rfkavanagh Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 Has anyone had issues with their windshield cracking? I'm in a 2016 TC (Titanium LWB); I've never had this happen with any previous car - the front windshield now has three large, traveling cracks heading from the center toward each outer side of the car, all extending from whatever that bit is that comes down into the window where the rear-view mirror is. Nothing hit it - it was sitting in my driveway, and I think the heat may have had something to do with it. Now each day is a question of how much farther the cracks will extend and if it's going to actually break at some point. Is this a known issue or has it happened to anyone else? The warranty mentions windshield stress cracks but only covers them during the first 12 months. Any guide for how much it costs to replace a windshield?! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Ridley Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 No issues with my 2016 that lives outside in the Calif sun. It has a chip from road debris that has not cracked yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beta Don Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 There *is* something different about the angle of the windshield on a Gen 2 TC. I've had three small stones hit the windshield and all of them chipped the glass requiring a repair. So far, I've caught them all before they spread, but for a car seldom driven and 95% of the miles on the freeway, it sure seems odd that I've had 3 dings already - Can't remember the last time I've had a chip in any other car Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfkavanagh Posted October 4, 2018 Author Share Posted October 4, 2018 Thanks, both - my TC also lives in the SoCal sun, but I only drive ~5k a year so it's still at less than 20k mileage (I bought it one year old and they'd already put ~10k on the odometer). I've never even experienced a windshield chip before, so having three giant cracks appear spontaneously is really perplexing and annoying, not to mention expensive since it's not covered by the warranty. Speaking of the warranty, mine's up at the end of the year and I need to bring it in to have the retractable scrim for the moonroof fixed (it got jammed up in itself and no longer works), plus the rubber safety guards on both rear doors melted off during our major heatwave. Anyone have any experience with getting fixes on the warranty? Was it a smooth process? Trying to arrange to have the door latch replaced as part of the recall was a nightmare so I still haven't had that done, either. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty150 Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 5 hours ago, rfkavanagh said: The warranty mentions windshield stress cracks but only covers them during the first 12 months. Any guide for how much it costs to replace a windshield?! Good luck with trying to get a free windshield under warranty. Talk to your dealer. Bring it higher up on the food chain if you feel that you are within warranty compliance. Safety is first. Replace the windshield. Pricing for windshields and installation will vary. Save the receipt, in case you can get reimbursed. I would suspect that heat is a factor. Sudden temperature changes also damage auto glass. Although I suspect that you did not pour hot water onto your iced over windshield. I doubt if the vehicle's body flexed in some way to crack the windshield. Your windshield could have been struck, and you are simply unaware of it. While you are parked, some kid could have thrown a rock or used a slingshot. I was Eastbound on California State Route 84. The Dumbarton Bridge connecting Fremont, CA to Menlo Park, CA. From Tesla to FaceBook. 1.63 miles long, 2 lanes. 55 MPH limit. I actually saw the rock come at me and hit my windshield. That was within the first month of ownership. In over a decade, my pickup truck still has the OEM windshield. My work truck, an Econoline, gets 1 - 2 new windshields a year. Same way the work truck collects road debris, travels 1 year on a set of tires, during which time the tires are constantly being plugged and patched. No personal car flat tire in decades. But brand new Transit Connect, with low profile tires, has a damaged wheel from hitting a pothole. I can see that I drive more miles in the work truck, and it goes onto industrial properties and construction sites. Obvious point in fact is that with different angles, some rock strikes may bounce and skip along, vs direct impact which damages the glass. Or it could just be bad luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty150 Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty150 Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrm223 Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 I can tell you that I had to have my windshield replaced last November on my 2015 Transit Connect. I had Safelite come to me to do it so I wouldn't have to take a day off of work. They charged about $400 total, but I had found some coupon that knocked off like $20-25 so the $400 is after the coupon. I have an XL cargo van, so it has nothing at all on the windshield, not even a mirror mount; so glass with mounts, antennas and such may be extra, I don't know. I do remember that their website asked about things like rearview mirror, GPS, heated glass, so on & so forth. Mine was from a rock chip that had spread before I even noticed it, all in the matter of maybe a few hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty150 Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 Heated glass is very expensive. Cost will vary depending on local market. That same piece of glass could be anywhere from $100 - $500, with labor being $100 - $500. Obviously, SafeLite wants to be competitive, yet has to keep enough of a margin to employ a mobile tech. And a shop in Hawaii will charge you almost $1,000, since everything is imported to Hawaii and even rent for the shop cost more. Ever pay $5 for a gallon of milk, or a gallon of gas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfkavanagh Posted October 5, 2018 Author Share Posted October 5, 2018 Thanks, all - the "quick quote" from SafeLite is $270 - much better than I feared, assuming they stick to it when I make an actual appointment! jrm223 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty150 Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 Good deal. Read the fine print. Ask what the "out the door" cost will be. Check with local "mom & pop" shops to see what they could do. I know from experience, with my company car getting at least 1 new windshield a year, that the same Econoline windshield (basic glass, no tint, no defroster) can be between $200 (negotiated at a mom & pop) vs. over $500 (SafeLite with warranty, disposal, et cetera) out the door. Here is the quote local to my area. As you can see, I am looking at over $500 out the door. Almost makes me want to spend $100 in fuel to go somewhere $200 cheaper! Now, think about what you can get with that installation. Will they treat the glass with coating to resist rain, fog, glare.....prior to installation? Can they tint your glass prior to installation? Some people get a tint stripe, 6" - 10" along the top of the windshield. Some people ask for the entire windshield to be tinted. My personal choice would be to tint & coat the glass before it is installed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhotoAl Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 My Volt had a chip in the windshield for many months. Last year as I was pulling out of my driveway a hickory nut fell on it just above the chip. Crack I then had a circular crack originating with the chip! Went to Safelight and got a replacement. I went to their shop but will get them to come to me next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty150 Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 Did you try to fill the glass when you first got the chip? I'm driving around right now with a "filled" piece in my windshield. After 2 years, nothing. No cracks. No expansion. The "repair" seems to have worked. According to the repair shop, the material that shops use is "different" from what you buy over the counter. Maybe. Maybe not. But they do it for a living. I never do it. The guy at the shop has a lot more experience, and all the right tools. I could screw it up pretty good. Just like tinting your own windows. You could buy the best window tint, and screw it up by installing yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddy Kilowatt Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 12 hours ago, Fifty150 said: According to the repair shop, the material that shops use is "different" from what you buy over the counter. Maybe. Maybe not. But they do it for a living. When it comes to chemicals (like glue), I'm willing to believe it... they'll put much stronger methy-ethyl-awful stuff in the hands of pros than they'll trust an idiot consumer with over the counter. I bought a $20 consumer-grade headlight lens restore/polish kit for my Golf, 3M (quality) product, did a beautiful job... lasted about 2 months then started to yellow and fog again. Took it to a detail shop for $50, did a beautiful job... it lasted almost a year before I had to get them to do it again. I'm guessing they got a better UV protectant in their package... better at stopping UV, and probably better at starting liver cancer if handled carelessly :-(. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty150 Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 9 hours ago, Eddy Kilowatt said: When it comes to chemicals (like glue), I'm willing to believe it... they'll put much stronger methy-ethyl-awful stuff in the hands of pros than they'll trust an idiot consumer with over the counter. and probably better at starting liver cancer if handled carelessly :-(. Before my brain was scrambled by "prolonged acute exposure to Disco", there were a bunch of laws passed restricting over the counter sales of a whole bunch of products......mostly worded around people who were sniffing Toluene to get high. Sort of effectively stopped stores from having a certain inventory on their shelf. CA Penal Code § 381 (a) Any person who possesses toluene or any substance or material containing toluene, including, but not limited to, glue, cement, dope, paint thinner, paint and any combination of hydrocarbons, either alone or in combination with any substance or material including but not limited to paint, paint thinner, shellac thinner, and solvents, with the intent to breathe, inhale, or ingest for the purpose of causing a condition of intoxication, elation, euphoria, dizziness, stupefaction, or dulling of the senses or for the purpose of, in any manner, changing, distorting, or disturbing the audio, visual, or mental processes, or who knowingly and with the intent to do so is under the influence of toluene or any material containing toluene, or any combination of hydrocarbons is guilty of a misdemeanor. (b) Any person who possesses any substance or material, which the State Department of Public Health has determined by regulations adopted pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) has toxic qualities similar to toluene, with the intent to breathe, inhale, or ingest for the purpose of causing a condition of intoxication, elation, euphoria, dizziness, excitement, irrational behavior, exhilaration, satisfaction, stupefaction, or dulling of the senses or for the purpose of, in any manner, changing, distorting, or disturbing the audio, visual, or mental processes, or who is under the influence of such substance or material is guilty of a misdemeanor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrm223 Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 Before I had Safelite come replace my windshield, I had called a local shop to get a quote from them - about $450 installed, if I remember right. Went with Safelite since it was actually cheaper. I just got another quick quote from Safelite on my 2000 F350 and it's $303 before tax & disposal, higher than I was hoping. I still need to call the local shop to get a quote on that one, I'm hoping for just a couple hundred bucks. It's a project truck that I'd like to get it on the road ASAP, but I have other bills to worry about right now instead of a $320+ windshield - I'd maybe go ahead and get it done if the local shop is a couple hundred, though. When I did a quick quote for this truck on Safelite a few weeks ago, the price shown was about $375 instead of $303 like right now, mobile shop (come to me) both times. Going to them quotes $268, but I'm not driving an unregistered & uninsured truck 44 miles each way to save $35, haha. With my luck, the cops would nail me for several hundred dollars in tickets & impound fees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty150 Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 In the back of my mind, I seem to recall that not all auto glass is the same. There are probably minimum standards for auto glass safety. But I think that there are different grades, and that sometimes you get a better piece of glass when you spend more. But, I could be wrong.........too much Disco rotted my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeMarkus Posted December 11, 2019 Share Posted December 11, 2019 Always use the top-quality auto glass while doing the installation or having the windshield replacement so that a little jerk can't damage the glass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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