[Teesa]

I am just beyond upset. I have not even had 40 miles on the car and used my windshield wipers for the first time, As soon as I shut them off and continue to drive a few miles, I hear a loud noise. My windshield has an 8 inch crack along the bottom where the blades are going across the passenger side! I just drove it off the lot Sunday night and this happened Tuesday morning.
The sales person told me to contact my insurance, but I know nothing I did, nor any debris, pebbles or anything flew up and it the windshield. I work odd hours so no traffic on the road.
Will the dealer do anything to help me? Is there anything Honda can do? I am just so mad. I am terrified to use my wiper blades.

 

[2017 CRV EX]

wipers had nothing to do with it, It was a rock. Bad luck thats all

 

[Jeffgriz]

In 1979 when I was a Volvo salesman, I sold a 240DL wagon to an elderly couple. Two days later they reported a cracked windshield. They had it replaced and a week later it cracked again. Both cracks were stress fractures starting along the edge of the windshield with no indication of a stone chip. We had the car taken to a body shop and they pulled the roof liner and found that the car had body work on the passenger side A Pillar and roof in that corner. We contacted Volvo of America and they had records that the car had been damaged during shipment to America and it was fixed at the Port of Entry. The dealership was not aware of this before we sold the car. Volvo ended up paying for repair of the car and compensated the owners in some way. I'm not saying that this is your issue, but if no stone hit it and it happens again it may be stress related or a metal to glass contact issue, especially if the crack is starting along the edge of the windshield.

 

[2017 CRV EX]

The OP heard a loud noise. Its the sound of a rock hitting the windshield

 

[billyrule]

When you get it repaired try to use rainX to cover in the pours of this glass. The front windshield is really porous. The rainX fills in the small holes for about a month. After about 6000 miles I have had a few rocks hit but they slide right off. Good luck!

 

[Teesa]

It was not a noise like a rock. At first I thought it was my water bottle. Like the plastic expanded. It was a cracking noise. There is no impact from a rock. it starts at the base of the windshield and moves up and across.

 

[eshuber]

The dealer is full of it. If the windshield cracked due to a rock impact , there would be evidence of such a hit. No evidence? The repair should be on Honda's expense. Go to another dealer.

 

[Jeffgriz]

It was not a noise like a rock. At first I thought it was my water bottle. Like the plastic expanded. It was a cracking noise. There is no impact from a rock. it starts at the base of the windshield and moves up and across.

You should have the windshield gasket inspected as the cracked windshield is removed. It's possible the gasket is damaged or may have rolled during the windshield installation causing the gass to be against a metal surface. I good glass installer may be able to determine whether or not the crack is stress related rather than shock related.

 

[runner57us]

Do a search and you will see the information about my cracked windshield within a week of driving off the lot.

Bottomline. Go to the Sales Manager and Service Manager and ask them to inspect the crack, photograph it following Honda warranty guidelines and submit it to the Regional Honda rep for review as a warranty claim. Honda has a procedure and process to evaluate these issues. If they find an impact from a stone they can deny it as a warranty claim. Or, like in my case they might give you a one time replacement to keep their customer happy.

The answer you were given was simply a way for them to get rid of you quickly. Thankfully my dealership was more customer satisfaction focussed and did not give me the brush off but took the time to fully inspect and evaluate the issue.

John

 

[brbeyer]

I agree with Runner57us!

 

[Leslieb66]

It's very easy for them to tell if it's from a defect or rock. A rock will leave a small pocket where it hit. I once had a newly replaced windshield crack. When I went back to the shop he took a regular ball point pen and ran it down the entire length of the crack. If it doesn't find a pocket then it's a defect. I'd suggest going to a glass shop and asking them to look at.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[hans471+]

You should have the windshield gasket inspected as the cracked windshield is removed. It's possible the gasket is damaged or may have rolled during the windshield installation causing the gass to be against a metal surface. I good glass installer may be able to determine whether or not the crack is stress related rather than shock related.

For many years now the windshield has been part of the body structure. The glass is firmly glued into the bodywork with a very strong urethane glue that bonds it to the structure. To remove that glass you have to cut out this urethane and replace it with the new glass.

On many vehicles the airbag works with the windshield and the mounting of the glass is covered by Federal standards.

"Criteria are specified in U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 212/208 (see FMVSS) to ensure the reliability of adhesive systems. Typically the SDAT is verified with crash tests as well as with high speed laboratory test methods."

Proper mounting of a windshield is important enough that if falls under Federal safety standards. They don't use 'gaskets" anymore, those windows are strongly glued in and become part of the body.

That said, if the mounting surface was irregular there could be stress being put on the glass. But, since its sitting on a strong urethane bed its unlikely this would happen. But,unlikely is not the same as impossible.

 

[Teesa]

thank you! The sales person looked at it while I was there today getting an alarm installed. After they washed it, the 8 inch crack now extends across my windshield diagonal from the bottom passenger side to the top close to my line of vision. My husband searched and found a little star under the windshield wiper. The crack extended from there. Funny thing is, I was not in traffic. I drive in off hours as I work odd hours.
This sucks!

 

[hans471+]

thank you! The sales person looked at it while I was there today getting an alarm installed. After they washed it, the 8 inch crack now extends across my windshield diagonal from the bottom passenger side to the top close to my line of vision. My husband searched and found a little star under the windshield wiper. The crack extended from there. Funny thing is, I was not in traffic. I drive in off hours as I work odd hours.
This sucks!

I have a question about that. The "Little star" under the wiper blade, was it close to the end of the steel wiper arm? I have seen this happen several times: A person takes off the wiper blade to change the rubber insert. To make this easier they will unsnap the wiper blade assembly from the steel arm. If you accidentally drop the steel arm without the wiper blade on it can strike the windshield hard enough to crack out a little divot (crater in the glass). From this divot a windshield crack can develop as glass hated chips or cracks of any sort. I wonder if when they replaced the windshield the installer might have had the wiper off to get it out of the way and accidentally dropped it on the glass without the blade on it. Of course they would never admit to this.......but it could have happened. Check closely to see where that little star spot is in relation to the wiper blade.

 

[sirwired]

You should have the windshield gasket inspected as the cracked windshield is removed. It's possible the gasket is damaged or may have rolled during the windshield installation causing the gass to be against a metal surface. I good glass installer may be able to determine whether or not the crack is stress related rather than shock related.

I will say it can't be a "rolled gasket". Like all car windshields, ours are attached to the car with a thick bead of neoprene-based sealant. The glass is essentially glued to the car. (During replacement, they actually have to cut the old one out.)

 

[Teesa]

Good catch! I would never think of that. I am going to check. Maybe get a pic!

 

[miko]

thank you! The sales person looked at it while I was there today getting an alarm installed...............

Not to change the subject, but getting an alarm installed? On a new 2017 EX-L?

 

[mauiman00]

I'm now a victim of a cracked windshield. Appears a small stone hit the bottom passenger side and over 2 days caused a crack across the entire windshield. I have an appointment with Safelite. Still only an OEM windshield is available and cost is $755. I have the forward facing camera but no rain sensing or wiper defrost.

They informed me I might need the camera re-calibrated. Does anyone know if this is necessary and if so what the dealer charges for this (ballpark)?

 

[sirwired]

I'm now a victim of a cracked windshield. Appears a small stone hit the bottom passenger side and over 2 days caused a crack across the entire windshield. I have an appointment with Safelite. Still only an OEM windshield is available and cost is $755. I have the forward facing camera but no rain sensing or wiper defrost.

They informed me I might need the camera re-calibrated. Does anyone know if this is necessary and if so what the dealer charges for this (ballpark)?

I had a rock about three weeks back. The installation tech said that while he's required to warn you about the camera losing calibration, in his experience, it's not an issue as long as the tech doesn't unplug it. If you DO need recalibration, it's covered by your insurance company just like the glass is.

I will say that the tech was marveling at how many pieces of trim he had to remove to get the glass out; some of the trim looked completely superfluous to me. (There was some black trim in the engine compartment that was totally cosmetic and was not particularly easy to remove. It came out this time, but as it gets brittle over time, I imagine it'll completely fall apart on removal. As long as you throw away both sides so it's symmetrical, this won't be much of a loss.)

 

[billyrule]

I kept rain-x on my windshield after reading this a year ago. Mine cracked while I was parked. Is it possible the glass could be under stress and turning on the defrost while it's below freezing caused the windshield to crack above the defrost vent?