Broken windscreen

[rosalan]

Last week I had a full service and an MOT on my van and drove it home
Today I went to clean the inside of the windscreen and discovered a crack in an L shape from the top and behind the rear view mirror. I could not have missed it when driving home if it had been done during the service. It is parked away from the road and nothing, as far as I can see has hit the screen. The crack is only on the outer glass.
The van is a Renault Master Adria and is 4+ years old. Has anyone else experienced a windscreen crack of this nature. The only thing that could have hit it would be cherry stones dropped by birds flying over.... I am puzzled. Any ideas? I will order a replacement in the morning.

 

[pappajohn]

Why are you ordering one?
Surely that's your insurers chosen windscreen fitters job

 

[TerryL]

Windscreens do crack occasionally without ay external cause. It's usually down to stress building up in the glass, can sometimes be just the general flexing of the vehicle as a whole. Used to get it quite frequently on coaches.

Almost all insurance policies include windscreen cover, usually with an excess charge. You usually have to use their recommended agents, which is almost invariably Autoglass. Just give them a ring.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Use your insurer, its usually a nominal£70 excess and it will be sorted quickly, doesn't affect your no claims or premiums

 

[rosalan]

I was curious to find if others experienced a broken windscreen without obvious cause. The engineer at the replacement depot said it does happen. For me this is the second time after having a Smart car roof implode during the night some years ago.
Insurance paying with a £100 surcharge. I checked the price on Ebay of a new (fit it yourself) windscreen which was £350.

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[The general]

Auto glass ,I heard from one of their fitters are starting to have a few premises again , because they can’t calibrate window screen ,/ vehicles with forward facing cameras in your drive way ?

 

[TheBig1]

I was stood talking to a friend in his car showroom one day when a windscreen on one of the cars literally exploded into crumbs

The valeter had just washed down a couple of cars and it was a very hot day. Could of been that or pressure on the screen by the way it was fitted. Anyway, nobody else was near the car when suddenly there was a loud crack and the screen crazed over into little cubes

have also seen screens just suddenly crack when hitting a pothole

 

[BILL 875]

I had the same thing happen overnight once and when it was replaced and the fitter had a good look it had tiny chip mark on the edge of the screen, you cant always see them. Bill

 

[BILL 875]

I once had a shower screen upstairs explode in to pieces sounded as if the chimney stack had come through the ceiling. Bill

 

[g3cwi]

For me this is the second time after having a Smart car roof implode

do you tend to sing loudly while driving?

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[Rosemary1]

I will confess - I put the glass tops down in the motorhome without switching off the hob during lockdown. It exploded - near giving my hubby and dogs a heart attack.

Haven’t managed to get round to replacing it yet - the poor motorhome has taken a right hammering the last few weeks - will need some TLC once we are settled

 

[Vipar]

The rear screen exploded on my SUV for no apparent reason. I rang Autoglass told them who I was Insured with and they sorted it out with the insurance company their end. Fitter said it happens, it’s a mystery.
What did say was that the panoramic glass sun roofs like on a Zafira are not covered to ensure you check with your insurance company don’t just assume it is covered.

 

[Gellyneck]

The rear screen exploded on my SUV for no apparent reason. I rang Autoglass told them who I was Insured with and they sorted it out with the insurance company their end. Fitter said it happens, it’s a mystery.

Same for us on our Santa Fe. Had been shopping and opened the tailgate to take the messages out and bang, got covered in a shower of glass cubes.
Same process with Autoglass and same feedback from fitter.

 

[g3cwi]

Tempered glass - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[pappajohn]

I was stood talking to a friend in his car showroom one day when a windscreen on one of the cars literally exploded into crumbs

That must be a long time ago, windscreens have been laminated for many years and simply crack. Laminated glass does shatter like door glass.

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[TheBig1]

That must be a long time ago, windscreens have been laminated for many years and simply crack. Laminated glass does shatter like door glass.

As I recall it was an older classic car, possibly a Jensen, but I can't be certain

 

[gus-lopez]

Auto glass ,I heard from one of their fitters are starting to have a few premises again , because they can’t calibrate window screen ,/ vehicles with forward facing cameras in your drive way ?

Yes my mate had his booked to be done at home but when they realised it had camera he had to take it tothere workshop.

 

[The general]

Yes my mate had his booked to be done at home but when they realised it had camera he had to take it tothere workshop.

He was ‘ honoured ‘ most of us got to have it done on the roadway !

 

[rosalan]

gc3wi thank you for finding this most informative article.

 

[Pausim]

When I had one windscreens replaced the fitter put it down to heat stress. Cold night followed by hot sun on one end, before it had a chance chance to warm up evenly. Another time I was driving in freezing fog (many years ago), ice was building up on the aerial and top of windscreen, my heater was warming the inside layer but probably not the outer one and a crack spread from the lower edge of the screen.

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