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Subaru Forester Windshield Cracks
...my windshield is cracked again, the second time in five months of ownership.
[rant to follow]
I posted a complaint back in January that my 06 FXT windshield seems to attract flying rocks better (or worse, depending on how you look at it) than any car I've ever driven. I get hit at least once a week, on average. For the most part the rocks just bounce off.
I had my first windshield replaced back in January after a rock cracked it on December 31st. Today coming home from work I heard a small stone hit the windshield but didn't think anything of it because it wasn't that loud so I figured all was ok. Wrong. Five minutes later I noticed a crack spreading from the bottom of my windshield, directly behind the drivers edge of the hood scoop - the EXACT same place it was hit cracked the first time - and DIRECTLY through the heating element in the glass.
Two cracks in five months - at this rate I'm looking at 4 windshield replacements per year. And Subaru glass (esp with the heating element) ain't cheap. Fortunately my insurance company covers the entire cost of replacement, but I can't imagine they won't start asking questions after a few of these each year.
With all the flying rock action you'd think I have chips and dents all over my hood as well - but that isn't the case. There's only one chip on my hood - everything seems to hit the glass. And this is on the interstate, not a gravel road. I'm sure that I was going 80+ when it happened didn't help, but c'mon.
Sorry for the rant, but as you can imagine this is frustrating.
Doug
[rant to follow]
I posted a complaint back in January that my 06 FXT windshield seems to attract flying rocks better (or worse, depending on how you look at it) than any car I've ever driven. I get hit at least once a week, on average. For the most part the rocks just bounce off.
I had my first windshield replaced back in January after a rock cracked it on December 31st. Today coming home from work I heard a small stone hit the windshield but didn't think anything of it because it wasn't that loud so I figured all was ok. Wrong. Five minutes later I noticed a crack spreading from the bottom of my windshield, directly behind the drivers edge of the hood scoop - the EXACT same place it was hit cracked the first time - and DIRECTLY through the heating element in the glass.
Two cracks in five months - at this rate I'm looking at 4 windshield replacements per year. And Subaru glass (esp with the heating element) ain't cheap. Fortunately my insurance company covers the entire cost of replacement, but I can't imagine they won't start asking questions after a few of these each year.
With all the flying rock action you'd think I have chips and dents all over my hood as well - but that isn't the case. There's only one chip on my hood - everything seems to hit the glass. And this is on the interstate, not a gravel road. I'm sure that I was going 80+ when it happened didn't help, but c'mon.
Sorry for the rant, but as you can imagine this is frustrating.
Doug
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Comments
I'm sure it is simply a statistical anomaly. Even if the probability of having your windshield crack is 1 in 1,000 over 3 months it becomes a virtual certainty that of 100,000,000 drivers on the road someone, somewhere and sometime will have it happen twice. It just happened to be you this time.
tidester, host
I wasn't surprised the first time it cracked (like I said, it gets hit relatively often), and I'm not really surprised that it happened again.
Maybe it's an anomaly. Then again, maybe some unfortunte combo of the mediocre aerodynamics of a boxy SUV shaped vehicle, mixed with the in-between ride height, make it more prone to this sort of thing. My brother for instance drives the taller, even boxier Pathfinder and says that most stray rocks hit his front fascia or the hood.
On the other hand I haven't heard too many Forester drivers lament about this, so I could just have s*** luck. :confuse:
Doug
tidester, host
I'm no physicist either, but I've also been considering the fact that the dash/console sits flat up against the bottom few inches of the windshield where these breaks have occured - would this make the rock's energy more difficult to transfer through the glass (as it might if there were only the open cabin on the other side of the glass), resulting in the glass taking the brunt of the force? :confuse:
I'm analyzing too much. One thing I know for sure is I need to stop thinking and get back to work!
Seriously, yes, there may be some systemic problem resulting in extraordinary stress on the glass. I only offered the "statistical anomaly" hypothesis because I haven't heard of any unusual incidence of windshield cracks in the Forester. Of course, that does not exclude the possibility of "real" problems.
tidester, host
* the Forester sitting relatively low
* an upright windshield
* bad luck
Mine is still original, almost 9 years old. Knock on wood.
-juice
Bingo! Between my two Foresters I've driven over 100k and while I've had two chips repaired, I've not had to replace the windshield. Most of my miles are hwy miles in heavy traffic doing 70-80mph so it's not like my windshield glass doesn't take a lot of abuse either!
Does your commute include a lot of trucks hauling dirt, gravel etc? For sure I avoid following behind any type dump truck and always try to keep at least one lane between us when passing (obviously not an option on a rural 4-lane hwy).
-Frank
Both times the guilty rock was kicked up by either a passenger car or SUV, if I remember right. Divided interstate, three lanes on each side, relatively straight and clean. In fact both happened on the same two-mile section; part of my daily 11 mile commute.
For now I'll pass it off as bad luck. If it happens again soon, rest assured I'll be back to let you all know about it.
Doug
Jim
My wife's 626 went through 2 of them. We replaced the original, then the new one cracked. We sold it and gave a credit to the buyer to replace it. The original was Carlex and the replacement was PPG, so that didn't make any difference.
Our Legacy has a crack now, too, and that's a Carlex.
I think she follows too closely!
-juice
I haven't gotten mine fixed in large part because I knew I'd be driving over 2000 miles in April (a normal month for me is about 1200) and with that kind of mileage didn't want to risk cracking a new windshield.
Doug
As someone who may buy an 06 X I really hope this isn't true.
-Brian
It sounds to me like the windshield did its job just fine. When you start getting pelted in the face with rocks, then you have a serious problem with your windshield.... :P
Make sure you're not following the car in front of you too closely, as this has happened twice. Even if the rock doesn't crack the windshield, it could scratch your paint or damage your radiator.
I suggest a 2+ second following distance, no matter the speed.
-Frank
I've heard ads for a local place that will replace any chip or crack smaller than a credit card. They even say most insurance covers the whole cost.
If you don't trust him, ask a SafeLite glass expert to inspect it again. They'll do the same thing with the pen.
If there is indeed a pit mark there, it was indeed caused by a rock or something, and only spread later, when the temperature changes caused expansion/contraction.
If they observe no such pit mark, ask them to put that in writing and see if they can put in a warranty claim on your behalf.
It was a little surprising how some noises are much louder in this type of car than my previous one (a coupe with a raked-back windshield.) I've had things hit the windshield and make such a noise I was sure there was damage, but never found any. It was a bit startling at first but I'm used to it now. Rain on the big flat roof is much louder too!
I have received dozens of chips in other vehicles, including about 20 in the windshield of my 1996 Outback (many of which were large dime-size plus), and none have produced a crack save for one in my 98 Escort that was on the very edge of the windshield.
I seriously doubt the issue has anything to do with dash heat being different from that produced by other cars. It is more likely to be the glass itself. They just don't make it like they used to.
When the value of currency tanks like the dollar has, something has to give to keep prices down.
About fifteen years ago, I took a rock in the windshield of my 1969 Ford Econoline during a trip to Alaska. It was the first chip in the (original) windshield, which was sad enough by itself, but the rock that hit was a monster that resulted in a spiderweb chip about the size of a silver dollar. Fifteen years later, that chip still hasn't resulted in the damage expanding from its source. My '69 Chevy pickup has a similar chip (though somewhat smaller), under similar circumstances, in its windshield (which is also original) with the same results.
I don't think this windshield is any more prone to chipping or pitting, but it is certainly more prone to cracking as a result of those chips/pits.
It is possible that a replacement windshield would be more durable, but it all depends on the manufacturing source and the quality of the workmanship that goes into it. If you get a Subaru "OEM" unit, no, it's going to be just as flimsy. :sick: