesperson isn't aware that the Sun comes up in the East either.
    I made a (1) one piece straight strut bar for my '06 xB within 2 weeks of purchase,
    I believe the front end flexes because the Sardine cans they use are just too thin to keep the front end from bending. And glass doesn't flex. David
  • wheelmanwheelman Member Posts: 52
    Teddi2
    Best of luck on your discussion with Toyota/Scion concerning the windshield of your '06 xB. If they agree to replace your windshield, that's great. If not, I recommend you read my 'federal case' post.

    The WheelMan.
  • oldnfat2oldnfat2 Member Posts: 2
    was going to buy new xb today. now im not sure what to do after reading this forum.. love the car though any ideas for another car this cool?
  • dwynnedwynne Member Posts: 4,018
    I would not worry about it. Scion as sold TONS of xB models and there are a few (vocal, of course) folks with the problem. So the odds are good you will not have trouble. If you get a current (2nd gen) xB the odds go down even further.

    The HHR looks cool to me, nearly as ugly as the original xB :D. But that is a GM product, so I would rather take my chances on the glass of the xB failing than everything that could go wrong on a GM.

    Dennis
  • lavariouslavarious Member Posts: 11
    From my experience it doesn't matter if you get a generation 1 or generation 2 xB they both seem to have the issue. I get just as many gen 2 owners who write me to complain as I do gen 1 owners. Maybe if you are looking for a quirky car get a mini.
  • dwynnedwynne Member Posts: 4,018
    How about the smart fortwo? It does not get ANY quirkier than that and still be called a car :D ?

    Cheap too, but really, really small.

    Dennis
  • aruizaruiz Member Posts: 2
    Yeah - I have ten thousand miles on my 2008xB --I do have 18 inch wheels on it (tho much like they are selling them with at the dealer) Same thing a lil pebble and two cracks later the dealer wants $470.00 not including install. So then I ask if they have 2 order that and he says naw I have them in stock(pause) Oh wait, I am temporarily out of stock.......that leads me to believe that already there are a few trashed windshields out there!!! :mad:
  • james82james82 Member Posts: 2
    Just got a 10 inch crack just below the rear view mirror that curves towards the driver! Scion is a 2006 with 19k miles. Called dealer who referred me to my insurance company-windshields are covered in Florida with no deductible ! Yeah!
  • caliberchiccaliberchic Member Posts: 402
    Wow lucky! :)
  • aruizaruiz Member Posts: 2
    The 2008 xB does it too--- had my car two months, came out one day, had one crack, two days later had a second way over on opposite end. :mad:
  • scionskepticscionskeptic Member Posts: 11
    Everyone please be sure to read post#125 and take the appropriate action.

    Thanks. :lemon:
  • jfishinjfishin Member Posts: 1
    :mad: I filed a complaint at the encouragement of wheelman and the web link he provided. There are five complaints on file for the same problem. A crack starts at the top of the windshield on the passaenger side with no apperent reason. I just walked out to the box this morning and looked over and noticed it. Was not there when I parked the car. So I got out to investigate what could have caused it. Nothing! So I like wheelman encourage you all who have had this problem to submit a complaint. It was quick and easy using the link wheelman provided. If nothing else I step up.

    Jfishin
  • scionpunkinscionpunkin Member Posts: 2
    This is the complaint I've posted with NHTSA:

    I bought a used '06 Scion xB in Aug. '07 & w/in a week my windshield(WS) was leaking big time. There were no cracks & the carfax report came back clean w/ no prior accidents. I called the dealer & since it was under warranty they had a local WS co. replace the WS. That weekend I washed the Scion & noticed water running down the inside of the WS again by the rear view mirror. Still no obvious reason of why it should be leaking. I was extremely concerned about electrical issues w/ the water & the fact that I live in Portland which meant lots of rain. I called the dealer again & this time I asked for another co. to replace the glass, thinking the other co. had just done a bad job. After the 2nd time of fixing it I thought everything was fine until I noticed loud popping & cracking noises while driving. A couple of the pops were so loud it scared me because it sounded like the whole WS cracked, but there were no visible cracks. Just in case I was hearing things, I had my husband ride along & he heard the same noises. A week or two later, I noticed that when the WS was fogging there were stream lines from water on the left inside and I knew those shouldn't be there because the last co. had put in a brand new WS. Later, I finally noticed water dripping in the same spot & I knew it was leaking again. Frustrated & not wanting to deal w/ it, I continued to drive the car with a leaky WS for about week, until I went through a car wash & noticed a strong stream of water running down the left inside of the WS inside the car. The following Monday (today) I called the dealership. I'm taking the car in tonight. I'm suggesting, some sort of extra strength seal & possibly a sway/strut bar to stabalize the vehicle more. If this doesn't work then I want to trade it in for a newer xB or possibly something else. My warranty is only for 100,000 miles & I'm half way there & I don't want to get to the point where I have to start paying to replace any of this when it is obviously a flaw with the car.

    Besides the windshield issue, I'm very pleased with my xB. Before it I owned a 2001 Ford Focus, it seems I went from one problem car to another, but hey at least my Scion starts everytime.

    I'm very anxious to see what happens tonight at the dealership. I'll keep you guys posted.
  • scionpunkinscionpunkin Member Posts: 2
    Well unfortunately they didn't listen to me and they are just replacing the windshield again. They had no answer for all the popping noises and said this time they will let the car sit extra long before it's driven after the glass is put in. One good thing though is Toyota is ordering the glass themselves, so we'll see. If this doesn't fix it I'll be posting again. I'm seriously considering buying a strut bar, it couldn't hurt.
  • hondadave7hondadave7 Member Posts: 27
    I purchased an'06 xB in Sept. '06. I made a one piece straight strut bar as soon as
    I found out about all of the windshield breakage. As of today I have had no problems. I continue to hope that the front end flexing is stopped by the strut bar and is in fact responsible for the windshield problems.
    1. If you decide on a strut bar, be sure the bar is straight, either 10 ga. 1 1/4" square tubing or 3/4" diameter thick wall gas pipe or better. 2. The brackets that mount on top of the strut tower need to be 3/16' thick 1'' angle iron welded to the ends of the bar. 3. Everything needs to be a tight fit with absolutely no movement once it is mounted to the two strut studs on both sides.
    Most of the strut bars on the market are a joke. They range from a flat strap with bolted joints, to bars that take all kinds of angles to get to the other side. It has to be straight from one side to the other to prevent ANY movement.
    I'm very hard nosed about this, It is a very serious problem. It has caused a lot of people a lot of distress.
    The new '08 has the same problem. Toyota claimed that the 1st generation windshield breakage was due to the vertical position and the height. Then why is the 2nd generation xB suffering the same problem? It has to be front end sheet metal flexing. They made a couple of design changes, but the "Silly Putty" front end is the same.
    Good Luck, David
  • caliberchiccaliberchic Member Posts: 402
    This info would make for a great a Guide
  • ducricketducricket Member Posts: 2
    So I got my XB in 2006 and I just replaced the windshield last December. The windshield had little bullet holes that were fine up until one pebble hit the top and caused a large vein to go vertically down the driver's side. :surprise:

    So I got it replaced through safelite thinking it would be the cheapest without thinking about my warranty. Does anyone know if my warranty is now void because I replaced it elsewhere? :cry:

    I don't want to have to contact Toyota and have them void my warranty because I replaced the windshield, but my new windshield I got in December is now cracked and veining all over. I can't afford to pay 350 bucks every few months to replace the windshields. I'm ready to just trade in my car and get a prius or something. Anyway, my main question is does anyone know if my warranty is now void? :sick:
  • lavariouslavarious Member Posts: 11
    Toyota/Scion will not cover your windshield under their warranty. So, no, you did not void your warranty.
  • caferacerchriscaferacerchris Member Posts: 1
    My Scion was parked for 4 days. Crack starting from top passenger side traveling down about 9 inches and extends horizontally toward the driver side and ends at the mid point of the speedometer. It became apparent to me when I went out to drive it and was not there when I parked it.

    Due to it being glass, the dealer told me a Toyota Warranty Claims person would need to see it (one day a week here). I was informed today that they would deny the claim.

    The claims person reason... A pit the size of this period (.) caused the crack.

    It's not right. The so-called cause of the crack is first, so insignificant that it shouldn't have caused a crack at all AND it's not on the crack! They looked for ANY excuse to deny the warranty claim and refuse to use common sense. I am now forced to sue them in small claims court where I fully believe I can compile a preponderance of evidence to force Toyota to indemnify me.

    I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO PUSH THE ISSUE. I have just filed a complaint with the NHTSA Office of Defects. I'll keep you all posted as to the progress of my pending and hopefully successful lawsuit against Toyota.
  • ducricketducricket Member Posts: 2
    So I reported it to that link on post 125. At this point though I'm tired of spending so much on windshields and my xb is nearly paid off. I was thinking of trading it in for the new XB if it did not have the same issues, otherwise I may just get a Prius or something. My main focus is city friendly, has a GPS, and sleek interior.

    Any suggestions?
  • toyoman3toyoman3 Member Posts: 11
    mine developed a crack from the top about 6 in. during a road trip. Took it my local dealer, the service advisor send me away,I went to the service manager and told him that I was aware of this problem and I was not going to leave until I got some resllution. He then put in a call to the factory rep in the area who ok"d the repair. I hope it doesn't happen again. But next time I' ll have to get the strut bar.
  • volentinevolentine Member Posts: 1
    i just found a crack in my windshield this morning. it started from behind the rearview mirror, and by the afternoon is in a big L shape.

    after googling this issue, i have discovered this forum, as well as the myscionsucks.com page. i'm wondering what I should do at this point.

    Should I attempt to take it to the Toyota Dealership and see what happens, and demand a resolution? Perhaps they will replace it at no charge? I live in Arlington, VA, has anyone had experience with this specific dealership?

    Any thoughts? Thanks
  • happyshappys Member Posts: 1
    Same as all of you. A 14" crack developed as I was driving down the freeway. This is my first, but my '06 only has 16K miles. It's at Toyota (Lancaster, CA) right now and they said they will fix it under warranty.

    Next I'm going to http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/index.cfm like wheelman said in post 125 to add to the complaints. If you are reading this, do the same. Toyota needs to make a fix for this.
  • kjktookjktoo Member Posts: 9
    OK, so I thought the cracked windshield in my 2006 (less than 14K miles) was a fluke. I got mad, found out it would cost me $400+ to fix it and decided to go on ahead and trade to the 2008 xB WHAT WAS I THINKING?? yesterday morning (2100 miles on my car) I get in my car to go to work...and there it is! top of the drivers side down to about midpoint angling toward the passenger seat.
    I just made an official complaint. Thanks Wheelman! But to tell you the truth, I am a still a little hot over this. Grrrrrrrrrr :mad:
  • bigdadi118bigdadi118 Member Posts: 1,207
    I think it can be replaced by auto insurance claim & no deductible. I doubt this kind of claim will raise your premium next year. They even come to do replacement at my work place.
  • kjktookjktoo Member Posts: 9
    If you can give me tips, ideas that would be great. When I talked to my agent last time, they said no, and my deductible is $500....
This discussion has been closed.