[donmontalvo]

@JeepCares I read about this issue, and I watched videos about it. I never thought it would happen to me. Because, you know, it only happens to the other guy.

I've spent the past couple months preparing for a month long cross country trip. During that time I watched a crack develop on the bottom left of my windshield. If you run your hand over the crack, you can tell that a pebble (?) caused it. It has grown to a foot in length.

If that wasn't bad enough, a few weeks ago another crack started, at the bottom right of my windshield. This one has no sign of impact causing it. This second crack has grown much faster than the other one. So fast, that last night it was "only" about six inches long. This morning it grew across the entire windshield.

I can't believe this, please advise. Jeep tells me that they don't cover windshield cracks. I can't accept that.

 

[brandofamily]

You’re going to have to accept it. They don't cover it. Auto insurance (comprehensive policy) will cover it. I have a zero deductible on my comprehensive and I think between mine and my wife’s Jeep’s we have replaced approx 6 windshields.

 

[rgreen65]

Jeep windshields are more vertical and cars and thus more susceptible to impact damage. Even though there is not a chip discovered in the second crack, it is likely caused by an impact even though there is not a chip. You photos also show another primary cause for windshield cracks - cold weather. Take a very cold windshield and dump hot air through the vent to clear the WS and the change in the expansion will crack it.

Take a plate with a good amount of food directly from the freezer and stick it in the microwave for several minutes and it will most likely crack too, especially Corele plates - I've done it - only once.

As brandofamily said - it is covered under the comprehensive section of your auto insurance policy. Some states make the insurance company cover it with 0 deductible, some do not. I replaced my first windshield in my '17 Chief about 9 months after I purchased it thank to a truck in the next lane throwing up a rock.

There is a discussion area in the JK General section titled "Broken Windshield Club" and there are almost 600 posts in it.

Call your insurance company. If you have a high deductible - pay it out of pocket. My windshield cost me less than the deductible on my policy.

 

[Lee H]

Auto manufacturers have never covered glass. Even if it breaks on the way home from the dealership, it’s not covered.

 

[Jay2011JK]

Comprehensive Ins. Coverage besides Glass includes deer hits, tree falls.. Switched my deductible to $0.00 for only $18.00 per year from $250... FYI.. just don't swerve to miss the deer and hit something .. now it is a collision claim not Comp. Contact your Insurance company and check out the Comprehensive costs vs. Deductibles.

 

[aldo90731]

You don’t automatically get free windshield replacement with comprehensive insurance.

It varies by insurer and by state.

 

[Shark_13]

So the first crack was clearly caused by something hitting it.
Bad luck, but that's life sometimes.

Have it replaced with a different brand. PPG, Pinkerton (sp?) There are plenty of well made windshields.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[donmontalvo]

Its not that the glass will crack if a stone hits it, that's not the concern.

The concern is when there is impct, the glass starts to crack, across the entire windshield.

That's the issue, and that's not something that affects other makes/models.

I totally get that the windshield is flat and nearly vertical, that's not the issue.

Heating a frozen windshield is a function in all vehicles, that's not the issue.

The issue this thread is about, is how Jeep windshield cracks quickly spread.

The issue is that if the crack spreads, it does, now the police can ticket you.

I lived in FL, where insurance companies had no choice but to replace with zero deductible.

That's not the issue, I've had close to 20 vehicles in my lifetime, pretty aware of how it works.

The issue I posted is that a small pebble can cost you $500 or more.

This thread was started so I can point Jeep to it, and I plan to send links to other threads and videos.

I also realize if and when they fix this, it'll be for new(er) Jeeps, low hopes that we'll get any discount.

In any case, I appreciate the responses, all are fair and accurate, just wanted to clear up why I posted.

Thanks,
Don

 

[nhcowboy28]

First vehicle?

 

[Shark_13]

My work truck (Silverado) had a couple that cracked significantly very quickly. Also a mini countryman that was over a foot within a day or two after rock hit
It's not just Jeep.

Alternatively, my TJ has a couple big rock his, and they've stayed stable for 7-8 years. I finally have a crack that is working it's way into the driver view, it's been trying to get bigger over a couple years. It is not the factory glass.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[rgreen65]

Donmontalvo - I have owned about 34 vehicles in my lifetime. Of those 5 have been Jeep Wranglers. I have had cracked windshields in two of those. I have had cracked windshields in several non Wranglers, but don't recall how many as it was not and is not that big a deal.

I had a buzzard strike in a '65 VW as a college senior when going to S. Texas with some classmates. At one point the buzzard all but filled the windshield and we all though he was going to be in the Bug with us. He hit just above the windsheld and neither dented the frame nor broke the glass. I had a buzzard strike in my '15 Sahara which reminded me of the '65 incident, except this time it not only dented the frame but broke the inner as well as the outer layer of the glass. I was actually going faster in the Bug (70) than I was in the Sahara (50). I don't blame Jeep for the strike. Yes the metal is thinner in the '15 Jeep than in the '65 Bug.

I was once caught in a hailstorm in a '76 Ford F250 while living in Lynchburg, Va. Everyone was pulling over trying to crowd under the next overpass. I merrily went on, hail stones bouncing off the hood with nary a dent. If I were in the same hailstorm in a 2021 Ford F250, I doubt I would escape dent free. All the steel panels in new vehicles are thinner than they were 50 years ago, not only to save $ but weight which equates to better gas mileage.

Another thing that causes todays windshields to crack more easily is the fac that they are now glued in and are a part of the vehicle structure. It used to be that the windshileds were held in by a rubber gasket. Now they have to be cut out of the frame with a thin wire, the residual cement carved out, a new bead of cement put arourn the frame and the glass reset. I don't know about the YJs, but I do know that all of the windshield glass in the TJs, JKs and JLs are glued in place. Any stress on that part of the body can affect the glass as well, especially if it has a surface scratch. As stated, temperature changes all affect the surface tension of glass as well.

 

[tzukows]

I get you are aggravated. I would be too. But step out of the heat of your situation and think about the economic factors driving (pun intended) the glass markets. Just for a second...

All car manufacturers buy their glass from outside suppliers on the global market. The vehicle manufacturer has no vested interest in how durable glass from another company ends up being. They just don't care. Make a car, slap in some glass and ship it off. Unless glass gets broken or damaged in transit on the way to the dealer, not their problem.

If the glass companies made windows/windshields that were crack-resistant of crack-proof, their profits would be slashed dramatically. Let face it, a LOT of a glass manufacturer's profits rely on sales of replacement glass. Probably even more profit on replacement glass product. They too, would have no interest in making more durable crack-resistant glass.

While I feel your pain and frustration, I don't see anybody at auto makers or glass companies jumping on the idea of making glass that is less likely to need replacement. I wish you luck in the battle, but I have no expectation that any letter-writing campaign or grass-roots movement would shake these mighty trees. I hope you get squared away.

 

[donmontalvo]

First vehicle?

Reading comprehension issues?

 

[donmontalvo]

My work truck (Silverado) had a couple that cracked significantly very quickly. Also a mini countryman that was over a foot within a day or two after rock hit
It's not just Jeep.

Alternatively, my TJ has a couple big rock his, and they've stayed stable for 7-8 years. I finally have a crack that is working it's way into the driver view, it's been trying to get bigger over a couple years. It is not the factory glass.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

This is a good example, thanks.

 

[Shark_13]

It is frustrating though(especially on a new vehicle).

My last work truck, I had 2 windshield replacements within the first few months. (Driving through Wyoming with fresh chip n seal) yikes.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[donmontalvo]

I get you are aggravated. I would be too. But step out of the heat of your situation and think about the economic factors driving (pun intended) the glass markets. Just for a second...

All car manufacturers buy their glass from outside suppliers on the global market. The vehicle manufacturer has no vested interest in how durable glass from another company ends up being. They just don't care. Make a car, slap in some glass and ship it off. Unless glass gets broken or damaged in transit on the way to the dealer, not their problem.

If the glass companies made windows/windshields that were crack-resistant of crack-proof, their profits would be slashed dramatically. Let face it, a LOT of a glass manufacturer's profits rely on sales of replacement glass. Probably even more profit on replacement glass product. They too, would have no interest in making more durable crack-resistant glass.

While I feel your pain and frustration, I don't see anybody at auto makers or glass companies jumping on the idea of making glass that is less likely to need replacement. I wish you luck in the battle, but I have no expectation that any letter-writing campaign or grass-roots movement would shake these mighty trees. I hope you get squared away.

Thanks, I really don’t expect Jeep to fix this for current owners. But bringing this to light will force them to acknowledge and fix the issue at some point in the future for future customers.

 

[donmontalvo]

Donmontalvo - I have owned about 34 vehicles in my lifetime. Of those 5 have been Jeep Wranglers. I have had cracked windshields in two of those. I have had cracked windshields in several non Wranglers, but don't recall how many as it was not and is not that big a deal.

I had a buzzard strike in a '65 VW as a college senior when going to S. Texas with some classmates. At one point the buzzard all but filled the windshield and we all though he was going to be in the Bug with us. He hit just above the windsheld and neither dented the frame nor broke the glass. I had a buzzard strike in my '15 Sahara which reminded me of the '65 incident, except this time it not only dented the frame but broke the inner as well as the outer layer of the glass. I was actually going faster in the Bug (70) than I was in the Sahara (50). I don't blame Jeep for the strike. Yes the metal is thinner in the '15 Jeep than in the '65 Bug.

I was once caught in a hailstorm in a '76 Ford F250 while living in Lynchburg, Va. Everyone was pulling over trying to crowd under the next overpass. I merrily went on, hail stones bouncing off the hood with nary a dent. If I were in the same hailstorm in a 2021 Ford F250, I doubt I would escape dent free. All the steel panels in new vehicles are thinner than they were 50 years ago, not only to save $ but weight which equates to better gas mileage.

Another thing that causes todays windshields to crack more easily is the fac that they are now glued in and are a part of the vehicle structure. It used to be that the windshileds were held in by a rubber gasket. Now they have to be cut out of the frame with a thin wire, the residual cement carved out, a new bead of cement put arourn the frame and the glass reset. I don't know about the YJs, but I do know that all of the windshield glass in the TJs, JKs and JLs are glued in place. Any stress on that part of the body can affect the glass as well, especially if it has a surface scratch. As stated, temperature changes all affect the surface tension of glass as well.

Thanks, the concern though is how a crack rapidly covers the entire windshield.

 

[donmontalvo]

You’re going to have to accept it. They don't cover it. Auto insurance (comprehensive policy) will cover it. I have a zero deductible on my comprehensive and I think between mine and my wife’s Jeep’s we have replaced approx 6 windshields.

Thanks, and I agree. I’ve decided that given how widespread this issue is, I’m plunking down on Gorilla glass.

 

[donmontalvo]

I had a buzzard strike in a '65 VW as a college senior when going to S. Texas with some classmates.

My first car was a 68 Beetle. I was stationed in Schweinfurt. The flat windshield did not crack.

US Army 1979-85.

 

[aldo90731]

I am pretty sure FCA is aware that Wrangler windshields crack easily. Dealers get a fair bit of windshield repair orders.

But considering it took FCA 12 years to address hardtop leaks on JKs, and 4 years to address the vague steering on JL, by my estimation they should be ready to address cracking windshields by the year 2075...