WARNING for US owners

[ChinoCharles]

The saga continues... As you may know I took off my mirror and scratched up the paint on the right hand side of my Yaris LB recently. Well I ordered a new mirror housing and cover from my dealership last week and the housing came in today. I should have the cover tomorrow. Anyway, I went through the trouble (and trust me its a pain in the ass) of removing the door cover and installing the new mirror... I stood back to take in my job well done when I realized that the new mirror isn't the same as the stock one on the other side of my car! In big letters on the bottom of the new mirror...

OBJECTS IN MIRROR MAY BE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR

Its not on the old mirror... now I realize it isn't a huge deal, but dammit... this is the first car I have bought brand new in my life and I will be damned if anything isn't perfect, especially after paying $170 for a factory mirror! The service department's explaination: These cars are made in Japan, but some parts (like this mirror, which was made in Indiana) are now being manufactured in the United States under different specs apparently. He said that a japanese mirror might not have the etching, but mine sure as hell does. In the end I am going to have to call Toyota customer service and have them replace one of the mirrors... I don't mind having the warning on the mirrors, but I do mind having mirrors that don't match. If they say no, then we will see how many towns I have to burn before I get the right part.

Lesson: if buying from Toyota, don't assume that just because they matched a part to your VIN number that means that the part will be correct. Check everything twice coming from them right now, because the distribution system for this car (parts and car alike) is all f*#^$ed up

They just told me my cover is in... Hopefully I don't get there and find out its Bayou Blue. Haha.

[ECHOKnight2000]

Sorry to hear about your troubles, that must be very frustrating especially with a new car, its bad enough getting the car itself then you have to go through this $*(&*($#@. Anyway good luck! Keep us posted!

[Chris07LB]

And I thought I was anal about little stupid things.

Keep on fightin' Charles!!!

[ChinoCharles]

HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHA.

Two Bayou Blue liftbacks chilling in the lot when I got there. I walked over to take a look and low and behold... both have the etching on ONE mirror, the one I ordered.

Problem solved.

[Idjiit]

Jesus. There's kids starving in Africa that would love to have that mirror. Find something better to complain about. :P

[ChinoCharles]

SHUSH!

[JustAnotherAsian]

aren't all u.s. spec mirrors supposed to have that saying on the right mirror (and only on the right mirror) because the right-side mirror is not flat due to a regulation making the right side mirrors convex for safety purposes? it shouldn't be said on the left side, because a convex left-side mirror would be less useful since you don't have to move your head as much to see a bigger viewing angle through the left-side mirror.

http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae449.cfm
http://dza.colorado.edu/~class/Phys4...x%20Mirror.htm
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a941021b.html

on the other hand, i don't know how the un-etched mirror landed on your yaris initially- it's a regulation and most usdm cars have it. check your other cars and i'm sure that you would see the same etching, and also only on the right side.

[Violin]

Mine has it:

[fnkngrv]

My S doesn't have it on either mirror. I just went out and checked.

[JustAnotherAsian]

Originally Posted by fnkngrv

My S doesn't have it on either mirror. I just went out and checked.

it's still likely convex on the right side- check by looking at one object behind you on both mirrors- if that object appears to be smaller/farther on the right side, then there's no problem. just that the etching wasn't done.

[Henshin]

only the passenger side is supposed to be the special, embigening glass.
usually, driver's side has normal glass.

[jmew0ng]

yeah check your scratched mirror... because mine has it on passenger and not on driver too... I always thought this was how the mirrors came

Maybe you actually did a perfect job and you didn't know it ^^

[fnkngrv]

Originally Posted by JustAnotherAsian

it's still likely convex on the right side- check by looking at one object behind you on both mirrors- if that object appears to be smaller/farther on the right side, then there's no problem. just that the etching wasn't done.

We were just discussing the Etching being a pain in the ass originally....to answer you tho yes it is still made the same....just without the "slow children playing" sign for morons.

[Linkseal]

Originally Posted by jmew0ng

yeah check your scratched mirror... because mine has it on passenger and not on driver too... I always thought this was how the mirrors came

Maybe you actually did a perfect job and you didn't know it ^^

I think Canadian yaris all have it on the passenger side ...

[OxyG3nE]

i have canadian yaris.. and i have it in french and in english haha

[TrancosRt]

Originally Posted by OxyG3nE

i have canadian yaris.. and i have it in french and in english haha

Jeez.. that must take a LOT of room!!!!
My US HB has the etching. Actually all the cars I've driven had it!

[Jem_hadar]

Originally Posted by Idjiit

Jesus. There's kids starving in Africa that would love to have that mirror. Find something better to complain about. :P

Irrelevant. This is a perfectly reasonable thing to be upset/concerned about on a new car, something you take pride in!

Originally Posted by Henshin

only the passenger side is supposed to be the special, embigening glass.
usually, driver's side has normal glass.

Originally Posted by Linkseal

I think Canadian yaris all have it on the passenger side ...

Yup. Mine does, as do all other vehicles I've ever drive. Passenger side only w/ that warning.

[Buckethead]

Passenger side has it on mine.