2016 Toyota Prius v - Windshield header rusting

I purchased a Prius V 2016 with color Pearl blizzard. I noticed some bubbling and rust on the top of the windshield. Because the model is not listed on the recall list the dealership said they can’t help me. I’ve owned Toyota’s for the past 30 years and I’m furious of their lack of taking responsibility!

Let Toyota corporate know. Owners manual says how. They may do something for you even if your car is not part of some program they have established. Good luck!

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You bought it used? Or new back in 2016?

If used there’s a possibility that the windshield was replaced once and the place that did the work didn’t do it right.

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Your car has 60 month warranty on the body. Is it older than that? If it is, Toyota doesn’t have to do anything. But they might, worth pursuing it with corporate.

Well I had that problem and the deal is, the rust starts under the molding for the windshield and works up to the roof where you can see it. I needed the windshield replaced so on a long weekend, I had the shop pull the windshield on Friday and drove it home. Then I cleaned and treated the rust in the molding channel, primed with epoxy primer, and repainted. Tuesday they put the new windshield in and I never had a problem after that. You have to get all the rust or it just comes back.

I purchased the car new. Thank you for the information, I will contact their corporate office

Not likely to get a good response after 5 + years. Most new car rust coverage only cover rust holes not surface rust, and then only for a few years.

It’s a 5 year corrosion perforation warranty on the Toyotas:

This warranty covers repair or replacement
of any original body panel that develops
perforation from corrosion (rust-through),
subject to the exceptions indicated under
“What Is Not Covered” (Airborne chemicals, tree sap, road
debris (including stone chips), rail
dust, salt, hail, floods, wind storms,
lightning and other environmental
conditions).

So yes, it’ll be a long shot to get this covered.

+1
The key word is “perforation”.
Surface rust–unfortunately–is not covered by that warranty.

Unlikely to find a rust hole in the roof, more likely surface rust from a stone chip or scratches from replacing the windshield.

The Blizzard Peral paint can peel leaving behind the primer, the primer does not rust.

And all bets about warranty is off if the windshield was ever replaced.

I’ll just expand a little. On mine with the rust on the roof by the windshield, I would actually get water dripping in during rain, so it was a foregone conclusion that the windshield channel itself had a rust hole. So just saying that the rust on the roof may also extend beyond to the channel itself where the windshield is mounted. So could start with a stone chip or two and move on down to the channel. Maybe or maybe not be able to repair it all without pulling the windshield, but the channel is where a rust through would likely develop. A body shop would be best to evaluate it, but yeah not likely any warranty help.

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I bought the very same car new,
2016 Prius V… including the same colour.!

Having the same rusting speckling on the roof / just above my windshield…
About 9 small spots …
Looks like stone chips …
Started in Covid (@Jan/2022)

My windshield was replaced about
2018.
Also again May 2021…!
Bad luck both times … big rock hit & completely done …

Also when u open the drivers door &
Look dwn at the Toyota kick plate …?
Some there…
Also when you lift the rear hatch completely, look at the middle top area (near the black rubber tubing for the top rear brake light) there’s deep rust happening it’s @2” diameter…

This is My 2nd Prius & been driving Toyotas for the last 20 yrs…
Never had these issues…

I’m in Ontario Canada / near the U.S border, so lots of snow & we use salt on our roads / hwy ways etc …
Kelly

To expand a little on my above comment, when I needed a windshield, I had them remove it on the Friday before a long weekend. Then I patched, primed and painted everything. A little fiberglass and two part epoxy primer and never had a problem again.

Not sure about Canada but here in the US they appear to have added the 2010 Prius to the paint peeling customer campaign. At least mom recently got a letter from Toyota, her 2010 has a few minor paint chips from our gravel road for almost 14yrs but otherwise the paint’s held up well otherwise.