"Soft" Windshield

I've only had my 2019 Tacoma SR5 for eight months or so...and I pretty much love it, and suprisingly so because I never saw myself as a "truck guy".

The only thing that really bothers me is that the OEM windshield seems to get chipped incredibly easy. I've had vehicles in the past that can take a rock kicked up by a vehicle in front of me, and hardly ever leave a mark, much less a full on chip/crack. Seems like I notice marks in my windshield pretty regularly, and I can't remember it being hit by a rock at all.

Anybody else have issues with the Tacoma windshield being "soft"? Would an aftermarket one be better?

 

All are same. Since you are now in a truck, your windshield is now much more vertical than a car. This is why it gets hit by rocks, not because the material is inferior. Think.

 

^^^^^


/thread

 

Normal for tacoma since 2005, hopefully next gen will slope a bit better.

You could try switching to a bug deflector with a sharper angle, but thats about it.

Some people 3m the windshield, but then it yellows with sun, and when wipers are used it wears into the invisibra.

 

My 2021 just got a huge crack in the windshield. I assume it was caused by a rock flying up.

My 1999 Tacoma has never had a windshield replaced... I have had some huge rocks smash the window and nothing, not even chips.

I think everything is made cheaper these days. I know for a fact the Tacoma is made cheaper, the inside of my 2021 has scratches all over the dash and doors. the 99 still looks great.

You could scratch the dash with a feather on the 21.

So it goes...

 

I'm on my 3rd windshield

 

Yeah, man...but I'm in the car business, and see a lot of trucks that have high miles with little or no damage to the windshield. A lot of older Jeep Wranglers the same way, and their windhields are even more vertical, and a lot have little or no damage to the windshield. I understand your theory...but I still think the quality of material is lacking.

 

Windshields are also thinner than they used to be, to save weight.

 

For what it’s worth I use a really good window cleaner then shake and squirt RainX directly onto the glass. Using your hand in a rubber glove to work it into the glass, let it dry then using a damp microfiber cloth followed by a dry cloth, lightly buff to a shine. Let cure 24 hrs before getting wet. Then again, driving 18 mph keeps the chips down for me. Edit: I do find it funny when bugs trying to land on the glass have to fly away because they can’t get traction

 

If you ever leave the car business and go into the auto glass business, you'll change your mind.

 

Would not, "Soft" absorb hit's better than, something harder and brittle ?
B.T.W. I had to search... "If left undisturbed at room temperature, glass really doesn’t change — no matter how old it is — says Michael Cima, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Faculty Director of the MIT Glass Lab. Contrary to the urban legend that glass is a slow-moving liquid, it’s actually a highly resilient elastic solid, which means that it is completely stable."

 

After 35-years...it's too late.

 

this!
call an glass shop, and they have Wrangler and other steep vertical angles vehicles windshield by the dozen. Other than the fact it's electrical system was dog poo and the engine started significantly burning oil 83k, the only other cost of ownership of my Wrangler was windshields.

 

I'm going to bet it's stone cracked in the dark area near the wipers. It is all about safety, the wind shield is glued in (to keep people inside in a crash) and that is no "give" in that area and will stone crack easily.

 

That's where the crack is on my windshield...

 

Yep I had 3 of them the next town over from has a lot of rural dirt roads. Dump trucks are pretty go at throwing stones too. Never had one crack the glass further up, glass is actually fairly elastic that's why they crack where they are glued.

 

I have yet to experience it in my Tacoma but my wrangler has a healthy appetite for windshields.

 

Don't follow to close? Won't completely prevent chips but it will reduce them.