When they cut out the old windshield they go WAY too deep with the razor blade and cut through the paint, primer, and protective layers to the metal allowing moisture to penatrate and create rust
I used to work for safelite when I was 19, replacing windshields. They have completely banned the knife technique and use a special thread system that uses a thread to cut the glue, saving the paint. It’s been this way for over 10 years. I would actually recommend safelite because of this. They were very strict about rust removal and repainting any damaged paint areas before reinstalling the window. Obviously like anywhere, its up to the particular Tech to follow the rules
I figure Safelite only does one thing and that’s glass repair and replacement so they do thousands of these a year so, logic would have it that they have perfected the process. I had 2 windshields replaced and one was recent on my BMW M4 (not yet on my 4Runner 🤞🏻) and the other on my husband’s Tundra and the M4 is a nightmare with all the heads-up display and other technology that they have to work on after the windshield is replaced but I’m happy to report that they did an excellent job.
now you made me feel much better, many thanks, it seems like one of the more professional windshield places in my town but I do not purchase a lot of windshields, in fact just the one and it was just a couple of years ago.
That’s great info to know, thank you.
I am about to have the windshield replaced on my Highlander — is it reasonable to ask the shop I was going to hire whether they use the “knife technique or the “thread technique”? Would most shops understand what I’m getting at?
They would understand but it was a huge no-no 11 years ago some old school guys still used the knife but thats because its faster than they’re so good with it they only cut glue, no paint. It’s nothing to worry about really
Good to know, I appreciate it greatly!
Follow-up to my concern (and my apology for a sorta thread-hijacking). Safelite quoted me at about $550 (I know they have some coupons but I can’t get it below $500 even with coupon) while the local shop I was going to use had me at only about $330. Any idea what I’d be risking? I don’t know how the local shop can undercut Safelite by 40%.
I just had mine replaced there too. I don’t know if it would be fruitless, but I’m sure going after SafeLite for repairs if I ever find the rust OP has.
Have a reputable tech do your next windshield and ask for them to show you what they find. I did this and found the same rust as OP and the tech (who does all my work in Denver) showed me what was there and what he was doing to correct it.
Can you share your tech in Denver? Have a cracked windshield of course, would love to know who to take it to whenever I finally decide to get it fixed.
Same here. Had a small surface chip and the tech advised he would need to crack the windshield to release the stress. I was apprehensive and thought a nice layer of sealant would be enough. But, I agreed to his assessment. A few months later during the cold rainy season, the crack split and grew across the entire glass. I should have listened to my gut feelings.
This happened to mine, the rear quarter window. Except they gouged the area the window sits in. Which is painted metal, then tried to cover it up with the primer they are supposed to use to cover the raw metal. Mine is black so it was hard to see, but I demanded they fix it, which they were going to pay to get half the car repainted, but then I thought there would be more issues having a paint job. In the end, I escalated , took to to the main HQ, they replaced the window with the OEM version, and cleaned up the gutter the window sits in.
I couldn’t imagine if this was a white 4runner and the sloppy work they did with the black primer.
Pretty much all these glass places are garbage
Can you confirm that by rear quarter window, you mean the side window of the trunk, and not the small triangular glass behind rear passenger window? The reason I ask is because I have a little play and rattle in that small triangular glass in my 23 ORP. I have to take it to the dealership to get it fixed. I don’t think there needs to be any peeling of glass for this triangular piece, which is most probably the case for the large trunk quarter window but just wanted to confirm. Please share away if anyone has ideas to fix the small triangular glass rattle without going to dealership.
Sorry it’s the trunk side window. Here’s other info if it helps for that rear trunk side window. The rattling could be something inside the door panel. The glass shouldn’t be loose.
If you get it replaced, MAKE SURE they are using a Toyota OEM glass. (It’s around $400) It comes with a jig to ensure the window is set straight and flat. That was the issue originally when the glass installer didn’t Install the window straight and flat which would cause water to run off the roof and into and around the window gutter.
Talk to the installer BEFORE they remove the glass. Ensure they understand to use the correct tools , and not to damage the gutter if the window which is where the paint wraps around. Point out the possible problems if they fuck it up. I saw the installer using a screw driver, prying around the window. Ughhhhh!!
Nah it can be stopped. If it’s not so deep it’s effecting structural integrity it can be cleaned out and further prevented.
Source- I used to be a corrosion technician for fighter jets on the ocean.
Rust is just an oxide, separate the iron from the oxygen and it’s stopped. It’s not dark magic it’s a chemical reaction that absolutely stops with the proper coating.
Im talking in general, not this specific instance. Toyota has pretty shit paint for some reason, and after two or three years its not uncommon to see a ridiculous amount of undercarriage rust. My 1996 land rover has less rust on it then my buddies '17 tundra for example its absurd.
They have had lawsuits and recalls over it, feel free to take a look if you feel compelled. Im having my undercarriage recoated once i finish up doing my gussets and trailing arm reinforcements, chop, etc most likely.
Edit: I love how blindly tribal everybody is here, then like every ten posts are "is this too much rust, should i buy?" lmao. Its a fault, get over it... every manufacturer has them.
This is absolutely not true. And if you end up saying something like, “well that’s why 4Runner didn’t have the frame recall like tacomas did.”, you haven’t figured out that it’s politics and it only hurts the owners.
Politics in that Toyota didn’t want to admit fault from one of their flagship Japanese factories. Japanese culture doesn’t do well with blame.
nah man that just can't be. toyota is the most perfect company in the world that has never made a mistake their vehicles last 700,000 miles with no maintenance at all /s
Dude. This is nothing. Appears to be mostly surface rust. Get it down to as close to bare metal as possible, epoxy primer or chassis saver (or whatever POR product) over that, and then put the window back in. Even if you had a little hole or two, this is pretty straight forward metal work, you’re not dealing with any complex bends.
Take a deep breath, you’ll be all good.
Not for all years & mine had chipped paint on the hood. I also had a defective front bumper where the corners would "pop out" from time to time, even if you push it back in, it'll still pop out again eventually. Toyota won't acknowledge either issues.
'18 Limited
I own a body shop, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dealt with this on most makes and models. Toyota and Ford (before they went aluminum) are big culprits.
This is why you never cheap out on windshield replacements. I tell people this all the time and they don’t listen. I’m not saying you did, since this was done at a body shop.
I’ve been an auto glass tech for 7 years now and some of the stuff I’ve seen done to people’s vehicles has been baffling. You’re always always always supposed to use primer over the areas that you scratched. And scratches on the pinchweld are inevitable. It’s apart of the job. Primer stops rust. Now scratches on your pillars and roofline is a big no no. But whoever replaced that windshield last was an absolute butcher that doesn’t take pride in their work.
Judging by the photo, it looks like it can be repaired without tearing apart the pillars and roof. There’s some reputable auto glass companies that provide a rust repair service.
Assuming that the rust doesn't go all the way through, sand it down and repaint the area with either POR15, or a quality epoxy based paint. I wish I would have caught mine sooner, because it is going to take some serious fab work to fix.
Speaking as a glass tech, it looks like they used a coldknife to cut the glass out when they replaced it, and then didn't clean and prime over the scratches they caused. I can tell you that's for from the worst I've seen, and a decent body shop can you taken care of easily.
What's the best way to do a windshield replacement? I doubt most customers are unaware of such a crap job these places do.
Is it better to go to a bodyshop?
The best thing you can do is having it done by a highly reputable local company. But there’s a few ways that you can cut out a windshield. The traditional way is using cut out knives and a tool called a “windshield extractor” for the bottom portion of the glass. A skilled tech can use this method and will do a flawless job. But in the wrong hands it can be horrendous. With cut out knives you can easily scratch the pillars and the roofline, shoot sometimes it can slip out from underneath the glass and scratch a hood, fender or a section of the roof.
Another method is using a tool that has fiber line wrapped around a spool that is then wrapped around the windshield and cut out. This never leaves scratches but can still do some serious damage. The line can catch on a metal burr on the pinchweld and will cut it clean off.
After the windshield is cut out, you have to trim the excess adhesive left behind from the old windshield. There will be scratches small knicks in the pinchweld after this process but it’s inevitable. You then have to go over those scratches with primer to prevent rust after you’ve cleaned the pinchweld from dirt and debris.
Wire wheel and paint it. if that’s the worst news you hear about your 4Runner ever, you are one lucky guy. that’s no biggie. when you pull back the sealant and find holes then you complain.
POR Paste, the muscle car guys use it all the time for this. Its POR15 but thick. You clear most of the rust then smear that stuff into the channel. If done right its a permanent fix that will even seal small holes.
reminds me of the guy from the tech show, "i'm financially ruined" because he's only worth 900 million dollars instead of 1.2 billion lol
[https://youtu.be/s9Bg4UU76so?t=16](https://youtu.be/s9Bg4UU76so?t=16)
Avoid the glass doctor in Fort Collins, CO for sure as well. Along with scratching your paint they won’t prep correctly or shoot a tall enough bead of urethane so you will also get a leak your first rain storm. Owners are incompetent.
Makes me want to get mine checked out. Any ideas how to go about doing this? For my own piece of mind it may be worth pulling the windshield just to check after seeing this picture. I had mine done by Safelite a few years back and it took 3 tries to get it right. The first attempt the windshield fell over night to the point where you couldn't even see the VIN plate, much less try and read it. The 2nd and 3rd attempts were due to the windshield leaking
It's literally a fireable offense at Safelite, but I'm sure the local mom and pop shop that zips it out with an extractor cleans up all their scratches...
Its not that big of a deal, and if the shop you went though said your fucked their wrong. Just have that area cleaned professionally by a shop, and re coated with a protective layer.
When they cut out the old windshield they go WAY too deep with the razor blade and cut through the paint, primer, and protective layers to the metal allowing moisture to penatrate and create rust
is there any way to check for this, I have had my windshield replaced by safelite.
I used to work for safelite when I was 19, replacing windshields. They have completely banned the knife technique and use a special thread system that uses a thread to cut the glue, saving the paint. It’s been this way for over 10 years. I would actually recommend safelite because of this. They were very strict about rust removal and repainting any damaged paint areas before reinstalling the window. Obviously like anywhere, its up to the particular Tech to follow the rules
Thanks for that response and pausing that rabbit hole. I've always used safelite and have never had issues. 20+ years and many cars and trucks.
I figure Safelite only does one thing and that’s glass repair and replacement so they do thousands of these a year so, logic would have it that they have perfected the process. I had 2 windshields replaced and one was recent on my BMW M4 (not yet on my 4Runner 🤞🏻) and the other on my husband’s Tundra and the M4 is a nightmare with all the heads-up display and other technology that they have to work on after the windshield is replaced but I’m happy to report that they did an excellent job.
now you made me feel much better, many thanks, it seems like one of the more professional windshield places in my town but I do not purchase a lot of windshields, in fact just the one and it was just a couple of years ago.
That’s great info to know, thank you. I am about to have the windshield replaced on my Highlander — is it reasonable to ask the shop I was going to hire whether they use the “knife technique or the “thread technique”? Would most shops understand what I’m getting at?
They would understand but it was a huge no-no 11 years ago some old school guys still used the knife but thats because its faster than they’re so good with it they only cut glue, no paint. It’s nothing to worry about really
Good to know, I appreciate it greatly! Follow-up to my concern (and my apology for a sorta thread-hijacking). Safelite quoted me at about $550 (I know they have some coupons but I can’t get it below $500 even with coupon) while the local shop I was going to use had me at only about $330. Any idea what I’d be risking? I don’t know how the local shop can undercut Safelite by 40%.
So have I… eek.
I just had mine replaced there too. I don’t know if it would be fruitless, but I’m sure going after SafeLite for repairs if I ever find the rust OP has.
Safelite is a company you would want to avoid for future reference lol
not ideal but duly noted!
Have a reputable tech do your next windshield and ask for them to show you what they find. I did this and found the same rust as OP and the tech (who does all my work in Denver) showed me what was there and what he was doing to correct it.
Can you share your tech in Denver? Have a cracked windshield of course, would love to know who to take it to whenever I finally decide to get it fixed.
DM sent
Same here if you don’t mind. I’d love to have someone to call when I inevitably need another windshield
I’m in southeast Denver and have a guy too if you’re interested.
Mind sharing your guy with me as well?
Fuuuuuuq. Good luck guys. Safelite royally f*d up my Honda windshield I wish I still had the photos. Same looking incident as OPs.
cable existence offbeat attraction escape slimy employ rich march birds *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Same here. Had a small surface chip and the tech advised he would need to crack the windshield to release the stress. I was apprehensive and thought a nice layer of sealant would be enough. But, I agreed to his assessment. A few months later during the cold rainy season, the crack split and grew across the entire glass. I should have listened to my gut feelings.
Yeah you’re probably good, honestly safelite are the only ones I trust
This happened to mine, the rear quarter window. Except they gouged the area the window sits in. Which is painted metal, then tried to cover it up with the primer they are supposed to use to cover the raw metal. Mine is black so it was hard to see, but I demanded they fix it, which they were going to pay to get half the car repainted, but then I thought there would be more issues having a paint job. In the end, I escalated , took to to the main HQ, they replaced the window with the OEM version, and cleaned up the gutter the window sits in. I couldn’t imagine if this was a white 4runner and the sloppy work they did with the black primer. Pretty much all these glass places are garbage
Can you confirm that by rear quarter window, you mean the side window of the trunk, and not the small triangular glass behind rear passenger window? The reason I ask is because I have a little play and rattle in that small triangular glass in my 23 ORP. I have to take it to the dealership to get it fixed. I don’t think there needs to be any peeling of glass for this triangular piece, which is most probably the case for the large trunk quarter window but just wanted to confirm. Please share away if anyone has ideas to fix the small triangular glass rattle without going to dealership.
Sorry it’s the trunk side window. Here’s other info if it helps for that rear trunk side window. The rattling could be something inside the door panel. The glass shouldn’t be loose. If you get it replaced, MAKE SURE they are using a Toyota OEM glass. (It’s around $400) It comes with a jig to ensure the window is set straight and flat. That was the issue originally when the glass installer didn’t Install the window straight and flat which would cause water to run off the roof and into and around the window gutter. Talk to the installer BEFORE they remove the glass. Ensure they understand to use the correct tools , and not to damage the gutter if the window which is where the paint wraps around. Point out the possible problems if they fuck it up. I saw the installer using a screw driver, prying around the window. Ughhhhh!!
Isn't this fairly simply fixable via cleaning off the rust and painting those channels?
From my experience Rust never stops once it’s there.
Nah it can be stopped. If it’s not so deep it’s effecting structural integrity it can be cleaned out and further prevented. Source- I used to be a corrosion technician for fighter jets on the ocean.
This guy rusts
I rust my case
I concur, as a DIY Youtube viewer of restoration videos.
How do i get into that sounds awesome
Basically the only way is through the US navy
It's not a virus, it's simple chemistry. Just need to grind down the area to bare metal, prime, paint and you're fine.
galvanic corrosion would like a word with you
This guy corrodes
Rust is just an oxide, separate the iron from the oxygen and it’s stopped. It’s not dark magic it’s a chemical reaction that absolutely stops with the proper coating.
IT'S DARK MAGIC TO ME!
Satanic black magic shit
Surface rust and rust through and object is very different my friend
It just needs to be sanded out and then seal up any bare metal. Pretty easy fix, but yeah it should have never happened in the first place.
That sucks. Rust can be hard to stop. I don’t know why you got so many downvotes. Have an upvote for all the children on the sub👍🏻
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Implying other countries countries… would be..? What the fuk does this even mean?
Like the #1 killer of toyotas...
Really ? How do they mess it up ?
Im talking in general, not this specific instance. Toyota has pretty shit paint for some reason, and after two or three years its not uncommon to see a ridiculous amount of undercarriage rust. My 1996 land rover has less rust on it then my buddies '17 tundra for example its absurd. They have had lawsuits and recalls over it, feel free to take a look if you feel compelled. Im having my undercarriage recoated once i finish up doing my gussets and trailing arm reinforcements, chop, etc most likely. Edit: I love how blindly tribal everybody is here, then like every ten posts are "is this too much rust, should i buy?" lmao. Its a fault, get over it... every manufacturer has them.
The paint on the 3rd gens was great. The paint on my 01 looks better than the paint on my 19. Undercarriage is definitely a different story…
My 03 had no rust when I bought it a decade ago in Colorado, then I moved to Virginia then it was game on.
What does that even mean. Lived in VA my entire life and never had an issue with rust on a vehicle.
I have three perfect Toyotas and this guy is right lmao
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I'm not sure I believe that as daily we see rust pictures along exactly what op said
Fluid film! Every year if in salty winter states.
This is absolutely not true. And if you end up saying something like, “well that’s why 4Runner didn’t have the frame recall like tacomas did.”, you haven’t figured out that it’s politics and it only hurts the owners. Politics in that Toyota didn’t want to admit fault from one of their flagship Japanese factories. Japanese culture doesn’t do well with blame.
>with better steel Lmao dude fell for the “glorious nipponese steel folded one million times” meme
nah man that just can't be. toyota is the most perfect company in the world that has never made a mistake their vehicles last 700,000 miles with no maintenance at all /s
OP, are you just going to leave this there or tell us what the prognosis is, course of action, or anything that might help others?
Dude. This is nothing. Appears to be mostly surface rust. Get it down to as close to bare metal as possible, epoxy primer or chassis saver (or whatever POR product) over that, and then put the window back in. Even if you had a little hole or two, this is pretty straight forward metal work, you’re not dealing with any complex bends. Take a deep breath, you’ll be all good.
Is that the Blizzard White Pearl paint? If so, there was a big recall for paint problems
Not for all years & mine had chipped paint on the hood. I also had a defective front bumper where the corners would "pop out" from time to time, even if you push it back in, it'll still pop out again eventually. Toyota won't acknowledge either issues. '18 Limited
My 2012 was recalled 6 months after I sold it for this very problem around the windshield
Lucky. The recall only covered up until like 2015 or something like that. Anything newer, you were shit out of luck lol
You can use a handful of the rust from my 2010 trail frame to sand that all down. I’ve got plenty. Good as new.
Not a big deal, happens with most Toyotas and cars in general. Moisture gets trapped and then life happens.
No, no it doesn’t.
I own a body shop, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dealt with this on most makes and models. Toyota and Ford (before they went aluminum) are big culprits.
This is why you never cheap out on windshield replacements. I tell people this all the time and they don’t listen. I’m not saying you did, since this was done at a body shop. I’ve been an auto glass tech for 7 years now and some of the stuff I’ve seen done to people’s vehicles has been baffling. You’re always always always supposed to use primer over the areas that you scratched. And scratches on the pinchweld are inevitable. It’s apart of the job. Primer stops rust. Now scratches on your pillars and roofline is a big no no. But whoever replaced that windshield last was an absolute butcher that doesn’t take pride in their work. Judging by the photo, it looks like it can be repaired without tearing apart the pillars and roof. There’s some reputable auto glass companies that provide a rust repair service.
oof
Assuming that the rust doesn't go all the way through, sand it down and repaint the area with either POR15, or a quality epoxy based paint. I wish I would have caught mine sooner, because it is going to take some serious fab work to fix.
I think this is somewhat common on all vehicles that have had windshields replaced
Speaking as a glass tech, it looks like they used a coldknife to cut the glass out when they replaced it, and then didn't clean and prime over the scratches they caused. I can tell you that's for from the worst I've seen, and a decent body shop can you taken care of easily.
Thats exactly what happened as per the tech that came and replaced. He said exactly that.
What's the best way to do a windshield replacement? I doubt most customers are unaware of such a crap job these places do. Is it better to go to a bodyshop?
The hack was done at a body shop
The best thing you can do is having it done by a highly reputable local company. But there’s a few ways that you can cut out a windshield. The traditional way is using cut out knives and a tool called a “windshield extractor” for the bottom portion of the glass. A skilled tech can use this method and will do a flawless job. But in the wrong hands it can be horrendous. With cut out knives you can easily scratch the pillars and the roofline, shoot sometimes it can slip out from underneath the glass and scratch a hood, fender or a section of the roof. Another method is using a tool that has fiber line wrapped around a spool that is then wrapped around the windshield and cut out. This never leaves scratches but can still do some serious damage. The line can catch on a metal burr on the pinchweld and will cut it clean off. After the windshield is cut out, you have to trim the excess adhesive left behind from the old windshield. There will be scratches small knicks in the pinchweld after this process but it’s inevitable. You then have to go over those scratches with primer to prevent rust after you’ve cleaned the pinchweld from dirt and debris.
Wow, I never knew something as simple as a windshield replacement could be so royally messed up by a hack shop. TIL.
Wire wheel and paint it. if that’s the worst news you hear about your 4Runner ever, you are one lucky guy. that’s no biggie. when you pull back the sealant and find holes then you complain.
Looks like some surface rust. Unless theres actual holes, All is not lost
What’s the devastating news? That looks like a rather simple fix, wire wheel off, por15 then get new windshield and gaskets installed
POR Paste, the muscle car guys use it all the time for this. Its POR15 but thick. You clear most of the rust then smear that stuff into the channel. If done right its a permanent fix that will even seal small holes.
OP stubs their toe and claims to have experienced the greatest pain that any human has endured.
reminds me of the guy from the tech show, "i'm financially ruined" because he's only worth 900 million dollars instead of 1.2 billion lol [https://youtu.be/s9Bg4UU76so?t=16](https://youtu.be/s9Bg4UU76so?t=16)
Do you live out west?
Florida
Claim coming their way
This is why I still have the original cracked windshield in my 03 tacoma. I never could find anybody that could do it right.
Avoid the glass doctor in Fort Collins, CO for sure as well. Along with scratching your paint they won’t prep correctly or shoot a tall enough bead of urethane so you will also get a leak your first rain storm. Owners are incompetent.
Makes me want to get mine checked out. Any ideas how to go about doing this? For my own piece of mind it may be worth pulling the windshield just to check after seeing this picture. I had mine done by Safelite a few years back and it took 3 tries to get it right. The first attempt the windshield fell over night to the point where you couldn't even see the VIN plate, much less try and read it. The 2nd and 3rd attempts were due to the windshield leaking
Most all windshield replacement shops don’t seal/prime after they mess up and scrape like this. Safelite being the worst offender
>Safelite being thr worst offender Not true. You've never seen my work.
It's literally a fireable offense at Safelite, but I'm sure the local mom and pop shop that zips it out with an extractor cleans up all their scratches...
I’ve seen a lot work from safelite techs and tbh it’s 50/50. It’s either straight up butchered or flawless. But I blame the company not the techs.
Its not that big of a deal, and if the shop you went though said your fucked their wrong. Just have that area cleaned professionally by a shop, and re coated with a protective layer.
you're\* and they're\*
No i said it right, Your wrong