I’m with MINI USA, and on their behalf, we want to apologize to those of you who have experienced problems with your windshield. Please be assured that we have heard you, and MINI is investigating this issue. As soon as we have any information at all, we will report it here. In the meantime, please continue to work closely with your dealer, who is in the best position to assist you. As always, we are available at 866.ASK.MINI if you’d like additional assistance.

 

I will offer up my car for further investigation by anyone at MINI. It has had 5 windshields to date. If I can be of any assistance let me know.

Please check your private messages in a couple minutes

 

Nice!

I'm taking my car in Tomorrow Mornign for this problem...

I applied Tape to the stress crack as soon as I noticed it. I've heard that the MINI Inspectors are vigilant about dismissing the crack if they find even a micro chip on or near the stress crack... and that disturbs me, a dismissal of warranty work due to a tiny unseen by the naked eye chip... even an old Dart windshield could withstand a piece of sand plummeting at it from space. The thing that disturbs me the most tho, is the location of the crack... It obviously started on the top center, in the black... where it went unseen for how long, I don't know. Then it creeped behind the rear view mirror, where I could not see it while I was driving.

I pray that I'm covered!

So If MINI wants to inspect My Windshield, they can tomorrow.

 

The crack out of the center top and the lower corners seem to be the most common areas for stress cracks to start from.

 

Thanks Dave!

You are a Pile Of Usefull Info!

 

11 months and 10K+ miles still on the factory windshield. For some reason doesn't seem to be that common of a problem in Florida.

 

Does anyone else read this as an admittance of guilt?


_________________

 

I DO!

 

I was wondering if it was a robotic response!

 

Not really... the way I see it, they know there's a problem but they don't know what the root cause is. In other words, why do some cars go through multiple windshields, and other have no problem at all. Perhaps the glass is weak, but it seem to me that there is more to it than that, and it may be this mystery bit of info that they are trying to nail down.

Personally, in over 10K miles, I've had one rock chip, but no cracks... factory glass still in place. But I will keep an eye on it.

 

It's only visible to those looking through PPG glass.

See ya,
JS

 

>>In the meantime, please continue to work closely with your dealer, who is in the best position to assist you.

What if your dealer was a total idiot that knew nothing about the MINI and just wanted your money? Please MINI USA do something about that!

 

>>>>
When I first saw their post I thought, all right finally after all these months of posting about windshield cracks and the difference between rock damage and a strike marks, the number of "." the windshield has and the probability of a crack passing through one of them and it has worked. Then the more I reread the post the more I see it as a comfort post, one that makes us all warm and toasty on the inside, but does nothing when it comes down to it.

When I started doing my investigation on this matter I came across a TIS Bulletin that outlined an inspection procedure to be performed when replacing the windshield. (Do a search, as I'm not going to rehash all that) The kick was the inspection was only to be performed if and only if the damage was not caused by a rock.

It also stated that the Dealer should thoroughly inspect the glass to insure that the crack wasn't caused by a rock. Notice the wording, it's not "inspect to insure the crack was caused by stress" it's "insure the crack wasn't caused by a rock". Subliminal message?

I was able to convince the Area Warranty Rep to complete the inspection and I have a copy of the data that was submitted to MINI USA, no one has been able to tell me the "trigger" numbers that would mean my windshield was improperly installed at the factory. "That's what they are collecting the data for" was the answer I got when I asked for that info. Well here it is 3 months later and I'll be waiting to see where this all leads to.

BTW my crack happened at 15,800+ in one of the classic locations: top center in front of the rearview mirror.

 

:smile: :smile: Well I'm glad to see that MINIUSA has finally posted SOMETHING about the windshield issue instead of keeping us all wondering if they were going at least acknowledge there was a problem.
donna@dcmetrominis.org

 

I wonder if it has to do with the roads in specific areas. The roads in DC are horrible compared to those in North Carolina and FL, many many many more potholes and cracks. Could it be that the jarring the car takes repeatedly hitting these poor roads is what's doing it?

This was an issue back in the early '80s in NYC with the Grumman Flexible busses. They started developing cracks in the frame of the bus not long after they were put into service, the entire MTA fleet of Flexibles were affected and had to be removed from service for repairs. MTA borrowed busses from DC until the repairs were completed. Turned out that the NYC roads were to blame, they were just too cratered for the busses. Neighboring Nassau County had the same problem with it's busses but only on the ones that operated on routes into NYC....

 

We r glad you r looking into the "subpar" windshields. You should look at installing a stronger, harder glass ,thicker windshield (My 1970 VW bug had the same winshield for over 28 yrs!!) (Look at their supplier. Put a policy with dealers to replace cracked windshields so we the customer do not have "fight" with them to replace. Also if you do change your poliicy to replace these "problem" windshields, will you reimburse the people who had to pay the their insurance deductables for the past "cracked" windshield? Seems like the "right thing to do" Please do not continue to "stonewall" on this important safety issue!!...Because of this HOT" issue: request at least a "monthly update" so we in the "MINI community" know the status of you "SOLVING" the problem, not just "looking into it"..Thank you,,,,

 

I think once you get a windshield that is of good quality that will withstand the stress
cracks and small objects you should recall and have every one replaced. that would
help customer relationships in the future showing that Mini and BMW are willing to
correct a defective part.

 

Slightly off topic - but they (BMW) started it.

Have they publicly acknowledged the hiccups and yoyo software?

 

We still have the factory windshield in our '02 Cooper CVT after 10,400+ miles and 11 months of service....absolutely no problems. Our MINI has the standard suspension and the 15" non-runflat tires and wheels. I wonder if the stress cracks are more prominent in rougher riding MINIs with SS+ suspension and harder 16" and 17" runflat tires??

The windshield is manufactured by German auto glass maker Sekurit-St Gobain. These people makes glass for a very wide range of vehicles and makes including BMW, Mercedes, Setra buses, Land Rover, Bentley, etc.

 

Thank you MINI USA for letting us know you are looking into this issue, we appreciate that!

Based on all the posts here (and elsehwere), I would guess that you have two separate issues with the windshield, although they may be related:

1) the glass is very soft and pits very easily!

2) the windshield has a tendency to crack under certain conditions

I hope you are looking into both of these issues!

I have just noticed what I think may be a highly unusual phenomenon. I have not been able to take a photo, because this can only be done under certain lighting conditions. As soon as I can I will post a photo and also send it to MINI USA:

In my car, with a certain type of backlighting, I have noticed several very fine cracks, almost like hairline cracks, in the windshield, as seen from the inside and in counterlight. These cracks are extremely fine, and only about 3-5 at most 7 mm long. Now the strange thing is they seem to be located on the inner layer of the shield, not the outer layer, although I still need to verify this. They are also clearly not associated with any pits, and I have found them in several locations across the windshield.

I will try to get some pics and post them.

Markus


>>>>>>>>
>>When I first saw their post I thought, all right finally after all these months of posting about windshield cracks and the difference between rock damage and a strike marks, the number of "." the windshield has and the probability of a crack passing through one of them and it has worked. Then the more I reread the post the more I see it as a comfort post, one that makes us all warm and toasty on the inside, but does nothing when it comes down to it.
>>
>>When I started doing my investigation on this matter I came across a TIS Bulletin that outlined an inspection procedure to be performed when replacing the windshield. (Do a search, as I'm not going to rehash all that) The kick was the inspection was only to be performed if and only if the damage was not caused by a rock.
>>
>>It also stated that the Dealer should thoroughly inspect the glass to insure that the crack wasn't caused by a rock. Notice the wording, it's not "inspect to insure the crack was caused by stress" it's "insure the crack wasn't caused by a rock". Subliminal message?
>>
>>I was able to convince the Area Warranty Rep to complete the inspection and I have a copy of the data that was submitted to MINI USA, no one has been able to tell me the "trigger" numbers that would mean my windshield was improperly installed at the factory. "That's what they are collecting the data for" was the answer I got when I asked for that info. Well here it is 3 months later and I'll be waiting to see where this all leads to.
>>
>>BTW my crack happened at 15,800+ in one of the classic locations: top center in front of the rearview mirror.
>>

 

I am wondering if the cracks may be related to temp difference asssuming the windshield is defective in materials and/or design. Mine cracked after a very warm day followed by a cooler night. The crack began in the lower passenger corner when the air from the fan (cool) hit it and the morning dew was on the windshield....

 

>>I am wondering if the cracks may be related to temp difference asssuming the windshield is defective in materials and/or design. Mine cracked after a very warm day followed by a cooler night. The crack began in the lower passenger corner when the air from the fan (cool) hit it and the morning dew was on the windshield....

 

I wonder if MINI USA realizes the gold mine they have in the input you folks are providing? In essence its a database for windshield failure as a function of mileage and geography. They can't get that in a lab or with a computer.

Show some spine, MINI USA and show us some love! This is a critical SAFETY issue!! Maybe that is the rub, lawyers are already onto the scent of this and this prevents MINIUSA from being too specific with information. God help MINI though if someone is injured or worse as a result of a (known or unknown) defect with S windshields.

_________________
Treasurer, SCMM | paul@scmm.org | Future MINI owner: [insert name here] Who the hell knows what it will look like??!!

 

>>The windshield is manufactured by German auto glass maker Sekurit-St Gobain. These people makes glass for a very wide range of vehicles and makes including BMW, Mercedes, Setra buses, Land Rover, Bentley, etc.

Sekurit-St Gobain is based in France. Simplex which supplies the glass for the sunroof and the door windows is based in Germany.

 

No cracks in our windshield, 8 months, 7,500 miles of driving in all sorts of conditions and all types of roads.