Bizarre windshield crack this morning

[Mister Lamb]

Low 30s this morning in AM. Had my windshield defroster on with heat at 70% or so. Windshield thawed completely and after about 6-7 mins of driving, stop at local bagel shop.

Turn truck off, go inside, come out 5 mins later to this:

Across the entire windshield. The only thing I can think of are the temperature changes back and forth from cold to hot to cold again.

Nothing fell on my car either. Gorilla Glass my ass....

Should I go through insurance or dealership?

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[azmojave]

Gorilla Glass? Do a search and read all the issues we’ve posted. It’s not worth the coin.

 

[Rahkmalla]

Should I go through insurance or dealership?

Unless you can definitively prove that this occurred while parked (hint: you can't) then the best you can hope for from Jeep (not the dealer) is a "goodwill" repair, which is just no-liability-admitted "warranty" repair where the manufacturer offers you something just to get you to shut up. Usually only done when you maybe can't prove anything but have a legitimate leg to stand on (aka, enough to initiate a lawsuit even if you couldn't necessarily win)

Something like this? My guess is they are just going to say "there's no way for us to know this didn't happen on the highway" and deny your claim without any chance for a goodwill repair.

 

[sharpsicle]

Should I go through insurance or dealership?

It never hurts to run this through the dealership process first. You may end up with a replacement at no cost. Worst that can happen is they say no, and you move on. Never hurts to try though.

From your photos, it would be difficult for them to argue that this was impact related in any way. They'd have to show an impact point. Without that, the case for a manufacturing defect is pretty valid.

And this has nothing to do with it being Gorilla Glass or not. There's a clear misconception out there that GG is supposed to be impervious to cracks. Not sure where that comes from, but it's not true. It's just a different type of glass with different attributes. It won't prevent every crack or chip from happening, especially stress cracks like this.

 

[BearFootSam]

One cold November night I was driving up 95 from Fayetteville to MD to come home for Thanksgiving. I started to get fogging on the windshield, so I turned on the defrosters and within a few minutes my auto-dimming rearview mirror cracked and spilled its fluid all over the dash. This was a 95 Land Rover mind you, but windshields are likewise susceptible to cracking with extreme temperature deviations. As Sharpsicle mentioned, this can happen to any type of glass, but thinner and larger panels are more prone.

To cut weight manufacturers are using thinner glass and depending upon how resilient the mounting is stress cracking can happen. I suspect something in the jeep mounting inhibits deformation and so stress develops.

 

[Scott L]

That looks similar to the Crack mine developed when I took it in for its first oil change. Dealer repaired,replaced it for me. I dropped it off and no Crack they did oil change and tire rotation pick it up and cracked go figure. They insisted there l was no way they did it but fixed it for me free of charge as a gesture of goodwill. Gorilla glass also.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It never hurts to run this through the dealership process first. You may end up with a replacement at no cost. Worst that can happen is they say no, and you move on. Never hurts to try though.

From your photos, it would be difficult for them to argue that this was impact related in any way. They'd have to show an impact point. Without that, the case for a manufacturing defect is pretty valid.

And this has nothing to do with it being Gorilla Glass or not. There's a clear misconception out there that GG is supposed to be impervious to cracks. Not sure where that comes from, but it's not true. It's just a different type of glass with different attributes. It won't prevent every crack or chip from happening, especially stress cracks like this.

Yeah, what he said. Here, they take the thing in, and use a crazy great glass cleaner that takes off even the worst bug glue nature can dish out, the glass shines after they clean it. And then they have a bright magnified light and look it over.
On my first one they found a really teeny - and I mean hard to see but I did see it and agree, chip that was the root cause.
Had that not been found, it would have been warranty - they flat out said "maybe warranty, but we have to look". Dang.
Impacts are "generally" more likely to go vertical on these.
The horizontal are more typical of stress cracks.
I had an almost identical crack across my F250's windshield after using the defroster hot and heavy on a cold snowy/icy winter morning. It went side to side.
These being glued into a solid frame but one that is movable with stresses and temperatures, it's another reason they are more prone to breaks like that. The frame isn't as stable as when it's part of the structure itself. They are hinged at the bottom, two bolts at the top - it's not an ideal situation for flat glass.

 

[GrubbyBaja]

Look closely at the bottom of your windshield where the 2 cracks in your last picture dip below the dash. I would bet there is a small chip where those 2 cracks join near the bottom edge of the glass. I've had other vehicles get a small (I'm talking barely visible) rock ding at the window edge which couldn't be seen from the inside due to the black surround coating along the edge of the window. Any miniscule chip near the window edge will easily propagate a crack.

 

[Viper501]

I’d say try the warranty route first and if they say definitively that it is an impact then go to the insurance carrier. In many states, mine included, comprehensive insurance provides no-cost windshield replacements.

 

[WambliSka]

Gee, Gorilla Glass again…. I’m shocked… not. When do we start the class action suit?!?!?!? It’s snake oil. Mopar actually has a published two year “warranty” on it. Google it, it’s online in .pdf from Mopar. Jeep won’t honor it with no recourse available.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

These windshields need to be replaced once a year whether it’s good or bad anyway. If you get no rocks, it’ll be grit blasted. Up here in Calgary, a normal gladiator windshield is $230 cad. Translating the exchange for you US guys and gals, that’s near free. Do a trip up here, just because you want to call me up to have a coffee or beer and get a near free windshield to boot. Heck, throw one in the back and take it home.

 

[Kevin_D]

Gee, Gorilla Glass again…. I’m shocked… not. When do we start the class action suit?!?!?!? It’s snake oil. Mopar actually has a published two year “warranty” on it. Google it, it’s online in .pdf from Mopar. Jeep won’t honor it with no recourse available.

I wouldn't poopoo the Gorilla Glass...
I have the HGP Gorilla Glass windshield on my JT, and it withstood several strikes that would've resulted in a crack. It took a pretty severe hit to actually do any major damage.

Kevin

 

[@californiajeeping]

Mine did the exact same thing this morning. No impact or marks from a strike truck ran with the defrost cracked while driving...

3rd gorilla glass on a 2022.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Look closely at the bottom of your windshield where the 2 cracks in your last picture dip below the dash. I would bet there is a small chip where those 2 cracks join near the bottom edge of the glass. I've had other vehicles get a small (I'm talking barely visible) rock ding at the window edge which couldn't be seen from the inside due to the black surround coating along the edge of the window. Any miniscule chip near the window edge will easily propagate a crack.

A chip on the edge will guarantee a crack. I've done enough windshield replacements and salvaging, and trim swapping to know - you so much as hear the sound of a metal tool against the edge of the glass, get your checkbook out - or in the case of our cars - might as well not bother trying to salvage the windshield for re-use.
I've got a good example sitting in a car next to my shop - trim removal went awry - 6 months later, the glass cracked a nearly straight line. Oops.

Gee, Gorilla Glass again…. I’m shocked… not. When do we start the class action suit?!?!?!? It’s snake oil. Mopar actually has a published two year “warranty” on it. Google it, it’s online in .pdf from Mopar. Jeep won’t honor it with no recourse available.
[/QUOTE
Did you READ the warranty? The criteria it's got to meet?
Good luck on your class action law suite. I've posted the details on how it works, how it doesn't work and still people ignore facts and assume and so on. It's better - not perfect. To this day people seem to believe it's the OUTER layer of glass and yet over and over it's clearly show to be the INNER layer of glass next to your face. It's stated on Corning's site and others that it resists 60% of TYPICAL hits, not that it is impervious or survives all hits of any type.
Iv'e got copies of the warranties - and the tech details from corning and others.
The sad part is that the automotive rags that call themselves "car experts who explain stuff to ordinary people" - even motor trend - have said "the outer GG layer....... blah blah and that's such a lie and so wrong - I wonder if they got their info from a Youtube certified expert? LOL

 

[DCPHOENIX]

I'm on my second screen. Has two repairs on it. One was a rock, the other a flying bolt.

I'm waiting for it to get cold here and come out one day to see it cracked completely.

3 screens in less than a year. oh well. Insurance covers it

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