Jeep Wrangler Forum banner

The Broken Windshield Club

61K views 571 replies 370 participants last post by  DIRT BOY 
#1 ·
Well, count me in. Just under 15K miles.

I already had a couple of really small stars and some pits, and then met a gravel truck yesterday. Presto, giant star and radial cracks extending several inches, right in the driver's line of sight.

Sigh.

:censored:
 
#3 ·
Man, I made it to 53k, but an RV kicked up a rock on the highway and that was that. It's been about a month, it bothers me whenever I see it, and I have no deductible, so... I should get my butt in gear and have it fixed. Maybe tomorrow. ...or the day after that... ...or the day after that...
 
#4 ·
I went about 6 months with a big crack. Actually 3 big cracks. I didn't want to change the windshield in the middle of winter. But then I got pulled over for it. I didn't know it was illegal to drive with a cracked windshield. It's legal to drive while eating, but not legal with a pencil thin line in front of your face???
 
#13 ·
I went about 6 months with a big crack. Actually 3 big cracks. I didn't want to change the windshield in the middle of winter. But then I got pulled over for it. I didn't know it was illegal to drive with a cracked windshield. It's legal to drive while eating, but not legal with a pencil thin line in front of your face???
Varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction but it's due to a safety issue.
Unlike our jeeps with roll bars most vehicles don't have them & the windshield plays a part of the structural roll over protection.
Can't see them changing the laws for just us jeepers.
 
#5 ·
There is a film that exists that can be placed on windshields to decrease the liklihood of rock chips. I have a buddy in Atlanta who installed it on his Elise. It has worked rather well for him. In all honesty though, on a Jeep, it's probably cheaper to just replace windshields yearly.

Elise windshield ~1400.00
Wrangler windshield ~200.00
 
#8 · (Edited)
View attachment 1476618

Just happened last week. It has since been replaced. I was shocked when my glass guy told me the windshield with the jeep decals was twice as much as one without. Needless to say I chose the one without, especially given the likelihood of it happening again.
Check into adding glass coverage to your auto insurance. It only added about $1/month to our policy. Cheap insurance to cover rock magnets. :D

Different states have different laws about cracked windshield replacement. For anyone interested:

http://www.carwindshields.info/states

Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina and one other state offer free replacement by law.
 
#12 ·
Strange timing. Bc I just got my windshield repaired yesterday, actually!.... Star burst crack toward center of the glass. I use Geico for insurance; comprehensive coverage took care of it completely FREE of charge... $0.00! Granted, it was limited to a repair, and not a full windshield replacement. I did, however, have the freedom to choose which repair shop I wanted to use. So that was pretty cool. ..Acrylic filler technique was used for the repair. And with that, the cracks are still slightly visible...but at least now the whole damn windshield is no longer unstable.. ** the $500 deductible is actually waived for these such repairs, which I was not expecting. But had the windshield needed full replacement, the deductible would then need to be met. All-in-all, the entire process from start to finish was quick and super smooth. Called the shop of my choice, who got me in an hour later. And the repair itself took 15mins. Same day for all. The shop also billed Geico directly. Sweet gig , huh? ..(Well I thought so, anyways) :)
 
#15 ·
Up here in Ontario most insurance replacements are limited to one per year.
Deductibles vary but mostly are a joke.
Windshield replacement businesses overcharge for the window but will pay your deductibles.
 
#16 ·
Bought my 07 used.....with a full width crack. Dealer sent out a repair guy with a new windshield. 45 minutes later , PRESTO, all new. That was a Saturday, on Sunday wife and I took a drive , on the way home a dump truck went by, here comes a skipping Rock....BANG dead center, big "star".....Called the repair guy, 20 minutes later, like new !
Skip forward a couple years....Driving home from a road trip to some gold claims, 30 miles of FRESH oiled rocked hiway....putting along SLOWWWWW some crazy woman in front of me steps on it and kicks up a ton of fresh oiled rocks, SNAP, a 4 inch crack on the passenger side... Got home called the repair guy, he fixed it no problem, about 30 minutes of BS'n and he was gone til next time...
It's a way of life with a Jeep....So far the Insurance has paid it all 100%....Comprehensive ( full coverage ) .. "BH"
 
#17 ·
Two years ago I was out on the Mojave Rd for about an 18 hr ride both ways. About 2 hrs into the trip one of the bikes kicked up a rock and I got a nice big star on the right side. Drove all that way, twisting turning crawling flexing and it never got bigger. When we were done the next day and I hit pavement, nice flat pavement, it cracked straight across, of course right in my line of sight. I felt like I was driving with giant bifocals.
 
#20 ·
Last week actually. Little over 15K miles and I caught a small rock in the top of the windshield, no clue how long it was there; one day I finished up at the range and saw a six inch line right in front of my eyes. Worst part, I marked it and watched it double during the ride home.

Good news, being in Arizona I have glass coverage. Called USAA and they had it replaced with OEM glass, no charge.
 
#23 ·
Let's see First snowfall and they have to gravel the roads like trying to make an offroad course. Wife's JKU with less than 500miles on it, chip and cracked about 8" from the bottom going north. Mine (<500 miles too) got just a bullseye that I got repaired today, the wife's new windshield is tomorrow.
 
#186 ·
Let's see First snowfall and they have to gravel the roads like trying to make an offroad course. Wife's JKU with less than 500miles on it, chip and cracked about 8" from the bottom going north. Mine (<500 miles too) got just a bullseye that I got repaired today, the wife's new windshield is tomorrow.
Replacing glass is much better than body damage repair and non matching paint!
 
#30 ·
I had my billet for 4 months. Then I took it and had it lifted and 35" tires. On the way home from the Off road shop...Wham! Nice bulls eye on drivers side of course. Next morning there was a crack going from drivers side clear to the passenger side. A few days later I had safelite come put a new OEM one in at work. Great right? Well next morning I get in the jeep to head out to work. I back out of the driveway and hit the slight bump "real gentle" at end of driveway then.. CRACK.. The new windshield was broken already. "there must be a black cloud over me all the time LOL. Of course they came back that morning and replaced it again, and has been good since. "knock on wood" I just thought I would share my great windshield story with you all :)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top