Pruis Windscreen

[barrycoll]

We have just come back from a 3015 mile drive down to Murcia, fully loaded with 2 bikes, windsurfers, and VERY full boot.

From fill up to fill up on the 1507 mile home leg, the car did 56.5mpg, with Pyrenees and Mways.

Having washed the car on our return a week ago, there has been no use for 6 days, and then, when walking past the car I noticed a 'cob web' on the windscreen. Couldn't believe my eyes when a closer look showed not a cobweb, but a hairline crack starting at the centre top of the screen, and now, almost 2/3s down.

Never noticed any gravel strikes, or similar, but now I am up for a new screen, which has a Head Up display, and a tint, plus the Rain X type preparation that Toyota use.

Has anybody else had this experience????

[FROSTYBALLS]

Could something have hit the windscreen during the six days it was unused?

There was an earlier topic from a member who had their windscreen replaced, and had ghosting (ie a doubling of image) on the new screen when using the HUD - think it was presumed that the two layers glass in the windscreen was causing the issue, so I would be careful to ensure that whoever replaces the windscreen, especially if it is an insurance company contractor, that they're aware of the possible issue.

See: http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/156179-hud-ghosting/?hl=%20replacement%20%20windscreen

[barrycoll]

Thanks for that Frosty....

Just been in touch with windscreen co. and asked for OE replacement, but their response was to go back to the Insurance co. and get approval from them.

Well of course, they wont give approval, and suggest I go to a 'specialist' glass fitter, and they will pay up to £100....so it leaves you wondering just how much they actually pay for an aftermarket windscreen

Phone my Toyota chap, and he has quoted £493 for a windscreen, so looks like I am goosed

All I can do is hope for the best with the HUD, as it sounds like I may have stirred up a can of worms here

[FROSTYBALLS]

Don't suppose you have a service plan - if you do, quite often they include a discount on parts, labour and accessories (usually around 10%).

[barrycoll]

No I don't...

but 10% of £500 + fitting of course, is a lot worse than the £70 excess from AA Windscreens

[kithmo]

Autoglass are approved by most insurance companies. They put genuine Toyota screen in my Prius+ when I had it replaced.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Autoglass also use third party glass - a Guardian screen was installed in my previous Auris.

Usually insurance companies contract with just one company as their 'approved supplier', and often when one makes a claim for vehicle glass, you're put directly in touch with the glass contractor who takes the insurance excess, if applicable, and bills the insurance company for whatever is replaced.

If the insurance company's 'approved supplier' isn't used, the insurance company will just pay up to a specified amount (often around £100), which may not cover the whole cost of the replacement glass.

[Duffryn]

Autoglass also use third party glass - a Guardian screen was installed in my previous Auris.

Usually insurance companies contract with just one company as their 'approved supplier', and often when one makes a claim for vehicle glass, you're put directly in touch with the glass contractor who takes the insurance excess, if applicable, and bills the insurance company for whatever is replaced.

If the insurance company's 'approved supplier' isn't used, the insurance company will just pay up to a specified amount (often around £100), which may not cover the whole cost of the replacement glass.

Would this scenario apply even through using Toyotas' officially recommended insurer - Aioi Nissay Dowa? I insure through them assuming (naively?) that I would be getting Toyota genuine parts fitted - ie direct replacements, should I be unlucky enough to need them.

[FROSTYBALLS]

According to their policy booklet, Toyota Motor Insurance operate the same system, but do have more than one 'chosen' glass companies they work with. The policy doesn't state whether they use OE glass. Think glass replacement is treated differently to accident repairs, where OE parts would be used if that was stated in the policy or selling documents.

[Guest]

So, if OE glass wasn't used, would the warranty be void?

[FROSTYBALLS]

Toyota wouldn't cover the replacement windscreen as part of their new car warranty as they cannot be held responsible for possible third party parts fitted by a third party - the vehicle glass company would provide their own warranty to cover the glass and the work they did to replace the glass.

[Duffryn]

It's altogether an unsatisfactory situation IMHO.

When my son's nearly new Avensis was hit by another car, the other guy's insurance paid for repairs, but sent my son's car to the main dealer of a different make, who, we strongly suspect, used second-hand parts recovered from a written-off vehicle to effect the repair. So assume Toyotas' bodywork corrosion warranty was invalidated there and then.

That was a few years ago now, so maybe things in the insurance world have been tightened up by now. Ho-humm........

[barrycoll]

The situation is really the HUD, and not the screen itself, which I am sure would/will be fine.

As an experiment I got a quote from Toyota insurance for my forthcoming renewal, and it was circa £450, as opposed to £275 from

the Institute of Advanced Motorist Surety policy.

The Toy policy is very restrictive and the IAM one very generous, but no mention of OE windscreen replacement on either

Doubtless AA Windscreens will warranty the screen fitting for a period, but I must chase them up and see if that warranty includes

a clear HUD image

However I am still smarting from a ding-dong with the broker from Surety, who didn't seem concerned that my T Sprirt might not be returned to its pre-cracked screen state, which is basically the role of taking out insurance. In fact the chap tried to intimate that the HUD was an "extra" that wasn't mentioned on the policy, which really got my goat.

The screen is being fitted next Monday, so a few sleepless nights coming

[Chippy01]

Could something have hit the windscreen during the six days it was unused?

There was an earlier topic from a member who had their windscreen replaced, and had ghosting (ie a doubling of image) on the new screen when using the HUD - think it was presumed that the two layers glass in the windscreen was causing the issue, so I would be careful to ensure that whoever replaces the windscreen, especially if it is an insurance company contractor, that they're aware of the possible issue.

See: http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/156179-hud-ghosting/?hl=%20replacement%20%20windscreen

I knew there was something I was meant to do, and that was to finish that thread ..... lol.

When I went back to the dealer who fitted the screen, at first they couldn't see anything wrong. But after scrolling through the HUD options they admitted that there did appear to be a double image.

They ordered another screen, but this time from the U.K.. I was told that the screen part numbers for the screens here in Ireland and the U.K. were both the same, but as my car is a U.K. import they weren't taking any chances.

A few days later they had my car back in their shop for the next fitting.

When I picked the car up the next day, everything was as good as new.

I was informed, however, that the screen did take a bit of 'fiddling' (his words) to get it to sit right, so that the ghosting was not present.

Thier take on it is, that because of the HUD, even though the first screen fitted was the right one, it wasn't fitted correctly. Exact positioning is the key.

The wrong (cheap aftermarket) screen, or the correct OEM screen incorrectly fitted will cause the ghosting effect.

And believe me when I tell you, that ghosting is damn annoying.

[barrycoll]

Thanks for that input Phil....its good to know that it may be the fitting itself that could cause potential HUD problems...

I will have to point out to the fitter, when he comes on Monday, the clarity of the HUD, before he removes the old screen

[barrycoll]

Well, fitting day finally arrived, and reassuringly, the AA chap came exactly at 2pm

Nice bloke, and been fitting for 16 years, and even thought that the AA were the best windscreen co to work for....

He checked, with me, the original HUD display, and could see the possible problems....he even then went to phone the base and see whether the screen was OE, but although the fit was priced to the Insurance Co. for £1500 (!!!), it wasn't.....that makes Toyota's price of £493 for a screen seem (almost) reasonable

very skilled removal of old screen using wire cheese cutter type equipment, and very detailed fitting of the new one, even down to touching up the paintwork where Toyota hadn't.....with the screen out, it is easy to see that this is a very low rent car with all the cut edges being very rough

the screen went in, and we both held our breath for the moment of truth, and YES, the HUD looked OK, thank god...

the auto wiper action was more difficult to sort out, but Ian managed that too, so all round an excellent result

[Sooty]

Very glad to hear that it went well.

Most AA chaps are very good at their jobs.