Model 3 with 3 ft long crack on the windshield

[KkernsT3]

Hello Guys,

I am a newbie when it comes to Tesla, I just got my Tesla 3, 2 weeks ago. But I have owned ICE cars for decades and never had I experienced a windshield cracked by a small rock that hits you in the freeway, I was sure it was a tiny rock because of the sound (Tick) and the mark it left at the impact site (which was close to the end of my windshield, driver side).

My question is? Are Tesla 3 windshield brittle? It’s really sad to see a windshield cracked after 2 weeks of use. I already scheduled my repair for next week but not sure how much it costs for a new windshield.

Did anyone have any similar experience?

 

[SlimJim]

Mine has been hit with a rock as big as a fingernail and it created a tiny spider web which I repaired with windshield repair kit from Amazon.
I don't find it extra weak. But I purchased my car in June. Tesla might have switched glass supplier since then. Who knows.

 

[Tdriver]

They’re have been very few reported issues with windshields

 

[KkernsT3]

Mine has been hit with a rock as big as a fingernail and it created a tiny spider web which I repaired with windshield repair kit from Amazon.
I don't find it extra weak. But I purchased my car in June. Tesla might have switched glass supplier since then. Who knows.

Yeah! I think, because it was in the freeway and the impact point was very close to the end of the glass, the reason why it made the long crack. Who knows, this probably will cost me my insurance deductible to fix it. I’m still waiting for the estimate from Tesla here in Honolulu.

 

[KkernsT3]

They’re have been very few reported issues with windshields

Not enough for Tesla to fix this for free I guess. Not sure if the fact that I just got this couple weeks ago and with only 600 miles on it matters.

 

[MJP.P3D-]

Fluke. Act of God. Etc. Unfortunate for sure but could happen to any one/any car. Sorry for the incident but it’s repairable/replaceable and will be as good as new. Good luck.

 

[KkernsT3]

Fluke. Act of God. Etc. Unfortunate for sure but could happen to any one/any car. Sorry for the incident but it’s repairable/replaceable and will be as good as new. Good luck.

Yeah! Bad Luck! I hope it won’t happen again to me after it’s fixed.

 

[Candleflame]

its the location where it hit. Teslas are bit more prone to getting chips low down on the windshield due to the profile of the car. Cracks that far to the edge spread rapidly.

I also got a rockchip after 500km of owning the car. It's normal part of car ownership unless you drive only on prestine european motorways.

This isnt fixable you need a new windshield. Use your windshield insurance or normal insurance.... It's not that expensive actually.

 

[KkernsT3]

its the location where it hit. Teslas are bit more prone to getting chips low down on the windshield due to the profile of the car. Cracks that far to the edge spread rapidly.

I also got a rockchip after 500km of owning the car. It's normal part of car ownership unless you drive only on prestine european motorways.

This isnt fixable you need a new windshield. Use your windshield insurance or normal insurance.... It's not that expensive actually.

Thanks. Now, I will have to decide whether Safelite repairs are as good as Tesla , I have no idea how windshield repairs here in Honolulu are done. But I did schedule the appointment for next week using Tesla App and submitted a claim to my insurance, Allstate who works with Safelite. Hope these 2 companies work well together. Crossing my fingers.

 

[adhoc]

my experience is the model 3 is a windshield rock magnet!
I too have never had a rock crack windshiel in 50+ yrs driving
I’ve had 2 windshields spider from small rocks at less than 40 mph.
I’m guessing it’s airflow issue (front has no chips) and soft or
stressed glass or both?

 

[KkernsT3]

my experience is the model 3 is a windshield rock magnet!
I too have never had a rock crack windshiel in 50+ yrs driving
I’ve had 2 windshields spider from small rocks at less than 40 mph.
I’m guessing it’s airflow issue (front has no chips) and soft or
stressed glass or both?

That was my thinking. Imagine, I just drove this car for only a couple weeks and I already experienced 3 hits by a small rock. The first 2 didn’t make a spider crack, just a little dot on the windshield, but this 3rd one, really made a spider web crack and extended a crack around 3 ft in front of my face when I’m driving. It’s weird as I rarely if not never had any rock hit my windshield from my previous ICE cars .

Now, I’m crossing my fingers , that after this is fixed, that it won’t happen again.

 

[Candleflame]

Thanks. Now, I will have to decide whether Safelite repairs are as good as Tesla , I have no idea how windshield repairs here in Honolulu are done. But I did schedule the appointment for next week using Tesla App and submitted a claim to my insurance, Allstate who works with Safelite. Hope these 2 companies work well together. Crossing my fingers.

yoru windshield cant be repaired, it needs to be replaced.

 

[M109Rider]

my experience is the model 3 is a windshield rock magnet!
I too have never had a rock crack windshiel in 50+ yrs driving
I’ve had 2 windshields spider from small rocks at less than 40 mph.
I’m guessing it’s airflow issue (front has no chips) and soft or
stressed glass or both?

That was my thinking. Imagine, I just drove this car for only a couple weeks and I already experienced 3 hits by a small rock. The first 2 didn’t make a spider crack, just a little dot on the windshield, but this 3rd one, really made a spider web crack and extended a crack around 3 ft in front of my face when I’m driving. It’s weird as I rarely if not never had any rock hit my windshield from my previous ICE cars .

Now, I’m crossing my fingers , that after this is fixed, that it won’t happen again.

I seriously doubt airflow plays a part in a rock hitting the glass. I’m not a physicist but I would think aerodynamics would have little effect on a heavy rock, or a small rock at highway speeds.
I’ve also driven for decades, and have had lots of cracks in previous cars, but none on my Tesla after 111,000 KM’s.

I’ve had no door dings on previous cars, but had several within the first few months of owning my Tesla. I wouldn’t then conclude, that previous cars have softer doors. ...

Morale of the story is that it’s all just mostly based on bad luck, if you’ve suddenly had rocks hit your glass. The glass isn’t likely softer than any other car. I’m not a glass manufacturer, but that seems highly unlikely, and a bit of a stretch.

 

[Lo-voltage]

How fast were you going? The rock would be doing similar speed coming at you
I used to fit windshields many years ago, speed, angle, hardness/jaggedness of rock all play a part in what damage is caused
There’s also luck which seems to be the biggest factor
Keep good distance from other cars in your lane and drive with your fingers crossed, sorry for your damage I know it sucks but could worse, it could have left damage on the hood instead

 

[SlimJim]

its the location where it hit. Teslas are bit more prone to getting chips low down on the windshield due to the profile of the car. Cracks that far to the edge spread rapidly.

I also got a rockchip after 500km of owning the car. It's normal part of car ownership unless you drive only on prestine european motorways.

This isnt fixable you need a new windshield. Use your windshield insurance or normal insurance.... It's not that expensive actually.

Windshield film or tint would have helped in OP situation probably

 

[adhoc]

I seriously doubt airflow plays a part in a rock hitting the glass. I’m not a physicist but I would think aerodynamics would have little effect on a heavy rock, or a small rock at highway speeds.
I’ve also driven for decades, and have had lots of cracks in previous cars, but none on my Tesla after 111,000 KM’s.

I’ve had no door dings on previous cars, but had several within the first few months of owning my Tesla. I wouldn’t then conclude, that previous cars have softer doors. ...

Morale of the story is that it’s all just mostly based on bad luck, if you’ve suddenly had rocks hit your glass. The glass isn’t likely softer than any other car. I’m not a glass manufacturer, but that seems highly unlikely, and a bit of a stretch.

aero plays a HUGE amount where debris impacts surfaces,
F1 is the extreme of how and why, it’s a thing!

my 3 has more abrasion on windshield than front bumper.

previous vehicles (low angled windshield) experienced same
incidences of rocks, yet didn’t fail under same impacts.

door dings, phase of the moon, bad luck aren’t my purpose
in relating my sample of events that have cracked 2 windshields,
and previous experiences with other vehicles. YMMV

 

[M109Rider]

aero plays a HUGE amount where debris impacts surfaces,
F1 is the extreme of how and why, it’s a thing!

my 3 has more abrasion on windshield than front bumper.

previous vehicles (low angled windshield) experienced same
incidences of rocks, yet didn’t fail under same impacts.

door dings, phase of the moon, bad luck aren’t my purpose
in relating my sample of events that have cracked 2 windshields,
and previous experiences with other vehicles. YMMV

I think we all agree aerodynamics are a thing. That’s not the argument though right ?
The model 3 is very aerodynamic, and that impacts its range.

What I’m saying is; If you have a rock flying towards the car at speed, and its trajectory is at your front glass, it’s unlikely the better aerodynamics of the model 3 allow an object like a rock to pass through easier than a car with poorer aerodynamics, resulting in more rock impacts. ..
In my many years of driving other cars of all types, I’ve never seen a rock deflected away from the windshield from wind.
I just can’t believe something as heavy as a rock would be influenced enough by aerodynamics of any normal car to change its trajectory outcome. Maybe the physics masters on this forum can chime in with their thoughts. My BMW has rock chips in it, and I’ve seen June bugs hit my BMW window many times. If that cars poorer aerodynamics can’t deflect a June bug, how could it influence a rock ?

 

[Vines]

I think we all agree aerodynamics are a thing. That’s not the argument though right ?
The model 3 is very aerodynamic, and that impacts its range.

What I’m saying is; If you have a rock flying towards the car at speed, and its trajectory is at your front glass, it’s unlikely the better aerodynamics of the model 3 allow an object like a rock to pass through easier than a car with poorer aerodynamics, resulting in more rock impacts. ..
In my many years of driving other cars of all types, I’ve never seen a rock deflected away from the windshield from wind.
I just can’t believe something as heavy as a rock would be influenced enough by aerodynamics of any normal car to change its trajectory outcome. Maybe the physics masters on this forum can chime in with their thoughts. My BMW has rock chips in it, and I’ve seen June bugs hit my BMW window many times. If that cars poorer aerodynamics can’t deflect a June bug, how could it influence a rock ?

Think of the origional bug guard, that plastic thing that went on your hood and changed the airflow so less things hit the windshield.

The model 3 is basically the opposite of that. The lower the CD I think the higher chance of rock impacts, or at least I suspect this.

Personally my windshield has taken 4 hits now with enough force to start a crack. Each time I called Safelite out immediately to fill it in.

This is 2 years and 55k miles later of pretty well worn California roads. Yesterday a rock hit the roof, and caused a run across the whole roof glass. Its just luck that I hadn't had a worse crack before this.

 

[SlimJim]

AP is to blame for certain percentage.
When I am manually driving, i would jerk and give a slight tug to avoid road debris, pothole or dead animals.
However, when i am on AP i just go “ahwo” “oops” “yikes!” as my tesla runs over glass, pothole, and dead raccoon.
when a rock flies my way i see it and go “uh oh. Crap!!” And i do nothing about it.

 

[Apone]

Agree with members who cite the profile, shape and aerodynamics of the car. This is my 10th car and the number of you reporting cracks in the front and roof do seem high. Last time I cracked my G37 glass I was going over 100 mph and that made sense. If you are getting them at 40mph, that seems unusual.