A woman on TikTok claims the sun melted her car—and she’s got the footage to prove it.

Katie Murphy (@kaitiemarielsg), who says she’s based in Michigan, has been documenting the strange saga of her Toyota RAV4 since 2021 when she first noticed parts of it were starting to warp.

“My luck I guess,” she wrote in one of her earliest posts on the issue.

In the clip, Murphy shows off her “pretty new” Toyota before zooming in on the damage. “It looked like someone took a heat torch to my car,” she said, pointing out bubbling and warping plastic on the front bumper. When she walked around the vehicle, she noticed her windshield wipers and front windows were affected, too.

Her theory? The sun did it.

“Does this happen to other people?” she asked.

As of this writing, her most recent update video racked up more than 224,700 views, suggesting plenty of people are just as curious—or baffled.

What Happened to the Woman’s Toyota?

Turns out, it wasn’t the sun beating down directly on Murphy’s car that caused the damage, but rather the sunlight bouncing off her house. 

She explained that she regularly parked in front of a window, and the reflected rays concentrated on one part of her vehicle, leading to the warped and melted plastic.

Murphy first posted about the problem back in 2021, so it’s unclear how long the car stayed in that same spot—or if she ever moved it. However, in a recent update she shared last week, the situation didn’t seem to have gotten any better.

“All of this is from the sun,” she said, panning over the still-visible damage on her Toyota.

Can the Sun Melt Your Car? 

Not directly—but reflected sunlight can. 

Intense beams bouncing off windows, especially highly reflective or low-E glass, can concentrate heat enough to warp or melt a car’s plastic parts. Think trim around mirrors, side panels, and other vulnerable plastic areas.

That’s exactly what happened to Murphy. Her home’s windows acted like magnifying glasses, she said, focusing sunlight onto her Toyota and slowly cooking the surface.

According to window film experts, the best way to prevent this kind of damage is to park in the shade, under a carport, or inside a garage. A good car cover also helps block reflected light.

Viewers who saw Murphy’s video offered another tip: Consider installing awnings or applying film to windows near where you park to cut down on the glare.

Even if your plastic trim survives, prolonged sun exposure can still take a toll—fading your paint, warping the interior, and cracking your dashboard. So, it’s worth taking precautions before your car ends up looking like Murphy’s.

This Isn’t the First Time 

Unfortunately for Murphy, she’s not the only Toyota driver who’s claimed the sun is melting their car. While there’s no solid evidence that Toyotas are especially prone to this, similar stories have popped up online.

In the r/Camry subreddit, another Toyota owner shared photos of warped trim, saying they experienced the same issue—even though they lived somewhere with mild weather, averaging around 70 degrees year-round.

Viewers Urge Her to Take Action

After watching Murphy’s video, many commenters had the same question: Why not just move the car or block the glare?

“Wouldn’t a sunscreen on the window prevent this from happening? Also keep your house cooler,” one viewer suggested. 

“They make a special tint that prevents this reflection,” another noted. “You need that on your house ASAP.”

“Get your house windows tinted,” a third added.

Others took a more sarcastic route, joking that it was time to take legal action—against the sun.

“Lawsuit against the sun,” one quipped.

“Quick, sue the sun,” another echoed. 

And some blamed the car itself, using the moment to criticize modern vehicle quality.

“That’s what you’re gonna get with cars made of plastic,” one person wrote. “That need to make them outta metal again.”

“Toyota fell out of the top 5 most reliable vehicles a couple years ago,” another claimed. “They have went downhill big time.” 

Motor1 has reached out to Murphy via a TikTok direct message.

 
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