We had our Camry HB for 4 months and windshield is cracked and has to be replaced.

 

My windshield chipped last June, the first month I had the car! So far it has not spread - though I was nervous about it all winter. Its right in front of my face, and cannot be filled (so I was told). I don't even notice it anymore.

 

I was going about 65mph yesterday when a rock came off a truck and struck the windshield. All I could do was watch it hit. It struck the windshield in the center near the top. It left a good sized chip that spread into two cracks by the time I got home. I now have two cracks that are each over a foot long and the windshield will have to be replaced. This is the first rock to hit the windshield and it needs to be replaced. I hope this will not happen every time a rock hits the windshield. Does anybody know the part number for the correct replacement for the TCH?

 

The other thread on this is called "Camry Hybrid windshield replacement -- FINAL / real info". The person there who quoted a part number said the following:
"Ok, after hours on the phone and researching, here's the deal for us TCH owners with cracked windshields. I'm posting this in a new thread so it's easy to find--it would have saved my a lot of time and frustration.

First, the hybrid DEFINITELY does use a different windshield than the non-hybrid 2007 Camrys use and it is an acoustic-dampening glass. The hybrid part number is 5610133680. And they do cost over $1,000 and are in very short supply." (from ntguru)

I gave them that part number but I won't pretend I know if all windshields for the TCH are exactly the same (just by the fact my glass place had me check for logo/name/other on the windshield to make sure they had the exact one, even though I'd given them this part number). It may at least be enough for them to confirm the different glass and make sure to find the right stuff. I'd also make sure to write down the info on the lower corner of your windshield to give them that, too, just to be sure they know exactly what they're replacing.

 

Naturally I had to run right outside to check my "new" windshield after reading this...it does say Toyota and Lamisafe underneath that.

One thing I forgot to mention...the top edge of the glass is no longer flush along the top of the car, as the factory installed windshield was. There's a "crack" wide enough for me to wedge my little finger in...I'm sure no replacement will ever look as good as the factory installation, but it was still a bummer. Of course no one notices until I point it out but still! Anyway, it does seem to be sealed completely and properly, but I'll be speed-dialing my insurance company if that appears to change.

If I remember right, the total price of the windshield was well over $1000.

 

Has anyone had their windshield replaced with a conventional Camry windshield?
I'd be curious if there REALLY is much difference.
I'd want real life experiences not just theory.

If the difference is neglible and the conventional Camry
glass is less prone to cracking it might be worth the
downside. If any.

 

I just had Safelite replace the windshield, and sure enough, their part number (FW02628 GBYNMF) seems to be the aftermarket gas Camry windshield (from the other thread here). I'm waiting to get more details from Safelite.

But the short answer is that there doesn't seem to be that much of a sound difference. I haven't driven much with the new windshield yet, but twice noticed what appeared to be slightly louder engine noise at higher RPMs. But if you put me in another Camry Hybrid and didn't tell me which windshield it was, I probably couldn't tell the difference.

HOWEVER, I have been doing quite a bit of research on windshield repair (I'm actually in the process of putting up a website with the results of my research at http://www.carwindshields.info ), and it seems that if a chip/crack is repairable (which can be possible up to about 24", although most places only do up to 6"), it should be repaired and not replaced (the original factory seal is better than the best replacement). And, OEM glass is usually much better than aftermarket glass -- in the United States, the laws are very stringent for glass originally installed in cars, but there appear to be no laws for requirements for aftermarket glass!

If I had a choice of aftermarket or OEM glass designed for either the Camry Hybrid or gas Camry, my first choice would be OEM Camry Hybrid glass, second choice would be OEM gas Camry glass, third choice aftermarket Camry Hybrid glass, fourth choice aftermarket gas Camry glass. That's because I think that the Hybrid glass is better that the gas glass, and OEM glass much better than aftermarket glass. This is all from what I've learned since getting mine replaced.

And yes, if Safelite did install gas Camry glass, I'm going to be getting my insurance company to replace it with the right stuff (and I'm going to insist on OEM; in Massachusetts you can insist on OEM for cars until they hit 15-20K miles). And I may see if I can get someone appropriate (such as the state auto insurance division) to go after Safelite, and make them contact Camry Hybrid owners that they ripped off.
-Scott

 

The downside could be bigger than we realize.

The more I discover, the more of a problem this becomes. Unless I get information proving otherwise, I'm going to be treating this as a safety issue, not an acoustic or quality issue.

Specifically, windshields are a key component of the structural safety of a car (especially in a rollover, where it supports about 30% of the weight of the car). The Camry Hybrid is 307 pounds (more than 9%) heavier than the heaviest gas Camry (in perspective, the heaviest gas Camry is only 110 pounds heavier than the lightest gas Camry, or 3.3% heavier).

So it is quite possible that Toyota originally tried using the same windshield in both the gas Camry and the Camry Hybrid, but couldn't meet the FMVSS safety requirements with the same windshield in both cars (and hence decided that if they needed different windshields, they might as well spend a few extra bucks and be able to advertise it as having acoustic windshields).

Given this information, I'm planning to report this to the NHTSA, who I suspect will act upon this.

-Scott

 

Once again you are giving misleading information. You are totally ignoring the V6 Camry's when you state the above.

 

Yeah, you've told me a bunch of times on the other thread. I was going by what I found at www.toyota.com. As you just pointed out, if you click the pictures of the two cars, you can get different stats. And yes, as you mentioned, the V6 XLE is heavier than the other gas Camrys.

However, it is still lighter than the Hybrid, and nobody that has posted on this thread seems to have the expertise to safely say how much heavier the Hybrid would have to be in order for it to need safer (e.g. thicker) glass.
-Scott