Windshield - Only lasted 2 1/2 Months

[JonMN]

I made it about 5000 miles before a rock took mine out. It would have taken any windshield out. But then it took over 2 months to get the GG replacement!

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[RubiNewbCB]

ExoShield has been phenomenal on my windshield, in February it will have been on there a year and it still looks great. It has saved my windshield on numerous occasions from sand, pebbles, and rocks. I had to install a standard windshield as the GG was on a 3-4 month backorder last year.

 

[montechie]

Fitting meme in Montana. In the larger towns it's largely sand, but honest to god I see pea gravel out in the county being used.

 

[Great Offender]

Auto glass repair and replacement is a cottage industry in my part of TX. Lived here almost 4 years and my wife has gone thru 5 windshields on 3 different cars. My JT just picked up its first bullseye after 2.5 years and about 15K miles. Working from home keeps me off the streets so I haven't had the same exposure.

Come visit the Padre Island National Seashore and bring a current copy of your insurance policy, assuming you have the coverage!

 

[Dilly’S Willy]

My 2021 Willys has the GG windshield and in the 2.5 months/12k miles I've owned it, the glass went from CLEAR to pitted and that in the North East. I expected that in the desert with all the sand and crap on the roads, but not here before winter hit. The salt on the roads is accelerating the pitting too.

TBH GG is a joke, it costs more, barely dampens noise, and just goes bad faster. (I worked doing auto glass claims in AZ for a while....the Wrangler/Gladiator windshields were at least 30-40% of my customers. Most of those Jeeps had GG, and people with the standard glass had longer periods between replacement.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

My 2021 Willys has the GG windshield and in the 2.5 months/12k miles I've owned it, the glass went from CLEAR to pitted and that in the North East. I expected that in the desert with all the sand and crap on the roads, but not here before winter hit. The salt on the roads is accelerating the pitting too.

TBH GG is a joke, it costs more, barely dampens noise, and just goes bad faster. (I worked doing auto glass claims in AZ for a while....the Wrangler/Gladiator windshields were at least 30-40% of my customers. Most of those Jeeps had GG, and people with the standard glass had longer periods between replacement.

You really have no idea the intent or purpose of Gorilla Glass, what it can and can't do. I'd also challenge your contention that regular glass lasts longer.
Why? Because they are IDENTICAL on the outer layer! There is NO DIFFERENCE there. It's the layer next to your face.

My first JT - plain glass, went through 2 windshields in 2.5 years.
My second JT - GG - bad pits and nicks that glowed at me in the right light, and would have destroyed my 1st JT's windshield - I traded it in with those large deep pits, no cracks.
My third JT took a good hit right where I look while driving - it's a fair size ding - no cracks. I'll probably get it fixed since it's so early in the game.

But there's examples of one person, 3 gladiators, and how the GG has held up compared to non.
And don't forget our JLU - a ding you couldn't really even see on a low speed road cracked that one right away.
Hmmm 2 GG windshields, solid hits, chips and no cracks.
2 standard windshields - one replaced 2 times, the other once in a short time.

 

[Dilly’S Willy]

@ShadowsPapa I could be wrong, but based on the marketing for people to get the GG option, that's why I said what I did. If you've ever experimented with Corning's GG over the generations, you'll know which gen is good for what use. The gen they used, IIRC, was mostly for sound dampening (road noise/etc) and for an improvement against shattering. But in real world testing, the GG didn't make that much difference to quiet the cabin, I have highly sensitive ears and I've driven a wrangler with M/Ts and non-GG....I couldn't tell a difference.

I also saw the GG get denied by insurance companies and they would frequently try to deny the GG or the whole claim on occasion...the BIG companies too.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

@ShadowsPapa I could be wrong, but based on the marketing for people to get the GG option, that's why I said what I did. If you've ever experimented with Corning's GG over the generations, you'll know which gen is good for what use. The gen they used, IIRC, was mostly for sound dampening (road noise/etc) and for an improvement against shattering. But in real world testing, the GG didn't make that much difference to quiet the cabin, I have highly sensitive ears and I've driven a wrangler with M/Ts and non-GG....I couldn't tell a difference.

I also saw the GG get denied by insurance companies and they would frequently try to deny the GG or the whole claim on occasion...the BIG companies too.

I'm covered for whatever the vehicle came with........... I can even request the correct part number instead of Safelite's cheap stuff.
What I can't do is go in with a non-GG equipped vehicle and say I want it installed.....

I buy it mostly for passenger safety, and if it gives me other benefits (like what Ford and others state - 60% reduction in damage), lighter weight (not a lot at 33% of a windshield which isn't overly heavy anyway, I'm good.

 

[Dilly’S Willy]

@ShadowsPapa I understand if you DON'T have it factory, but they were people who could show me their window sticker and it came with it, but their insurance wouldn't cover FACTORY GG and would force them to take the 3rd party equivalent claiming "we replace that type of glass so often that this product is the same quality". Yes I've disputed these arguments and the company ultimately tells the customer "either use this or afterwards we're dropping you".

In AZ, after 3-4 windshields per year, ins cos can drop you for being "too high risk", and the debris on RTs 101/202/303/60 and I10 are a joke, it's like trying to avoid the black plague in the 1300s...at least for our flat windshields.

I don't agree with that policy or their actions, but that's my experience in that state with glass coverage.

My GG is so pitted currently, it acts like a mild film similar to a dirty window at night...but I'm not paying my comprehensive deductible for a $600+ glass, might as well pay outright instead of having another claim on my record (hit 5x on motorcycles in 3 years, and had my car totaled out due to vandalism during that same period). Too many other things I need to focus on.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Non-GG has the same outer layer so in that respect, only one of the quality protective films will help.

Glass coverage is part of comprehensive here, considered a no fault thing. I've never seen it questioned or had it said "that's too many".
But then, when people opt for the cheapest possible coverage, they often get just what they pay for.

 

[Baxter]

Non-GG has the same outer layer so in that respect, only one of the quality protective films will help.

Glass coverage is part of comprehensive here, considered a no fault thing. I've never seen it questioned or had it said "that's too many".
But then, when people opt for the cheapest possible coverage, they often get just what they pay for.

Our glass coverage is comprehensive too. Yeah I have had friends price shop for the absolute cheapest insurance they could find, only to find out when it’s needed they have issues with them taking care of things.

 

[Dilly’S Willy]

Coverage varies by the policy holder, state, and company. In AZ they had to instate a law to prevent ins cos from dropping people excessively due to how many glass claims there are annually compared to most other states. Source: personal experience AND NCIB.org.

But yes, generally glass is part of comprehensive. BUT, some companies allow you to have a glass specific deductible, others don't...and more often than not the companies who don't provide better rates. (Or in my situation, the fact I haven't had an "Automotive" police since 2018 until 2025 yet had a "Motorcycle" policy during that time, combined with inattentive drivers (ahem texters) hitting me on my motorcycles...I could only get qualified on my truck with ONE company. Said company does NOT offer glass specific deductibles, so my rates are either higher to have a low ded or I might as well pay out-of-pocket.)

Another thing to consider, most companies will tell you "glass claims don't count against you for claims like an accident would", yet will raise your rates/dump you for "too many claims". "No fault" doesn't mean they didn't count it against you, just means you cannot be charged for having the accident vs "being at fault".

As someone who has driven/rode more miles in just over a decade than most people will do in their entire life, the whole "no fault" idea sounds great on paper but in reality doesn't entirely work the way you think it should.

 

[Hemy5587]

I used to think when reading this thread that the majority of you just drove like my wife and followed too close to people until yesterday. I was driving into work, it was dark and no one was in front of me on the highway when I heard what sounded like a rock hitting my windshield. Thinking nothing of it I go on to work. When I get off work I see I have about a 14'' crack about 3" from the bottom in the middle of my windshield that makes a 90 degree turn and goes all the way to the bottom edge of the glass, no impact or spiderweb just a large crack. I assume it was due to the defroster and colder temps?

It was about 10 degrees driving in but my truck sat in my garage that is around 40 degrees or so all night. Defroster was on low fan setting but high heat, my normal settings for winter driving since owning this truck. That is a new one for me, hopefully I have better luck with Safelite than some of you have but I will going to them on Monday for a replacement. Just bizarre because the truck has sat outside all day when we have been -20 or colder and has never had an issue. Took me 22 years of driving before having to have a windshield repaired or replaced. My wife, of course, loved it and said it was karma for always lecturing her when she kills a windshield.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I used to think when reading this thread that the majority of you just drove like my wife and followed too close to people until yesterday. I was driving into work, it was dark and no one was in front of me on the highway when I heard what sounded like a rock hitting my windshield. Thinking nothing of it I go on to work. When I get off work I see I have about a 14'' crack about 3" from the bottom in the middle of my windshield that makes a 90 degree turn and goes all the way to the bottom edge of the glass, no impact or spiderweb just a large crack. I assume it was due to the defroster and colder temps?

It was about 10 degrees driving in but my truck sat in my garage that is around 40 degrees or so all night. Defroster was on low fan setting but high heat, my normal settings for winter driving since owning this truck. That is a new one for me, hopefully I have better luck with Safelite than some of you have but I will going to them on Monday for a replacement. Just bizarre because the truck has sat outside all day when we have been -20 or colder and has never had an issue. Took me 22 years of driving before having to have a windshield repaired or replaced. My wife, of course, loved it and said it was karma for always lecturing her when she kills a windshield.

I've had my own front tires toss a rock up and then I ran into it. My wife has had traffic in other lanes toss a rock up, and she hit it, and my son had his Jeep windshield SHOT while he was driving near the river bottoms here.
A tiny nick you can't even see without the right light can cause a crack.

 

[Hemy5587]

Possibly.... just odd no points of impact or anything. I checked it out from start to finish inside and out and nothing from a rock can be seen. At 65 mph I wouldn't think a rock could flip up from my own tires and make it to my windshield but anything is possible. It was a divided highway so if it was traffic from the other side, it was a rock on a mission from them because my side of the highway is elevated above theirs. Regardless though it was early and not much traffic on either side and no hard hitting bumps. A google search shows that a defroster can do it, its just not very common, with as weak as these windshields seemingly are according to this thread it is not too far of a stretch to think it is possible.

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