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2012 Prius IV moonroof glass manufacture defect?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by NutzAboutBolts, Feb 28, 2018.

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  1. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    17B0679F-525C-4D9C-82FE-5F4185A2D753.jpeg EE858946-658D-4F99-BC62-846035BB53FB.jpeg So this morning, I came out to my car and the moonroof was damaged. The vehicle has 155k miles and looking at the damage moonroof, I suspect it could be a Toyota defective moonroof glass or mechanism that caused this? It doesn’t look like there was any impact on the glass for it to crack like this. The most damage was from the side of the moonroof, I assume this is where the mechanism opens and closes for the moonroof.

    Has anyone had this issue before?
     
  2. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Someone here posted upper hatch glass pictures that looked very similar, the way it broke. Maybe 3~4 years back?

    Good luck with Toyota. (y)

    Addendum: the way it's broken both sides is good, makes it harder for them to brush it off as a rock chip that took off, or whatever. Looks like stresses built up and it fractured.
     
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  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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  5. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    Thanks Mendel, I wonder if this will be another common issue with the Prius. It does look like stress related. The weather has been cold, and hot lately and usually the Prius is parked inside the garage, but now it’s been outside lately... I wonder if Toyota will replace it for me lol... if not, guess I’ll have to cough up the $$$ :cry::cry:
     
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  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Insurance claim?
     
  7. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I’m sure you’ve saved up enough from all the DIY:whistle:?
     
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  8. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    Don’t want to make my insurance go higher haha.

    True... darn it...
     
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  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Maybe things are different up here, cus I always seemed to get puzzled looks when I ask US members about filing insurance claim, and your response is more or less the norm.

    If that's the reality of auto insurance down there, that a no-fault comprehensive claim would push your premium through the roof, there's something wrong with the system.

    Need to get John Oliver on it, lol.
     
  10. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    Although thankfully uncommon, this does happen, to rear window glass, side window glass, and sunroof glass. I've actually witnessed it (girl got into her car and shut the door and "bang", the rear hatch glass was gone). There are several possible causes including stress from too tight a fit in the body, a scratch on the glass, or even a tiny chip you didn't see that happened a week before. The glass is tempered, meaning it has very high forces holding it in place internal to the glass. This makes it much stronger and also makes it break into tiny pieces, which are less likely to kill you when they hit you. ;)

    After this many years I don't think it's a defect. A defect would probably fail after less than 6 months. The stresses in tempered glass are that high. I've had a tempered drinking glass explode in my hands while drying it due to a chip on the lip.

    I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be covered unless the car was very new. Maybe up to one year? Wouldn't hurt to ask though.

    Good luck!

    Oh, just remembered, during a visit to a local dealer, they had a Toyota RAV4 all apart replacing the sunroof. Lots of labour. Good way to use your DIY skills to save!
     
    #10 David Beale, Mar 1, 2018
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2018
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  11. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    I’m going through my insurance for this, the deductible is about 100$, but the labor and cost total to around 1300$ or so. I don’t think my insurance will go up since this isn’t a collision damage. (y)
     
  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    You should be able to ask your insurer, what the claim would do to your premiums. At least that's the case with our "crown corporation", an insurance company some where between government and private sector, that has most of the auto insurance here. Ask the what-if question, and they'll tell you, say: your annual premium will be bumped by $50 for two years.
     
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  13. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    Sorry to know that that happened to you. Bogs my mind that the cracks happened on the weatherstrip sections. I have the exact year and package options as yours, and open and close my sunroof a lot even during cold weather so definitely a concern of mine now. If anything, I'm thinking by closing and opening any door causes some type of air suction, or expansion causing a push-pull down on the glass with air displacement. The fact that lightweight for the prius is premium, the glass may not be durable as regular sunroof glass. My hypothesis: by repeating the opening/closing door process over long period of time, the glass may have just lost it's physical integrity due to repeated air suction and expansion.
     
    #13 Grit, Mar 1, 2018
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2018
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  14. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    Keep an eye on that glass grid, my vehicle has always been in the garage and was rarely outside. I’m wondering if it’s due to the weather or just over time, the stress ends up cracking the glass due to the opening and closing or due to the weather.

    I’ve asked my friend who works at Toyota and he said there’s no TSB on the glass so there’s nothing I can do there. But there was TSB for flashing the HV inverter and the air bag bracket. The inverter I did the recall already, just need to do the airbag now
     
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  15. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    My eyes are on everything on this prius. It's carported therefore it enjoys the extreme cold and heated pavement underneath it during summer.
     
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  16. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    Here we have just private insurance, no govt. involvement. Most of them allow one "at fault" incident with no premium increase. I suspect you'll be fine.

    I don't think the failure is caused by repeated stress'. I suspect it's due to a slow change in the shape of the opening (the car is slowly changing shape), until the metal started rubbing the glass. Once the glass is worn from it's original shape the internal stress will concentrate at that point, and that concentrated stress will cause failure. Or it could just be a chip you didn't notice, and again, the internal stress concentrates at the chip.
     
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  17. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    Got the sunroof replaced, I can’t belive how easy it is to remove the glass assembly. Only 3 bolts attached to each side and you just lift to remove it. Costed 100$ deductible so I’m a happy camper.
     

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  18. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    Some designer made a mistake. It's too easy! ;)
     
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