>>Haven't joined the club yet (knock wood) but lots of folks here talking about chips... when does a pit become a chip? Is there a specific difference between a pit and a chip?

with mine, i didn't even notice the rock mark at all, til the service dude pointed it out, and i was like dammit! it's the smallest thing i've ever seen develop into a crack. it looks like just a chip in the glass. i've had other cars with pits (actually, i don't really know the difference either) that never developed into cracks.

i think of pits as little concave marks, where as a chip to be just a flake off the glass. not sure of any technicalities, but that's how i look at it. i actually have a couple deeper rock marks that haven't gotten any bigger, but that crack that i have grew at least 4 inches just today!!

hopefully my whole windshield won't cave in!

ryan

 

Monster rock hit bottom of windshield, put two large dents in hood, bent the cowl and shattered glass onto dash and seat,,Glad no one was in passenger seat!!..Is the glass suppost to shatter that way??(I thought it was suppost to stay together,,,?..I think I will call the NHSA and show them picture of glass on dash/seat,,Could have cause a serious injury!! Also a pain that I will have get hood/cowl repainted RED..always fades after time because of heat on hood,,Will not hold wax...Very bummed!!

 

Hi...my name is Mike and this *points to MINI* is Elanor. We would like to introduce ourselves to the club.

Everyone - "welcome, Mike and Elanor"

I'm thinking about carrying around a sack full of golf ***** from the driving range and dropping a few out the window when I pass a truck filled with gravel.

I had to pass five of them in a long line and of course the last one hit a bump and threw a bunch of stuff onto the roadway.....and my MCS.

And where do these people get off putting a "stay back 300 feet....not responsible for damage" sticker on the back of their truck? If I started throwing stuff from my vehicle (such as the above mentioned golf *****) I'd sure be responsible for damage.

I am now going to start referring to myself as Don Quixote and gravel trucks will be my windmill!!

 

Sorry to have to add myself to this group but.........

This morning went out to wax my mini and there like a beacon from a light house is a crack. It wasn't there when I put it in the garage the night before. I had just washed and dried it, spent plenty of time with the nylon wrapped sponge getting the bugs off the glass, so I think I would have seen it.

Going to have to call and find out if a trip to the dealer is going to be required or will they pick up the tab locally, yes I know = pipe dream.

Lovely little crack started under the rearview mirror and progressing down and left.

 

>>Sorry to have to add myself to this group but.........
>>
>>This morning went out to wax my mini and there like a beacon from a light house is a crack. It wasn't there when I put it in the garage the night before. I had just washed and dried it, spent plenty of time with the nylon wrapped sponge getting the bugs off the glass, so I think I would have seen it.
>>
>>Going to have to call and find out if a trip to the dealer is going to be required or will they pick up the tab locally, yes I know = pipe dream.
>>
>>Lovely little crack started under the rearview mirror and progressing down and left

i'm cracked from top to bottom (same starting point as yours)
went in the house for lunch, came out and there it was.....top to bottom
i went staight to the dealer and he said the warrenty word (stress cracks) to me, but he has to have his glass guy do the work and that i would have to leave her for the day
i was getting used to my chips, now i'll just have to motor around and get new ones


_________________

 

Just one stone chip, I'm waiting till the winter crud is swept off the road before I replace the windshield.

X2

 

I've definitely posted to at least one thread on this topic before.

I'm on #2. Replaced #1 at 11k mi. Large crack which started under the trim on the lower left and quickly spread toward center. Dealer claimed it was caused by a stone impact, but it appeard to be a stress crack.

I've owned many cars or varying makes and vintages. I have !NEVER! had to replace a windshield. My sense is that MINI (BMW) went with some very cheap glass.

 

>>I've owned many cars or varying makes and vintages. I have !NEVER! had to replace a windshield. My sense is that MINI (BMW) went with some very cheap glass.

hear,hear
i have to agree

 

My first after 45 days of ownership

 

Hey Koolmini,

I hope I get the same W - word you got. The dealer I go to is about 1+30 away, can anyone say road trip! Like I need an excuse to motor.

I to have had many, many cars. Drove around with a "bullseye" in my 81 mazda for 15 years until I sold it. It never moved or enlarged. I seem to be blessed with the ability to get a birthmark within days of ownership!

 

No, apprently BMW HASN'T done anything about the 2003 MINIS. I have an 03 MCS, just discovered a stress crack, upper left by rearview, at 4200miles.

This only minutes after discovering massive door dings.

DOH!

~Kelley

 

I have a few little stone chips and then that one big one that I mentioned on here after it happened. So far nothing bad has come out of it...I had missed my appointment to have it looked at. But I am not going to do anything until after I move to Greenbelt in a month because driving on 95 every day is just making it worse.

 

I had mine replaced after 11 months.

Stone chip turned into crack.

Free in MN.

MINI Cooper window replacement images

 

Scheduled for the replacement at dealership on Thursday the 24th, they'll keep it over night for the cure time.

Anyone want to bet that the rental car won't be a nissan?

Think I'll have the audible alert for the low fuel activated that day also.

 

>>Got a BIG chip in windshield within 2 weeks of getting car, on interstate crusing slowly at around 60 mph, from what seeemed like a fairly small pebble from a truck. The ding was so loud and hard, it created a chip and an adjacent but disconnected crack. Had it fixed that pm and no problems with that since. Now I do stay clear of trucks or try to pass them asap.
>>5 prior years in Subaru Outback and no crack or chip, and now one within 2 weeks. Oh well.
>>

As a follow up:
on my current - ongoing roadtrip (at present trip has been >2600 mi) I've picked up three more good size chips, and over 50 (stopped couting at 50) very small pits.

This suck!!!

 

Seeing all these people with these windshield problems has pretty much deterred me from buying the Mini I've ordered. What's worse is the dealerships blaiming rocks and pepples for the cause when it's obviously poor quality windshields. I'm definatly thinking of going to my dealer and getting my deposit back. I'd hate to do it, since this is the car I really want, but this headache is something I know I don't want.

 

Wait a minute BadApple,
I haven't gone back and rechecked how many of us have had difficulty getting the Dealer to replace under warranty, but when I contacted mine today there was no hesitation, no "well was it a rock" or anything. Of course it wasn't a rock and I started the conversation with "I've got a stress crack....". They checked to see if they had one in stock and called me back 30 minutes later to schedule the replacement.

Their only concern was the glass company wants it to sit overnight (cure time on adhesive) and they wanted to check with MINIUSA if rental car would be authorized. Policy is a repair that takes more then 24 hours is authorized a rental.

I agree with MG-BMT that it sucks that the car seems to draw the rocks towards it, but come on, do you think they designed it that way. I'd hate to see you regret the decision of not getting the car based on what 3 pages of post say with a car that has more then 25,000 in service.

p.s. the 25,000 is only an estimate. I'd think there would be more in the States alone by now.

 

#1 - Rock damage - I ignored it & turned into a creeping crack - windshield replaced.

#2 - Rock damage - repaired at glass shop 10 minutes later.

 

But if it happens again, like it has with many other owners, most dealerships seem hesitant to replace it again. If it's thin, it's still gonna crack no matter how many new ones are placed on. I know every car has a growing pain, but this seems like a growing pain in the a@@ for most.

There's no car I'd want more than this one, but putting that kind of money in a car before hand, and not seeing any improvements from MINI is very discouraging. What are the chances of a better windshield coming out?

 

>>But if it happens again, like it has with many other owners, most dealerships seem hesitant to replace it again. If it's thin, it's still gonna crack no matter how many new ones are placed on. I know every car has a growing pain, but this seems like a growing pain in the a@@ for most.
>>
>>There's no car I'd want more than this one, but putting that kind of money in a car before hand, and not seeing any improvements from MINI is very discouraging. What are the chances of a better windshield coming out?

I think you are wise being careful.
The sub-standard windshield is a big issue. I know several people that are on their 4th or even 5th windshield in less than 1 year. Whether the dealer replaces it for free or not, you are still out of a car for a day every time, and what will you do when the warranty expires.

MINI needs to pay attention to this issue and get a decent windshield out there!!!!
Alternatively - since I already have my MINI - I am hoping some aftermarket company will come out with a better shield. As I have said before, I cannot afford to have a car that needs a new windshield every 2-3 months. Otherwise this is a wonderful car, but teh windshield is a BIG, BIG problem. I wish MINI would be more proactive about this one. In my view they should come up with a better WS and replace it for free on all cars.

Just my 2c worth.

 

I have one nice little chip, and then a nice little stress fracture...

 

So there are NO aftermarket windshields available yet?

 

just got my windshield replaced today,
dealer replaced it under warrenty "stress crack"

 

It's been 8 hours and I'm still pissed (LONG) :evil: :evil:

So, I went to the dealer today, (3 hour round trip), service advisor comes out and looks at the car and states, "Yup that's where they crack at, there and down by the VIN". 4 hours later I get a call informing me that the Dealership service manager is not going to allow them to replace it under warranty. Said there was a stone chip in close proximity to the crack. Hell with the number of pits and stone hits I've had, a crack is bound to come close to one of them!

I asked how they could tell if the chip caused the crack or was a byproduct of the glass cracking. Once again I need to state that the crack wasn't there when I put it in the garage the night before.

They also informed me that there is a Bulletin from MINI wanting the dealers to complete a request for information survey on the windshield cracking issue and forward it for further examination. Problem is if the local dealership deems the crack to be caused by a stone and NOT stress then the survey is not completed! Wonder how much information will make it back to MINI. The Service manager also told me that it was only those cars produced prior to April 02 that had the stress crack problems, I guess that makes all of ours something else, doesn't it. The regional service manager isn't available until the 12th of May to look at the crack, I guess I live with it until then or replace it myself, that's convenient!

They also couldn't figure out how to program the low fuel alert sound, or the speed sensitive wipers, so glad I will be taking 6 hours off of work in my effort to get this fixed. BTW replacement glass at the local glass places runs $254 to $295 installed, so glad I wasted my time!

Fix the problem MINIUSA

P.S. the rant didn't help, as I replay the events I get more pissed

Congrats, Koolmini on your warranty replacement.

 

Howdy Smokey4,

Sorry to hear of your service experience. Man, I sure didn't expect to hear anything like that. I have never heard of anyone denied a warranty claim for a chip NEAR the crack. In the fault line, yes, but not NEAR it.

I am also shocked that the service dept didn't know how to reprogram the items you requested. Did they say they would find out and do it the next time you are in, or just shrug it off?

My MINI is due in May or early June. It's on the docks right now in Southhampton waiting to sail. It makes me think twice about my decision to go with this dealer, but it is too late, now.

See ya,
JS