NHTSA Complaint #11218509 — 2016 TOYOTA PRIUS

I HAVE A 2016 PRIUS WITH APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES THAT WAS PURSUED NEW FROM THE DEALERSHIP IN NOV 2016. AT AROUND 10:30AM, I WAS TWO BLOCKS FROM HOME, DRIVING ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET (25MPH) AND DECELERATED TO APPROX 10MPH AS I APPROACHED A RED STOPLIGHT AT THE ONCOMING INTERSECTION. CROSS TRAFFIC WAS MOVING BUT THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS IN THE LANES LEFT OR RIGHT OF ME AND/OR APPROACHING MY CAR. I HEARD A VERY FAINT CLICK/POPPING SOUND COMING FROM THE UPPER RIGHT UPSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD AND IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO EXAMINE THE GLASS. I FOUND A VERY SMALL STAR SHAPED DING, LESS THAN A MILLIMETRE WIDE ABOUT 3-4 INCHES FROM THE TOP RIGHT OF THE WINDSHIELD. I THEN CALLED MY INSURANCE AGENT WHO STATED A SMALL DING LIKE THAT COULD DEFINITELY BE FIXED BY A GLASS SHOP AND WOULD BE COVERED IN FULL BY ALLSTATE. I DECIDED TO JUST GO BACK HOME AND LOOK ONLINE FOR SOMEWHERE NEARBY I COULD TAKE IN MY CAR. I DROVE BACK, PARKED MY CAR BACK INTO MY UNDERGROUND TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED SPACE. I WASN'T ABLE TO GET A SAME DAY APPOINTMENT SO STAYED IN UNTIL 5:30PM WHEN I LEFT TO GO TO DINNER. I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THAT THE SMALL DING WAS NOW A LARGE DIAGONAL CRACK FROM THE UPPER LEFT CORNER, TO JUST PAST MIDPOINT OF THE WINDSHIELD. BECAUSE OF THE CRACK, THE WINDSHIELD CAN NOT BE FIXED. I WAS TOLD THAT REPLACEMENT AND RECALIBRATION WILL COST APPROX JUST UNDER $1000, WHICH I WILL END UP PAYING OUT OF POCKET BECAUSE MY INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE IS $1000. HAS NOW BEEN 8 DAYS SINCE THE INITIAL DING AND THE CRACK HAS CONTINUED TO ELONGATE. IT IS NOW 2/3 OF THE LENGTH OF THE WINDSHIELD. I HAVE OWNED EIGHT TOYOTA VEHICLES, THREE OF WHICH HAVE BEEN NEW PRIUSES. THIS IS THE FIRST AND ONLY CAR WHERE ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED. IT APPEARS THAT MANY OTHER 2015-2016 PRIUS OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR WINDSHIELDS TOO. TOYOTA MUST ADDRESS THIS SAFETY ISSUE,