NHTSA Complaint #10638934 — 2014 TOYOTA CAMRY

ON AUGUST 11, 2014, WHILE DRIVING IN A RAINSTORM ON INTERSTATE 20 IN MISSISSIPPI, I HEARD SOMETHING HARD STRIKE THE WINDSHIELD. A MOMENT LATER I SAW A CRACK ABRUPTLY RUN FROM THE EDGE TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER SEAT. THE CRACK HAD TRAVELED ABOUT 12 INCHES BEFORE STOPPING. I INSPECTED THE WINDSHIELD WHEN WE ARRIVED HOME AND DISCOVERED THAT SOMETHING STRUCK THE UNPROTECTED EDGE OF THE GLASS. ON ALL VEHICLES I'VE DRIVEN TO DATE (INCLUDING OUR 2008 TOYOTA YARIS) THE VULNERABLE WINDSHIELD EDGES ARE PROTECTED WITH TRIM OR GASKETS BUT NOT ON OUR 2014 CAMRY. AT FIRST WE THOUGHT THAT EDGE PROTECTORS WERE MISSING FROM OUR VEHICLE BUT WE INSPECTED ALL THE CAMRYS AT OUR DEALERSHIP AND FOUND THAT ALL HAVE EXPOSED WINDSHIELD EDGES. EXPOSED WINDSHIELD EDGES ARE VERY DANGEROUS. ROADWAYS ARE LITTERED AND CONTAIN CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS (GRAVEL, METAL AND OTHER MATERIALS) THAT COULD STRIKE A CAR WHEN DRIVEN OVER AND LAUNCHED INTO TRAFFIC. WHILE SAFETY GLASS WILL ABSORB A GREAT DEAL OF IMPACT, ITS INTEGRITY IS COMPROMISED WHEN CRACKED SUCH AS WHAT HAPPENED TO MY 2014 CAMRY. ANY SHARP STRIKE TO THE EDGE OF GLASS WILL CAUSE A CRACK TO DEVELOP THAT COULD RESULT IN COMPLETE WINDSHIELD FAILURE. MORE IMPORTANTLY, A SUDDEN CRACK WILL STARTLE A DRIVER AND MAY RESULT IN THEIR LOSING CONTROL OF THEIR VEHICLE. THIS CONDITION IS A SERIOUS THREAT TO ALL DRIVERS ON THE ROAD. I UTILIZED THE TOYOTA 3-TIER COMPLAINT PROCESS WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE TOYOTA COMPANY DOES NOT BELIEVE THIS DEFICIENCY IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN ACCORDING TO MY PERSONAL CONVERSATION WITH THEIR COMPLAINT DEPARTMENT. TOYOTA SHOULD VOLUNTARILY RECALL ALL IT'S VEHICLES WITH SIMILAR EXPOSED WINDSHIELD EDGES AND APPLY A PROTECTIVE EDGE GUARD. THEY SHOULD ALSO REPAIR DAMAGED WINDSHIELDS THAT ARE CAUSED BY STRIKES TO THE VULNERABLE EDGES.