A small rock hit the drivers side windshield by the pillar, caused a 8” crack that grew to 12” the next day.
I’m reading that Lexus glass is a softer version of auto glass so that the glass absorbs more sounds?
And the glass cracks easier than other auto glass?
Luckily it happened before we’re about to add a SunTek Evolve UV/tint layer to the inside, I guess.
Any thoughts?

 

Shouldn’t matter about whether you added aftermarket film or not when your windshield gets replaced, your insurance company will also cover the reinstallation of any aftermarket film with, etc. you had.

 

This is the first car I've ever had a rock cause a crack and it happened twice. Fortunately both were on the same windshield and I had it replaced. The technician also mentioned the glass being different. His reasoning was for better gas mileage, but that can't be right. The sound absorption seems more likely.

Watch out if you have it replaced that they use the right part number though. I have the HUD and they replaced with the part number for non-HUD and I had to take it back because it made the display blurry.

 

We’ve been waiting a couple months for supplies to come back to the LA market. Supposedly not till late Dec.

 

Same, we have a crack on ours after only 1K miles on our 550h+ and were told it will be late December or early January for Lexus branded glass to be in stock for the HUD.

 

The easy cracking with minor rocks is happening for NX & RX as well (quite a few reports on those respective forums) - and I suspect your technician was right in that Lexus is moving to lighter glasses to maximally reduce the weight of the cars, in order to spec/claim better gas mileage with EPA and customers. That gives climate credits and various other sops for tax reasons, I believe. So there is a financial motive driving the move to lighter but more fragile glass, is my thinking - especially since Lexus is big on competing in the market for selling high mpg vehicles.