I have add a recent issue with the radiator hose on my 2008 Toyota Solara conv. The car had 36, 300 miles on it when the upper hose blew out near the radiator connection; which is about 3" from the adjacent unshielded exhaust header.
I had the car towed to my local certified mechanic. (I am currently unemployed and due to the fact the car was out of warranty I did not feel I could afford to take it to a Toyota dealer for service; the repair cost$135 the dealer would have charged $185+.) I took pictures of the hose and surrounding area before any repair work was done. I went to the local dealership with the photos and repair invoice but was told that because the repair was done by an outside mechanic using an after market hose there was nothing they could do about it. Toyota Customer Service said the same thing; however they did offer me a $150 reimbursement on future repairs. I believe the failure of the hose was caused by the extreme heat caused by its close proximity to the exhaust header or the hose was just defective. I no longer have faith in Toyota quality.