Not sure if this has been discussed before, but as the title states how tough are the IS windshields against small rocks, debris, etc. when driving at reasonable speeds? I've read somewhere that my '04 Toyota Corolla apparently has cheaper glass, where even the tiniest little piece of debris will nick or pit the windshield. I'm not saying it'll necessarily cause a crack to star or spider out, but my windshield has a bunch of little chips all over. Comparing with my wife's '12 Murano that has been cross-country and on many interstates - not one single chip on the windshield and we've definitely had some small pebbles and random road debris hit it.

Are the IS windshields pretty strong or is it like my old Toyota?

 

It's soft from my short experience as well. Although keep in mind the Murano does sit up higher so it's less likely to be hit with as many rocks.

 

Very true, however I distinctly remember on several occasions driving on a few interstates when a small rock hit the windshield from a truck... no chip or crack.

 

Are you asking if windshields are chip and rock resistant? or tough in general?

if you go on car forums of all makes (mercedes, Kia, BMW, honda, etc) everyone complains "This brand/car is notorious for soft windshields." with respect to chips. So take it with a grain of salt. Or sand in this case windshields shouldn't vary that much from make to make as they're all typically supplied by a few manufacturers.

My personal experience so far is that the windshield looks good on my 2016 still. i've had some gnarly stuff kick up and strike my windshield too and not a mark on it. of course if something does chip or break it one day, it doesn't mean it's not a good windshield. just that i hit something with enough mass to damage it.

As far as actual "toughness," automotive grade glass (particularly the windshield) of all makes and models, is extremely robust and take massive blows without complete penetration (unless a small sharp object goes through it) that's generally cause the glass is made to flex (somewhat soft) and especially because it's laminated.

 

Makes sense. I was just wondering if our windshields were more resistant to chipping/cracking than others, given that there's only a few automotive windshield manufacturers out there who do supply the various car brands.

 

^out side of a controlled lab test, that would be very hard to confirm. All you'd get would be anecdotal evidence; i.e., i had a 99 mercedes was tough as nails, way better than my friend's 2001 lexus. then you'd get another guy saying the opposite

 

I have had a couple of chips (to the point of needing repair) in my windshield, but they were from at least marble-sized rocks (from what I could see anyway) from dump trucks. I think the windshield itself isn't to blame in my case - those rocks sounded BAD when they hit it. I suspect our windshields are at least average in terms of strength. People will complain more often because it's a Lexus. I was asking similar questions for a while, but I realized I had just been lucky with my prior cars. Lots of people I know have or have had chips and cracks.

 

Most front glass is probably the same. What makes people have many different experiences is what is being kicked up and hitting the glass, how fast, and the rake of the glass. FJ cruisers sit up high, but they're notorious for windshield cracks because the front windshield is almost completely upright.

 

 

 

We've had my wife's IS since new- July of 2016 - and have replaced the windshield twice with factory Lexus glass. Currently it's sitting in the garage with a cracked windshield that needs replaced.

After replacing it this time the car will have had more windshield changes than oil changes.

 

why don't you switch to aftermarket, instead of going back to oem lexus?

 

 

In my experience the aftermarket glass is typically thinner and creates a louder environment inside of the cabin. The IS has enough road noise as it is.