FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TMS – 55 – 05

SCION ANNOUNCES SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGNON SELECTED tCS
TORRANCE, Calif., Oct. 18, 2005 - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., will launch a voluntary Special Service Campaign with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The campaign involves certain 2005 and early 2006 model year Scion tC sport coupes in the U.S.

The tC is equipped with a glass wind deflector which tilts upward when the moonroof is opened. In certain 2005 and early 2006 model year tC vehicles, there is a possibility that if impacted by a projectile, such as road debris, while driving with the wind deflector in the upward-tilted position at highway speeds, the wind deflector may shatter and separate from the frame. In the worst case, pieces of the wind deflector glass that have separated from the frame may fall upon the vehicle occupants causing driver distraction and/or injury.

Although Scion has only received three reports from NHTSA, customers may reduce the likelihood of this occurring on their vehicle by not opening the moonroof until the Special Service Campaign modification has been performed.

Scion will mail owners of the involved vehicles a Special Service Campaign notification via first class beginning in late October. Owners are requested to contact their local Scion or Toyota dealer for diagnosis and repair upon receiving their notification. The protective wind deflector laminate installation will be done at no charge to the owners of the vehicle.

Customers with questions or concerns should contact the Scion Customer
Experience Center at 1-866-707-2466.
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Sweet! About time they finally have taken action for an obvious design flaw. Much Props to Scion for taken responsibility and keeping the drivers safe! :clap: :clap: :clap:

Sweet! About time they finally have taken action for an obvious design flaw. Much Props to Scion for taken responsibility and keeping the drivers safe! :clap: :clap: :clap:

On Point :clap:

saw that one coming months ago when this was first mentioned by the NHTSA

I am not sure that three documented cases constitutes an "obvious design flaw"...

So it's a laminate?

Guess I'll have to wait to redo my decal.

Though I'm curious why it says it's only "certain" vehicles... I might be crazy, but isn't it all the same glass... so like... "all" vehicles?

Good for Scion! Now, they just need to 'fess up to the hatch rattle and find a cure. (As long as its taking, you would think Scion is trying to cure cancer! :P ) I just turn up the HU to drown out the rattle! :rofl: I'm not complaining, I still have nothing but :love: for my tC!!

hope this laminate doesn't look like crap

Can anyone tell me what VIN this is affected up to in the 2006's? Like what is VIN production number it's affected up to. Anyone?

Good to see they have stepped up.But the NHTSA is not finished yet. If you look it up on thier site, the closing resume states that an engineering analysis is being performed (even after Toyota stated there is no issue with design). The defect investigation for the complaints has been closed and a new one has been opened for the same part, on the same day. So the NHTSA is apparently not satisfied with simply adding a protective layer for some reason. Also, where did that article get 3 complaints? The Doco that that the NHTSA states 8 complaints, one being from a dealer.

No one will know until it is all over if it is a true flaw in the material, but either way a system should operate as designed, so I am glad they are addressing the issue, even if they may have to re-visit it later.

Now we just need them to laminate the roof as well

Good to see they have stepped up.But the NHTSA is not finished yet. If you look it up on thier site, the closing resume states that an engineering analysis is being performed (even after Toyota stated there is no issue with design). The defect investigation for the complaints has been closed and a new one has been opened for the same part, on the same day. So the NHTSA is apparently not satisfied with simply adding a protective layer for some reason. Also, where did that article get 3 complaints? The Doco that that the NHTSA states 8 complaints, one being from a dealer.

No one will know until it is all over if it is a true flaw in the material, but either way a system should operate as designed, so I am glad they are addressing the issue, even if they may have to re-visit it later.

i saw the same documents on the docu search function.. it's a pdf file.. have to find the link again, but was something like 45 people complaining and a couple being the dealer.. definitely not an isolated incident..

so does anyone know what VIN # this affects? i wonder what "early 2006" means.. aren't we in early 2006 production models now?

I'm not a tC owner, but I'm wondering how much more prone to scratching and scuffing the laminate will be as compared to the glass...

Now we just need them to laminate the roof as well


Naw! I think they should replace the whole roof with Carbon Fiber :pray:

my question (albeit rhetorical) is, will my tC scheduled to arrive sometime within the next week have this laminate on it, or will it be something i'll have to take back to the dealer to get taken care of?

Is this a voluntary recall or another TSB? Who designed the glassroof...Toyota USA (CALTY) or Toyota Japan? Hope the press annouced it as Toyota tC not Scion tC. Brings shame to the Scion marketing brand. Although I am going to file something with NHTSA regarding the xB's liftgate :lalala:

Sweet! About time they finally have taken action for an obvious design flaw. Much Props to Scion for taken responsibility and keeping the drivers safe! :clap: :clap: :clap:

After waiting until it became apparent they couldn't get away with ignoring it...

If its only certain 2006 models, that means that someone with a very recently built 2006 will have the laminate already on it straight from the factory, right?

So, anyone out there with a VERY new tC? Let us know, how does it look? Provide pics if possible!

Sweet! About time they finally have taken action for an obvious design flaw. Much Props to Scion for taken responsibility and keeping the drivers safe! :clap: :clap: :clap:

After waiting until it became apparent they couldn't get away with ignoring it...

No, but with the three original complaints (at the beginning of the investigation) , they had to be sure that they were legit... why?? because whining kids try to sue them for wheels breaking because of sliding into curbs at 60 mph, or even more ridiculous claims. Have you seen just the crap that people on here think is warranty related??? Hell, one guy even tried to blame scion for faulty paint because something slammed into it hard enough to make a dent and (heavens no) left a scratch. :rofl:

But my point is, while people put on mods that tear up their cars, then take them off before getting it warrantied (and BRAGGING ABOUT IT ONLINE like idiots to top off their lack of ethics) or do something stupid and try to blame poor design, the companies will take even longer to address issues. Sure, the dealers themselves make it worse, but the manufacturer gets blamed for every little thing that happens these days, so they take more time to look into these things. Same situation with insurance going up every day.

Now we just need them to laminate the roof as well


Naw! I think they should replace the whole roof with Carbon Fiber :pray:

or plastic, like they did with some of the celica sunroofs

WHat cars does this effect?? Like VIN #s. That's all I wanna know.

WHY doesn't someone with a tC CALL the Scion folks and ASK what VIN range this affects - if they say "What's yours" tell them you don't have it handy, and ask if you could just have the range so you can check it at lunch.

Is that too hard?

If someone gets the VIN info, post it here.

If its only certain 2006 models, that means that someone with a very recently built 2006 will have the laminate already on it straight from the factory, right?

So, anyone out there with a VERY new tC? Let us know, how does it look? Provide pics if possible!


I'd say that more than likely the laminate would be on the underside of the deflector as not to deviate from the top looking like glass... Anyone else think so?

I wonder if the laminate is like the stuff I bought from RockBlocker

I am guessing that since the NHTSA appears to still be investigating the design, they are adding something like the rockblocker product. If the NHTSA finds a design flaw, they will be forced to replace them, if not they will settle with just the laminate.

But hey, if I were a company like Rockblocker I think I would be all over Toyota to buy my product for this... hint hint :clap: I know they are on here occassionally, if so I would go for it guys :D If this is something that Toyota does not produce often, they would probably jump at the chance to buy it already produced at a decent price. Just a thought!

I am not sure that three documented cases constitutes an "obvious design flaw"...

actually, you don't even need documented cases to constitute a "design flaw". a design flaw may be anything on the car that hasn't affected anyone at all.

theoretical case #1) before the tc was sold to the public, i already had a hunch that the glass deflector might be a little problmatic- that constitutes a design flaw.

theoretical case #2) a designer for the tc might be looking over at some specifications and would later realize that the tolerances for the insulation of the rear hatch was off by .5 millimeters. this would ultimately result in a recall for certain components of the rear hatch and would fix a potential annoying rattle in the hatch area. (oops. too late for that designer now isn't it? :rofl: )

theoretical case #3) certain components in the engine might lead to pre-mature breakdown/leaks/explosion... designer catches this in the same fashion as case #2 and calls for a major recall. fortunately, this has not affected anyone (no "documented cases"), and therefore, saves a bunch of butts in the future.

If its only certain 2006 models, that means that someone with a very recently built 2006 will have the laminate already on it straight from the factory, right?

So, anyone out there with a VERY new tC? Let us know, how does it look? Provide pics if possible!


I'd say that more than likely the laminate would be on the underside of the deflector as not to deviate from the top looking like glass... Anyone else think so?

It would be absolutely pointless to put laminate on the underside of the glass. The problem is that an object strikes the glass forming surface stress fractures that very quickly into a much larger crack and then...psshhhhh...the glass shatters. If the laminate were on the bottom side it would have no effect on the initial surface fracture that caused the piece to shatter. By placing the laminate over the glass, the glass now has some protection and the strength of the glass is now reinforced.

I do agree that it would look a whole lot better on the bottom side of the glass but all it would do would be prevent the little pieces of glass from falling into the passenger compartment. It would still shatter, but would shatter like a windshield does in that all the glass is still intact.

If its only certain 2006 models, that means that someone with a very recently built 2006 will have the laminate already on it straight from the factory, right?

So, anyone out there with a VERY new tC? Let us know, how does it look? Provide pics if possible!


I'd say that more than likely the laminate would be on the underside of the deflector as not to deviate from the top looking like glass... Anyone else think so?

It would be absolutely pointless to put laminate on the underside of the glass. The problem is that an object strikes the glass forming surface stress fractures that very quickly into a much larger crack and then...psshhhhh...the glass shatters. If the laminate were on the bottom side it would have no effect on the initial surface fracture that caused the piece to shatter. By placing the laminate over the glass, the glass now has some protection and the strength of the glass is now reinforced.

I do agree that it would look a whole lot better on the bottom side of the glass but all it would do would be prevent the little pieces of glass from falling into the passenger compartment. It would still shatter, but would shatter like a windshield does in that all the glass is still intact.

I believe that is the point to prevent the little pieces of glass from falling into the passenger compartment. Like you said it would shatter but like the windshield. Thats all. Its glass. If you want you could put rock blocker on the front of the thing and also put some rockblocker on the front windshield to protect it. Same thing, its considered wear and tear.

the laminate that they are describing is a basic clear impact resitant "tape" that keeps the glass connected instead of letting the shards fall onto passengers etc...it is already installed on your windshield, and you don't even know about it. When installed properly, hopefully your local repair representatives are capable, you won't even know its there.

if scion/toyota is forced to replace the glass, they will probably just replace the section of glass with a tinted plexiglass, or possibly a black piece of ABS plastic. that would be the cheapest route for the fix.

Just limo tint your roof and you'll be fine

the laminate that they are describing is a basic clear impact resitant "tape" that keeps the glass connected instead of letting the shards fall onto passengers etc...it is already installed on your windshield, and you don't even know about it. When installed properly, hopefully your local repair representatives are capable, you won't even know its there.

if scion/toyota is forced to replace the glass, they will probably just replace the section of glass with a tinted plexiglass, or possibly a black piece of ABS plastic. that would be the cheapest route for the fix.

Unfortunately you are a bit off...... Windshields are made with two pieces of glass with the impact tape in between them that is why when you're in an accident/wreck, it just shatters without the "flying debris" unlike the side windows which is one piece. BACK TO MY POINT..... if they were to put the "impact resistant" tape on the underside of the wind deflector... it would be just the same as tinting the window.... a tinted window does not shatter... it is held together by the tint for the most part... as would the case be with the "tape", it would hold the glass together with minimal "flying debris". Which would you rather have..... a face & lapful of broken glass... or maybe just a couple pieces. It's a quick easy fix for them to do.

I just picked my car up yesterday from the dealer becuase I took it in because the sunroof sounded like it was going to fall out, well they told me that they could not find anything wrong with it and to bring it back if anything else happens. I am so mad right now.

This isn't for the sunroof... it's for the deflector that pops up in front of the sunroof.

And if they said to bring it back... take it back. Keep taking it back until they find something or get someone else to look at it.

So how do I know if my tC is recalled?

I just got off the phone with Scion at this moment there are no VINs listed so i cant give you a range. There realy isnt even an effective date it continues to sate late october. Im trying to see if they get my VIN they just sent me to Customer Care instead of the Scion Experience and maybe i can get a range from them... ill keep you guys updated though.

EDIT: Okay just finished my conversation with Customer Experience. It turns out that there is no effective date as of now, when ever you recieve the letter you recieve it. The installation of this laminate is totally free to you and the dealership will install for you as any recalls are usually done. Now the Laminate on your car you do not see, it doesnt change the way you are looking at the car, you cant notice that its even there. No outlines, no scrunching no nothing. With that the cars that are being recalled are ones bought between March 04 - July 05... which means any 06 model vehicle purchased after july already has this laminate on the car and you cant even see it. Now i purchased mine in August and never noticed anything so there is nothing to it. Hopefully this helps all of you... If you call up, there is no range of VINs they can just look up your VIN and let you know if you are affected by this Service Campaign.

Sweet! About time they finally have taken action for an obvious design flaw. Much Props to Scion for taken responsibility and keeping the drivers safe! :clap: :clap: :clap:

After waiting until it became apparent they couldn't get away with ignoring it...

No, but with the three original complaints (at the beginning of the investigation) , they had to be sure that they were legit... why?? because whining kids try to sue them for wheels breaking because of sliding into curbs at 60 mph,

And so, exactly what reckless owner mod would cause the deflector glass to shatter onto the driver and passengers? Toyota was stupid to use tempered glass on _any_ forward-facing glass surface that is likely to catch a thrown rock. It's not even a good idea to use tempered glass on fixed sunroofs. There's a very good reason why windshields have to be laminated, not tempered!

Also, the number of complaints is well more than 3. It might have been 3 months ago, but then again they could say that the number was zero using the same logic.

The real reason behind Toyota's action was simply to avoid an involuntary recall, which is definitely a black mark.

Sweet! About time they finally have taken action for an obvious design flaw. Much Props to Scion for taken responsibility and keeping the drivers safe! :clap: :clap: :clap:

After waiting until it became apparent they couldn't get away with ignoring it...

No, but with the three original complaints (at the beginning of the investigation) , they had to be sure that they were legit... why?? because whining kids try to sue them for wheels breaking because of sliding into curbs at 60 mph,

And so, exactly what reckless owner mod would cause the deflector glass to shatter onto the driver and passengers? Toyota was stupid to use tempered glass on _any_ forward-facing glass surface that is likely to catch a thrown rock. It's not even a good idea to use tempered glass on fixed sunroofs. There's a very good reason why windshields have to be laminated, not tempered!

Also, the number of complaints is well more than 3. It might have been 3 months ago, but then again they could say that the number was zero using the same logic.

The real reason behind Toyota's action was simply to avoid an involuntary recall, which is definitely a black mark.

Where did I say that an owner mod caused the sunroof issue????????? Nowhere. I used the example of people blaming thier own negligence and mods on toyota, which is one reason the companies are so skeptical about any warranty report.

Second, I was the one who brought up there being more than 3 complaints to start with, but when the original issue hit NHTSA there were 3 complaints, and were for a good part of the investigation. I have followed the doco trail on the NHTSA investigation since about 2 weeks after it opened, so I know the numbers involved. So the point I made was that during the first stages, there were three complaints, and the company most likely wanted to make sure that they were legit. Or at least that probably contributed to the long delay.

Did I EVER say toyota could not have responded better? Did I EVER say that using tempered glass was a good idea? No to both of the above, so I am confused as to what in my post you are arguing with. I simply stated that the large number of FRAUD complaints and whiney kids reporting thier own abuse as warranty issues has helped to cause the manufacturers to disbelieve everything that comes in the door.

I just picked my car up yesterday from the dealer becuase I took it in because the sunroof sounded like it was going to fall out, well they told me that they could not find anything wrong with it and to bring it back if anything else happens. I am so mad right now.

hey jen.. find another dealer.. some dealers do nothing but make excuses..

I just got off the phone with Scion at this moment there are no VINs listed so i cant give you a range. There realy isnt even an effective date it continues to sate late october. Im trying to see if they get my VIN they just sent me to Customer Care instead of the Scion Experience and maybe i can get a range from them... ill keep you guys updated though.

EDIT: Okay just finished my conversation with Customer Experience. It turns out that there is no effective date as of now, when ever you recieve the letter you recieve it. The installation of this laminate is totally free to you and the dealership will install for you as any recalls are usually done. Now the Laminate on your car you do not see, it doesnt change the way you are looking at the car, you cant notice that its even there. No outlines, no scrunching no nothing. With that the cars that are being recalled are ones bought between March 04 - July 05... which means any 06 model vehicle purchased after july already has this laminate on the car and you cant even see it. Now i purchased mine in August and never noticed anything so there is nothing to it. Hopefully this helps all of you... If you call up, there is no range of VINs they can just look up your VIN and let you know if you are affected by this Service Campaign.

Very cool.. thanks for calling and doing some digging to find out who's affected.. can you take a close look at your wind deflector and see if there is anything there? pics would be good, but hey don't want to be greedy.. lol so what's the VIN# of yours (last 6 digits)? that way if you do have it, we can at least have an idea..

You know, this still does nothing to make me feel better, considering it was my REAR glass panel that shattered.

*sigh*

I heard about this today while driving..they were talking about it on NPR...if I "get the memo" I'll post anything regarding VIN#'s if we haven't heard anything yet...mine was in the first batch shipped so my VIN# is in the low 1,000's.

Sweet! About time they finally have taken action for an obvious design flaw. Much Props to Scion for taken responsibility and keeping the drivers safe! :clap: :clap: :clap:

After waiting until it became apparent they couldn't get away with ignoring it...

No, but with the three original complaints (at the beginning of the investigation) , they had to be sure that they were legit... why?? because whining kids try to sue them for wheels breaking because of sliding into curbs at 60 mph,

And so, exactly what reckless owner mod would cause the deflector glass to shatter onto the driver and passengers? Toyota was stupid to use tempered glass on _any_ forward-facing glass surface that is likely to catch a thrown rock. It's not even a good idea to use tempered glass on fixed sunroofs. There's a very good reason why windshields have to be laminated, not tempered!

Also, the number of complaints is well more than 3. It might have been 3 months ago, but then again they could say that the number was zero using the same logic.

The real reason behind Toyota's action was simply to avoid an involuntary recall, which is definitely a black mark.

Where did I say that an owner mod caused the sunroof issue????????? Nowhere. I used the example of people blaming thier own negligence and mods on toyota, which is one reason the companies are so skeptical about any warranty report.

Second, I was the one who brought up there being more than 3 complaints to start with, but when the original issue hit NHTSA there were 3 complaints, and were for a good part of the investigation. I have followed the doco trail on the NHTSA investigation since about 2 weeks after it opened, so I know the numbers involved. So the point I made was that during the first stages, there were three complaints, and the company most likely wanted to make sure that they were legit. Or at least that probably contributed to the long delay.

Did I EVER say toyota could not have responded better? Did I EVER say that using tempered glass was a good idea? No to both of the above, so I am confused as to what in my post you are arguing with. I simply stated that the large number of FRAUD complaints and whiney kids reporting thier own abuse as warranty issues has helped to cause the manufacturers to disbelieve everything that comes in the door.

If you indulge in an off-topic tirade about whiney kids and fraudulent claims caused by modifications, don't be surprised if someone points out that most product defects (including the one being discussed here) have nothing to do with modifications. The hesitance of dealers and manufacturers to acknowlege design problems has much more to do with their bottom line than with the possiblity of fraudulent claims.

scionlife saves us again

I would also guess the laminate is underneath because if it shatters and the laminate is underneath, there is less chance of any glass chips from going into the car. I bet this is similar to the stuff rock blocker sells. If you wanted to and you didn't want to wait, you could probably get anyone who does clear bra installations to do your sunroof and wind deflector now. I know they have another product they use for headlights that is optically correct, but I doubt you'd really need it for the sunroof.

If its only certain 2006 models, that means that someone with a very recently built 2006 will have the laminate already on it straight from the factory, right?

So, anyone out there with a VERY new tC? Let us know, how does it look? Provide pics if possible!

Well I just picked up my TC on Saturday (Oct 15), but I ordered it about 3 weeks earlier, so I'm not even sure if I got the "later" '06 model. The dealer never mentioned anything to me about this problem with the moonroof, so I doubt I got the new TC with the laminated moonroof... I guess I'll call tomorrow and find out.

I don't know who they were kidding - I'm sure that when this fix gets rolling they're going to start selling them with it applied, but I have a feeling the recall involves everything out there. I think you'd probably have heard something about it if your car already had this fix applied.

i hear something like that to but what if i had some art work up there are they going to pay to replace that to

Probably not - they aren't responsible if you modified something and now it's getting in the way. Maybe they'll say sorry, but I doubt they're replacing it.

would this have anything to do with the sunroof rattling though?

With that the cars that are being recalled are ones bought between March 04 - July 05... which means any 06 model vehicle purchased after july already has this laminate on the car and you cant even see it. Now i purchased mine in August and never noticed anything so there is nothing to it. Hopefully this helps all of you...

Purchased or produced?? I also bought my 06 in August so we will have to see because the manufacturers date is June 06. :nails:

it will most likely affect ALL TC's up to the ones coming off the production line right now.

sweet, got my '06 beginning of july 05. hopefully the letter will coincide w/ the free oil change at 5k miles :P

I am not sure that three documented cases constitutes an "obvious design flaw"...
Toyota don't recall anything unless they absolutely have to. I think it was about a dozen cases were reported to the NHTSA, Toyota initially brushed it off as just debris hitting it which is common but they had about 40 sunroofs replaced under warratee due to this problem and the NHTSA upgraded the investigation to an engineering analysis (which usually means they will be forced to recall.) We've seen quite a few reports of shattering sunroofs and deflectors here, at least one of which happened while the car was stationary with the driver in it.

so from what i've heard the fix is applied to the bottom side of the deflector? so that does nothing to protect the surface from rocks all it will do is prevent the glass from showering in on us??

And so, exactly what reckless owner mod would cause the deflector glass to shatter onto the driver and passengers?

The one where you use the deflector for target practice. (Sounds mighty stupid, but after reading other stuff on this site nothing surprises me anymore.)

"That's my dad's shootin' car, only 2 more payments and its ours!" -Nelson Muntz.

so from what i've heard the fix is applied to the bottom side of the deflector? so that does nothing to protect the surface from rocks all it will do is prevent the glass from showering in on us??

Its all speculation at this point, but I don't see how a laminate on the outside would be much better. Tempered glass will crack and break whether a thin piece of laminate (which would itself be pierced by an impact) is on the inside or outside.

Cosmetically, I guess I'd rather have it on the inside. Functionally, I doubt it makes a difference.

If you indulge in an off-topic tirade about whiney kids and fraudulent claims caused by modifications, don't be surprised if someone points out that most product defects (including the one being discussed here) have nothing to do with modifications. The hesitance of dealers and manufacturers to acknowlege design problems has much more to do with their bottom line than with the possiblity of fraudulent claims.

Umm, how exactly was that off topic?? People were complaining about how Scion took so long to respond, which is EXACTLY what I was referring to. There seems to be some type of comprehension issue in here.

it would make sense for the laminate to be on the outside. thats why they make rock blocker for the paint and film for the headlights, rocks bounce off of it, less chance of chipping.

now, if you drove behind a gravel truck, yeah, that'll do it...but why would you put your tc under that burden?

Remeber that protecting paint over metal (a hard surface with a brittle coating) from rock chips is different from protecting tempered glass (a hard brittle surface) from exploding. I think having it on the outside might insulate the glass from the blow a very little bit, but I still see this move from Toyota as a way to protect from falling glass, not a way to keep the glass from breaking.

I wonder if those people in MB C230 have the same issue but just not reporting it because they luv their Mercedes? You can clearly see the winddeflector is similar to the tC. Is it made of tempered glass?

http://www.elepent.com/photos/mercedes/c230.jpg

Here's an interesting article on Tempered vs. Laminated glass use in the auto industry: http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/cars/windshields/

And apparently Ford was sued this year for $31 million for not using laminated glass on all it's windows. http://www.overlawyered.com/archives/002335.html

great now some money hungry dumba$$ is goning to sue.
It probably should be laminated glass. simmilar to a windshield (im sure the mb's is)

If they do laminate it at the dealer, it should be on both sides, so when a rock hits, it doesnt break all over the car AND doesnt go into the cabin

That's an interesting article and I don't think anyone is debating that laminated glass is stronger, but what I'm curious about is the tempered glass that's in our roof and deflector - it's also factory tinted. I was under the impression that you could somehow do this with tempered glass but not laminated - anyone know if that's true? I wish we could specify side and back windows tinted the same color from the factory as the roof - I love having tinted windows with no film to get messed up.

Hmmmm... The tops of many (most?) laminated windshields are tinted...

not all VIN #'s are affected.
VIN range is as follows:

year VDS Ranges
05 DE167 0001012-0063405

05 DE177 0001011-0063402

06 DE167 0067193-0072437

06 DE177 0063406-0072439


Reimbursement for Wind Deflector Shattering Prior to the launch of this SSC
As required by Federal Regulation, Toyota will reimburse customers for repair/replacement costs associated with the Wind Deflector shattering for this condition prior to the launch of the campaign. Customers requesting reimbursement are requested to mail a copy of their repair order, proof-of-payment,and
proof-of-ownership to the following address for reimbursement consideration:

Toyota Motor Sales, USA, INC.
Scion Customer Experience, WC10
19001 South Western Avenue
Torrance,CA 90509

They must include their name,address,and telephone number(s) in the request. It will take apporximately 4-6 weeks to review their request. Please note that reimbursement does not cover damage resulting from direct abuse,vandalism or reasons which are not directly related to this issue.

Repairs of Shattered Wind Deflectors
If the Wind Deflector Glass is shattered when the customer's vehicle arrives at the dealership for their appointment, as it will not be possible to affix the laminate, Toyota will replace the Wind Deflector Glass on a one-time basis at no charge, provided the Wind Deflector was not shattered from direct abuse, vandalism or reasons which are not directly related to this issue.

It's a goddamn shame this doesn't include all glass panels which have been shattered, because Scion would be cutting me a pretty freaking fat check right now.

This is crap IMO.

Yeah - well if Scion admitted that the glass they used for the deflector was not up to par because if during normal use it could shatter, I think you have a pretty damn strong case to say that the rest of the sunroof, made of the same glass, which also tilts, could be dangerous or crappy in normal use. Arbitration now might sound like a better idea. But if you're all paid off and it's the past, you might just want to let it go.

i posted that info for those who have already had theirs crack/shatter, and caused other damage...if so, please contact them to get your case reviewed so you have a chance of bein reimbursed!
you have nothing to lose

has anyone gotten it done yet? i want to see what it looks like


*edit*
I called up my dealership today and they didnt even ask for my VIN #, so I set up an appointment for the fix on 11/1.

Sounds to me like the laminate they are using is expected to help prevent breakage since they are required to re-imburse those whose deflectors broke before the campaign.

And as far as a laminate NOT protecting from breakage, that is not completely true. A sharp object at the right angle can create a small chip/crack that will cause tempered glass to shatter. A thin film can help to reduce the effect of that sharp edge. Just a thought

the laminate will help, trust me
not all dealers have the info on this yet, so if you call, and they have no idea...do'nt stress!

yea, when i called my dealer today he said that they got the info just today

I'll probably wait until next week and then I'm going to try and get them to do this when I take the car in for an oil change and to get them to check out the AC.

Yeah - well if Scion admitted that the glass they used for the deflector was not up to par because if during normal use it could shatter, I think you have a pretty damn strong case to say that the rest of the sunroof, made of the same glass, which also tilts, could be dangerous or crappy in normal use. Arbitration now might sound like a better idea. But if you're all paid off and it's the past, you might just want to let it go.
My insurance paid for it actually, but it did cost $2500 total so it's not so easy to "let go." Beyond that, I'm scared of it happening again, not only because it's really dangerous, but more because it sucks to have your brand new car with less than 3k miles on it in the shop for 6 weeks because nobody has any parts available to repair the car.

It's a step in the right direction, but it's incomplete.

Scion appreciates everyone’s comments on our Special Service Campaign 50S and wanted to take the opportunity to address a few questions that have come up which might not have been clear here on Scion Life.

We have seen some questions regarding what vehicles are involved in this SSC. The affected 2005 model year and early 2006 model year Scion tC’s were produced from March, 2004, through July, 2005. Vehicles produced after this date already have the laminate applied from the factory. As a reminder, owners of affected vehicles should receive a notice in the mail in the next few weeks. Also, you may contact your local Scion dealer or our Scion Customer Experience Center and provide your VIN to verify vehicle involvement.

Our office has also seen questions wondering how the laminate is applied. The laminate is matte black in color and is applied to the interior face of the moonroof wind deflector, so it is not visible from the exterior of the vehicle. Any Scion or Toyota dealer will install the protective laminate to the Wind Deflector to prevent pieces of glass from separating from the Wind Deflector Frame at NO CHARGE to the vehicle owners.

Again, we appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns and appreciate your comments!

So what happens when it breaks from road debris? Is that covered under warranty or are we screwed into paying for a replacement when the deflector should have been made from a different material to start with? Why do companies always put band-aids on problems instead of addressing the real problem, ie, not making the deflector out of a material that can shatter!

So if you got a tC a few weeks ago you are ok??

I agree they should make it a different material...maybe carbon fiber would be cool. It's not just Scion, other vehicles could have the same issue. I just think because the position of the wind deflector, it should be made of different material (black). As far as the campaign, I'll look into the details today on the proceedure. The tC's coming in and in stock on my lot I will varify the laminate was applied. A glass roof is totally cool, but there are some issues. If that's the case, all sunroofs have issues with objects flying and hitting them at various speeds....slow down ;)

Sweet! About time they finally have taken action for an obvious design flaw. Much Props to Scion for taken responsibility and keeping the drivers safe! :clap: :clap: :clap:

design flaw? I don't see that. If you are stupid enough to be driving down the highway or interstate at those speeds with the sunroof open i believe its your own fault. I am sorry to sound like a smart a--- but its common sense driving with it open and being all glass something hits it with that much of an impact would cause it to shatter.

Sweet! About time they finally have taken action for an obvious design flaw. Much Props to Scion for taken responsibility and keeping the drivers safe! :clap: :clap: :clap:

design flaw? I don't see that. If you are stupid enough to be driving down the highway or interstate at those speeds with the sunroof open i believe its your own fault. I am sorry to sound like a smart a--- but its common sense driving with it open and being all glass something hits it with that much of an impact would cause it to shatter.


No. its common sense to believe that a product should work as designed.. It says NOWHERE that you cannot drive with it open. And you can easily design one to operate in that manner. I hit a bird with the top corner of the sunroof in my saturn at 60mph. Hit so hard that it snapped the control cable off one side of the roof so it would not operate and did not even crack the glass.

I am sorry , but the idea that it is the owners fault for (oh my dear god!) driving with the sunroof open (which it is DESIGNED for) is insane. Take it from someone with engineering experience, you have to design for all normal operating conditions to be a good designer. So, we have a car that will run highway speeds, this car has a sunroof, and also consider that people have been driving on the highway at highway speeeds with them open since the dawn of sunroofs.... common sense says you design for it. The manual even tells you which position to use at HIGHWAY speeds to prevent wind throb (an annoyance) . HMMMMM sounds like they planned on you driving at highway speeds with it open. So, if I am driving 60mph with my window open and my rear glass flies out of the car... would you say that is "owner stupidity?" :rofl:

Of course things happen, stuff hits a car and causes damage. But when an increasing number of these instances occur it becomes apparent that there is a flaw somewhere. In this case, they should have at least considered a different material for the deflector, since it is sure to take the brunt of debris impacts.

This is as simple as can be imagined.

Sweet! About time they finally have taken action for an obvious design flaw. Much Props to Scion for taken responsibility and keeping the drivers safe! :clap: :clap: :clap:

design flaw? I don't see that. If you are stupid enough to be driving down the highway or interstate at those speeds with the sunroof open i believe its your own fault. I am sorry to sound like a smart a--- but its common sense driving with it open and being all glass something hits it with that much of an impact would cause it to shatter.

My roof was closed when it shattered, so there goes your theory...

Any device that deploys specifically to deflect something away should be able to withstand the expected impacts at any speeds within the normal operating range of the vehicle...

If you have read this statement it says any vehicle built between March 04 and July 05, which means if you look at the driver side door where the Vin is located with the gross vehicle wieght ect. it will have a production date, if the car was produce during or after 08/05 you will be fine, just because you bought it in August doesn't mean that it has had the SSC applied, do us all a favor and just look, 08/05 or later your Ok 07/05 or earlier you will be receiving a letter. To the next hand, this is a Wind deflector not a rock deflector and it does do its job in this sense, yes Toyota did not take in account that maybe a rock would hit that thing fast enough to shatter the glass, but like your wind shield it is glass and anything traveling at a fast enough speed, with enough force will break the glass, and we pay our insurance companies the money we do every month to cover us from having to come out of pocket for these every day occurrences, the vehicle was built to US standards and the glass that is used meets all requirements. To the laminate, it is placed under the wind deflector and it will not stop the glass from breaking but it will stop it from falling in your lap. This is all Toyota is trying to prevent as they will be liable if you get injured. Stop complaining and realize that stuff happens, people don’t think far enough ahead, and at this point they are trying to fix it as much as possible. On to the Rattles, look forward to future SSC for these problems, your angry words are not being missed and or forgotten about, the technical team is looking into these issues and working towards future ease of all these problems. If you have a problem after this is all said in done, don’t buy this car or go get a different one, every vehicle has its little issues, mine has had a high pitch whistling noise since the day I’ve bought it, and after 30,000 miles I have a field technician doing his best to find and fix the problem. I will bring my camera to work on Tuesday and take a picture of the laminate they are talking about, I have a vehicle on my show room that has this done from the factory, (to those that don’t understand, it was built during or after 8/05).

~Ben~


Scion appreciates everyone’s comments on our Special Service Campaign 50S and wanted to take the opportunity to address a few questions that have come up which might not have been clear here on Scion Life.

We have seen some questions regarding what vehicles are involved in this SSC. The affected 2005 model year and early 2006 model year Scion tC’s were produced from March, 2004, through July, 2005. Vehicles produced after this date already have the laminate applied from the factory. As a reminder, owners of affected vehicles should receive a notice in the mail in the next few weeks. Also, you may contact your local Scion dealer or our Scion Customer Experience Center and provide your VIN to verify vehicle involvement.

Our office has also seen questions wondering how the laminate is applied. The laminate is matte black in color and is applied to the interior face of the moonroof wind deflector, so it is not visible from the exterior of the vehicle. Any Scion or Toyota dealer will install the protective laminate to the Wind Deflector to prevent pieces of glass from separating from the Wind Deflector Frame at NO CHARGE to the vehicle owners.

Again, we appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns and appreciate your comments!

Scion appreciates everyone’s comments on our Special Service Campaign 50S...Our office has also seen questions wondering how the laminate is applied. The laminate is matte black in color and is applied to the interior face of the moonroof wind deflector, so it is not visible from the exterior of the vehicle.

hmmm, matte black? Does this mean that the laminate isn't transparent?

BTW, There's a good reason that tempered glass is used in all windows of the car but the forward facing glass. Tempered glass is much more resistant to cracking than laminated glass. Tempering puts the surface in compression, which means that rock impacts are less likely to cause damage.

The downside of this is that when the impact is severe enough to cause damage to the glass, the entire glass fails. The interior of the glass is in tension, so any crack that gets through the outer layer of glass will immediately propogage throughout the glass, turning it into kibbles.

Tempered glass used to be used in windshields, as it was better than plain glass in break resistance and safety. However, when tempered glass windshields did break the entire windshield dropped in the driver's lap. Laminated glass eliminated this problem. However, laminated glass cracks with less impact than tempered glass, a fact that many Scion owners have reason to lament. If laminated glass were used in side and rear windows they would be damaged much more often and by lesser impacts than they presently are.

The article cited earlier in this thread concerning the Canadian professor who wants laminated glass required in all glass had a couple of fallacies in it. The professor used a 5-pound rock to simulate a child's head hitting the tempered glass pane. This was dramatic for the news cameras, but not realistic. The reason that the rock shattered the tempered glass easily is because it applied a highly concentrated point load, something a flesh-covered skull can't do nearly as well. The fact is that if an unprotected head hits a tempered glass window hard enough to shatter the window, being ejected from the car will be the least of the victim's worries. He will most likely die of head trauma, not the ejection.

George

In the clear!!! I just went to check for the MFG Date and it said 9/05. How long does it take to build a tC anyways??

y don't scion just replace the whole glass roof to plastic with some scratch resistance coating (like on some of our glasses that we use to read or see). Lighter, and no safty hazard.

y don't scion just replace the whole glass roof to plastic with some scratch resistance coating (like on some of our glasses that we use to read or see). Lighter, and no safty hazard.

Even "scratch resistant" plastic will scratch more than most customers want. Ask anyone who has had a plastic windshield on a motorcycle.

George

For the same weight, a clear plastic roof would not have the rigidity or strength of tempered glass, and would not only be a weaker chassis element, but would likely "drum" from the airflow over it.

(Also, to fit the top of the vehicle without major changes, the plastic would have to be the same thickness as the original glass, which would bmake it lighter, but much weaker.)

Aside from man-made sapphire, or the new 'transparent aluminum', tempered glass is about the overall strongest 'clear' material we have.

Too bad transparent aluminum is so expensive...

(Transparent aluminum is not just in Star Trek IV, but in the USAF labs... USAF News (http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123012131).)

Hey, Detroit is trying to make a big deal out of this:

http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/irep20e_20051020.htm

I hope this isn't pleasure at another's misfortune? How low would that be?

I guess its just a straight reporting of the unvarnished facts...

hey Tomas!! That transparent aluminum is awesome! it uses it as a "strike plate" and can resist sand and knicks.. uses glass as a 2nd bonded material.. wow.. very cool stuff you found!

And yeah I do remember Star Trek IV when Scottie was trying to talk to that Macintosh computer.. to tell it how to make transparent aluminum.. lol

But I wonder how long it is before this commercially available for cars.. Very cool stuff, I want some! :)

As being one of the three open and active reports with the NHTSA - Case #10119997 Action Number PE05021. Think I will get my $832.87 back I paid for a Glass SUB-ASSY. SLID replacement?

Mine broke on April 26th of this year while I was driving down the road.

When I was dealing with this initally the dealer pretty much told me to eat it because in their eyes it was not their problem the wind deflector broke.

Getting the recall news has made my day.

actually yeah i think you should, now that toyota has admitted there is a problem with the sunroof.. if nhtsa does a recall it's guaranteed you'd get your money back, but at this stage, you might tell scion customer service you want your money back.. see what they do.. I would say a lawyer would be your last resort.

But yes they should pay you back, since they now admit a problem..

i went to the dealer 9am saturday morning to get my 5,000 mile service done. figured i'd be out by 11 the latest. well i ended up leaving at 2:30!!! turns out they decided to take care of this sunroof recall. i'm glad they did it, but damn it took forever. good thing longo has a starbucks and subway on location!

Hey, Detroit is trying to make a big deal out of this:

http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/irep20e_20051020.htm

I hope this isn't pleasure at another's misfortune? How low would that be?

I guess its just a straight reporting of the unvarnished facts...

Reads like a straight news story to me. Might be helpful for those tC owners who don't read SL!

George

i went to the dealer 9am saturday morning to get my 5,000 mile service done. figured i'd be out by 11 the latest. well i ended up leaving at 2:30!!! turns out they decided to take care of this sunroof recall. i'm glad they did it, but damn it took forever. good thing longo has a starbucks and subway on location!

So what did they do exactally? Did they put something on the top side or under the wind deflector? I dont see putting something on the outside taking that long...

EDIT: NVM, I read some of the previous posts! :crazy:

ok, i don't get it. it says my tC was made 10/04 so i'd be up for the recall. but my vin is JTKDE177150026019 . according to the earlier post, my vin isn't covered in the range. i guess i'll wait for the post card

It looks like you VIN is right in the range, no problem...
(yours is underlined)

'05 ***DE167**0001012 - 0063405

'05 ***DE177**0001011 - 0026019 - 0063402

'06 ***DE167**0067193 - 0072437

'06 ***DE177**0063406 - 0072439

:)

oh ok, i got consfused, i guess the 0's should be replaced with x's, thanks

Lemme do one more listing of just part of the range, OK?

***DE177**0001011
***DE177**0026019
***DE177**0063402

Your's (JTKDE177150026019) really does fit right in, "0s" and all. :)

So what did they do exactally? Did they put something on the top side or under the wind deflector? I dont see putting something on the outside taking that long...

EDIT: NVM, I read some of the previous posts! :crazy:

yeah, i thought they were going to put something on the outside from the stuff i read on here earlier, you know, like a rockblocker type of thing. put no. it's goes on the inside so they have to remove that whole piece. funny thing is, i had complained about a metal click sound that my sunroof makes the first time i open it, and only the first time after it's been sitting for a while. they said that this recall was supposed to take care of that, but i didn't see how because when you first open the sunroof to that first position, it doesn't move that wind deflector at all. anyways, my point is i still hear that metal click coming from the drivers side when i open the sunroof to the first position. does anyone else have this problem? i know it didn't do it before.

I am not sure that three documented cases constitutes an "obvious design flaw"...

No, but anyone with common sense can figure out that a glass deflector will eventually be struck with road debris. Not exactly rocket science buddy......

Do we have to wait for recall notification or can we just bring it in and be done with it?

I am not sure that three documented cases constitutes an "obvious design flaw"...

No, but anyone with common sense can figure out that a glass deflector will eventually be struck with road debris. Not exactly rocket science buddy......

Do we have to wait for recall notification or can we just bring it in and be done with it?

From what I hear as long as the dealer has been notified they will take them in. A couple of people on here took them in before being notified. Of course it may depend on your dealer as well.

i just went for an oil change and they ended up taking care of it. i had not received any prior notice from anyone.

Reminder of Vin's

2005:

DE167 0001012-0063405
DE177 0001011-0063402

2006:

DE167 0061793-0072437
DE177 0063406-0072439

Just a reminder this is ONLY 12 digits of you 17 digit vin, there will be 3 digits or letters before the DE167/DE177 and 2 digits before the vin range, for Example JTKDE167250013328. If you are in the Auburn/Grass Valley/Colfax/Rocklin/Roseville area of CA contact me via e-mail or PM to Schedule an appointment to have this repair done.

We have the laminate on our tC's sunroof. I will take a pic later. The only way you or someone else will know that it is there is if you are really lookin for it.

cool.. a pic would be great.. thanks bBlover!! :)

Took mine in this morning. Dealer said to leave it ALL DAY!!? WTH?? The TSB says it should only take an hour. I was the 3rd person in line. Will update later.

*EDIT*-Well, I FINALLY got my tC back. (7.5 hrs later!?) Honestly, you can't tell. There is a very thin (and kinda rough) matte black film on the back of my deflector now. Its hard to take a pic because the film doesn't quite go all the way to the ends of the deflector. Peace out, G's.

I got mine done last week @ Fletcher Jones Scion. It only took like 45 minutes total. I was going to snap a pic but honestly you can't see it.

oh nice.. so why not laminate the bumper and everything else? JK

I just got a notice in the mail to bring my tC in :( I thought I was lucky and owuldn't have to deal with it. Oh well. I thought this recall was made al ong time ago so I thought I was in the clear.... darn.

Dunno if it's been said or not, but this recall appears to be more than a "we'll mail the select few tC's with the issue". I dropped my tC off over the weekend to fix a squeaking sound behind the radio, and when I picked it up 2 days later the guy told me they had taken care of "a voluntary recall" Scion had. When I checked the invoice, sure enough, there was the "fixed glass wind deflector" item.

Cosmetically, it looks the exact same to me. I was just surprised that they'd done it, when from what I'd read on here it wasn't all that big of a deal. Whatever, I've got me some semi brand-new parts.

anyone who got this done got any PIX?

ok guys and gals its a thin layer of what looks like textured vynle it is put on between the glss and the metl frame i guess it will help the peace from pulling away from the double side tape holding it on origanally ok well of you know anyone with a 06 about 2 month old look at there's because if I post a pic you would never see it Ok but if you want me to post back ok :rofl:

Sorry guys, i forgot to post a pic. I will ASAP!!

ok since my tC got recall notice! and i work for a dealer, i will post up pics.. hopefully tomorrow!

http://img2.postimage.org/84198/MVC_685F.jpg (http://img2.postimage.org/cars/kadevelopment/84198/MVC_685F.html)

http://img2.postimage.org/84201/MVC_686F.jpg (http://img2.postimage.org/cars/kadevelopment/84201/MVC_686F.html)

http://img2.postimage.org/84206/MVC_689F.jpg (http://img2.postimage.org/cars/kadevelopment/84206/MVC_689F.html)

http://img2.postimage.org/84207/MVC_688F.jpg (http://img2.postimage.org/cars/kadevelopment/84207/MVC_688F.html)

http://img2.postimage.org/84212/MVC_690F.jpg (http://img2.postimage.org/cars/kadevelopment/84212/MVC_690F.html)

http://img2.postimage.org/84217/MVC_691F.jpg (http://img2.postimage.org/cars/kadevelopment/84217/MVC_691F.html)

^^^

Thanks for the pics.

Anyone know, is it wierd that I have not yet gotten my notice? My vin is 26755 so I think I'm supposed to be part of this...

i just got mines done this past week....the way i see it ...all they did was just add a thin layer of special film...its suppose to be like the one thats in our windshield that keeps it from shattering when the glass is broken....it took them less then an hour to do it.

Hi all. This past Saturday, December 3rd, my girlfriend, a friend, and I were cruising down the street going 40mph when we heard glass shattering. We pulled over, and come to find out that the sunroof itself has shattered around the edges and was coming off the rubber holding the glass itself. We have taken pictures and did not see or hear anything hit the glass prior. There are also no visible signs of anything hitting the glass. It just shattered. I know everyone is getting the deflector looked at but was wondering if anyone's sunroof itself ( the part that comes up and back ) shatter. everything was shut and not open when this happened and the sunroof cover kept most of the glass from falling on us. Thanks for your input and she'll definitely look into the deflector recall also.

there was someone on here that was talking about how their sunroof itself shattered on a hot day...he even posted pics up too....its was sad....sorry to hear it happend to her

I appreciate it AtC2nv. It was roughly 75 degrees in Houston that night so it wasn't THAT hot i don't believe.