Windshield protection advise

[Wilder Bill]

This is VERY uncharacteristic for me because things don't seem to go my way. I've never had a Jeep windshield crack and I've always had at least one Jeep since the late 90s and I wheel it and daily drive it.

When the Rubicon came out in '04 I bought one. When I got my 2017 JKU I gave the Rubi to my son. We're in TN and he's working on his Phd at Washington State and it still has the windshield off the showroom floor.

I had the gorilla glass in my JKU and the ONLY time it was replaced in 121k miles was 2024, the car wash malfunctioned and the spray boom didn't rise and the conveyor didn't stop although I was laying on my horn. It hit the windshield and kept pushing until it cracked and just raked up the glass to the roof and ripped off my roof rack and demolished my hard top.

My wife and I were making the 5 hr trip home from wheeling Red River Gorge last week and at 75-80mph a rock hit the windshield in front of my wife's face and sounded like a firework went off. No chip, no crack and no issue. From the sound and size I saw coming at us I really thought I was about to have my first crack (that didn't sound good in my head after I typed it)

My new Gladiator has all that stuff in the windshield, I'd hate to come out of pocket. However my satellite radio has the best reception ever on one of my Jeeps. I got a lifetime warranty and a package that takes care of the first 5 years maintenance. As long as I'm the owner it pays for the first 5 windshields. The only caveat to this warranty is I like to change my own oil and I have to let them do it. They're only 10 miles down the road, but not crazy about that.

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[GerryAZ]

The 2026 Willys '41 Gladiator I just bought has a Gorilla Glass (Corning) windshield and has already taken a couple hits I could hear without damage so I hope it will be much better than the two Wranglers I had assigned to me at work. They went through numerous windshields. As others have already noted, the flat, almost vertical glass does not deflect flying rocks nearly as well as the curved, sloped windshields on other vehicles. I carry 0 deductible glass on all vehicles because there is so much debris, rocks, and construction materials on the roads in Phoenix.

I usually try to repair the small stars with repair kits from the auto parts stores to minimize the number of windshield claims. They work good as long as you take your time and follow the instructions.

 

[Guns_N_Rosaries]

Unfortunately I’m pretty sure the only solution to prevent this in Wranglers and Gladiators is to get a different vehicle lol

 

[JulesAo]

I've had an ExoShield on my Gladiator since Feb 2025. No marks of any kind at all on the glass. However, the film has degraded a bit and I'm seeing rainbow sprinkles and serious halo effects at night.

To their credit, they are sending a replacement.

So while the exoshield will seemingly prevent damage, it won't last forever. I can still see out of it, but it's not the most pleasing effect as it breaks down.

I guess what would you rather replace, the film or the glass.

 

[ExoShield]

Honestly, I have not installed them yet. I watched the install video about 10 times and I'm nervous about doing it wrong and leaving bubbles in it. I'm also in the middle of several life-changing events and don't have the mental bandwidth to tackle this right now. Once things settle down, I'll try the first install on my Gladiator and if it goes well, I'll install the second one on my girlfriend's Wrangler

Totally fair. It definitely takes some time and patience to get the install done, especially the first time around.

If you’d rather hand the install off, we do have professional installers who can take care of it for you. And if you decide to tackle it yourself and have any questions along the way, feel free to reach out or tag us here. Happy to help!

 

[ExoShield]

I've had an ExoShield on my Gladiator since Feb 2025. No marks of any kind at all on the glass. However, the film has degraded a bit and I'm seeing rainbow sprinkles and serious halo effects at night.

To their credit, they are sending a replacement.

So while the exoshield will seemingly prevent damage, it won't last forever. I can still see out of it, but it's not the most pleasing effect as it breaks down.

I guess what would you rather replace, the film or the glass.

Sounds like your film has taken its fair share of road abuse over the last year and a half! Definitely appreciate you sharing what the wear has looked like over that time.

Glad we’ve got a replacement headed your way. And we agree... much rather replace the film than the windshield.

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