I knew the Yaris glass is soft but...

[detroiter]

I have had the car for a bit over 5 years now and mechanically, it's been awesome. Almost 162,000 miles and nothing but a waterpump and oil changes. Anyways, it was REALLY COLD in Detroit yesterday...around -10,-20 and I'm driving home from work. Well the car was warmed up and I drove a good 30 miles or so...about a mile from home and driving down the sidestreet, to my horror, I just see a massive crack in the windshield spread from the center almost all the way to each side of the pillars, maybe 3 or 4 inches above the dash. I couldn't believe it! No chips, no cracks prior...nothing. And the car was warmed up for a long time already so there was no reason for it to crack.

Anyone else had a "sudden" cracked Yaris windshield issue? I know it was a widespread problem with Jeeps but this isn't a Jeep...it's a TOYOTA :headbang:

[Absolutely Red 12]

-10 to -20?

You dont think the 100 degree difference didnt crack it?

[detroiter]

I was running half heat also...upon looking clooser where it started cracking from, it looks like its something BETWEEN the glass. inside and outside of the car, the glass is smooth but the middle area looks spaced like a chip or something.

[CTScott]

With 162K, you likely have many tiny chips and scratches on the windshield (mine with less than 30K has loads of them). The mounting urethane adhesive for the glass gets super stiff in the cold, so any body flex translates to glass flex, which can easily make a scratch or chip run.

Back in my college days in Vermont I was driving my 78 Buick Skylark over a railroad crossing in -20F weather and I suddenly heard a zipper-like sound as my windshield cracked from the middle to both pillars.

[fnkngrv]

sounds like you were hit by something that had enough of an impact to damage the interior of the glass pane and of course with the severe temps and then the temp variances between the outside air and inside the cabin caused the glass to flex and hence the crack. I have had that happen on more than one vehicle through the years. It is -27 F right now here and dropping today. I am glad that I have the Bronco to drive around if need be to keep Tiamat safe.

The one complaint that I have had about the windshield on the Yaris from the factory personally has been how easily it seemed to pit and scratch. Even after only the first 2-3 years it was sun pitted and that is with me living in Maine for that period of time and 1 year being in storage while I was in Afghanistan.

[edmscan]

The good thing ... the windshields on the Yaris are cheap. Not cheap as in bad cheap .. but inexpensive. I got mine replaced last year and it was just over 200$, and that is in Canada where things are way more expensive than the US. But I do understand your grief ... I would be saddened too if my windshield cracked like that.