Another cracked windscreen

[trobex]

Thanks for the confirmation....
I was wondering about market or agreed amount. However Suncorp as with RACQ offers full vehicle replacement if written off in the first two yrs...albeit at the increased cost and no automatic windscreen coverage....so I'll procrastinate for another 12m then decide. ;-)

I just renewed with Suncorp. Full comp on the DMAX $874AUD including 1x free windscreen replacement. I'm AOK with that.

 

[997DAVID]

I'm currently on a road trip from Adelaide (Australia) to Darwin and back again. Nearly all on road and towing a small hybrid van.

Really enjoying the trip and driving tbe Grenadier.

Unfortunately i have just driven to Simpsons Gap which is west of Alice Springs and on the way back suffered my second cracked windshield of the trip. I was able to get the first one replaced in Darwin as an insurance claim.

Of course insurance only covers one claim a year so when I get back to Adelaide, and Ineos have stock I will get the 1 week old windscreen which was just fitted replaced.

For the forum though, in my 45 years of driving all sorts of other 4wds around Australia I have NEVER lost a windshield before. Now, 2 in a few weeks....

What can I do to avoid this as I really cant afford to replace a windscreen or two on every road trip?

Anyone found a solution?

I am on my 3rd windshield $2500 cdn plus install...Going to wait till new 4 4runner comes out dump this thing

 

[holdmybeer]

I am on my 3rd windshield $2500 cdn plus install...Going to wait till new 4 4runner comes out dump this thing

Ouch. 8,000 km and I’ve been lucky; just one chip so far. My replacement value insurance (private, Optiom, underwritten by Lloyd’s) reimburses me for windshield replacement deductible so in theory windshield replacement is a $0 event. And it better be, considering what I paid, but I haven’t tested it yet.

Sorry to hear about your crappy luck. I haven’t seen/heard what the new 4Runner changes will be but I’ve excluded it in the past because of tow capacity. It’s definitely a good all-rounder according to friends. Good luck.

 

[angstorms]

I had few friends who also ran into windshield issue with Kia Telluride cracking ( I was looking at them before I picked up my X5, there market up was another issue in Austin ) they had ia 2K+ USD replacement cost, looks like Landcrusier 250 now also see fair amount of cracked windshield and Jeep we know see this as well. Looking at one thing would help is rubber seal wrapping the edge of the glass. I am been lucky so far down here, but getting ready to put Racing Shield film on the truck. Also picked up $100 dollar windshield replacement policy from State Farm.

I wonder if there needs to be rubber seal around the edge windshield to protect edge of the glass.

But the new Four Runner looks like it has better slope in windshield, I will say even with the slope you can escape hits, I have four big hits on my X5 which I had to repair driving down 160 and 550 up to Purgatory.

 

[Grey Ghost]

I'm currently on a road trip from Adelaide (Australia) to Darwin and back again. Nearly all on road and towing a small hybrid van.

Really enjoying the trip and driving tbe Grenadier.

Unfortunately i have just driven to Simpsons Gap which is west of Alice Springs and on the way back suffered my second cracked windshield of the trip. I was able to get the first one replaced in Darwin as an insurance claim.

Of course insurance only covers one claim a year so when I get back to Adelaide, and Ineos have stock I will get the 1 week old windscreen which was just fitted replaced.

For the forum though, in my 45 years of driving all sorts of other 4wds around Australia I have NEVER lost a windshield before. Now, 2 in a few weeks....

What can I do to avoid this as I really cant afford to replace a windscreen or two on every road trip?

Anyone found a solution?

Hi Higgo,
My Grenadier is the 13th 4WD I have owned in 35 years. I spent a year travelling Australia with my family in 2004 covering 42,000kms in a Landcruiser and broke one windscreen. Around 65% of that trip was on dirt.
I am part of a 4WD club and have travelled all of the major 4wd tracks in Australia over the years and have only suffered 2 cracked windscreens in that time.
I have had my Grenadier for just under a year now and have had THREE (3) cracked windscreens. First one after less than 1000km (no marks from being hit) and was replaced by Ineos at no cost and the next one was replaced through my insurance company. I am now driving around with a cracked windscreen and will approach the new Dealer in South Australia, but it sounds like I might be told to go through insurance again. It doesn't help that SA has had 3 different Dealers in 12 months.
I believe the windscreen on the Grenadier is so flat and so vertical that if anything hits it, it cracks. My BT50 (which I still have) has a windscreen which is very curved from left to right and is set at around 45 degrees roof to bonnet, so stones or pebbles bounce off without cracking the glass.
While I, like many others think it's a design fault, I can't imagine Ineos fessing up to the issue, which from my research is very common in Australia.
I'll let you know how I get on with the new SA Dealer.

 

[AngusMacG]

I’m on my second which received a chip about 3 weeks after installation. Dealer filled it as best they could and is passable. But now I have the “stress” crack at the bottom of the windshield that seems to be very common…Will need to have it replaced before my next vehicle inspection.

 

[C-Mack]

The upright windshield doesn’t help with chips and breakage that is for sure, jeeps and other similar vehicles have the same issues.

What is interesting though is how small the Grenadier’s windshield is comparatively speaking to other SUV’s. I’m curious if the windshield’s height above the ground and somewhat bluff front end conspire together to create the perfect exposed angles to flying road debris? In other words, is the windshield in some sort of magic geometric sweet spot where the angle of incidence of typical flying debris flipped off approaching vehicles almost guarantees a direct hit every time?

I’m sure some math Boffin on the forum could figure out some clever geometry and damage percentages for what seems like an eternal running of the gauntlet as you navigate down the road. Never in my automotive history have I paid such close attention to road conditions, traffic, and avoid traveling behind cement, dump trucks or other 4x4 with tires likely to throw rocks.

Bloody terrifying stuff but luckily I have glass coverage insurance, at least until the insurance agencies figure out the Grenadier is a huge liability and not offer glass replacements.

 

[Wilbur]

I have had two new windscreens in the last year. First from a small stone that I noticed hit the windscreen and resulted in a crack before I got home. The second failure was only a few weeks later. No stone strike noticed but repairer said there was a small stone chip in the perimeter where the windscreen is bonded and it split across the entire windscreen.
Had Defenders since 2009 and never had a broken windscreen!

 

[angstorms]

The glass is exposed to the edge at the bottom of the glass and the side edges, which normally you have rubber seal around the bottom and sides edges, Wondering if we need something like this at least along the bottom edge of the windshield. My X5 tucks the bottom edge of the glass bellow the hood but runs rubber seal along the vertical edge of the window.

One thing Ineos has a rubber seal that runs across the top of the truck to protect the windshield and stop water intrusion , the old Defender 110 I remember had this seal all around edge of the glass, so did the FJ45.

Just a suggestion to look at.

Or even this at 14mm with double stick tape ( 16 Feet for 11.99 at Amazon )

 

[SkiBum1]

I am not sure why all of you aren’t simply installing the windshield protective film widely available at your dealer and on the internet.

It works great and super protective. You don’t even know it is there. I have it and took some rock hits that left a small mark in the film but the window is great!

Your windshield broke, ok. I get it. So when the new one goes in why aren’t you finding a long term solution instead of constant complaining?

Look, the front of our cars use to be chipped as hell driving in a snowstorm on roads with gravel for traction. Guess what, 20 years ago we started putting film on the front and no more chips. The same thing is happening for our windshields.

If you choose not to use this then don’t blame your troubles and expenses on your grenadier as if the car threw rocks at itself.

 

[angstorms]

I am not sure why all of you aren’t simply installing the windshield protective film widely available at your dealer and on the internet.

It works great and super protective. You don’t even know it is there. I have it and took some rock hits that left a small mark in the film but the window is great!

Your windshield broke, ok. I get it. So when the new one goes in why aren’t you finding a long term solution instead of constant complaining?

Look, the front of our cars use to be chipped as hell driving in a snowstorm on roads with gravel for traction. Guess what, 20 years ago we started putting film on the front and no more chips. The same thing is happening for our windshields.

If you choose not to use this then don’t blame your troubles and expenses on your grenadier as if the car threw rocks at itself.

Yes all of us in territory where they use sand and dirt + calcium chloride put film on there windshields, Now they could have added some protection to the edge from the factory.

 

[bemax]

I am not sure why all of you aren’t simply installing the windshield protective film widely available at your dealer and on the internet.

It works great and super protective. You don’t even know it is there. I have it and took some rock hits that left a small mark in the film but the window is great!

Your windshield broke, ok. I get it. So when the new one goes in why aren’t you finding a long term solution instead of constant complaining?

Look, the front of our cars use to be chipped as hell driving in a snowstorm on roads with gravel for traction. Guess what, 20 years ago we started putting film on the front and no more chips. The same thing is happening for our windshields.

If you choose not to use this then don’t blame your troubles and expenses on your grenadier as if the car threw rocks at itself.

In Europe it is just not allowed. Simple as that...