[Alpine_FJ]

I have had my FJ for about 6 months. I am always very careful to not follow rock haulers, cement mixers, etc... I have not been in any conditions that I would have thought would cause this. But my windshield is severely pitted. The entire surface has tiny pits all over it. At this rate I will have to have the windshield replaced in another 6 months. In my opinion this condition is due to a defective piece of glass. I have never seen anything like this before. I had a '88 Trooper for 10 years. It had a flat windshield and it did nothing like this. Has anyone had any experience with this problem? If so, has Toyota done anything under warranty?

Yes, I know there are quite a few threads on the Forum about windshield problems, almost too many to wade through. However, most of them are about broken windshields.

 

[DEWFPO]

Pitting of the windshield is normal on the FJ, unfortunately. Something as simple as windblown sand (while the FJ is parked!) can cause it. BTDT

DEWFPO

 

[Fjamming]

Alpine FJ, I have the same issues. It gets pitted quite easily. Both (replacement) of my windshields exhibited the same characteristics.

 

[Sky]

This is mine at 74,000 miles, 7 cracks, 15 stars and pitting that is 10 times worse than I ever had on my Jeep TJ. The pitting mostly comes from driving in the Colorado mountains where they lay down gravel during the snowstorms on the highway. Then later the gravel gets blown around by high winds, in some areas they regularly get up to between 80-100 mph.

 

[kokopelli]

It is very odd, indeed. I took a very small cinder to the lower drivers corner and go a double chip. The first thing I noticed was that the sound was different, than my TJ windshields. It's a soft crack, not the whack I got from my TJ's. Even rain sounds different on the windshield; of course it was hard to hear anything in a TJ when it rained.. LOL... Ron

This is mine at 74,000 miles, 7 cracks, 15 stars and pitting that is 10 times worse than I ever had on my Jeep TJ. The pitting mostly comes from driving in the Colorado mountains where they lay down gravel during the snowstorms on the highway. Then later the gravel gets blown around by high winds, in some areas they regularly get up to between 80-100 mph.

Alpine FJ, I have the same issues. It gets pitted quite easily. Both (replacement) of my windshields exhibited the same characteristics.

 

[amaesing]

same here, got my tt in march and if you look at different angles at the windshield, you see bunch of spec pits all over, freaking sucks!!!!!!

 

[jferg]

I too have pitting which is annoying. I've had my FJ for almost two years now. You just have to learn to live with it.

 

[ridgerunner2021]

I too have pitting which is annoying. I've had my FJ for almost two years now. You just have to learn to live with it.

X2 ......:flame:

 

[FJDave]

Mine was pitted after a month of regular driving. No sandstorms here in So Cal. I still love the FJ though. I jut hate to think what it'll look like in another 6 months....

 

[PoconoPAFJ]

Toyota's windshields are horrible when it comes to this. They do not temper the glass well enough. Mine is also showing signs of pitting. When I traded my Rav4 with 90k on it, you couldn't out of the windshield with on coming traffic at night. Not to mention an early morning drive into the sun.

 

[kokopelli]

I believe the glass is a little softer on the surface as well (i.e. as you said). One would think it would be less prone to stress cracks that way, but that doesn't seem to be the case.. Ron

Toyota's windshields are horrible when it comes to this. They do not temper the glass well enough. Mine is also showing signs of pitting. When I traded my Rav4 with 90k on it, you couldn't out of the windshield with on coming traffic at night. Not to mention an early morning drive into the sun.

 

[mikesfj]

Toyota's windshields are horrible when it comes to this. They do not temper the glass well enough. Mine is also showing signs of pitting. When I traded my Rav4 with 90k on it, you couldn't out of the windshield with on coming traffic at night. Not to mention an early morning drive into the sun.

Just FYI, W/S glass is not tempered. the glass in the doors and the back is tempered. The w/s is supposed to be fully annealed, laminated. Glass itself is very hard (harder than tool steel) which is why it pits easily and cracks (no ductility). The hardness of glass prevents it from scratching easily from dust and the w/s wipers. The angle of the w/s as well as the thickness (or lack thereof) affects the ability of rocks and sand in damging the glass.

 

[RocketJohn]

what's wild is that I had a 1978 FJ40 with the original windshield at 70k before I sold it... it had one divot but no cracks and no noticeable pitting...

crazy... similar angle... well not as vertical but damn close...

 

[EARL97850]

In a former life I drove a cabover truck, and the same problem with pitting and cracking was there in the upright w/s.
The angle of the w/s has a lot to do with it.

Just my .02 worth.

Cya

 

[FJ FunJunkie]

Best thing you can do is deal with it until it's unbearable then get an upgrade on your insurance to zero deductable and get a new one, I got 2 more stars on the way back from summit but until it spiders out I will keep it. they do have a product called windshield skin that helps out. It also pits but you can peel it and replace it while saving the glass underneath. I do forsee Toyota taking care of this in the future but for now the truck is still selling despite it's quirks so they will continue to use the cheap glass.

 

[timsmcm]

where do you get this windshield skin you are talking about

 

[fingas74]

I guess i am just a lucky SOB. My windshield (16,000 miles) gets pelted with gravel and sand from 18 wheelers on the interstate every day but my windshield is still smooth except for the one spot where i caught a rock the size of a quarter while passing a truck doing 85 in new mexico. That crack happened almost two months ago and it hasn't spider webbed or grown at all.