Legal notice about windshield failures
 

Received a notice in the mail from some law firm asking me to participate in a class action lawsuit against BMW for excessive glass breakage of windshields unrelated to road hazards on 2002 thru 2006 Mini Coopers.

Anyone else get a notice?

My 2006 still has the original windshield, small chip from a rock. I guess I won't share in the payout.

I haven't gotten one but even if I did, I would simply trash bin it. The only people that get money out of class action lawsuits are the attorneys.

I received one yesterday also. Never had any problems other than a couple of chips so into the trash it went.

I received three copies of that document urging participation in the Class Action Lawsuit.

One of our 06 Justas has had a nice sized stone chip in the windshield for over 5 years and it hasn't spread a millimeter. I should volunteer to testify for MINI against the plaintiffs and their attorneys. :nod:

Windshield has been replaced twice at no cost to me. No harm, no foul. Now, my auto insurance company might have an issue with MINI about the windshield, but I do not!

Got mine last night, I bought my 04 in 2008 so I have no clue how they even got my info. I didnt buy it from a mini dealer either. Either way as long as I have had the car I have had no problems with the winshield.

Same for me too. Got my 04 from a volvo dealership a few years ago. And got my letter last night.

I have a pretty decent sized chip in my window (happened in my first week of owning) no spreading at all even with the extreme heat and icey winters.

Got the notice too. Had to replace the original windshield a few years back, but due to a large chip that wouldn't allow it to pass a state inspection.

Now the Safelite windshield is developing a very subtle hairline crack...:eek: I think it's covered by a lifetime warranty though.

Honestly, the class action does seem unwarranted. I haven't seen any complaints of windshield cracks. Now, the cooling fan stage 1 resistor or power steering pump...that's another story...

+1 :thumbsup: Damn parasites

I got one also, sounds like lawyers/firm being the ambulance chasing type

A friend had a 2002 MINI back in the first few years, and had so many windshields replaced due to stress cracks that he returned the car under the Lemon Law. My guess is that only the really early adopters had this issue since I've never heard of it since...

I also got two in the mail. One for my previous R53 and one for my GP. I'm surprised I didn't see one for the power-steering pump...

Do these guys do research before doing this?

Windshield stress cracks were a pretty common problem in the first few years of the new MINIs. I'm on my 4th windshield in my '04 Cooper S (2 stress cracks, one factory defect). I got the class action packet yesterday, but won't need to participate as all of my windshields were done as warranty work at no charge. I believe that MINI beefed up the glass in later years, as I haven't had an issue with my latest windshield in the three years I've had it in.

My 03 MCS had a stress crack while still under warranty but Mini would not replace the windshield because they agrued the crack was due to a rock chip but I did not agree. The dealership charged $800 to replace the windshield. Many early year Minis delevoped stress cracks in the corners of the winshield but the dealership would frequently argue that the crack was caused by a rock and would not replace the windshield. A few dealerships were good about replacing the windshields under warranty but most would not.

I believe this was a good case action suit because it affected many Minis and MINI USA would not replace the windshields. Even if a insurance company paid for the replacement at $800 a pop that increases everyone's insurance rates.

My insurance paid to replace my windshield twice, but they would not pay the dealer's rate. They have a flat rate they will pay, $300 IIRC, based on independent local glass companies' rates.
My choice was to go wherever I wanted, but to pay the difference if I wanted it done at the dealership. I chose not to pay $500 out of pocket but let a local company do it at the insured rate.

I received a notice yesterday; I have a 04 MCS, my original windshield broke within a couple of months of use, started with a small chip, by the time I got home from the trip I was on the screen was cracked completely across horizontally. It was a very common problem back then – the solution was to stay away from Mini windshields, people were calling them “softglass”, so I did what most did and used the PPG equivalent, still have it after the initial change out – not sure if Mini fixed the problem.

I forgot to mention: I will not participate in the Class Action Suit – I feel as if it’s just a lawyer thing to make money for themselves – The PPG replacement was only $280.00.

Chips do not qualify for this class action suit anyways. Any cracks that started from a chip wouldn't qualify either. This is only due to stress cracks without outside influence.


I like the majority commenting here also have a small chip in the windshield. Got it "filled" for $20 last year. Hate looking at it but that's cheaper than replacement! Anyways, German glass is historically weak wen it comes to cracks and chips. Of all the American cars I've owned never had a problem with rock chips. But I seem to see chips all the time when working on Mercedes and Audi's, not to mention my mini too lol

Depending on where the chip is i would pay for a replacement rather then get it filled. If it's in the 1sq foot section of glass right in front of the steering wheel i'll gladly fork over the money. Otherwise i'm more than happy to let the chip live out it's life hiding in the corner.

I went through 4 windshields in the first two years of my 2003.

I'd be happy to get a few of my $50 deductibles back. Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

I received the same notice yesterday. My ~10 year old MINI is on its original windshield. Lots of pits and craters, but it has held up against any fractures.

I had one OEM windshield replaced due to a stress crack. My '04 S was about three years old. There was a lot of discussion here about the POS windshields, as I recall. Anybody who doesn't want to participate, don't. But in my mind, this was another instance of BMW/Mini not standing up for its customers. There are lots of similar cases on this forum: the powersteering pump, the HK amplifier, etc.

My insurance company did not cover my windshield replacement, so I went out-of-pocket. Some lawyers are forcing Mini to repay 70% of that cost and I say, "God bless 'em!" Maybe some of you think, by the comments I read, that lawyers are bloodsuckers, and maybe they are. But these guys made Mini do what we all couldn't: cover the results of bad design and cheap materials.

I note from the papers that I received that the settlement isn't final yet, but I'm sending in my receipt. Mini needs to pay.

ha i got one the other day and threw it away.

my 06 has the original windshield no cracks or chips, but now at 87k miles, when the sun hits it just right it looks like it has been sand blasted.

but what do you expect from a windshield that is damn near vertical? i have heard dozens of loud bangs from rocks and whatnot hiting the windshield, I'm just counting myself lucky

Is there any real/hard/representative data supporting the contention that the windshields are inferior? I'm not saying they aren't; just want to know if there is any real data out there besides the anectdotes in places like here on NAM. :confused:

Got 2 today.