There are so many threads running now about the windshields that I decided to post in all of them, sorry for the repeats.

I am one of the many who have had a stress-cracked windshield (after 2 months in my ’04 MINI), and one of the fewer who have had it replaced under warranty. Now, after 4k miles on windshield #2 it looks like someone took an ice-pick to it. I have one ¼-inch size pit along with at least 30 to 40 sand size pits. In my previous 4 cars I have owned (Ford, Honda, Chrysler), after having driven 550,000 miles combined, I have yet to see a windshield this soft!!!!

Anyway, getting to the point, I checked my current windshield and it does not appear to be the ‘new’ windshield discussed on this board recently. So, tonight I called 866-ASK-MINI, described my problem, and then asked about the new improved windshield. Unfortunately, the response was that she had not heard anything about this…..but, she was willing to take my information and said they would call back after researching it. She was polite and did not talk down to me like my dealer has in the past. I am pretty skeptical of anything coming of this, BUT, if we ALL took the time to call 866-ASK-MINI and complained about the windshields and requested information about an improved product it would be another way to slowly beat home the point that these windshields are miserable excuses for glass and we are tired of MINI’s avoidance of the problem!!

 

sixth installed 2 weeks ago.Supposedly this is the first "New windshield" incorporating 20% increase in tensile strength However.I am being told,based on the part # I posted, that this is nothing more than a windshield installed in European cars.I will investigate this before going totally postal.You can all bet that I will keep you all well informed ,but meanwhile I will join this list(although my own efforts to create one only evolved into 8 people)I tried to post a complaint on the NHTSA site ,but was thwarted by some kind of security issue???IF MINI DIVISION IS READING THIS :LOOK OUT FOR ME IF THIS NEW IMPROVED WINDSHIELD TURNS OUT TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO BLOW SMOKE UP MY BUTT!!!!!!!!!

 

>>Thanks for the info. Just filed my complaint. How many other mini drivers have filed a complaint? Ok ,NOW LET'S SEE HOW LONG IT TAKES TO CREATE THE CRACK(this is #6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

 

holdenontoit! Oh no! Not a crack in the new improved windshield.

I think we might need to do a group-buy on some actual bullet-proof glass

I'm filing my complaint now!

If you have had a stress fractured windshield that was not covered under warranty, please file a complaint with the NHTSA. Every single complaint will have to be dealt with individually by both BMW/MINI and your dealer. At the very least it will give someone a stress headache for not honoring their warranty on stress fractured windshields

_________________

SE Regional, BAMA Club Moderator: PM me

 

Wow, I am getting ready to buy a new MINI but feel as though I should reconsider. I had a horrible time with BMW in the past. Transmission went out at 60,000 - just after the end of the warranty - that is after having trouble with it from day one. BMW refused to do anything about it but I am persistant and not a good guy to have mad (my friends call me Tony Soprano as a joke). In the end, they ended up paying half of the inflated cost for replacement. I swore off BMWs forever and have been very cautious about buying a MINI, although they are my favorite car on the road right now.

BTW, my 1968 Cooper S has the original windshield!

 

I filed my complaint on the web site. Thanks for pointing it out. I'm going to be getting my fourth windshield very shortly. The stock windshield pitted and chipped. The second (PPG) pitted and chipped. The third (OEM) has pitted chipped and now appears to have a stress crack right there by the stamped lettering in the lower drivers side.

 

Wow, some of you are really having a bear of a time with this. Four, five and six windshields!? I'd be torqued, too.

I have a 2002 MCS that I took delivery of in July of '02. I noticed from day one that the glass quality wasn't exactly Bausch and Lomb, but it took a mean rock hit just a bit below and to the side of the rear-view mirror, and only a very small chip to show for it (that was a relief). This was almost two years ago. I'm not disputing that there are defective windshields out there, I was just wondering...do the 2002's have better glass, am I just lucky, or is it just a matter of time before I need a new windshield? I did notice that I have exactly as many paint chips on the nose of the car as I have stone pits in the windshield glass, if anyone out there is keeping track of pit-to-chip ratios.

Good luck, I hope you can get MINI to get off their asses and address this. I've had all the usual crap happen with mine (rattles, stumble, "yo-yo", leaky overflow, loose sunroof seal) and have noticed that a complaint to MINI results only in a referral to my local dealer, who seems to have employed as many ***** as they have talented mechanics. So I think your approach, being the equivalent to a swift kick in the nads, is quite appropriate.

 

>>Wow, some of you are really having a bear of a time with this. Four, five and six windshields!? I'd be torqued, too.
>>
>>I have a 2002 MCS that I took delivery of in July of '02. I noticed from day one that the glass quality wasn't exactly Bausch and Lomb, but it took a mean rock hit just a bit below and to the side of the rear-view mirror, and only a very small chip to show for it (that was a relief). This was almost two years ago. I'm not disputing that there are defective windshields out there, I was just wondering...do the 2002's have better glass, am I just lucky, or is it just a matter of time before I need a new windshield? I did notice that I have exactly as many paint chips on the nose of the car as I have stone pits in the windshield glass, if anyone out there is keeping track of pit-to-chip ratios.
>>
>>Good luck, I hope you can get MINI to get off their asses and address this. I've had all the usual crap happen with mine (rattles, stumble, "yo-yo", leaky overflow, loose sunroof seal) and have noticed that a complaint to MINI results only in a referral to my local dealer, who seems to have employed as many ***** as they have talented mechanics. So I think your approach, being the equivalent to a swift kick in the nads, is quite appropriate.

As to build date---- Mine(with 6th recently installed) was built the same month and year as yours, chalk your experience up to a remarkable stroke of good fortune-nothing more.the front of my car also looks as if it was used for automatic weapons target practice.

 

I got my first lovely stress fracture yesterday.

Brought it to BMW of Darien this AM, within seconds they told me to bring my car in next week to have it taken care of under warrenty. I tell ya, for the amount of problems this car has had, my dealer has been nothing short of excellent. Responsive, quick, no grief. Couldn't be happier. :smile:

 

I'm with Storer. I am on my 5th winshield, all but the first replaced under warn'tee by BMW of Darien, CT. These are good people.

 

Holy Crap!!!!!!! My stinking MINI is now 6 months and 2 weeks old and as of this morning I am now going to have to get my third freakin windshield!!!!! To say the least I am SERIOUSLY PISSED!!!!!!

I have been driving the exact same road to work for over five years. I put over 100,000 miles on this road in my '99 Mustang and I can't even find a small pit in the windshield (yes, I still have it). Since I got my MINI, I have passengers laugh at me because I back off when people pull in front of me.....I pass waaaaayyyyy over to the left when going by trucks.......I go out of my way to avoid chips. My initial reason was to keep the paint looking good. I now do it to try and avoid pitting and cracking this absolutely worthless piece of crapola the MINI calls a windshield.

So, what about the newest (less then 24 hour old) crack????? Well, when I got off work yesterday afternoon I go out to the parking garage and find there is 1 to 1.5 inch crack coming out from behind the molding, directly behind the rear-view mirror. Another f'ing stress crack!!!! That pissed me off, but I also didn't have a camera with me to document what the crack looked like.....and admittedly figured I would take a picture when I got home. Well, by the time I get home the crack had already grown to about 3 to 4 inches and (miracle of miracles) goes right through a small pit that has been in the windshield for about 1 month.

While I will use every ounce of restraint to have an open mind and hope the MINI dealer will listen to the story and understand that it is another stress crack, I am also prepared to start raising some serious hell if they try and sell me the 'rock caused it' bullcrap!

MINI - Listen up!!!! I'm REALLY pissed now and ready to start kicking some butt if you continue to placate the masses with your MINIDivision B.S. posts, stupid freaking 'pen tests' fall back excuse, laywer talk spewing crap !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YOUR WINDSHIELDS SUCK.....IT'S TIME TO ADMIT IT AND FIX IT!!!!

P.S. I'm not even that mad now that my rear speakers quit working last week. At least I'm assuming MINI will cover that under warranty........I don't think a rock caused that....could it??????