Tesla glass: corners were cut

[vikefan]

Ive been driving for ~22 years. I’ve literally never once in my driving lifetime ever received so much as a tiny chip in my windshield.

I’ve had my Tesla for 14 months. Within the first 3 weeks, I got a chip in my windshield that was at least small enough to be filled in by Safelite, albeit obvious and annoying to me. I thought, wow that’s pretty coincidental...but even though I was suspicious, I didn’t go full deep state on Tesla and let it go.

However, 3 days ago, I heard another large CRACK while driving, and sure enough, there’s now a huge crack in the windshield that’s too big to repair and will require full replacement.

22 years without even a small chip vs 14 months and two hits, including one so large I have to replace. Obviously this can still just be a huge coincidence, but I’m becoming more and more convinced that Tesla’s glass is not as durable as the rest of the auto industry’s glass.

 

[qdeathstar]

I don’t think so. My glass is holding up fine. The car i pretty low to the ground so i would advise avoiding driving behind large trucks...

 

[HankLloydRight]

Coincidence.

 

[Evan1701]

I've been driving for 15 years. My windshield was never damaged in any of my vehicles until 6 months ago, my Jeep Wrangler got the windshield cracked beyond repair, hit with a 2x4 kicked up off the interstate by another vehicle, and cracked by another rock less than a month after getting it replaced. So frustrating, but ultimately, all coincidence (and partially the silly upright Wrangler windshield)

 

[TMThree]

I can report similar. I've had 4 new cars in the area I'm living at now and the Tesla is the only one who has gotten more than one chip in the front windshield. In fact, I have at least 8 tiny ones. The windshield is different than other cars, and not in a good way.

PS: Chips have been coming from different drives, its not one incident that caused them.


edit: chips are not deep enough to be filled, and the car has less than 9000 miles on it.

 

[lbowroom]

So the premise is that Tesla invented a new species of automotive glass that is inferior to other automakers? Yeah, don’t think so.

 

[mal_tsla]

Tesla put really big, steeply raked windshields on their cars, mostly for aero.

That's the primary difference, imo

 

[garrett5688]

Been driving for 15 years and had all sorts of chips and cracks in windshields across 8 vehicles. It happens. You’ve been lucky all these years, and now it’s catching up to you.

 

[Myrddin]

I have a 2001 BMW X5 that I've driven almost the distance from the earth to the moon. I've had to replace the Beemer's windscreen glass about once every two or three years. I've had my Model 3 for a year--no windscreen dings or cracks. And we had a miserable winter last year, the type of weather that always means that gravel is flung from other vehicle's tires at my windscreens. in another couple of years, I'll compare my Model 3's auto-glass experience with that of my X5. Even if the Tesla glass is as bad as BMW glass (bit of tongue in cheek there), I won't mind too much. The Model 3, in its entirety, is such a superb vehicle, I drive the Beemer hardly ever.

 

[vikefan]

I don’t think so. My glass is holding up fine. The car i pretty low to the ground so i would advise avoiding driving behind large trucks...

In the first instance, there was literally no one anywhere in front of me for at least 1000 feet. I had absolutely no idea how anything could have been kicked up that far to hit me. It was a total surprise.

In the second case, there was moderate traffic, but I was nowhere near any large trucks.

 

[vikefan]

So the premise is that Tesla invented a new species of automotive glass that is inferior to other automakers? Yeah, don’t think so.

you should stow the condescension. Glass is not grown on trees. It’s manufactured. By humans. Meaning A) it can be manufactured differently from one company to the next, particularly due to patents, and B) humans are fallible. If there’s a process that reduces chances of error or lack of quality in vehicle parts for one company, that may not necessarily exist in another company.

you’re right though. Tesla has never been known to roll out their cars with quality control problems, so I can understand your flippancy.

 

[Vaillant]

Everything above is all anecdotal, so I have my own experience as well, and that’s that every single person I know with a Subaru has had their windshield replaced. So, I’ve always felt that there was something different about their glass. I never bothered to dig any further into it than that, though!

So far, I’ve driven a Volvo 1800E, Mazda Miata, Mazda RX-8, Chevy Volt and Model 3 as my primary car (~10k miles a year). The Volt is the only one that ever had a crack in the windshield. The Model 3 did have a chip, though, which I had filled.

 

[camalaio]

I've noticed there are a lot of very small chips/indents (over a dozen) in the few months we've had the Model 3. None are noticable unless inspecting glass from the outside. None have turned into cracks despite freezing temperatures with heat blasting.

Chips and cracks are a way of life here, so much so that there are ways to get free chip repair and some insurance offers free glass replacement for a small yearly fee. So the fact I haven't gotten one yet makes me think it's just fine?

 

[RayCanuck]

Most rocks kicked up that have caused issues for me comes from opposing traffic. I drive 200km a day, had 4 rocks hit my windshield in a matter of a couple weeks, each doing significant damage. Then 4 years not one.
Shyte happens

 

[N54TT]

Ive been driving for ~22 years. I’ve literally never once in my driving lifetime ever received so much as a tiny chip in my windshield.

I’ve had my Tesla for 14 months. Within the first 3 weeks, I got a chip in my windshield that was at least small enough to be filled in by Safelite, albeit obvious and annoying to me. I thought, wow that’s pretty coincidental...but even though I was suspicious, I didn’t go full deep state on Tesla and let it go.

However, 3 days ago, I heard another large CRACK while driving, and sure enough, there’s now a huge crack in the windshield that’s too big to repair and will require full replacement.

22 years without even a small chip vs 14 months and two hits, including one so large I have to replace. Obviously this can still just be a huge coincidence, but I’m becoming more and more convinced that Tesla’s glass is not as durable as the rest of the auto industry’s glass.

25yrs driving. I’ve kept a spare DIY glass repair kit for as long as I can remember. Some cars required multiple repairs...integra, 2 wrx’s, g35, and 335i. Some needed the windshield to be replaced...Infiniti JX, Lexus NX. At least where I live it’s a way of life and a luck of the draw in what’s kicked up, how fast and what angle. The only car I don’t remember having to repair was the 75 vette. But they don’t make things like they used to...guess that pertains to glass too? Lol.

In the 13months and 15k miles I’ve driven the tesla I can’t say it’s any worse. I’ve heard some pretty big impacts to my windshield...one left a crack that I fixed with a DIY kit and it’s invisible now.

 

[Need]

Not sure where in SoCal is OP, but in Greater Los Angeles area, it is almost impossible to not get chip or crack if you drive fast and often enough. Also you probably driver faster in your Tesla than your other cars. I used to drive around 70 in my old car, now I am constant driving over 80. Since I got my Model 3 last year, I have 1 big crack all the way from the driver side to the center top. It had to be replaced but good thing I got $100 glass only deductible. Otherwise it is $1000. And now I have one chip. So 1 chip 1 crack in one year...actually not too bad. All my cars, from before, got chips in the last 32 years. I just ignore them...after a while my brain was trained to not see them anymore.

 

[VT_EE]

I had to shake my head at this one. Are we really now pondering whether Tesla is using some sort of cheap glass because someone who got lucky and hasn't been nailed with a rock for 22 years gets hit on the Tesla and now has a crack? I seriously doubt Tesla had some cheap glass formulation developed for their cars.

 

[crouch]

I’m with OP. After 30 years of driving and never requiring windshield repair, within a few months of having my Model 3 I had one small chip on the driver’s side that grew into a massive crack overnight necessitating replacement, and then soon after the replacement another chip that thankfully is low on the passenger side which I was able to have repaired. Also probably 5-10 very loud impacts to the windshield in just over a year whereas with my other cars I might get something like that 1-2 times per year without damage.

It could be something with how the windshield is manufactured, or due to the size and orientation of the windshield, or the lowness to the ground but this problem and the slow to react automatic wipers are my only real complaints about an awesome car.

 

[KenC]

The car has a low hood, allowing the windshield glass to extend way down, affording a great view in front of you. That comes at a cost, since the windshield is vulnerable to more debris from the road. The more hits, the more likely one of those hits will result in damage.

 

[Ludalicious]

Stop tailgating people and driving behind trucks. I always make it a habit to put a vehicle between me and any truck or A-Hole vehicles with no mud flaps.