Your Toyota Camry’s side mirrors are one of the most important safety features, so it’s important that they’re fully functional at all times. Wing mirrors and indicators are part of most NCT and MOT, and if they’re damaged, missing, not adjustable, cracked, broken, loose or impair your view, you’ll likely fail the tests. Additionally, driving without side mirrors is actually illegal. And the fact that they stick out of your car the most, it’s not uncommon to damage or knock them off when driving or parking on narrow streets.
So if you’ve damaged your Toyota Camry side mirror, in most cases, you’ll only have to replace part of it instead of the whole thing. However, in some cases, you might have to buy an entirely new Toyota Camry side mirror. Regardless, you need to familiarise yourself with side mirrors before buying, so that you can identify which parts need to be replaced if the damage is partial. Most commonly, you’ll have to either replace the glass or the cover only.
If you’re shopping for a side mirror glass, the most important thing is to look out for is the flatness or convexity of the mirrors. Usually, the driver’s mirror is flatter than the passenger’s window. Further, some vehicles feature a wide-angle section on the glass which is signified by a faint line. Most new cars have electrically heated side mirrors. These cars feature an internal control switch, and the mirror glass itself should have a small symbol which indicates the heating function.
The covers, on the other hand, protect the housing of the mirrors and all the mechanical parts behind the mirror. When shopping for covers, you’ll find a wide range of covers so make sure you get the right ones. In other words, if your car has side mirrors with built-in indicators, that you’ll want covers that allow for it.
But if the entire mirror is damaged, then you’ll need to replace it completely. A complete side mirror includes the glass, cover and internal housing. The housing includes plugs, connections and wiring for the electronics and heating elements. When replacing the entire mirror, you need to make sure you’re getting the right mirror. In other words, the driver’s side mirror isn’t the same as the passenger’s side mirror. Other things to consider are whether the mirror is fixed or foldable, and if it’s foldable does it do so manually or electrically, whether it’s heated or not, whether the glass is adjustable, and whether there’s a puddle light or indicator light.
