| Issue ID | 1113609 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10638934 |
| Manufacurer | Toyota Motor Corporation |
| Brand | TOYOTA |
| Model | CAMRY |
| Model Year | 2014 |
| File date | 11/08/14 |
| Component | VISIBILITY |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | On august 11, 2014, while driving in a rainstorm on interstate 20 in mississippi, i heard something hard strike the windshield. A moment later i saw a crack abruptly run from the edge towards the middle of the windshield directly in front of the driver seat. The crack had traveled about 12 inches before stopping. I inspected the windshield when we arrived home and discovered that something struck the unprotected edge of the glass. On all vehicles i've driven to date (including our 2008 toyota yaris) the vulnerable windshield edges are protected with trim or gaskets but not on our 2014 camry. At first we thought that edge protectors were missing from our vehicle but we inspected all the camrys at our dealership and found that all have exposed windshield edges. Exposed windshield edges are very dangerous. Roadways are littered and contain construction debris (gravel, metal and other materials) that could strike a car when driven over and launched into traffic. While safety glass will absorb a great deal of impact, its integrity is compromised when cracked such as what happened to my 2014 camry. Any sharp strike to the edge of glass will cause a crack to develop that could result in complete windshield failure. More importantly, a sudden crack will startle a driver and may result in their losing control of their vehicle. This condition is a serious threat to all drivers on the road. I utilized the toyota 3-tier complaint process without success. The toyota company does not believe this deficiency is a serious safety concern according to my personal conversation with their complaint department. Toyota should voluntarily recall all it's vehicles with similar exposed windshield edges and apply a protective edge guard. They should also repair damaged windshields that are caused by strikes to the vulnerable edges. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 1700 |
| Number of Occurences | 1 |
| Source of the issue | PORTABLE SAFETY COMPLAINT FORM (PDF) |
| City and State | OHATCHEE, AL |
| VIN pattern | 4T1BF1FK1EUXXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | N |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | 0 |
| No. of fatalities | 0 |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | 4 |
| Drive train type | FWD |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 60 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
| Dealer's city | |
| Dealer's state code | |
| Dealer's ZIP code |