Sorry to hear that. No problem here but wouldn't the dealer be able to see any distortion on the new windshield before they install it to your car?

Hafa Adai!
'20 HiHy Platinum

 

Any chance it's a reflection of some kind?

 

No, as soon as the service manager watched at it, he confirmed the problem. The bad thing is that although they accepted to replace it but it is really unpleasant to have brand new car winshield to be replaced at first week, and now, it looks like I need to go for starting the second complain and second replacement, very disappointing 😑.

 

Thank you for your response, I asked them to do that but it looks like they did not!
Thank you for photo, it looks like your winshield should be different in some ways:

The interesting is that both windshields have the same number for me: 43R-001398.
They should be come from the same defected batch.

 

That's an extraordinary coincidence. Did they mistakenly think they replaced it?

 

I forgot to mention in my post with the pic, it's for a Platinum with the Heads Up Display (HUD)

Hafa Adai!
'20 HiHy Platinum

 

When I saw it for the first time, I thought in the same way, but fortunately I had photos from the previous one and the new glass had some different letters at the bottom: g and xl instead of g and j in the original one. But they should come from the same batch.

 

Is there any other Highlander 2020 owner here (LE or XLE) to take a picture from the windshield letters and numbers please? I just want to check if these numbers are the same in all Highlanders (LE or XLE) or not?

Thank you very much!

 

I don't notice any distortion in my windshield aside from the dirt rock scratch that I have.
Hard to see with the inspection sticker but here's the print on my 2020 HiHy with a 3/20 build date

 

Thank you very much, JBandit03. The numbers are the same as my car's original and the replacement windshields. Only those 3 small letters are different. Apparently, I have bought the only Highlander 2020 with a defected windshield in the world! and the only one who has received a defected windshield as replacement!

 

Apparently, I have bought the only Highlander 2020 with a defected windshield in the world! and the only one who has received a defected windshield as replacement!

Buy a lotto ticket, quick.

Hafa Adai!
'20 HiHy Platinum

 

Hi friends,

I recently bought a Highlander 2020 LE. During the test drive, I did not realize anything in the windshield, (maybe because I did not expect from Toyota!!), but in the way driving back home, I noticed a horizontal ripple exactly in the middle of the glass, right in my line of sight! Anything that was passing through the line became distorted! It was really distracting while I was driving. I contacted Toyota dealership two days later, they saw the distortion in the windshield and accepted to replace it. But guess what? After replacing the windshield I saw the distortion in the exact same place! The brand is Toyota OEM Pilkington. Just wanted to check with you guys if anybody else in this forum came across the same problem? I am really desperate! I don't know if I should keep replacing the windshield in a brand new car?! Is Pilkington the only windshield supplier for this specific car? if not, then I can request the dealership to order another brand for replacing!

Thank you very much for your guidance.

Hi. My 2020 highlander had the same problem. Windshield replaced and the new one also had the same problem. Waiting for my third windshield now which I will verify doesnt have the same distortions in it. Also, local stealership wanted me to live with it!! Only after I had a big stink did they agree that it isn’t normal. Bad batch of glass from Pilkington I guess. Good luck and let us know.

 

Nick, I recommend you not to do that! The exact same story happened to me. After lots of back and forth, they accepted to replace the windshiled again! Exactly what you said, they asked me to confirm the second windshield's quality! I asked them to investigate the winshield before installation but they said that it is not possible and they need to put it on the car and they will let me check it before gluing it. When I checked the new winshiled, it was even worse than the first one!!! I let them know, but they said that I have no other option and I need to select this one or the previous one to be installed! I had to select the second one due to the windshiled installer advice since he told me it is not safe to reinstall the previous winshield. The final word was the same " Live with it!!!". I really didn't have time to pursue the issue, but it is really unacceptable. The car only has 1000 miles on it and parked in the garage most of the times. Again, THANK YOU VERY MUCH TOYOTA!!!

 

Wow. Holy crap. Well, while mine was in the shop the other day a Toyota tech representative happened to be at the dealership. They observed my windshield (2nd windshield) and confirmed that the problem is real and needs to be addressed. They have ordered me a third windshield and I hope it is right before they install, which I will inspect before it goes in. I also raised the issue with Toyota corporate and they are aware of it. I recommend you also contacting them to establish the issue. If Toyota cannot get it right after three attempts (in Washington state at least) the vehicle will fall under the lemon law and Toyota must buy the vehicle back from you (minus the value in miles since the issue occurred). I do know there is good glass out there as the loaner Highlander they gave me the other day did not have the issue with the windshield. I believe it was built later in 2020 when Pilkington was producing proper glass without the distortions. Fingers crossed, will update. Cheers

 

I have an update here on this thread. Stealership ordered 3 new replacement windshield in May 2021. Just took my car in and looked at all three pieces of glass. Guess what? All 3 pieces of glass are warped and contain defects. What are the chances? Apparently Toyota knows about it and there was a change in April 2021. Now I am waiting for a post April production windshield to be sourced for replacement. THIS PROBLEM IS REAL!!!! Very surprised there aren’t more complaints to be honest. Looks like Lemon Laws may come into play if this isn’t resolved in the next week (my last brand new car got lemoned within 24 months of ownership). Will update when something happens.

 

Thank you, Nick, for keeping us updated! This is exactly what I expected to hear from you!! I am sure many have this issue but at different severities. The point is that this highly depends on the height of the driver, for some people, it is not located in their eyesight line and therefore they don't notice the issue. For me, it is exactly located in front of my eyesight! I no longer use the car! At least you are lucky and the dealership accepts that there is a problem.
For me after the first replacement, they were saying that they could not able to detect any problem with the replaced windshield! After lots of back and forth, they replaced it for a second time, and when I said the problem still exist they told me that I need to call Toyota Headquarter. I called them and the result was that the manager just kept asking me if I don't have any problem with my eyes!!!!.
Do you guys know any professional center for diagnosing the windshield that able to investigate the windshield and give me a report indicating that there is a distortion problem in the windshield?

 

I’ve noticed a slight distortion when looking over to the passenger side of the windshield from driver side. It’s not bad but it did catch my eye. I don’t think it’s enough to complain about though.

 

Same here, a slight distortion when looking sideways a from the passenger side. Had a segment on "How it's Made" showing the manufacture of glass windshields and how they depend upon heat an gravity to get the curved surface so I'd be surprised if there was not a small amount of distortion in very one of them. I guess it serves me right for not going the few extra bucks for the Rolls or Bentley.

But likewise not foolish enough to complain, even if they did agree to a free replacement. Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. Every time they yank and replace a windshield you are in jeopardy of unforeseen problems.

I don't notice if from the driver's seat and the only reason I even detected it is because I went carefully looking for it.

 

I'd expect the body paint around the edge of the windshield would be prone to being scuffed up, or worse, scratched up with each attempt to replace it. I'll live with the slight imperfection.

 

Hi friends,

I recently bought a Highlander 2020 LE. During the test drive, I did not realize anything in the windshield, (maybe because I did not expect from Toyota!!), but in the way driving back home, I noticed a horizontal ripple exactly in the middle of the glass, right in my line of sight! Anything that was passing through the line became distorted! It was really distracting while I was driving. I contacted Toyota dealership two days later, they saw the distortion in the windshield and accepted to replace it. But guess what? After replacing the windshield I saw the distortion in the exact same place! The brand is Toyota OEM Pilkington. Just wanted to check with you guys if anybody else in this forum came across the same problem? I am really desperate! I don't know if I should keep replacing the windshield in a brand new car?! Is Pilkington the only windshield supplier for this specific car? if not, then I can request the dealership to order another brand for replacing!

Thank you very much for your guidance.

OMG thank you!
I have a 3rd gen (2018) Tacoma TRD Sport and I now have the 5th windshield on it as of today. (Arizona roads are so full of gravel that the standard insurance policy has a zero dollar deductible for windshields.)
The first three windshields were not Pilkington I don't think. I am only judging this based on the fact that the GoPro mounts are not the same on these latest two glasses...and that the last two are also warped/distorted in the upper corners and the first three were not.
I had the company replace the last one due to the distortion being super distracting and this new one does the same thing. This is the first forum I've seen with this problem stated. Common denominator: Pilkington glass.

 

No glass is perfect, and some distortion is normal, especially close to the edges. But a clearly visible distortion within the normal field of view right in front of the driver is not acceptable and it is a safety hazard. It needs to be addressed. If you have this problem you should complain to the dealer AND file a complaint with NHTSA. If there are enough complaints with NHTSA, they will investigate and force Toyota to address the root cause. This is not a cosmetic ir comfort problem, visibility is a clearly a safety concern.

 

You are correct, the glazing process will always result in some imperfections, and everyone is going to have a different sensitivity to those imperfections. Even in my personal case, I feel terrible after I drive and my wife is fine. It should be noted that Toyota's Safety Sense technology, much like many other manufacturers safety systems, has to look through the window and I am concerned what (if any) effect the distortion might have on that system.

 

You should report this issue to NHTSA (safercar.gov). Visibility is a safety issue and if enough people complain NHTSA will demand an investigation and potentially a recall.

Don't expect Toyota to address the problem - they will nickel-and-dime every warranty repair, and try to "swipe it under the carpet" (just like they have been doing with previous safety problems). Without NHTSA intervention Toyota's approach will be:

• Deny that there is a problem
• If the problem is so evident that they can't deny it, blame the driver / owner
• Hide statistical information ("we have never heard about this problem before")
• Nickel-and-dime every repair ("this isn't covered by warranty" or "we will use a 'remanufactured' part, it's as good as new")
• If you have a persistent problem and believe that your state's "lemon law" applies to your case, they will force you into arbitration. But if the arbitrator rules against them, they will refuse to honor the arbitration and demand a jury trial to scare you into dropping the case in light of potential legal costs (there are examples on this forum).
• If all these steps fail and they have no choice but to do the right thing (repair or replace the vehicle, or refund your purchase), they will try to buy your silence with a non-disclosure agreement or bribe you with an extended warranty.

This is what they did during the sudden unintended acceleration problem, and every other safety recall.

 

Interesting thread - thank you for posting this. I'm in a 2021 Highlander Hybrid Platinum, same Pilkington laminated/HUD compatible windshield. I bought my car in Mid-April. I also noticed right away that there was 'distortion' just like everyone is describing. I had been in another (non-Toyota) vehicle previously that had similar laminated/'acoustic' type glass and it wasn't that bad. As poor luck would have it, a rock got kicked up on the highway and cracked my new windshield, barely 500 miles into ownership. My insurance company covered the replacement 100%. Had the work done at the Toyota dealership and unfortunately, like others, my second windshield seems worse than the first in terms of that distortion. It almost triggers vertigo sometimes, because if you move your head the right way, things outside start to 'ripple', it's really annoying. I haven't gone back to the dealership to complain, but I think I might reach out to Toyota directly. It's such a shame on such a nice vehicle that they can't do better. Honestly though at this point, reading these comments, I'm not optimistic that even replacing again will make a difference at this point.

 

Found this thread from searching because I'm having the same issue with the windshield on my 2021 Highlander Hybrid Platinum. We test drove a Limited in January or so and I had no issues with the vehicle. I ended up ordering a Platinum from another dealer and we had to wait a couple of months for them to finish building it. We received it in May 2021. My wife drove it home and I guess she didn't notice it or care. It instantly gave me a motion sick/vertigo feeling when looking at the center of the windshield. It looks like a straight line across the center of the windshield and your eyes focus on the distorted windshield itself instead of looking through the glass to the outside. We took the vehicle on a trip to the beach a couple of weeks ago (around 6 hours each way) and it was difficult for me to drive or even look out of the windshield as a passenger until my eyes got somewhat used to it. The best way to describe it would be like if you were wearing someone else's glasses or something and the focus is off. I absolutely hate it. It doesn't bother my wife (it is her vehicle) but I'm wondering if it is because she typically doesn't drive with her glasses so things might be slightly blurry anyways. I'm not sure what to do at this point. I don't want to waste my time potentially having Toyota replace my glass with other defective glass but I also don't want to know that I paid $53,000 for the worst Toyota vehicle I've ever owned. At a minimum I'm filing a complaint with NHTSA.

edit: I spent a little more time just sitting in the garage looking through the windshield and it appears that the distortion is across the whole windshield. If you look at an object (easiest to notice if you are looking at text) and move your head up and down it will "wave". It's like looking through water. When I'm in my Lexus GS there is no distortion at all when I move around.

 

Bought a 2021 HL XSE a month ago. Noticed that the windshield is cloudy since day one I drove it. Does anyone of you here experience the cloudiness of the front windshield??? Today, I see what you described with your distorted windshield on mine. I was driving on a straight road and I saw the road has the heatwave alike phenomenon. Then I asked myself. today only around 80 degrees outside and shouldn't see the heatwave on the road. Thus I looked at the windshield again and I have confirmed there is distortion across the entire windshield. OMG, my car has leaky sunroof, shaky driverside mirror, Paint defects, Two JBL speaker aren't working, and now the windshield distoration. wow, I'm the unlucky one. sad....

 

Has anyone filed a complaint with NHTSA (Report a Safety Problem | NHTSA). One concern is that the Toyota Safety Sense system looks through the window. How can Toyota guarantee that system is operating properly if it needs to look through a distorted window? I think this is a much bigger issue than we all realize. I have had no luck with my dealer or with Toyota to date. I am curious to know if anyone has considered a class action lawsuit or other legal action at this point? I am starting the process of reaching out to lawyers in CA to see what legal recourse I have at this point (I know CA has a lemon law but I haven't had much luck finding a lawyer to take case because they say Toyota has a nightmare of a legal team).

 

Has anyone filed a complaint with NHTSA (Report a Safety Problem | NHTSA). One concern is that the Toyota Safety Sense system looks through the window. How can Toyota guarantee that system is operating properly if it needs to look through a distorted window? I think this is a much bigger issue than we all realize. I have had no luck with my dealer or with Toyota to date. I am curious to know if anyone has considered a class action lawsuit or other legal action at this point? I am starting the process of reaching out to lawyers in CA to see what legal recourse I have at this point (I know CA has a lemon law but I haven't had much luck finding a lawyer to take case because they say Toyota has a nightmare of a legal team).

In WA at least, lemon laws gives manufacturers three tries to correct the problem. If after three tries the issue is still present, they must buy back the car. Also, in WA, this is basically a mandatory process and so it is rare for lawyers to get involved. I had a 2018 Subaru Outback that was bought back by Subaru because they could not get a working head unit in the car (went through 4...). The process did take a while, but since I documented the problem from day 5 of buying the new car, they did not deduct any usage/mileage from the value and so I got the whole new value of the car back plus my down payment. Walked away with a nice large check and bought the Highlander... with the distorted windshield lol!!

 

My early 2020 does not have this issue that I can see.

This is a glass maker issue. And Toyota has a pile of the windshields. I have read people like their replacement aftermarket windshields.

Maybe I am not so picky or my body tunes out minor annoyances…….

 

Clearly Pilkington glass is junk, coming from 5th gen Avalon forum, some people experience the same issue. Our 2019 Honda Odyssey has same issue.

 

I just saw the same thing in a 2019 Camry XLE hybrid that I test drove. It was so distracting that I did not buy the beautiful car.

 

My 2021 Highlander had a very obvious distortion directly in the driver line-of-sight and made the test drive unpleasant (didn't get a headache, but it was bad enough that it felt like my eyes were going buggy). I pointed it out to the tech and they had the window replaced within a week. New window is also a Pilkington, but distortion free.