Lexus 460 Windshield - water smearing

[LKimura]

My friend has a new 460. The window is not water repellent as advertised. When he drives in the rain the water "smears" so bad that he cannot see. He has to pull off of the road. It is worse with the wipers on because the water smears rather than being wiped off. The dealer has changed the windshield and the 2nd windshield does the same thing.



Now the dealer is going to wax the windshield which is suppose to fix the problem!



Isn`t this going to make it worse?



Won`t it eventually "wear" off?



Does anyone have any idea why this is happening? Does the Lexus come with some type of dressing on the windshield from the factory? There was a "scratch" on the windsheld which I think was on some type of coating rather than on the glass.



thanks for your help and ideas.

[fstb88]

actually if i remember correctly the side windows are advertised to have water repellent ability. and a couple of website verify that, but the windshield is not stated to have that ability. sounds like it needs to be clayed and waxed. "Lexus equips most models with a water-repellent coating on the front door window glass."( Lexus technology 2005 )

The website below states it is the windshield wiper that makes the windshield that way, which is bs to me cause it would have to put down a coating of some sort. LEXUS SC 430 wiper guarantee you see better in rain or snow-PIAA windshield wiper 02-05

[fstb88]

Lexus SC - Features & Pricing - Exterior

The Lexus website actually states it is the driver and passenger side windows that are water repellent. Hes lucky the dealership wasn`t keen to this and exchanged his windshield for I`m guessing under warranty.

[01bluecls]

My dad has a 06 GS300, the driver window and front passenger window have the water repellant but the front windshield does not. The repelled windows are such a PITA to clean right.

[mikebai1990]

Cool! I wonder what these water repellants are like? Similar to a waxed window?

[imported_SHICKS]

FWIW my 2002 4Runner has the repellant windows on the side and rear, but not the front. 5 years and still going strong.



Steve

[paul34]

They probably just throw on a coat of Rain-X at the factory heheh

[dsc07]

I`m the guy with the 460 that Kimura-san is talking about.



The dealer had the car for the last week, while I was out of the country, and they had a factory rep. come out and look at the car. What they have told me is that even though the detailed specs on the Lexus website say "water repellent windshield", the car actually DOES NOT have a water repellent windshield, only the side windows are water repellent. They suggested that the windows weren`t properly waxed when the car was prepped for delivery.



During the last rain we had, I took my car to the dealer and took both the salesman and sales manager for a ride in a new 460 on their lot, and the windshield repelled the water just as expected. Then I took them for a ride in my car and they sat their with their jaw on the floor when they saw how the water sheeted on the windshield instead of beaded. When we hit about 45 mph on the freeway, the windshield became almost opaque. On top of that, I walked around the entire lot, and every car on the lot, from the 460, down to the ES & IS models, all beaded on the windshield while mine sat their with a sheet of water on it. I might buy what they are telling me and go away if they could show me just one car on their lot, or another dealer`s lot, that behaved the same as mine.



My `97 ES300 repelled water fine for 7 years without ever applying anything to the windshield. My `04 LS430 did the same. I would expect their new "flagship" to perform at least as well.

[tcseacliff]

probably a polymer,like rain-x of something. too much wiper chatter with rain -x.