Warped Rear Window

Ya'll might think i'm crazy here. Yesterday, I was leaving work and putting my backpack in my backseat. I looked at my rear window and with the sun reflecting on it, it looked like it was wavy and not flat. Anyone else notice it on theirs? Rear window goes up and down flawlessly so I know there's not a bigger issue. I'm not worried about the wavy rear window, just curious if it's common or not.

 

Were you wearing polarized sunglasses at the time, by any chance?

https://physics.stackexchange.com/q...ed-through-polarized-sunglasses/275128#275128

 

I was but I also took a video. You can tell it's only in a certain area.

 

You can see it on the passenger side. Goes straight up and down

 

Mine is like this, same spot on both sides of the window. I always thought it was by design for the function of the window.

 

Your back window (and probably many more) was made like that. Automotive glass is not what it used to be back in the twentieth century. I bought a new $60K Corvette few years back, and after a few months, noticed a ripple like that on the far passenger side of the windshield.

 

So it's "normal" lol thanks guys.

 

More like the "new normal" for sh*tty glass. Unless the defect is in the driver's field of vision, I doubt they'll do anything about it under warranty since it is primarily "aesthetic". Now, if there are some residual stresses are built into that ripple, and then one day, the truck got hot in the summer sun and the back window blew out.... (I think this has happened, do a search.)

 

On my truck it has those flat spots in the exact same position on both sides. If you look hard there appears to be another one closer the the extreme outside edge. It doesn't appear to be a ripple, but rather a flat spot. In comparison to each other, they appear to be extremely parallel and geometric (exact some position on the other side). They're too perfect to be a QC issue. It appears to be molded in. Now I wonder if its a shitty mold, or is it on purpose? The glass is slightly curved, I wonder if it has to do with tolerances so it can clear the cab when it rolls down?

 

The imperfect glass was one of the first things I noticed after buying my Pro two months ago, never experienced this with any other vehicle. Although it is super annoying, I'm glad its not just mine

 

I’ve noticed the backdoor window,drivers side in my side mirror is wavy like that . I chuckle because it catches my eye every time in certain light conditions

 

I thought the same but the door windows aren't like that. I'm curious if any of the 4Runners do it on their back window? If so, that would lend me to believe it's a specific design.

 

I don’t have the issue on my back glass but the back door does only on 1 side to.

 

My windshield on my 2018 has a warp at the bottom that distorts the road right in front of the hood and makes me go cross-eyed if I don't sit up super straight to see over it (I'm short as shit, 5'3" so..)
When my husband drives my truck he said he doesn't see it but hes 6" taller than me. I'm assuming that's just how shit is made nowadays. My 68 Corvair has bent glass and doesn't have that bs. "Dont make em like they used to"..

 

Interesting. I'll check my door windows later today.

Something in the windshield would drive me nuts though. I'll have to ask my wife is she sees it. She's about your height....on a good day lol

 

Looks fine when I roll it down.

 

Great, now I'm going to be looking for something I would have never known was there

 

My dad worked for an auto glass manufacturer for 25 years and said if they came across a window like that it had to be scrapped. Maybe there's a reason for it as others have said

 

Look at old windows, they often exhibit the same waviness. I've always known it to be due to the way glass was made back in the day. I'd think Toyota is just cheaping out on glass that's not made as well.

 

A good friend of mine is the capital project leader at a steel mill near here in Mobile. Toyota buys A LOT of steel from this mill. He said that Toyota is the most difficult car dealer to work with because their quality control / specifications are so tight. I would be surprised if Toyota was so anal about their steel, but "cheaped out" on their glass. Since this aberration in the glass seems to be fairly typical, I would bet that there is some design reason for it, even though it looks funny to the end user. I may be wrong, but that's what I will believe until contradictory evidence is presented.

I have read where people said the steel is not as thick as it used to be. That could also be an engineered change due to a tighter specification on the steel. A more uniform, flawless sheet of steel can actually be stronger than a slightly thicker sheet with more flaws in it. You can save weight without compromising strength with this approach. Of course, when people modify the original design, say to add mods, other issues may arise.

 

My back glass does the same thing and it drives me nuts. Glad to know I’m not the only one.

 

I drove by two today and tried to eye fuck them hard enough to tell, but it was inconclusive because, well, I had to pay more attention to the road in front of me.

 

Mine doesnt have that. Hmm it must be higher quality glass on mine somehow??

 

I'm going to be staring at the back windows of other trucks now trying to find it. I'm sure i'll get some creepo stares back

 

I install glass on buildings for a living and all glass is wavy as shit. Even the real crazy expensive imported stuff they put on platinum level office buildings is like that.

 

Just for grins, check the manufacturer's logo in the lower passenger side corner. My DC sliding/fixed rear glass was made by AGC, a OEM glass supplier to Toyota, but "Toyota" does not show in the logo. There are no waves that I've noticed or see.

The laminated windshield logo on the lower driver side corner has "Toyota", but the real manufacturer's name (not Toyota) is typically on the second line ("Solargreen"). Actually, I believe this to be an actual manufacturer's name and not a tinted glass label.

The way automotive glass is made is the raw materials are melted, then poured out on a molten tin surface. The glass is then cooled and annealed, cut to shape, the screening applied, and the glass then bent to shape. I assume bending to shape requires careful local application of heat and bending onto a form. If heating is inconsistently applied or the glass is too cool for bending, creation of a "ripple" might result.

There is OEM glass, dealer replacement glass, and aftermarket replacement glass. You would think the imperfections would be in aftermarket replacement glass, but apparently not. I doubt there is any difference in the manufacturing process between grades. Here's a replacement windshield for a BMW 525:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94X45TBPpno