 
NHTSA Receives Complaints Over Prius Windshield
Visibility
March 5, 2013
by Jennifer Reed, jreed@glass.com
Several Toyota Prius drivers have reported complaints to the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website describing
visibility issues with their front windshields.
A common theme in the complaints is that consumers are seeing lights
in triplicate through the front windshield. For instance, if they
are viewing a red light, they see two additional lights as well.
In a claim filed March 4, a consumer driving a 2012 Toyota Prius
reported to NHTSA, "When driving at night I have an issue where
the light source from headlights have a rainbow affect. Also tail
lights are seen three times for every one light."
The individual also described the same issue with traffic lights,
saying "there are three distinct lights for every one light."
In another complaint also filed March 4, a consumer driving a 2012
Prius told NHTSA: "Visibility through front windshield is blurry,
particularly noticeable at night when light sources are viewed through
the windshield. Light sources produce multiple images (up to two
additional) below the original light source. Problem is also noticeable
during daylight hours, particularly during cloudy conditions."
In a third complaint filed on January 15, a consumer said while
driving a brand-new Prius at night, "lights, especially red
in color, when viewed from the front windshield, appear as three
distinct images. One dark image, along with two faint images, one
above and one below the dark one."
At press time, Toyota had not yet responded to request for comment;
however, the automaker did respond to at
least one media outlet indicating it is aware of "a small
number of complaints on the NHTSA website regarding windshield visibility
for 2010 through 2012."
If a customer reaches out directly to Toyota over a windshield complaint,
the automaker told the outlet it will make "arrangements to
evaluate some of their vehicles."
Asahi Glass Co. is the reported manufacturer of these windshields.
In related news, in January the automaker
issued a recall through NHTSA affecting an estimated 1.15 million
vehicles for windshield wiper and airbag defects. The recall for
windshield wiper faults impacted 2006-2010 Lexus IS 250 models,
2010-2012 Lexus IS 250C models, 2006-2012 Lexus IS 350 models, 2010-2012
Lexus IS 350C models and 2008-2011 Lexus IS F models.
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