Scion xB Windshield cracks

uroutofurmind · December 2008

Not that anyone should have to, but there is a product called diamond or crystal fusion that comes with a warranty (up to 5yrs I think, replacement and labor included) that increases the strength of the glass significantly. Additional nice side effects are glare reduction and for the first few weeks a slick glass effect that wicks away water. Depending on where you are it costs a couple to a few hundred dollars and yes I realize it should not be needed but it is there and is offered by some dealerships. As a personal testimony a large chunk of ice flew off the top of an 18wheeler, like in slow motion I saw it flip and rotate several times while airborne. I was on I95 with no chance to brake or change lanes without possibly causing an accident and braced for what was surely going to be my windshield getting cracked at best or run through at worst or so I thought. @ impact I was white knuckled and saw/heard the impact. Nothing. No chip, no crack. Just ice pebbles all over my windshield. I'm sure it doesn't stop everything and perhaps even if not on it would have done no different. No way to tell. But after that my belief is it was worth every penny.

maggie75 · December 2008

I've had my windshield replaced so many times using aftermarket glass and it still gets the "crack". It's not the glass, it's the way the braces were made that hold the glass in place. There is too much tension being put on the sides and center of the window because the brackets were made incorrectly. I have an in with some glass guys. They told me all about the problems with the Xb. Hell, I keep them in business, after all!

xbme2 · December 2008

well if 212 people on here are having the same problem, and about 1 out of 10 take the time to complain, and another 50% of Scion XB buyers aren't even aware of this forum or what potentially lies ahead, I'd say they have a structural/safety issue that needs to be dealt with. time to man up, they got our money, we deserve to drive a car without being in fear of a pebble! I heard every single claim you make is entered into a database, whether small or large, and alot of your premiums (from claims) are based on these figures, whether the windshield cost you out of pocket or not...it will down the road. I really like the car, but I dont like me or my ins paying for the consequences of their inferior design flaw. Where is a fearless attorney with integrity not getting his bread buttered by Big Money? I want him!

xbme2 · January 2009

hondadave where can you find a good strut bar and get it installed? lady owner
here, thanks! also I noticed on the NHTSA site no mention of the windshield complaints! got a few little chips, debating as to fix them...

texases · January 2009

Can't go wrong with the factory one. Don't get a cheap one on Ebay.

hondadave7 · January 2009

The only one(1) piece strut bar that I know of is made by Toyota Racing Developement - TRD. It can be purchased a Toyota Dealers. They can also install it.
Thanks, David

honestnic · January 2009

So I bought a used 2004 Scion xB. When I bought it, the guy who sold it to me said that he had gotten the windshield replaced and he thought that they didn't seal it well so it might leak once the rain sets in (it was summer). Sure enough, it leaked with no visible cracks. I just got the windshield replaced (after paying someone to attempt to reseal the one that came on it when I bought it) and it's leaking more than ever, this time from more locations (top right hand side). When they put in the new glass they said they didn't see any problems that would've caused a leak. Needless to say, it's not under warranty from Toyota and I am worried it's a big issue. Can anyone tell me what a fix is for this? I've seen some discussion about the frame of the vehicle putting pressure on the glass-- is it pushing the glass up and causing gaps? I live in Portland, Oregon, if anyone has tips on where to take it. The dealer wouldn't touch it.
Thanks.

xbme2 · January 2009

In the Jan/Feb '09 AAA mag it says "if you get your windshield replaced make sure the tehnicians use the correct primer and adhesive and handle the windshield with gloves. Oils on the fingers can adversely affect the mastics used to mount the windshield to the car body, which can result in water or air leaks and compromised crash safety." It also recommends letting the car sit for a day after the installation (I did that myself at the dealer, insisting they keep it inside overnight). Water leaks=mold...BIG problem! I would contact Scion and insist they get involved. my prayers are with you!

halo34 · January 2009

Just keep on them. It took the company 3 times to get mine right. It's a PITA but it's better than having a bad window.

gidgett · August 2009

Hi,
I would like to get more information about the lawyer you suggest to speak with. I am seriously considering pursuing this issue. Thank you for your time.

link7881 · October 2009

Working for several years at an automobile insurance company, I learned one thing. Insurance companies are cheap. Well, o.k, I learned two things, windshields dont have to be replaced, they can be repaired. The reason I learned these things is because, when a customer would call in a claim to our company of a cracked windshield that they wanted replaced, the cheap insurance company would refer them to a company that repaired windshields at a fraction of the price, therefore saving the insurance company a lot of money and saving the customer a bit of time.

maggie75 · October 2009

I have never had a problem with my insurance co. They've been very cool about my glass. Never paid out of pocket either. I totally get the fix it before it gets worse deal. Makes sense! It's cheaper and that's what you should do. I don't know if I'd call them cheap. They're thrifty. Hey, the less they pay, the less I pay.

maggie75 · October 2009

I have GEICO. I've been with them for, damn, 18 years. I love them. I pay nothing for glass coverage. Hell, I pay nothing for insurance. Guess a good record and 18 years with one company makes your rates lower.

scioneer · October 2009

I have a 2005 Scion xB that after 70k miles, has developed a crack. However, its not the spontaneous crack people here are claiming. It happened in the parking lot at the Target I was working at. I heard a customer yelling at the service desk, a few minutes later, heard a burn out in the employees parking area. I went about the rest of my day until lunch when I went out to my car and there was a crack starting from below my wipers halfway up. The parking lot was very pebbly and I did see two pebbles in the wiper area, so I'm pretty sure it was a pebble, I even found the point of impact, a small chip, at the bottom of the crack.

My windshield has held up quite well and it did indeed take a rock to crack it. I'm not saying the random crack situation doesn't exist, but I doubt all xB's are affected. Its an otherwise great car, and I hope the people who do have a defective xB windshield get the right compensation, however I think this is just a few bad batches of windshields, and not the design of the car itself, causing the spontaneous crack. My xB doesn't have the strut brace, and is driven quite a bit, and it wouldn't need a new windshield if it wasn't hit.

I do think the probability of a rock hitting the windshield is higher than normal simply due to the relative size of the windshield and its steep angle, as well as the aerodynamics of the xB. It basically suffers the same problem a compact pick-up truck had.

In retrospect, My 87 Ram 50 blew its motor at 115k, my 92 Dynasty needed a new transmission at about 70k( granted, I replaced the tranny and had little trouble since, and the car still ran great when I sold it), so 76k miles on my xB and all I need is a windshield sure beats my previous vehicles.

majormayhem · October 2009

I've had my scion 2 weeks today. A rock hit and it cracked. It's not covered under a warranty and I have a deductible on my insurance so I have to replace it out of pocket. After reading about everyones policies covering the windshield I think I'm gonna switch companies.

riskavo · January 2010

I've had my scion since 2005. I have not regretted a single day I owned that car and it's been through high and low with me. Everything from floods in Texas to blizzards in Colorado,quite a few cross country trips and some extremely tight parking spaces,not to mention my maniacal driving at 110 mph (not kidding, lol)

Not even going to mention all the food my toddler habitually spills on the back seat!

I have 3 cracks in my windshield and am replacing it out of pocket. Two of the cracks are to due to rocks hitting it at high speeds and the 3rd one,the most severe, appeared out of nowhere a few days ago and is spreading slowly. I did not bother to get that one sealed since it's the 3rd crack and it's large and conspicuous,so the estetics suffer. On the overall quality, my windshield is covered in tiny nicks,but only 2 became cracks in 5 years. The windshield is 200 bucks, not all to bad once every 5 years. :P love my car!

maggie75 · January 2010

The problem isn't the windshield. It's the strut bars that hold it in place. They were made incorrectly and put pressure on the glass causing the cracks. I've had my windshield replaced 9 times now and if it was the actual glass, wouldn't the first replacement have fixed the problem? I'm glad to hear that you have yet to deal with the problem. Hopefully you will never have to. I love my xB and don't want to replace it. It's an awesome car except for that one pesky problem with the engineering of the strut bars. Trust me, my boyfriend is an expert in this area. He and his brother are both engineers and have proof that this is the issue. Even Toyota agrees but won't call it a recall for fear that they will have to shell out billions to fix it and end up dealing with numerous lawsuits. You know, the usual corporate crap. Good luck, hope your glass holds out!

sarahmalo · April 2010

Hi Dave,
I know this is an old post, but thanks for the info! I have an '08 Scion that is on the 2nd windshield and I have had 1 ding repaired, I have 2 large cracks presently and another ding from yesterday. I am reluctant to replace the windshield until I can solve the problem of why this keeps happening, but it's getting harder to see out! I would like to try the strut bar and I am sure my brother-in-law can fashion one out of steel for me. I am wondering if you would be able to draw a simple sketch and either post it or email (maloneysarah@hotmail.com) it to me? I would be so grateful! I LOVE my Scion, but am distressed over this issue.

Thanks Again,
Sarah

hondadave7 · April 2010

Hello Sarah,
I don't have a method of posting. I going to take several pictures and send them
to you.
I don't have an Engineering Degree, just 60 years of observation. Our xB is
almost 4 years old and still on it's original windshield. I never get cocky about
a fix to a problem so many people have. But the strut bar is a good start.
I will send pictures tonight.
David

sciontrapper · April 2010

My windshield is spidered in cracks. The first two hits were bounced off the back of a dirty flatbed pulled by a gravel truck. I tried to catch up, to get a plate number, but he left the freeway. Those verticaled down to join one another when I got caught in a severe hailstorm a few months later. Then on the interstate again, rocks bouncing off a dirty flatbed, two hit me and my windshield received a half moon crack two inches across. A couple months ago, as I was driving, I heard small creaks, and the passenger side half moon was cracking a bit at a time, over to join the vertical cracks on the driver side.

I have liability insurance only, and have already replaced the windshield once. I'm getting quotes of $600 to replace it and I am saving my money for it. However, I know it will just get cracked again, so am holding off as long as I can.

My Scion now has over 150,000 miles on it. I have loved this car. It still gets like 31 mpg. It is dinged up. Scratched up. A piece of the front grill popped off. Right now, something is wrong with the electric windows. I start the car, the driver's side window rolls down. And sometimes I can't get the drivers side window up or down and have to do ritualistic movement of the passenger side window up and down and then maybe the drivers side window will start working. I have used it for my volunteer work, which is hauling cats, by the score, feral and owned, to be fixed. About a thousand per year. Had 23 cats in the back in traps once. I fold down the back seats, have a piece of plywood cut to fit the back then, for hauling. I sleep back there too, a lot, when way out somewhere, catching cats to be fixed. Because I'm 5'8" tall, I sleep diagonal across the back section, with the board across the folded down rear seat. It's the only decent car I've ever owned, that I don't have to fix along the road everywhere. I would never complain about this car because I love it and it has allowed me to do something with my life---getting thousands of cats fixed. Some shops, including a Schwab near where I live, have made terrible fun of my car and of me, because I transport cats to be fixed, but they were mean jerks and now I get tires from a wrecking yard.

I told my Scion, because it's the first year out Scion xb, "one day, they'll be pulling cars like this out of junkyards to restore." I'd like to pimp it out, repaint it, all that, but that's not an option for me. I love my Scion xb very very much. It's seen better days, however.

maggie75 · April 2010

I love that you use your Scion to take cats to be fixed. That's awesome. I've slept in mine too but only between classes. Great napping car. You really should get some kind of glass coverage. It'll save you wicked bucks. I know out here you can get independent glass coverage, basically, make a deal with the fix-it people. I know the guys at Safelite really well now. (because of my pesky windshield) There are also guys that hang out at the gas station that are selling their replacement products. The first one is free, even without the extended insurance. They just hope you come back to them. You should search someone out. You'd be surprised what people are will to give you for free to keep you as a customer. Keep up the good cat work. That really is very cool. (I'm a cat person, what can I say. I feed feral cats)

iluvmysephia1 · April 2010

my wife and I are also cat people. They're beautiful creatures.

I am pulling for you to find a method of not only getting your xB's window fixed right now, but finding a method of getting your xB's window fixed that won't break the bank.

I hope all goes well and here's another salute for your work towards getting cat's fixed. Tis a noble work you're doing!

kamala1 · May 2010

I own a 2006 Scion xb and my windshield has the same mysterious L shaped crack that many others have. It appeared after the car was parked for 2 weeks in 2008. It was not the result of a rock, bump or chip. It is now about 2' long, begins at the top edge of the windshield, goes down about 4", then turns towards the passenger side and continues for a foot and a half or so. It spreads fairly rapidly. I have personally seen the exact same crack on other xb's in my area. I received the same Bauer v. Toyota class action lawsuit letter that others have mentioned, about a week ago. I am going to fill it out and send it in today. The website for the suit can be found here: http://xbwindshieldsettlement.com/

justgina · May 2010

Did anyone get the information from the attorney about getting reimbursed for the windshield repair?

kamala1 · May 2010

In the "Bauer v. Toyota" letter I received it said that the settlement would be decided in August 2010. So I guess after that, we will be notified whether we will be reimbursed (or have our cracked windshields replaced by Toyota). This is the info I received: http://xbwindshieldsettlement.com/pdfs/TBT_NOT_web.pdf
Hope this helps.

sciontrapper · May 2010

I got my windshield replaced two days ago, at Speedy Glass, for $185. It's my 2nd or 3rd, can't remember now. I also wound up getting brakes done at Brake Team, because the shoes had never been changed in over 150k miles. Yikes. I have not gotten the window problem fixed yet. Start my car and the window rolls down, or up and sometimes I can't get it back up without a lot of ritualistic moving the passenger side window up and down.

The car is beat up now, scratched, dented, piece or two of the grill have fallen off somewhere. I drilled holes through the back hatch handle and screwed it on, since it just breaking off.

I'm holding my breath hoping nothing major goes bad, because I love it and this car has served me so well. I am using a different clinic now, to get local cats fixed, and it's 50 miles away. I don't mind, because I stay up there for the day, and take a hike or I go sleep in my car in the rest area, which is a very nice vacation like luxury. No phones! I take some blankets, a book and pretend I'm out camping. That is one luxurious rest area, like a second home now. I consider the Scion a smallish RV.

I am worried slightly about its future because my Scions future is tied to mine. I'll never be able to afford another car, so, here's to my 150k mile Scion, and hopes it will last another 150k miles or more without anything more than maybe another crack in the windshield. Last year, I transported 651 cats, feral and tame, in the Scion, to be fixed. The year before, it was 938 cats transported in the Scion to be fixed. That also involves first rounding them up, and that meant dirt roads, gravel roads, sometimes driving through fields, sitting in warehouses in the Scion, making quick discreet getaways, and hauling some very smelly male cats, which prompted some mechanics and tire companies, ok it was rude Les Schwab, to make fun of my car and my work. Nonetheless, I have persisted on my self appointed mission to save the feline world. That Scion has helped prevent a lot of cats from ever being born. I'm rambling severely. That's what half a cheap beer will do to me. Fix your pets, Scion owners out there. www.purr.petfinder.com. Am I allowed to post that website?

sciontrapper · May 2010

My windshield never did crack spontaneously. One time, it was me going 55 up a hill in the coast range, on pea gravel. The county did that because they thought it was going to snow heavily or something, then it didn't and became a huge hazard. Some jerk in a red pickup flies by me going about 85, and sprayed me and the car with gravel. I would liked to have encountered that guy and his truck later on. I got two or three major dings, that later cracked. I had comprehensive insurance then, and it was replaced.

After that, I seemed to have poor luck. A rock truck pulled out on the freeway in front of me pulling a flatbed upon which was a very filthy backhoe. The bed was covered in dirt and loose rock and the truck itself was overloaded in gravel, which came bouncing off. I didn't have time to get ahead of him or far enough behind the jerk. I got hit twice with huge rocks. They hit so hard the sound was like shots being fired. I was mad and tried to catch up but the guy exited the freeway. I didn't have comprehensive coverage anymore, so those big huge half moon pits had to remain. Then came a late night and a severe hail storm, which caused the extension of the pit into a vertical crack. Then came more rocks thrown into my windshield which extended the vertical crack clear to the bottom and to the side, on the drivers side. Then a couple years after that, I was hit again, by rocks flying off a dirty flatbed, which created two large pits on the passenger side. Then one day, I was driving and heard little creaking noises. I pulled over and literally watched, as the passenger side cracks and pits inched across horizontally, to finally join up with the vertical crack on the drivers side. After that, I avoided police officers like the plague and tried to seek out affordable glass replacement services while saving my pennies. And finally, two days ago, at Speedy Glass, I paid $185 to have the windshield replaced. Boy would it suck if tomorrow I took a flying rock to the windshield again. I need a Star Wars type laser system, on the hood, to shoot down flying objects before they impact. Or a deflector. Hmmmm, now that's a thought.

iluvmysephia1 · May 2010

keep up the good work. It seems to me that you're making a big impact in to preventing needless cat births and eventual euthenasia's.

I really admire you for what you do!

freemason · May 2010

Greetings to all on this excellent original thread. May 15, 2010, the mysterious "L" Shaped crack miraculous appeared on my 2006 Scion XB front windshield. The crack starts from the center top front of my windshield at the trim and extends downwards in a straight line for about 6 inches and then the crack extends towards the drivers side for another 6 inches, forming a genuine "L" shaped crack. There are no visible marks from rocks or any foreign objects. I thought at first it was vandalism, but doing a search on the internet the following day I am now convinced it's a TOYOTA issue. There is no way hundreds maybe thousands of people that are scion xb owners have the same problem. Just wanted to share this with you guys, I did file a complaint with the National safety vehicle people. Hopefully this bauer settlement case adjudges soon and with better compensation, maybe an actual recall for structure defects or a lifetime warranty for cost and labor for all scions. I have a 2006 scion xb with hardly 12,000 miles in mint condition, not anymore.

kamala1 · May 2010

Your crack sounds basically identical to mine, freemason, except that mine extends towards the passenger side after it goes straight down a few inches. Hmmmm.... other than that, yes, all the same stuff.
I am holding off on paying to replace my windshield, in hopes that this class action suit will result in Toyota replacing it as they should. Hope my crack does not travel all the way across the windshield before that happens...

rubyred4 · September 2010

I also got the letter about the class action suit. I own a 2006 Scion XB with 66,000 miles on it. The car is kept in the garage and one morning the windshield had a large L shaped crack coming from the top drivers side down and over to the passenger side. I took my Scion down to Riverside Toyota that same morning and showed them the crack and the letter. The letter stated to take the vehicle to your Authorized Toyota Dealership and they will inspect and replace the windshield. The guys in the service department did absolutely nothing for me. They told me to read the letter... Really? They said they will not replace the windshield because no one sent them a memo telling them they had to. I am going to call the lawyer for the class action suit tomorrow and let him know that I tried to do as the letter instructed and was denied. I went to www.xbwindshieldsettlement.com and printed out an Appeals Form. The form says that the dealership should have provided me with a document stating why they would not cover my claim. I asked them for this and they refused to provide me with one. The guy would only give me his business card. I would rather have a root canal then to have to deal with car salesmen and their service departments. So thank you for nothing, Assistant Service Manager at Riverside Toyota. I'm not done yet.

kamala1 · September 2010

Thank You for your post, scionskeptic.
So, am I correct in taking this to mean that you did indeed get a letter saying that the class action suit was decided in Scion owners' favor? Because I have not yet received one, if that is the case. Perhaps I will soon. Did you get this letter very recently?

Your experience with the Scion dealership sounds supremely frustrating... I feel your pain.
Thanks!

xbme2 · September 2010

so my 2008 Scion xb with the replaced windshield from the mysterious L crack is not part of the settlement? not fair!

scionskeptic · September 2010

I hope your able to get some closure with this. I'm on my 4th windshield. I got the letter, but in Flori-DUHHH about the only good thing about this place is that windshields are replaced for free under your insurance, and the way I read the notice you need to supply copies of charges to you, and show out of pocket expenses to qualify. If I'm wrong, PLEASE correct me. This is the first and last Toyota product I'll ever buy.Eventually the insurance companies will catch on and premiums will go up for those with the XB.

aatherton · September 2010

"... so my 2008 Scion xb with the replaced windshield from the mysterious L crack is not part of the settlement? not fair!"

Windshield complaints were solicited in 2006, and there only enough responses from 2006 owners to include in the lawsuit, which was settled after 4 years of litigation in the summer of 2010.
How is that unfair to 2008 owners of the completely different big box? Where were they back in 2006 when we needed them ;-)

xbme2 · November 2010

Where were they back in 2006 you ask?....well, I wasn't driving an 2008 Scion XB so was not aware of the problem that the Toyota dealers act like they never heard of. Just wondering how 2008 drivers are doing with the blind spot on rt side, anything that works well for that? Thanks...and also congrats on 2006'ers winning!

justgina · November 2010

Hello All!

I am justgina and originally started this thread on 8/15/06. I did receive the Bauer vs. Toyota Claim Letter. My car still has the original windshield with the crack all the way across. I refused to replace it. I hope we get something SOON on the replacement windshields. It's been a long 4 years staring at that crack!! LOL

lha001 · November 2010

Justgina,
I had the same problem, just paid to have mine fixed, after having problems with toyota. Email: dem@fazmiclaw.com the class attorney to complain. About not being notified.

cookie_girl · December 2010

Has anyone received their settlement check yet?
I received & completed the initial claim forms a while ago, but haven't heard anything since. The checks were to start going out in Nov.

graff3 · December 2010

dead thread but i got my check in the mail last night along with some other scion owners from around the country i know.

rubyred4 · February 2011

Update from previous post. I sent in an appeals form to the Bauer v. Toyota Settlement lawyer after the Toyota dealer said he would not replace the windshield because no one told him he had to. I got a letter today telling me that my claim was denied because my Scion had more then 60,000 miles on it. We all know that the mysterious cracking windshields are a design flaw. I don't think the mileage (66,000) on my 2006 XB should be a factor in the decision. I'm just wondering how many more times I'm going to have to replace it.

sad_saturn · February 2011

I submitted the paperwork to Bauer vs Toyota for my windshield reimbursement the day after I received it. In early January I received a postcard saying my request had been received and if no other information was required, I would receive a check in the future. Two weeks ago, I received a request for the vehicle mileage at the time the windshield was replaced. I filled it out and returned it the same day. The mileage was way under the 60,000 mile limit. I called Bauer vs Toyota today and was informed that the last checks went out today 2/3/11 and no check was issued to me. I was told to call them again next week. Is this whole Bauer vs Toyota a joke? Has anyone received a check? How long do I wait before I just write it off as a waste of my time?

kamala1 · February 2011

Yep, we are screwed too as we still have the windshield crack that formed well before the 60,000 mile mark yet now our car is at 66,000 miles, so we are out of luck. Looks like we will be replacing it with our won money. I only received the notification that the suit was successful, after our odometer had turned past 60,000. Yet it looks like the suit was 'decided/approved in our favor' much earlier than that; so I think we would have been covered for a replacement if the law firm had really notified us in a timely manner. Frustrated... like many others.

justgina · February 2011

I am the original poster of this thread. The same thing happened to me. They have waited until we are all over the 60,000 mile limit and are now denying our claims. Thanks alot John Eagle Sport City Toyota Scion in Dallas, Texas. I am going to replace my windshield myself and be done with it. Got a quote for $180.00.

rubyred4 · February 2011

I had my windshield replaced for $135.00. Its not OEM, but its not like I'm going to void my warranty. I'll probably be replacing this one again anyway.

tatnsean · June 2011

Had about 10k on mine and got a crack in my windshield; after all of about two weeks I welcomed a second crack on the same window. One originating at the top, near either side of the review mirror. Also, for those with manual trans., have anyone had difficulty shifting into reverse? My car seems to have a little trouble getting into that gear.

Scion xB Windshield cracks

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