Another windscreen gets cracked

[NightPHEVer]

September 2017 got a 20mm crack in my windscreen (bouncing stone - recently resurfaced road) right in driver's view, so had to replace screen as MoT failure beckoned (much disputing with Admiral Insurance followed as Mitsubishi First said my insurance would cover its replacement at a Mitsubishi main dealer, but Admiral didn't agree. Mitsubishi First eventually paid as they gave me the incorrect information).

Just now, 8 months and 6000 miles later another crack! (bouncing stone - recently resurfaced road). I was going about 40mph, a long way from the slow moving traffic sausage in front. What is it with PHEV windscreens - is it something to do with the aerodynamics? I'm now insured with Mitsubishi so it will be interesting to see how they deal with this. The 20mm crack is on the passenger side this time, so is probably not an MoT failure. I doubt it can be fixed though as I was told last time that only 'chips' in the glass can be ground-out and filled, not cracks. Not sure where that'll leave me in claiming for yet another replacement.

The total cost of replacement last time at Mitsubishi was a not inconsiderable £833.51. The genuine Mitsubishi rubber seals alone cost £150. The car has still only done 15,000 miles and may soon be on its third windscreen. The environmental consequences alone don't bare thinking about, never mind the cost.

 

[elm70]

Some months ago I did replace my windscreen too ... still a mystery why it did crack .. since I notice a crack after left the car parked, and I was driving in the day before very slowly and did not notice any strange sounds ...

Anyhow ... I did replace mine for 650pln ... that is around 150 euro ... very impressed by low cost and the job was looking done well ... possibly better then the old windscreen which was already a non original Mitsubishi ... so the previous owner in Holland did replace it with a worst work then what I did here

 

[user 816]

Mine has had 2 as well just hoping it lasts now until the car goes back. The bonnet edge looks like it has been hit by a shotgun blast and stone chips just above windscreen have rusted and look bad. Worst car ever for these issues...

Although the roads have never been worse for being broken up, dirty, debris so I guess its inevitable.

 

[NightPHEVer]

Maybe a result of fuel-saving aerodynamic design of the front end of the car. As mine's only a 20mm crack on the passenger side (right in the middle of the screen though) I might leave it for now. The aesthetic imperfection of It bothers me, but on a 200 mile drive today, as it's already damaged, at least I wasn't worried whether anything hit the screen or not.

On a positive note it's a joy to drive a PHEV on uncluttered Scottish roads. So smooth and quiet - especially as there are so many hills that my hearing keeps going wonky so I can't hear much anyway. It looks to me that as the population of Scotland (5 million-ish), Wales, Northern Ireland and Cornwall all put together is about 10 million, then the other 55 million must be in England. No wonder the M25 is so busy.

 

[moonrakre]

I might leave it for now.

If you leave a crack it will spread and then you need a replacement windscreen. Our local windscreen place repairs starburst cracks up to about 20mm for £30 or Autoglass can do it for free on the insurance. When I had one recently Autoglass said they couldn't come for over a week - by which time it would have spread; so I paid the £30 to the local firm and now I struggle to see where it is.

Best wishes

Adrian

 

[NightPHEVer]

Yes I'll get it looked at and see if it can be filled, it's a borderline 20mm 'starburst'. Although if trying to fix it failed it'll need a new screen, and if the crack spreads it'll need a new windscreen too. With the last starburst/crack I had - which was almost identical in appearance only right in front of my vision - I was told it couldn't be filled.

My local Mitsubishi dealer (Inverness) recommends National Windscreens and to request original parts only - ie. original windscreen rubber seals and original windscreen. Apparently non-original windscreens do exist and fitters will usually use a generic rubber seal - as I mentioned previously the Mitsubishi seals cost an astonishing £150 (three modest strips of rubber in nice Mitsubishi plastic bags).

If I use Mitsubishi Insurance approved repair company that'll be Autoglass and would cost me £80 excess, if I choose anyone else - such as National Windscreens - it'll cost me £100. If I do need a replacement I'll make sure Mitsubishi Insurance are aware of the fact that I'm going to request an original Mitsubishi screen an seals before I do it (always assuming that National Windcreens are prepared to use original parts - I haven't actually asked them yet).

With my previous insurer - Admiral - they would only pay if I used Autoglass. If I used anyone else they would give me £50 towards the cost but no more than that. As I mentioned previously the cost last time via a Mitsubishi main dealer (Corby) was a total of £833.51.

 

[maby]

I might leave it for now.

If you leave a crack it will spread and then you need a replacement windscreen. Our local windscreen place repairs starburst cracks up to about 20mm for £30 or Autoglass can do it for free on the insurance. When I had one recently Autoglass said they couldn't come for over a week - by which time it would have spread; so I paid the £30 to the local firm and now I struggle to see where it is.

Best wishes

Adrian

Has anyone actually had a crack spread, or is this just good advertising from the repair companies? I've had cars that have had a variety of cracks for years that have never changed visibly.

 

[moonrakre]

Has anyone actually had a crack spread, or is this just good advertising from the repair companies? I've had cars that have had a variety of cracks for years that have never changed visibly.

I have had this on several occasions - on Vauxhalls and Fords but I haven't had my Outlander long enough yet. The worst are near the edge, and I have driven along just watching one travel across imperceptibly but longer every time I looked at it.

 

[elm70]

Has anyone actually had a crack spread, or is this just good advertising from the repair companies? I've had cars that have had a variety of cracks for years that have never changed visibly.

Maybe because I was doing lot of bumpy roads at the time

When I got my crack it did grow almost every day, or better at every street bump

It started around 15cm long .. and just before I replaced the windscreen it was over 30 or 40 cm long

Since it happen while I was in vacation I did not had a option to fix with a filler

Anyhow ... replace my windscreen here got incredible cheap .. Mitsubishi dealer asked me over 1000 euro for the job... but then a local shop did the job (which for me was done very well), for just 150 euros

 

[NightPHEVer]

Mine got the damage about a week ago, done around 500 miles since and it hasn't got any bigger yet. I am going to see if it can be repaired though.

 

[NightPHEVer]

Well now here's a thing - another trip today along the same stretch of road - and another crack! This time, (yet again bouncing stone - recently resurfaced road) starts as tiny ding/crack near edge of screen - 10 minutes later spreads and becomes a very large one (what was that about cracks spreading or not?). Was going about 40mph - all three breakages of my screens have happened at 40mph. Is there some aerodynamic law of physics that comes into perfect harmony in a PHEV at 40mph? Watching the crack progress was like watching the contrail of a plane flying slowly across the screen. This really is quite unbelievable - only a couple of weeks after the last one. I've done about 500 miles since the last crack, which hasn't got any bigger.

Here are pictures of the original small crack, and the lastest much bigger one... I suppose I should be grateful that I didn't replace the screen two weeks ago!

 

[NightPHEVer]

Another truly remarkable windscreen incident today - went to Chanory Point on the Black Isle (Moray Firth, Scotland) to spot dolphins (actually did see four dolphins). The road to Chanory Point runs through the middle of a golf course - can you see where this is leading yet?. Driving back along the road a golf ball appears from outer space and glances with a large 'thunk' of the bottom edge of my windscreen!

Doesn't appear to have done any damage. Although after I had turned purple, and then white, I did have to check that I hadn't actually pooed my pants. I don't know how my insurers would react to another broken windscreen, I'd probably be blacklisted. I've only done around 300 miles since the last time the windsreen was replaced. What exactly are the chances of being hit by a golfball while driving along the road at 30mph. I've been driving since 1976 and never once have I been hit by a golfball. I suppose I should be grateful that it didn't hit the rather thin bodywork as it would probably have put a hole through it.

 

[STS134]

What is it with PHEV windscreens - is it something to do with the aerodynamics?

Apparently they've been making windscreens thinner and thinner as a way to make the car weigh less and thus save on fuel consumption, so the new ones are much more likely to crack than ones on cars built 15-20 years ago. Really, really stupid if you haven't done all of the other stuff that you can do to save weight -- carbon fiber panels, ceramic composite brakes, etc. Although ceramic composite brakes do have a huge disadvantage like thin windscreens: they can get damaged by rocks kicked up when you are off roading.

 

[user 816]

Another truly remarkable windscreen incident today - went to Chanory Point on the Black Isle (Moray Firth, Scotland) to spot dolphins (actually did see four dolphins). The road to Chanory Point runs through the middle of a golf course - can you see where this is leading yet?. Driving back along the road a golf ball appears from outer space and glances with a large 'thunk' of the bottom edge of my windscreen!

Doesn't appear to have done any damage. Although after I had turned purple, and then white, I did have to check that I hadn't actually pooed my pants. I don't know how my insurers would react to another broken windscreen, I'd probably be blacklisted. I've only done around 300 miles since the last time the windsreen was replaced. What exactly are the chances of being hit by a golfball while driving along the road at 30mph. I've been driving since 1976 and never once have I been hit by a golfball. I suppose I should be grateful that it didn't hit the rather thin bodywork as it would probably have put a hole through it.

It wasn't Trump was it?

 

[NightPHEVer]

Yes there's a good chance it was - I'd have thought with the wind in the right direction (it can get quite windy in Scotland) a ball could get from Turnberry to Chanory Point - it would certainly explain the way that the ball did appear to approach from outer space.