I have owned a Cooper since 05/09. In this short period I have encountered two windshield dings which have required repair. Is it common for MC owners to have their windshields damaged and/or to have the complete windshield replaced? My glass insurance deductible is $300.00 and I am wondering if I should lower it if damage on MC windshields is a common occurrence. Any advice or experience out there? Thanks, Anthony

 

my glass is covered under the comprehensive

changing my comp deductable from $250 to ZERO was very inexpensive ... very much worth asking about.

Depending on where you live getting a lot of rock hits is a fact of life. Add to that the upright nature of the MINI front glass and you can have many issues. I've probably averaged one windshield a year over the last 10, with 4 cars in the garage....

 

I had to have my glass replaced with a crack after about 2 months. I think it was stress but my dealer insisted it was stone even though I couldn't find any stone hole.

 

In my experience it is not what car you drive but WHERE you drive that matters. If you do a lot of freeway driving you are going to get stone chips -- speed and following closely to other vehicles = stone chips -- add multiple lanes and your odds get better for chips.

 

I would go with a better deductible. I cannot prove it, but the general consensus in my club is that MINI glass is more susceptible to damage because it is low, thin, and vertical. We have our glass replacement guy on speed dial. Of course, driving conditions are a huge factor. I've done two windshields (on my third) in a year's ownership.

FWIW, some will go with aftermarket glass that's a little thicker and seems to hold up better, but there've been reports (isolated?) of poor fit.

 

I am so bummed!

Little Wing, my 2009 Clubman S, has a cracked windshield - again.
She came home from the dealer in August 09 and has now gone about 8,500 miles.
I love, love, love this car.
But, I have been driving for over 35 years and have never had a cracked windshield before.

Fortunately, we have State Farm and here in Florida there is no deductible.
The first cracked windshield happened in mid November, while I was taking my son on a tour of colleges. We noticed that crack after we had checked out of our hotel and were on our way to the University of South Carolina.
While my son took the admissions tour, I was in the parking lot crying on the phone to my husband and our State Farm agent.
Because we were on our way to Atlanta after the SC tour, State Farm called around and got estimates from Atlanta shops.

The Atlanta MINI dealer quoted State Farm $1,200!
The dealer also required that the car stay in the shop for 24 hours to allow the glue to cure. It appears that MINI dealers do not participate in the State Farm pricing plan. At any rate, we were traveling and just couldn't drop the car off and pick it up the next day. The dealer couldn't promise me a loaner car either, but did say that they would try. Well, that just wasn't good enough.

State Farm was willing to pay the higher quote from one of the other two shops, which came to $525. I was free to use anyone I chose, but SF would not pay more than $525. Also, I had to pay out of pocket, I suppose because I was out of state, but SF cut the check that day and mailed it to me. The check beat us back home.

I went with the $525 glass shop.
I was sad that the new windshield wouldn't have a $.05 MINI logo sticker, but my son pointed out to me that there are about 25 MINI logos stuck all over the car and that only an idiot couldn't tell that Little Wing is a MINI anyway.
He advised me to skip the sticker and save $675.
That's why he's going to college.

The tech met me in the parking lot at GA Tech and replaced the windshield right there, while my son toured the campus.
I missed that admissions presentation as well.

The glass shop tech told me that I was getting the same windshield as the dealer would have installed. He emphasized that he didn't mean a windshield just like it, he meant that very same windshield. Apparently, his company supplies the dealer and he would have ordered it, whether he or the dealer installed it.

He also told me that I could have driven safely back home to Florida but I didn't know that without professional advice. My son and I noticed that the crack grew and spread quite a bit on the trip from Columbia to Atlanta. I was afraid that we would be zooming down I-75 and have the windshield suddenly shatter all over us!

The tech also told me that the method of curing the glue for 24 hours was obsolete and unnecessary. I don't know if that is true or not, but we were soon on our way and I have not a problem with the seal on the windshield.
However, after a week or so, I noticed that the A panel on the passenger's side has pulled away from the top where it meets the roof and is gaping open. I haven't had that fixed yet. I don't know if the panel is broken or if it just needs to be reset in place.

It was just as well that I haven't had the panel fixed, because today the new windshield cracked.

State Farm referred me to a local glass installer. They are coming to my house tomorrow with a new windshield. They are going to fix the A panel problem at the same time. SF will pay them directly. The SF agent told me that they will continue to replace the windshield if it keeps cracking, without limit, without raising my rates or canceling my policy. I'm not sure that I believe that.

Even AAA will cut you off if you call too many times to get into a locked car or to bring 5G of gas.
Don't ask me how I know that.
Trust me...

Both cracks were caused by rocks or something hitting the windshield.
I never heard anything hit the windshield, but both times could see the bulls-eye where something impacted the glass.

I hate to think that I may need to new windshield every few months.

I still love my car though.

Is there any recommended glass treatment or protection that could help to prevent these cracks?
I would really appreciate any feedback about this.

Also, are there different kinds of windshields that fit a MINI?
If so, is one kind preferable to another?

I *think* that I got an "OEM" in Atlanta, and assume that's what I'm getting tomorrow.
I thought they were all the same, but have read some posts here that suggest otherwise.

Even if I am able to get unlimited free replacements, it is not something that I want to have to do.
It is not convenient and I am now paranoid about things hitting the windshield.
Also, I missed two campus tours that I had traveled to attend, which was maddening.

Sorry to rant on.
I am just really frustrated and disappointed.

I still love Little Wing though and wouldn't even think of getting another car!

 

I have my car 6 months now. I have had the windshield repaired once and replaced once. Granted one was a kid who threw a rock at my windshield, but the generally vertical orientation of the windshield will make it very prone to rock chips and breaks...and possibly bored kids in the bushes.

 

I chipped my windshield the first weekend i had my car. Less than 200 miles on the clock.

 

My 2007 had a small chip in it. I called my insurance (Liberty Mutual) and was very happy to find out that they had everything all set up with Safelite Auto Glass. My windshield was repaired to my satisfaction in less than an hour after I called, all at no cost to me!

So my advice to the OP would be: if you catch it early enough, you can get most chip damages repaired, and if I did have to pay for the repair, it only would've cost me $65 (but as I said, Liberty Mutual covered it). Of course, $65 is much cheaper than $300. Also, I would consider shopping around for new auto insurance. A $300 glass deductible? That is crazy.

 

anyone with the electrically heated front windshield have regular cracking/chipping issues? In North America i think this windshield is only available in Canada? I worry about the replacement cost for this heated glass compared to the non-heated. Just thought i'd throw the question out there...

 

Welcome to the world of MINIs. Get aquainted with your local Safelite shop. They do the best job for the least amount of money. They have OEM glass available at less than half the price of the MINI dealer and charge very little to install. If you catch the chips quickly, Safelite will fix for free if they've established a partnership with your insurance company. I call Safelite as soon as the chip occurs and they will drive a mobile unit to your location. The first couple times, I responded too slowly and they had to replace the glass. However, they did a great job at a fraction of the Dealer's cost.

 

Yep!
Another MINI quirk - becoming accustomed to replacing/repairing the windshield.
State Farm sent a local mobile unit out to the house today and Little Wing has another new windshield.
It was totally free and this time State Farm paid the shop directly.
I do not have the rain sensor, which seems to be a big relief to the installers.

Anyway, I talked to the tech about repairing bulls-eyes, stars, and oyster chips.
I had noticed a bulls-eye two days ago, and planned to have it repaired, but the windshield was cracked by the next morning.
Well, the tech told me not to get any dings repaired.
His advice was to wait for the windshield to crack and then get a total replacement.
By law, there is no deductible in Florida so a new windshield is free.

He advised to keep my distance from trucks, especially on the interstate.

He also fixed the problem with the A panel.
It seems the last installer forgot to replace the screws!
I had found some mystery screws on the passenger floorboard the last time that I cleaned Little Wing and saved them.
Well, now they are back where they belong - all 4 of them.

So, Little Wing is back to perfection!

 

Gee, I can't imagine why someone who makes money off of replacing windshields would recommend something like that.

 

Or he was being genuine. If you get 5 chips repaired on the same windshield there will be marks all over the place, all of which you pay for and still look through the same spotted, dinged up windshield.



My advice to everyone....get full glass coverage and a $0 deductible. It's well worth it and not terribly expensive. Think of it as a tradeoff for not needing AAA.

 

In the first month I had my 08 the windshield got broke by a rock...three days later (the day before the replacement went in) another rock broke it again!

My replacement windshield is factory MINI and I had to insist on it, I also picked the installer that has a reputation for German cars. . Make sure in any of your cars to INSIST on factory glass. Not that crappy safe-lite or other junk. I have seen some HORRIBLE glass with distorted optics. I do have a safelite in my van it does looks okay. The logo on every piece of glass should be the brand of your car. My bill was $1200 for the windshield, $0 deductible on insurance.

 

True that!

That's how I see it.
He was being genuine.
It's a win/win situation for both of us.
He said that repairs are never perfect, nothing like a brand new windshield.
I want to keep Little Wing looking new for as long as possible.
Repair or replacement - either one is free for me.
I would rather have a new windshield!

Besides, I like it when I feel like I am getting a good return on those high insurance premiums.

 

Yikes!
Twice in one week? That's got to be some kind of a record!

See, that's how I felt when my first windshield broke.
While my insurance does pay for a replacement, no deductible, it will not pay the $1200 dealer price.
On top of that, my closest dealer is 160 miles away.
Since it appears that I may have to go through this ritual periodically, I like for the installer to come to me.

Both of my replacement windshields looked great.
I can't tell any difference in the optical quality between my original and the two replacements.
They are not Safelite, but I feel like there are some posters here who like Safelite.
Or, maybe not - maybe I have read warnings to avoid Safelite? IDK...

You bring up a good point.
It never occurred to me that some windshields would be optically defective.
I am new to this and know more about windshields now than I ever cared to, which isn't to say that I know very much.
Until my original broke 2 months ago I had never even thought about windshields, other than when one needed cleaning.

It is true that the first installer didn't do good job.
The shop did want to fix it. They told me to go to someone local to get the A pillar repaired and that they would pay for it, or go back to Atlanta and they would redo the installation.
Lucky for me and them, I had to replace that windshield before I got around to having the A pillar repaired.
My A pillar is now back in position and this installation looks good.

I do understand where you are coming from.
Still, it seems to me from what I've been reading here that cracked windshields are an equal opportunity problem.
Factory or knock off, one seems to crack just as easily the other.

I sincerely hope that all of us on this sad thread have a happy, crack free 2010!

 

Agreed on not using the Safelite glass. In addition to poor optical quality, the glass has the wrong shade of tinting. However, Safelite only charges $12 more for the OEM glass than they do for the Safelite brand.

The $1200 bill for replacement is robbery. Safelite charges $370 for replacement with OEM glass and that includes new MINI molding strips that are required to do the job right. Having the insurance company pay for $1200, just drives up insurance premiums for the rest of us.

 

some chips and cracks can be filled with a resin type fill. i too had my mini for a short while when i got chipped on the windsheild. dealer- 125 to fill the chip, craigs list with refferances, 50...

 

Damn, I had never heard of this...I should have done some much deeper research before buying this thing!

So does anyone supply a thicker windshield? Would this help with the problem? I've never had a windshield replaced in any of my other cars...one of which I had for 8 years. The thought of replacing it even once a year seems incredibly silly to me, but that's life I guess.

 

It turns out that there are a variety of providers out there of what is essentially a "colorless tint" film that you can get installed. Here is the info off a website from a local San Diego installer:

WindShield Protection
Windshield protection film applied to the exterior surface of a windshield can prevent damage from ordinary highway rock strikes and other road debris. Impacts which shatter unprotected glass leave only a minimal pin-point on the film, preserving its optical clarity. Like glass, windshield protection film is scratch resistant and stands up to everyday abrasions (including windshield wipers). This film also provides superior optical clarity, 20% heat reduction and 99% UV protection. The film is virtually invisible and is guaranteed not to peel, bubble, crack, or yellow, for the warranted life of the product.
Main Benefits:

• Impact resistance against normal road hazards, rock chips, and pitting.
• UV stabilizers which reduce vehicle heat, prolonging interior life.
• Faster run-off rain, snow and other elements, providing better visibility.

Worth looking into I suppose.

 

Windshield film is illegal in CA, FWIW.

 

If it isn't tinted, how would they know?

 

The problem is not with the thickness of the glass, but the angle of the glass.

 

A couple of comments on replacement windshields. If your car has the optional automatic windshield wipers, the replacement windshield (parts) cost significantly more. Regardless of the brand of windshield, you should insist on a genuine MINI seal/trim at the top of the windshield. I have also read somewhere that the genuine MINI glass has a softer laminate material which may be better for anyone or anything that might fly through it. Perhaps the "safer" genuine glass is easier to chip and/or crack as well.