JDMCQ's Garage

Was giving a heads up to people to watch out for a potential fire hazard with the newer models.

The wiper windshield defroster / deicer on my wife's RAV4 decided to get so hot it cracked the glass and made the glass glow red. The elements got so hot the glass actually bubbled

 

Sorry B, thought you were going to pick on Weesa (again). Not a good thing to have happening. Any word on a recall yet?

 

No word on a recall but this was the second one my dealership has saw. The first one that came in the windshield actually exploded outwards at the heating element because it got so hot. The dealership deemed it a fault cause by a stone chip so they had to pay for a replacement.

They had ours for over a week and a half while the engineers from Toyota corporate pulled it apart and examined it. They said that ours was from a stone chip but I don't think that's the cause. The damage to the windshield was bubbled upwards not a chip in the glass. And to make it "better" they replaced the glass for free and completely detailed our vehicle for us inside and out. I'm waiting to see a recall soon

 

I wish I got a pic of it but we smelt something burning, pulled off the highway to check the car and I saw a ball of glowing red hot glass on the windshield. Had to grab snow off the side of the road to cool it down since the car was smoking up pretty good

 

I think a more likely scenario is the poly-vinyl butyral interlayer melting and bubbling. Not the glass which melts at 3000F.

Regardless, that shouldn't be happening. Bummer

 

Fair enough but the glass actually had a pimple outwards on it

 

Oh wow, maybe it was the glass

 

Better tell Steph about that.... pretty sure I saw that she got a new RAV4

 

Edited my post

The engineers took our windshield for study anyways

 

They gave us a Toyota branded windshield

 

I would dump (trade/sell) that vehicle ASAP. But that’s just me probably...I would be nervous in a vehicle that tries to catch fire a couple feet from my face.

 

Original oem factory glass. Toyota corp made me send pics of the stamp of the glass to them to verify it was the original windshield

Toyota documented the issue For the VIN, if any issues come up from it or other electrical problems, we shouldn't have a problem

 

So the theory is a rock damaged the internal element causing it to short and overheat?

What model year is it B? I think Kristi’s Highlander has that same design...keeps ice off stowed wipers, right?

 

Yes that's their theory. Or the story they are using right now to cover up a potential recall.

It's a 2017. Yep that's the feature. Keeps ice off the wipers and allows you to roast hotdogs and marshmallows while you drive

 

S’mores on the go!

 

Put the sammiches on the outside under the wiper blades and it's a Toyota panini press!

I'm going to market this feature!