Do rear window stress fractures still occur?

[Zinzan]

Or were they more common in early Model 3s?

I picked up my Model 3 less than 2 weeks ago, and am considering tinting the windows. But I see many posts about stress fractures in the rear window, and how ceramic tints may contribute to these cracks.

But most of these occurrences seemed to have happened in 2018 or 2019 Model 3s. Did Tesla improve the glass or the installations in some way?

Should I still be concerned if I'm considering a tint? Should I avoid High Heat resisting ceramic films like Stratos and XPEL Prime XR+? Would a lighter tint help? For example, I'm considering Stratos 35 on the sides and maybe Pinnacle Formula One 50 (or 70?) on the rear window. Or XR+ 35 on the side windows and XR 50 (or 70?) on the rear.

 

[jjrandorin]

I read some of those threads too, but never got a feeling for how prevalent the issue might have been. I have 3M Crystalline all around, 20% everywhere but the windshield, and 70% on the windshield, and have not had any issues in the 2.5 years I have owned the car. I mostly park in my garage, but have obviously parked outside when going other places, including in So. Cal. Heat.

Doesnt mean someone else wont have a problem, but I certainly havent.

 

[Zinzan]

Yeah, that's the thing I'm not getting a feel for--how prevalent is/was the issue. In this forum, we can find maybe a dozen or so cases of rear window cracks. But is that just a few out of hundreds of thousands? How many were caused/exacerbated by ceramic tint? And most reports on here are not recent. Is it still happening?

It's like the phantom braking issues. No doubt that several drivers experience it often, but maybe most don't experience it very frequently at all?

Anyway, it's easy to get over-concerned about something rare, but at the same time it's good to be aware of risks. It's just hard to quantify how much risk there is in putting a ceramic tint on the rear window of a 2021 Model 3.

I'm in Atlanta, where it does get hot, but I do garage it at home, and would have covered garage deck parking when I return to the office.

 

[jarvm]

I read posts about those too, and with my car being parked mostly outside in the desert, I'm choosing to wait a week before I get mine tinted (picked mine up last wed). Going to get Llumar IRX (35% sides and rear) installed this weekend.

 

[DeltaOne]

I picked up my Model 3 less than 2 weeks ago, and am considering tinting the windows. But I see many posts about stress fractures in the rear window, and how ceramic tints may contribute to these cracks.

I have an appt to have my Model 3 windows tinted in a few weeks. Package includes all four doors and the rear section of the roof glass. I asked the shop rep about cracking the rear roof glass (because I've read it here too) and he said they've never seen it happen. And they do a couple of Tesla's a week.

 

[Black Dahlia]

I read some of those threads too, but never got a feeling for how prevalent the issue might have been. I have 3M Crystalline all around, 20% everywhere but the windshield, and 70% on the windshield, and have not had any issues in the 2.5 years I have owned the car. I mostly park in my garage, but have obviously parked outside when going other places, including in So. Cal. Heat.

Doesnt mean someone else wont have a problem, but I certainly havent.

If you don't mind me asking, what was your cost and where at? Thinking of going with Crystalline for mine. Thanks.

 

[jjrandorin]

If you don't mind me asking, what was your cost and where at? Thinking of going with Crystalline for mine. Thanks.

I got mine done at a local shop I have been going to in my city (Temecula CA) for over a decade. I am not going to share cost, as it not relevant, since my car was tinted in december of 2018. The world has changed a "lot" since then. Tint prices are also all over the map, so I dont shop by pricing on tint, I shop by quality.

The shop I go to in temecula has been there for like 20+ years, I am fairly sure. They are not the cheapest, but I have had probably 8 leased BMWs done by the same shop, and was happy on each one.

 

[merlin1]

I got mine done at a local shop I have been going to in my city (Temecula CA) for over a decade. I am not going to share cost, as it not relevant, since my car was tinted in december of 2018. The world has changed a "lot" since then. Tint prices are also all over the map, so I dont shop by pricing on tint, I shop by quality.

The shop I go to in temecula has been there for like 20+ years, I am fairly sure. They are not the cheapest, but I have had probably 8 leased BMWs done by the same shop, and was happy on each one.

I live in the Temecula area...can you share the name of the shop you used? Thanks

 

[jjrandorin]

I live in the Temecula area...can you share the name of the shop you used? Thanks

View attachment 692533

I posted it in another thread but I went to the shop above. I would go every 3 years with my new BMW leases and they always did a great job. My location under my name says riverside county but the city I live in, is temecula actually, so its convenient to me as well.

 

[merlin1]

Thanks!

 

[Dondula]

So I literally just noticed a fine crack in my rear driver side window of my 2021 M3P. The car is only 4 months old and I can't feel the crack on either side of the window. I do have them tinted but never even heard of tints causing stress cracks. I wonder if that is where it came from. That's pretty crappy though if that's the case. These cars are more sensitive than I imagined.

 

[Cstan]

Hi all, new member here waiting delivery of m3p. Not sure this topic has been discussed, but really hope to hear from current model3 owners regarding tinted rear window.
Read online some issues with cracking after tint. Anyone has the same issues here?
I really like the look of black out on white model3, therefore is very keen to tint rear once I got my car.
Appreciate any sharing on the topics.
Thank you.

 

[DeltaOne]

Hi all, new member here waiting delivery of m3p. Not sure this topic has been discussed, but really hope to hear from current model3 owners regarding tinted rear window.
Read online some issues with cracking after tint. Anyone has the same issues here?

The installer here in the U.S. (Maryland) that did my window tinting said they tint the rear window all the time. Not the top window, but the rear window. He said they've never seen one crack.

I asked because I had read the same posts about cracking.

 

[Cstan]

The installer here in the U.S. (Maryland) that did my window tinting said they tint the rear window all the time. Not the top window, but the rear window. He said they've never seen one crack.

I asked because I had read the same posts about cracking.

Thanks so much for sharing. Appreciate!