[MrEeeaddict]

My windshield has 8 light chips and 1 deep one. I bought the car used but it's less than 2 years old

I was thinking the short "hood" and really high windshield might be the cause?

 

[limoak]

I've had no chips in any of our three 451's. Now, having said that, our 451 with the highest 'highway' mileage does have very little pock marks in it from minute particles of sand and just plain dirt in the air, but I consider that to be expected in any car I own.

 

[SmartDigger]

I have had to put one wind screen in at about 80k. I am at 101k now

 

[mvaldes]

FWIW, my 2008 needed a new one last year after 7 years of daily use and about 65,000 miles.

 

[Johannesl]

Not sure if it's common or not. I picked up a nice deep rock chip on my way home from the dealership in the rain. Didn't notice it until the next day when it was in the garage and have been waiting for it to grow before replacing it (heard it's hit/miss on windshield replacements. Sometimes it's like factory, other times it just doesn't go on right. And I have that darn puck to worry about too.)


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[jimvw57]

Over the years I have put on 3 windshields from overly aggressive rocks. I agree with the idea of the short hood and vertical windshield, but I am not sure rock hits are that uncommon on other vehicles. I pretty much blame the poor quality of roads and the amount of aggressive tires on other cars. I drive about 85 miles per day on mu commute and mostly at 55-65 mph.

 

[Miss Mercedes]

The one and only rock chip on my 451 (119,000 miles) came from a giant "bro-truck" going 90 down the Interstate. Of course he didn't have mudflaps despite having like a 2 ft lift kit.

 

[Rustedwrench]

It is not the car, it is the environment. Here in the Land Of Eternal Construction all my vehicles have always gotten multiple stone chips or worse. Hereabouts dump trucks are ubiquitous and thus there are more dump trucks on the road than smarts. They are everywhere but not getting anywhere else very fast.

 

[bobarb]

I've got two in my '08 in 70000 miles. The first one I fixed with a kit off the internet. It's a little tricky but not that bad. After the second one, found out my insurance company would fix it at no cost. After several years they both look the same, no problems.

 

[WhiteNBlack08]

At 183K+ miles, my 451 is on it's second windshield. First one took two or three rocks before it cracked across it. The current one has 3 chips in it. They aren't in my line of sight, so I don't worry about them. Do some searching on here, and there are some old threads with a lot of discussions about the glass seeming to be more brittle and prone to cracking on smarts.

But, yes, I believe the short nose & vertical windshield do contribute to getting more of them...

 

[DreamCarOwner]

I know it's not always possible to do, but I try not to tailgate especially on interstate. I always try to run ahead of or behind the pack. You can't avoid cars passing you in the left lane but keeping a little distance is a good precaution. The interstate I have to run on to get to town or home is always full of coal trucks and trucks hauling aggregates from the mines and I have taken a couple of good hits on the windshield, but luckily it didn't damage it. I'm just lucky I guess. Not tailgating seems like a no-brainer, but my mind (what little I have left) can wander thinking of things and the next thing I know I'm too close to the vehicle ahead. I know I don't like tailgaters behind me. There's just not an abundance of space behind me and the truck running 70 mph behind me. And that's especially when I can reach around and touch his front bumper behind me. Yikes ! DCO.

 

[jzchen]

No chips in mine as far as I know, at about 12.5k miles.

I've had two windshield replacements in my life:

The first was on my first car. It was replaced before I even received it. The car sadly secretly leaked, poor workmanship on the replacement, destroying the pins on one main harness inside the foot well panel in the passenger side of my W123. While I could find a replacement "EGR", I could not easily find the harness, nor find anyone willing/able to repair it.

The second was for a 2004 Toyota Sienna with an electrically heated portion near the wiper starting position. My cousin owns an automotive glass shop, and sent me one without the electrical connector/heated wiper park area. I had noticed the installer remove the connector from my old windshield, but there was no connector on the new one. I then researched a new Toyota part, and found they were over $1000 dollars, and that this was a common "theme" with Toyota windshield replacements!

Just yesterday the work on my mom's car to repair it after her accident on Oct 26 was completed. The car was done last week Wednesday, but they sent a company to replace the clear "bra" I had put. It was the first time I've dealt with this company, and the "owner" noted that they sell one to cover the windshield, as well as the headlights. I've noted recently that WeatherTech has headlight covers, but this is the first I've found a company that sells them for the windshield. He noted that Ferrari windshields cost almost $20k to replace. (It would make sense to clear bra a windshield if it cost that amount.)

I'm guessing it may cost $100 to $200 to cover a windshield. Do you guys who've had to replace them think it's worth it to clear bra? (I just thought of this, but I wonder how the wipers would work on it....)

 

[Smart Bob]

What is the source for the Clear Bra windshield cover? Thank you.

 

[jzchen]

What is the source for the Clear Bra windshield cover? Thank you.

Advance Auto Engineering in Cerritos. (Seidner's Duarte sent them to my house to replace the clear bra that was on the car, which had to be removed as parts were replaced.)

 

[Smart Bob]

Sent a message to Advanced Auto Engineering to see if they offer a product that will protect windshields from rock & stone damage. Their website doesn't show that they have a product for this application.

 

[jzchen]

Sent a message to Advanced Auto Engineering to see if they offer a product that will protect windshields from rock & stone damage. Their website doesn't show that they have a product for this application.

Call the 626 number. It's the "owner's" cell phone. I believe his name is Scott.

EDIT-. He left me a message the morning of my appointment. Because I missed his call, I got a recording of his name. Just listened to the message today.

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[stevenjb]

With windshield film you may get light 'patterns' visible inside the car due to the texture finish of the film. Also if you live in a cold climate - ice scrapping may be a no-no due to possible scratching of the film

 

[Smart Bob]

I am dubious that there is a film product that could be applied to the outside of the windshield. I think it could also affect wiper usage as well.

 

[jzchen]

I am dubious that there is a film product that could be applied to the outside of the windshield. I think it could also affect wiper usage as well.

Star Shield wouldn't do the headlights, and never offered for the windshield. There are definitely some questions about rain, or snow. I do notice that the clear bra has tinted yellowish slightly with time, turning the white diamond color to a yellowish hue, unique in my opinion, but may be an issue for visibility. May ask my wife's friend's husband as he has a Ferrari next time I see him if he's had this done.


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[afroge1sha]

It is not the car, it is the environment. Here in the Land Of Eternal Construction all my vehicles have always gotten multiple stone chips or worse. Hereabouts dump trucks are ubiquitous and thus there are more dump trucks on the road than smarts. They are everywhere but not getting anywhere else very fast.

"land of eternal construction".....i laughed at that for a long time! lmao! i will have to use that to describe Houston.


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