Alas, new problem: Windshield Stress Fracture. Anyone else?

[efusco]

A "me too" post. Windshield was fine going to work this AM. Came out to go home this afternoon and had a "pretty" symetrical 3 pronged stress fracture on the driver's side window. Starts about 1/3rd the way up and extends from the edge of the glass for about 8-10 inches on the longest curl. No impact damage to be seen. Called Customer Service, St.Louis SC called within 30 min. and they're picking it up on Tuesday (can't be done as Ranger service unfortunately, but they hope to have it back by Tuesday evening. As many others, I have an early VIN (001267), the wavy glass at the bottom.

 

[tamperage]

Hi guys. To inform you all. The windshield stress crack problem is due to the manufacturing process of the windsheild. The internal tension in the glass is above nominal threshold creating a higher propensity to crack.

Without going into too much detail about why.... The UV/IR coating is very advanced but also caused issues in gravity sag process, inside the lehr, heat is absorbed and released much differantly than a traditional non-coated piece of glass. Therefore controlling shape (curvature) and inner tension and outer compression was difficult. The entire windshield is not above tension threshold, just particular locations. Therefore probably to crack is much higher in those areas with any sort of activity which may induce mechanical stress by means of thermal expansion, impact, flexure.

Incase you were wondering the installation angle is 24.4 from horizon, very low

The good news is the problem has been corrected and current production will not exhibit cracking issues.

 

[RDoc]

Hi guys. To inform you all. The windshield stress crack problem is due to the manufacturing process of the windsheild. The internal tension in the glass is above nominal threshold creating a higher propensity to crack.

Without going into too much detail about why.... The UV/IR coating is very advanced but also caused issues in gravity sag process, inside the lehr, heat is absorbed and released much differantly than a traditional non-coated piece of glass. Therefore controlling shape (curvature) and inner tension and outer compression was difficult. The entire windshield is not above tension threshold, just particular locations. Therefore probably to crack is much higher in those areas with any sort of activity which may induce mechanical stress by means of thermal expansion, impact, flexure.

Incase you were wondering the installation angle is 24.4 from horizon, very low

The good news is the problem has been corrected and current production will not exhibit cracking issues.

Source?

 

[Nikwozhere]

Crack on left upper front windshield

Woke up to a cracked windshield :crying: The cracking is on the outside of the windshield but it doesn't look like it was due to road debris. 6000+ miles before it happened.

View attachment 21181View attachment 21182

I woke up up to the same crack after hearing a loud "crack" the day before but seeing nothing. The service center referred me to the local repair shop they have approved and said they would determine if it is a stress fracture or impact fracture.

 

[DFibRL8R]

Just had my windshield replaced for an L-shaped stress crack on the passenger side and there is an added bonus getting the new glass. I have an early Model S Vin 3983. When I first got the car, the only place I could mount the transponder was directly on the plastic cover of the rear view mirror. The transponder now works fine placed directly to the right of the rear view mirror on the glass. I read somewhere that the windshields on early production vehicles had the RF blocker throughout with no unblocked area for toll tags.

 

[RobsJester]

Good they covered it. How much does out windshield cost if anyone knows?

Sadly Darth, a new window and labor cost $1,444
• $875 for the glass, labor is 490 +tax (almost twice the cost to replace the windshield of a "S Class" Merc - $800+/-)

I have an early VIN (03818) and this is the second window crack originating from the passenger "A" Pillar. The first was replaced in Dana Beach, FL without any question last summer. Although the crack looks eerily similar to the last break, I've been told it failed the ball-point pen check, so I'm out the insurance deductible - and my insurance company is out a grand on top of that.

There is always a silver-lining, for the last month, I've watched the crack slowly grow, marking the spiderweb's progress like a proud mother penciling her first-born's height in a doorframe, at least I now have something to do while sitting in LA traffic.

To those in the know, a ranger preformed Sb-13-10-006 on the passenger "A" pillar to reduce the "popping" noises when driving, but I doubt a flathead screwdriver and mallet solved the underlying body flex that could be contributing multiple cracking windshields.


Here's a link to the pict: Windshield2_zpsfd9b1f80.jpg Photo by roadhd | Photobucket

Don't get me wrong, I love the car, company, and brand; I'm just hope my car doesn't continue to pop $1,488 windshields every six months.

 

[RobsJester]

Sadly Darth, a new window and labor cost $1,444

EDIT: After a few weeks, I took the car in to the service center to have the windshield replaced. The service manager looked at the crack and comped the windshield, so very excited and appreciate it very much. Thank you Tesla.

 

[Hank42]

Although the crack looks eerily similar to the last break, I've been told it failed the ball-point pen check, so I'm out the insurance deductible - and my insurance company is out a grand on top of that.
hs.

Stupid question alert: What is the ball-point pen check?

 

[Robert.Boston]

Run a ball-point pen along the crack. If it catches somewhere, that point is where the stone hit that caused the crack. If it doesn't catch, then the crack is deemed a stress fracture.

 

[aaronw]

I just had my windshield crack, though this time it's right in the middle at the base. It looks like it cracked right where the wiper rests against it. It cracked while driving back from Reno through the snow. The biggest thing to hit it was sand. I think it was likely stress, perhaps due to running the defroster.

 

[JST]

Sadly Darth, a new window and labor cost $1,444
• $875 for the glass, labor is 490 +tax (almost twice the cost to replace the windshield of a "S Class" Merc - $800+/-)

I have an early VIN (03818) and this is the second window crack originating from the passenger "A" Pillar. The first was replaced in Dana Beach, FL without any question last summer. Although the crack looks eerily similar to the last break, I've been told it failed the ball-point pen check, so I'm out the insurance deductible - and my insurance company is out a grand on top of that.

There is always a silver-lining, for the last month, I've watched the crack slowly grow, marking the spiderweb's progress like a proud mother penciling her first-born's height in a doorframe, at least I now have something to do while sitting in LA traffic.

To those in the know, a ranger preformed Sb-13-10-006 on the passenger "A" pillar to reduce the "popping" noises when driving, but I doubt a flathead screwdriver and mallet solved the underlying body flex that could be contributing multiple cracking windshields.


Here's a link to the pict: Windshield2_zpsfd9b1f80.jpg Photo by roadhd | Photobucket

Don't get me wrong, I love the car, company, and brand; I'm just hope my car doesn't continue to pop $1,488 windshields every six months.

BMW quoted me $1200+ for a new windshield on my E61 5 series. Thankfully, there were aftermarket options available for about half that cost (OEM glass, but with no BMW logo). I'm guessing that there probably aren't aftermarket options available for the Model S yet, but it might not hurt to call an independent glass company and ask them.

Of course, even if you could do that, the chances of you getting the *next* windshield comped would be zero, ball point pen or not.

 

[johnnyS]

I believe most of the early windshields that cracked started in the lower right corner. Mine cracked starting from the lower left corner. Tesla replaced ours without any questions--I think I just described it on the telephone and they brought me a loaner. The newer windshields have a slightly beveled edge that the early cars did not have.

 

[aaronw]

Looking closely at the crack on my windshield it looks like there is a slight nick exactly where the windshield wiper blade rests. Unlike the others, this one started in the middle at the base of the windshield. This happened during my first significant trip in cold weather in over a year of owning the car. I cannot see how Tesla could claim it would be road debris since the slight divot is so low and would be next to impossible to hit. Most of my driving (even with snow) was with my wipers off since I had coated my windshield with Aquapel. Nothing bigger than grains of sand had hit my windshield either. The car claimed it got down to about 30F outside and while I have driven it in colder weather it was never for so long a stretch of time. I'll find out on the 16th what Tesla says. In the meantime the crack continues to grow.

 

[Morristhecat]

Darn, i just noticed a crack! Looks like it started in the bottom middle edge and has propogated sideways from there. Hope it is just a
Stress fracture and will be covered. Passes the balpoint pen test. Guess I'll call the Service Centre now...

y

 

[Sm4llz]

Sorry to resurrect this but I'm wondering if anybody has noticed any cracks from stress on the rear hatch window. Just noticed a similar crack today starting from the bottom and going up..probably 10 inches in length. Doesn't appear to be from a rock and it would be odd that something would hit the rear window. I'll grab pictures tomorrow when it's lighter out.

 

[Sm4llz]

 

[rezaj]

Same here. Looks identical to many of the other photos. Lower right side. Crack from the lower side that extends inward and branches in two, one going up and one going down. One minute fine. Walked away to talk to someone; walked back to find the crack. All while parked at the showroom parking lot.

 

[Chris EC-Rent]

A couple of weeks ago, a windshield of one of hour Teslas had a fracture. We had it prepared, and today at the same car: a fracture. Tesla didn't fix it, because for windshield problems you go to a specialised company here in the Netherlands. The insurance covered it, so we only had to cover the excess of about € 100,-. But if this keeps on happening I wonder if the insurance keeps on paying and we also wouldn't be happy to always pay our excess. So I'm going to contact Tesla about this and see what have to say about it.

 

[Boourns]

From reading this thread it looks like this is the same stress fracture previously identified by Tesla. I have a pretty low VIN number (P02413). Anyone have problems with Tesla agreeing to replace this under warranty? I bought the car as a CPO.

 

[VMark]

i have a model x have faced this issue twice now in first 2.5 months

Stress crack on X windshield