i have an 04 mcs that i have had for about a month and yesterday i noticed a small but decent sized chip on it, on the far left edge of the window. i cannot tell if it was a rock or something or if it is like a stress crack. it sort of looks like a bead of glue almost behind the window.

and now for the question, should this be covered under warrenty?
i really hope so considering the car is 1 month old

 

Welcome to the tribe MINI GIANT (had to go all caps ). Bad news, collision damage - the rock and the windshield- is not covered under warranty. Do the pen test, run a ball point pen over the windshield near the crack, if there is a dimple due to the collision you are SOL. If not, well maybe it is a stress crack and you would be covered under warranty.

 

If it is not covered by warranty, go to an independent glass shop and have the PPG brand windshield installed. It is stronger than the MINI windshield which is very prone to cracking and chipping!

Despite my windshield crack being a stress crack, Global Imports in Atlanta refused to replace mine under warranty.

 

dam, well that sucks. i will do the "pen test" later.

i also thought i heard my dealer telling someone that mini is have a sale on windshields for like $80 or $100. if that is so, should i just buy one of those?

 

Buy a dozen and store them for other mini owners!:smile:

I was on the freeway last night and I heard a big crack noise but then I looked at the windshield later and this morning I don't see anything. Our coop is a 04 built in may 04.

OOPs, I read that your car is a 04 and deleted the first question.

 

Some have said that MINI has improved the quality of the windshields because of their known weaknesses when it comes to stress fractures.

If they are having a sale on the old version that is prone to failure, it's not a good deal at any price!

 

Why is everyone talking about glass replacement? Before braking up your original factory seal, consider that, if there is a small chip on the glass surface and if it is 6 inches or less in size and it is out of the driver's field of view it can be repaired.


Call Safelite www.safelite.com and do and appointment to find out whether the damage can either be repaired or you will need glass replacement. Should all be covered under your insurance policy glass deductable portion.

 

They seal the chip to prevent it from spreading Depending on the size of the chip it can almost be invisible. Most cities have mobile guys that can come to your house and do this. Even in the expensive SF Bay area, the price is $99.00. A bargain if you have to replace a windshield if you had rain sensing wipers.

And some insurance policies will cover this and won't require a deductilble to be paid.

 

Exactly! When dealing with auto glass repair issues, the first objective should always be to try to save the original factory seal and consider replacement as the absolute last alternative.

Safelite appears to have nationwide mobile service and it is worth giving them a call to have your chip repair.

Don't bother with the dealer, because the first thing they will tell you is that you need new glass.

 

You and I are on the same page!

Considering the downtime of replacing the windshield and some questionable installers I definitely would investigate fixing a windshield chip first. And it's cheap!

 

The thing that worries me the most about windshield replacement is that the front airbags require proper placement of the windshield in the pinchweld area for these to properly operate and protect the occupants in case of an accident.

The windshield is an essential structural component of the vehicle and does so much more than divert air, rain and dust away from your face.

There have been documented cases of improperly installed windshields that have virtually popped out of the pinchweld in an accident and the airbags did not work to protect the occupants of the vehicle.

Auto glass replacement is serious business because your life depends on a quality installation. Again this completely justifies the approach to seek all available venues of glass repair before braking up the factory seal.

 

I didn't consider the safety aspects of the windshield. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

The windshield has 2 important missions:


1) To ensure proper functioning and stability of inflated airbags in case of deployment.

2) To prevent the roof from "crushing in" in the event of a rollover.

 

Coop,

Don't forget the third important mission:

3) To keep the bugs from getting in our teeth as we motor around with that stupid grin on our mugs.

 

LOL, very important indeed MGCMAN.

 

After reading all the windshield issues here, and before I actually got my MINI, I made sure I had complete glass coverage in my insurance. This means that they will pay for any glass, with no deductible.

Only 900 miles on my car, and loving life.
Nando