Windshield glass is trash

[MoreTrout]

I usually brush off anecdotes, especially on here, but this one is seriously bothersome. Just picked up my second crack in a year, 3 months after replacement, granted that's 20k total miles.

What bothers me is how these happened. Both came from small cars in lanes next to me, not a big truck in front and be riding their ass. They both hit the right side, low.

I've driven that road plenty of times in previous vehicles, taken rocks, never a crack. There's absolutely something about these windshields that makes them prone to chips and cracks.

Sorry for your bad luck, but my countering anecdote still stands. Since I posted it I have taken multiple additional small to medium rock hits without a crack. Based on my experience, the glass Rivian uses is far superior to my Fords that all went through multiple windshields and cracks.

I also don't think the size of the vehicle throwing the rock has anything to do with it. A subcompact is more than capable of picking up a large rock with a sharp edge and a large truck can kick up a meaningless pebble. The truck just throws more of them, but has nothing to do with how likely it is to crack the glass or not.

I'm sure my luck will eventually run out. Is it just me, or does the camera in the top center in front of the mirror resemble a crack every time you look at it? Scares me every time I check after taking another rock.

Sponsored

 

[Lucanjo]

My R1T is in the SC for a replacement windshield currently (3 months/4k miles old). It was a chip and when Safelite tried to seal, it turned into a crack. Agree with the others, I think it’s just bad luck (and driving I95 in MD with the constant construction). I’ve replaced 3 windshields on 3 different vehicles in the past 12 months.

On a side note, my service experience has been fantastic so far but that’s a topic for another post.

 

[Cary Hawk]

Not going to bother to read through another 4 pages of an anecdotal experience. I have had multiple windshields crack in prior vehicles. My R1T's windshield has already taken several hard, one of them very hard, hits from rocks and not a single crack. Unless you are a Rivian engineer with actual data over thousands of vehicles for actual rates of cracks per number of vehicles and insurance data to compare to other manufacturers, both of these anecdotes are meaningless. Sorry for the OPs bad luck, but I see zero evidence that Rivian's glass is any better or any worse than any other manufacturer. Based on where I live and where I drive, I'm completely expecting to get a crack eventually.

Thanks for your anecdote.

 

[Aag12]

Ugh, I have 10k miles and prior to this past weekend I had 2 rock chips. This last weekend I got another 2 more and 5 surface divots/damage on the top layer.

It was just from some small loose highway rock/sand asphalt another car kicked up.

I've never had a car with such a problem with chios. I keep repairing it, but at some point I'm hoping there is an aftermarket solution so I can ditch the oem one.

 

[BeanEW]

I haven't read thru all the posts.. someone might have already suggested it. You can put a PPF like film on your windshield; it will give some cushioning to your windshield and hopefully it doesn't crack as often. However, it is pretty pricy from the installers in the Bay Area... about $500... therefore I didn't do it.

 

[zefram47]

Geez...only about 400 miles on my truck and I'm already seeing pitting in the windshield and possibly a scratch from the wipers. They really need to get on some industry standard glass like PPG or similar. I'd read how bad folks thought this stuff was, but now see it's likely all true.

 

[jasonphoto01]

Possible solution??? https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...?key=RjRDYy1pU2t4VU80TU5RRVBHbVkyUmdXd19aWHZB

 

[Riviot]

I haven't read thru all the posts.. someone might have already suggested it. You can put a PPF like film on your windshield; it will give some cushioning to your windshield and hopefully it doesn't crack as often. However, it is pretty pricy from the installers in the Bay Area... about $500... therefore I didn't do it.

I was about to drop the $600 here to do it, but just got a chip. After professional filling, it's still visible, so now I'm ambivalent on pulling the trigger. I got a doozy of a crack last fall and lost my ceramic UV as a result. I really want that back before summer!

 

[Foobar]

Possible solution??? https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...?key=RjRDYy1pU2t4VU80TU5RRVBHbVkyUmdXd19aWHZB

Interesting concept but I couldn't get past the continuity error in the demonstration video - he slingshots a ball bearing at the protected glass, draws a circle around the impact area on the outside of the protector, then peels off the protector and the circle is behind it on the glass! whoa, what magic is this?!

 

[FooF]

Interesting concept but I couldn't get past the continuity error in the demonstration video - he slingshots a ball bearing at the protected glass, draws a circle around the impact area on the outside of the protector, then peels off the protector and the circle is behind it on the glass! whoa, what magic is this?!

He reaches behind the glass to draw the circle and peels the film off of the front

 

[Foobar]

He reaches behind the glass to draw the circle and peels the film off of the front

Then why does it wipe away when he wipes down the impact area (front?)

Also, he does reach behind the glass but note the wall behind him - the part facing us is what got hit by the bearing.

 

[Riviot]

Then why does it wipe away when he wipes down the impact area (front?)

Also, he does reach behind the glass but note the wall behind him - the part facing us is what got hit by the bearing.

He wiped the back where the marker was.

They turned the glass away from the slingshot so there was a blank wall to video against.

I appreciate your skepticism, but this is legit.

 

[Foobar]

He wiped the back where the marker was.

They turned the glass away from the slingshot so there was a blank wall to video against.

I appreciate your skepticism, but this is legit.

I'm not skeptical of the product, I'm just calling out the video production continuity error. He wipes away both the adhesive that the bearing pushed into the glass as well as the marker circle. If that was the other side of the glass, it would have only wiped away the circle and not the adhesive residue. No?

 

[DTown3011]

Geez...only about 400 miles on my truck and I'm already seeing pitting in the windshield and possibly a scratch from the wipers. They really need to get on some industry standard glass like PPG or similar. I'd read how bad folks thought this stuff was, but now see it's likely all true.

The wipers are trash. I am very very close to replacing my wiper blades, which is ridiculous for a brand new vehicle. They leave streaks everywhere.

The problem with these Exoshields is they get scratched by your windshield wipers and then you have to replace the film after a certain amount of time....they even ellude to it in their FAQ:

 

[Mark_AZR1T]

Exoshield is not a viable option if you live in the AZ desert, it may prevent some light pitting, but not a crack. I've had it on two vehicles here, not to mention scratches on it and replacing it every 2-3 years (no thanks). We have the highest cracked windshield rate in America. I have had three chip repairs because there is no quality aftermarket windshield option yet, but you know someone will have one.....

Sponsored