As an owner of an S since about this time in 02, I've followed the ongoing discussions about faulty windshields, soft windshields, defective frames et al. Despite having gone thru a couple on my own I've never really bought into the general complaints raised. DuDu happens and it was my bad...

I also have an 03 Element and the same type of issue and complaints happen there. Faulty...breaks too easy...and I've gone thru two there as well. Again, I wrote it off to karma and too many trucks where I live.

SUPRIZE SUPRIZE SUPRIZE....what do I get in the mail yesterday but a 'proposed settlement of class action' regarding windshields in 03 & 04 Honda Element. Tells me to send in copy of my receipts.....

I have no idea if I'll ever see a cent....but curious if anyone has decided to pursue this in MINIdom and say, hey....you can't win if you don't file

 

If the lawyers win, they get to rake MINI and Honda over the coal...you get a few pennies or dollars (the more they sign up for the suit, the less you get) and the price of the replacement glass goes up to cover their losses...guess who gets screwed in the end?

 

Wow, you mean glass breaks? Let's sue!

 

Facts of life: MINIs are lower than the Element. The plan curvature is pushing the envelope, plus it's part of the structure. We will all pay even more for stuff, and insurance because of it.

 

That's just silly. Yeah glass breaks & Minis are lower than the Element but the OEM glass in a Mini has been proven over & over to be soft & defective. That fact is proven because those of us smart enough to replace our cracked OEM windshields with aftermarket glass rarely have mystery cracks appear for no reason or cracks caused from light rock impacts. I for one, do not understand why Mini continues to install the same crappy windshilds when they know they are soft.

I'm not a fan of frivolous class-action lawsuits but legitimate ones usually bring about a much needed change

 

Hey, I have an 04 element with a cracked windshield that I have to get fixed. Think they will cover this? Any advice? By the way, thanks for the heads up.

 

is that Mini glass cracks, PPG glass pits. So yeah, my latest windshield has lasted a long time, but it sure looks like crap, and there's tons of scattered light at night.....

I wonder what the production numbers of the Element vs the Mini are? Maybe it just got to more people.... Making a bigger stink.....

I don't think we'll see one for the Mini. They have covered thier asses a bit with that stupid pen test to differentiate between a stress crack, and an impact event. (This ignores the fact that the stress in the windshild is what turns an impact event into a crack!).

Matt

 

I requested PPG glass for my replacement but the glass Co messed up & brought something else. Maybe that was a good screw up because they gave me an unbelievable warranty to take the other brand & I had a boulder hit my new windshield (seriously huge, I almost ducked ) & all it did was leave a tiny pit. The pit is so tiny the only way I can find it is using my fingernail.

 

And the brand is?

 

When my windshield cracked on my 04 MCS (a couple months after I bought it), my auto insurance company replaced it, no deductible. If there ever is a class action settlement, they get the $'s.

 

my current windshield (#7,PPG)has outlasted the 6 which preceeded it(OEM)

COMBINED!
%#&^!

file a complaint with the NHTSA (national Highway transportation safety administration) ,I did.

 

The glass brand was CSG & I had it installed by Diamond Triumph Auto Glass for $230. They are nationwide

http://www.diamondautoglass.com

 

Actually - the validity of the 'pen test' - is specificly mentioned as an element of the suit...therefore a precedent could be set....

 

Teresa,
Where in the area did you go? We have a cracked windshield that has to be replaced very soon.

Never mind, I was not very observant and now I see you other post

 

All I'll say is I managed to get 15,800 miles out of my OEM glass - It cracked over night sitting in my garage.

I have over 96,800 miles on my replacement PPG windshield. Many, many hits from tire thrown rocks - yup it pits and I even got a star from one, about a year ago, but none of them have moved or caused a crack

 

Diamond will also come to you to do the repair. For us Alabama locals bzn the phone # is 989-3422. I don't know if all aftermarket glass is equal so be sure to request the brand you want & so far so good so I recommend CSG

 

If I ever have to replace my glass it will also be ppg from safelite. But to be fair as I was cruising in the fast lane a tractor trailer pulled out in front of me and threw a rock into my windshield creating a star that I was sure was going to spread quickly. Over a year later it is still the same star that it's always been.

- Dan

 

We have an 04 Element that is on it's 5th windshield. They finally respected our wishes and installed PPG. It's got a ding in it, but not cracking like the OEM glass. We've laid out a total of $400 in deductable for windshield replacement. Heck ya I'd like to get a little return!

As for the Mini, if there's anykind of class action suit, it would be to demand a recall, forcing BMW to install something to strengthen the shock mounts! Typical road hazards my ****!

 

It's times like these that I'm glad I live in Mass....we have 100% coverage for all glass with insurance

 

Here in Nevada, My Insurance company (A large one too and great to deal with on a claim)... will not cover anything to do with a windshield (others might) I really do not blame them though...winter time has huge rocks in the roads and summers have bugs almost as big as the winter rocks!

Some of those bugs are HUGE! It is amazing...they hover while you are at hwy speeds and then WHAM My PW Mini is Liquid Yellow!

 

AAA comes through every time.

 

i think its great!

 

OK...It is the Hartford thru AARP...Their premiums were about 1/2 that of AAA and the rest so I guess that makes up for it in some fashion. I also have them for my Home owners and they are great!

I have located a local place that does PPG Mini Windshields for about 1/4 of that charged by Mini...As soon as mine goes...I will take it there instead of Mini. "Nevada Pit" from the sandstorms is a fact of life here...Cracking is NOT on any other car I have owned in 30 yrs. You will get a "star" from a hard enough hit, but not usually a crack! Guess i have been lucky so far. (19,000 miles)
However to get to my dealer in Sacramento, I have to travel the Mini Windshield graveyard Interstate 80! Bad in the summer...HORRIBLE IN THE WINTER!

 

Matt, you're half right. I've been in the windshield repair business since 1994. I agree with you that windshields DO crack as a result of stress. However, it may or may not involve a weakening of the windshield as a result of an impact. In fact, ALL windshields manufactured after 1973 or so have a "perimeter of vulnerability" (POV), a band approximately four to six inches from the edge inwards all the way around the windshield.

Believe it or not, all it takes is a rock 'dink' in the windshield POV the size of a pinhead or less to create a crack. This is true regardless of vehicle or windshield manufacturer. So, in the case of the Honda Element, the factory concedes that a stress from a raised area near the lower corners of the windshield frame rail may result in a crack. But should this mean that a crack resulting from a 'dink' qualifies as a warrantable item? I would think not. I suspect that's the purpose of the "stupid pen test".

Those of you with stone damage (actual physical breaks, not just surface pits), especially in the POV area, would be well advised to consider having them repaired.

BTW, Dan PPG and Safelite are competing companies.

Regards all,

Tawni