In less than one week and 100 miles driven, my brand new 2014 Mini Countryman developed a crack in the bottom driver's side corner of the windshield. There was no noticeable impact damage to the glass. Admittedly, the crack may have been precipitated by a stone, but since I noticed no impact (the crack is right in front of the driver's seat), I have to believe that a design issue is at least partly to blame and that this would not have occurred in another vehicle.

I notice that people have discussed similar issues for earlier model years, but not 2014. Furthermore, there is an active class action lawsuit regarding Mini windshields cracking during normal driving conditions:

http://www.miniwindshieldactions.com...px?c=5121&sh=1

Has anyone else experienced windshield damage that was not caused by impact from road debris, etc.?

 

I don't have any cracks in mine but, this has to be the softest glass (if that's possible) used in a car. In the 21 months I have owned this car, I am ready for windshield #3. All due to just the pitting that this windshield has. It seems if the wind blows against the glass it gets tiny pits. I can hardly see anything while driving into the sun. It looks like someone took a sand blaster to it for a few hours.

 

Cracks on new glass come from one of two issues or combo. If it has an edge defect on the glass that can run after install. The second is binding on install, meaning install was not done with even compression by robot. Combo is install is off a little putting extra preasure so even a small defect runs. Is it the inside or outside sheet of glass that cracked? There is a vinyl layer separating glass sheets, road damage is always outside. If inside sheet is cracked it was bad robot scenario.

Windshield of CM has little slope. Windshields with more slope see less energy transferred to glass since fine particles or rocks deflect taking energy with them. Less attack angle means higher energy transfer with even fine particles pitting the glass. They actually use the angle of the windshield in the stocking algorithms for stocking aftermarket glass. I had a hummer for a while, what a bummer :-). Windshield was either cracked or pitted all of the time.

 

I had my 2013 CM for 1 month and had the same thing happen to me: it started in the right lower edge and spidered up. No evidence of road damage that we could find, nor could I recall any pebbles/debris. Took it to the Hendrick dealer and they replaced it with no problem. It's been 11k miles since then and, knock on wood, it's still crack free. Suspicion was that mine was a factory installation error.

Good luck with yours in the future when this one is replaced!

Rich

 

My guess here is that its very likely was not installed quite right.. body flex over time has stressed the glass and cracked it.. this is not at all new to MINI.. I had 3 replaced in one of my MINIs.. good luck though..

 

I had the same problem on my 2011 CMS when it was about a year old. The crack started on the lower left corner and goes up to the top of the windshield about 4" in from the left edge. The significant thing about that crack is that it is on the INSIDE of the glass and starts below the dashboard. There is no sign of any damage on the external side of the glass. Unbelievably, my local dealer refused warranty replacement. I asked them to have it looked at by the MINI factory rep; I don't know if they did, but they claimed the factory rep agreed the crack was caused by stone impact. Amazing to me that they could claim that, since there was no external mark and the glass was only cracked on the inside. I am still pissed at MINI and my dealer about that. I'm thinking I still should notify the NHTSA since cracked glass on the inside of a windshield is probably a safety defect or hazard.

 

Looks like the same area mine got cracked. But I heard a loud pop when it got impacted, I didn't see anything since it was just below the wiper. It sucks for sure. My new windshield is plenty pitted now too. I'm sure it because of the angle.

 

Same here, almost 4" crack at the lower right corner. No sign of stone chip. Car only has less than 200km on the clock. Dealer replaced it under warranty.

 

I have had 4 mini's, and the only one to not need a windshield replaced is my Roadster. But that is still relatively new, and actually does already have a nice rock chip. Just hasn't cracked yet. I had a similar crack in my Countryman which now on windshield 3. Although mine was certainly caused by impact. A rock flew up and looked like it hit below the windshield. I didn't hear the impact, but I saw the rock. Over the next couple days the crack developed and eventually across the whole windshield before our glass place could replace it. Must have hit just at the edge, because
I could not even see a chip where it would have started.

All the others were rocks as well. Hit hard enough, make a chip, then over time they crack out. We have learned to slow the windshield replacements by going further towards the white line on the road. Gives a few more feet(can almost fit 2 mini's side by side in one lane here) and seems to be less likely to get the pitting/chipping that is common to these very low and upright windshields.

 

I haven't read about the class action, but it would seem that given the specificity of the failures in this thread, it would be a good idea to report the issue to the NTSB. That would seem to be the first step in getting MINI to acknowledge a problem and to establishing a set remedy for owners.

 

They make a clear protection film for your windscreen that is suppose to stand up to a bullet. I have 3m film on the entire front of the car plus the windscreen film. I track the car and this extra protection is a huge help. I had to replace my windscreen as a got a stone impact right at the edge of the glass and the molding outside of the film! Bummer. I had to replace the glass and also the film protection plus the tint I had on the inside. Ouch. The windshield Film was $399 installed but I will bet you can find it cheaper now as it is more widely available and there are more installers.

 

Oddly enough I noticed a crack in the windshield of the dealer Paceman loaner I used for a few hours. No chip on the outside or any other noticeable impact. Attached is a photo with the crack. Only 4,000 miles on it.