[STeve16]

Or windscreen, as they say across the pond.

I'm still with my original, but it's in bad shape. Three cracks, one goes all the way across, and several large chips. Every time I think about calling my insurance company, another rock bounces off and I'm glad I haven't called 'em yet.

You'd think the more aerodynamic a vehicle is, the better the likelihood that rocks would fly right over, but in my experiences, it's the opposite. Seems the sleeker they are, the more rocks they attract. I had a '71 F100 for 20 years, about as aerodynamic as a brick and the windshield was still perfect when I sold it.

 

[UnfocusedST]

Also don't forget a F100 sits higher up than the Focus. So most rocks will go to the grill and not the windshield. Also cheaper glass being used now.

Sent from another galaxy.

 

[Unfitproduct]

Been through two windshields so far.
Ford dealership broke the first one taking the transmission housing off and replacing the clutch system. How did they break it? Hell if I know and they didn't tell me how.
Second one was a rock. This was kinda wanted due to having a car club sticker on my shield that I wanted off after 4 months of it being on there.

 

[elyk864]

I'm on my third windshield and about 15 fills between them all. Because Arizona. Good thing my insurance covers all of it for free.

 

[STeve16]

Also don't forget a F100 sits higher up than the Focus. So most rocks will go to the grill and not the windshield. Also cheaper glass being used now.

Sent from another galaxy.

True enough. A glass guy I use also told me today's windshields are under more stress, the way they're installed to fit into these newer body styles. Not exactly sure what he meant by that. More compound curves? I know it sure doesn't take much to screw one up these days.

An article I just read recommended staying far behind dump trucks and such. That's a no-brainer but I've had rocks bounce off the windshield with no one in front of me for 150 feet. They get flung way up, come down, bounce off another car, then bounce another ten feet and there I am, catching another.

 

[Fityfo54]

What a coincidence I just replaced it today, apparently my school neglected to tell us that the trees in our parking lot are in fact walnut trees. It was already chipped in two or three other places so I'm not really mad about it. and @STeve16 it appears that the shape of the windshield for the ST has two extreme curves and is slightly convexed so I would assume it is under a high pressure.

 

[Whack]

True enough. A glass guy I use also told me today's windshields are under more stress, the way they're installed to fit into these newer body styles. Not exactly sure what he meant by that. More compound curves? I know it sure doesn't take much to screw one up these days.

An article I just read recommended staying far behind dump trucks and such. That's a no-brainer but I've had rocks bounce off the windshield with no one in front of me for 150 feet. They get flung way up, come down, bounce off another car, then bounce another ten feet and there I am, catching another.

They are now integrated as a structural component of the car.

i.e. you hit something, windshield breaks while absorbing energy or stays intact to supports a-piller/safety cell strength.

 

[Unfitproduct]

I'm on my third windshield and about 15 fills between them all. Because Arizona. Good thing my insurance covers all of it for free.

I had a jumping cactus piece stick to my shield while we were having our famous dust storms...I've never been so careful in my life taking a piece of plant off my car...and I still got stuck somehow...

 

[UnfocusedST]

Been through two windshields so far.
Ford dealership broke the first one taking the transmission housing off and replacing the clutch system. How did they break it? Hell if I know and they didn't tell me how.
Second one was a rock. This was kinda wanted due to having a car club sticker on my shield that I wanted off after 4 months of it being on there.

Dealer broke mine. Hit the windshield with the wiper arm when they took it off.

Sent from another galaxy.

 

[GunnyPyle]

I must have one of the super shields... I had a rather large stone glance off the glass at about 75 mph and it put a nifty scuff in the glass but no cracks.


Sent from a galaxy far, far away...

 

[aznemo]

Went to a resort for my honeymoon and valet parked my car by golf course. Went home the next day with taped up trash bag around it. Lol had to find the window guys and the resort reimbursed me.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[JCH841]

One replacement. Was just thinking to myself (on the way home one day a couple of years ago) how everything was in tip top shape and state inspection would be a cake walk. Wham, a rock from the from the 18 wheeler in the right lane I was overtaking from the left lane. Cracked halfway across almost instantly and was all the way across the next morning. USAA, Safelight and no more thinking and I passed inspection,

 

[xJohnn]

Sounds like I must be one of the lucky ones. I frequently have to drive down a gravel road to visit my fiance's family, and I'm always behind trucks hauling stone from the quarry near my work. No damage to my windshield... Yet

Sent from my LG-LS993 using Tapatalk

 

[CasualGuy]

Mine has been replaced three times. On replacement #2 the Safelite installer broke something in the driver's side windshield trim bracket, so the plastic trim piece started flopping around after a little while and neither they nor I could get it to stop. When I got another crack and they had to install replacement #3, I had them install a new bracket and trim piece also.

 

[Duchess]

Windshield life for me averages about 3 years before something cracks it, which is fine because it's pretty sandblasted by then. My 2016 didn't make its first inspection before needing a new one, but in MA, there's no deductible on windshields, so it's barely an inconvenience.

Besides being structurally load bearing, another couple of reasons windshields take a beating versus years ago is that there are more vehicles on the road and higher percentage of them with higher ground clearance to kick up rocks. There may be more road construction in places, too.

 

[1LoudST]

Dealer broke mine. Hit the windshield with the wiper arm when they took it off.

I did this to my own Lincoln a few years back, was changing the blades and left the arm up for a minute and it just snapped back down while i was grabbing the new blade and punched a nice chip in it, worse part is that the ensuing crack went right through the heated wiper park and now that wiper freezes up like crazy every winter. but the crack has stayed below the visible part of the glass so I haven't bothered to change it out yet.

 

[lightknight0]

A rock from an oil tank carrier left a small crack on my windshield the 3rd month of owning the car. Couldn't get any windshield fixing solution into the crack so I just left it as is. I'll try filling it in again, but once it spreads, I'll replace it.

 

[909cobra]

https://crackeraser.com/