[MADBMWX5MC]

Lots of debris in Northern Virginia roads, if you drive around here, you will eventually replace a windshield.

[swainbmw]

Originally Posted by tooloud10

It's not just chance—people drive in drastically varying conditions and there are certainly varying qualities and applications of windshields. I have about 30k miles on my '23 and the windshield cracked at 1500 miles and has gotten another chip in it since then.

Each of my other cars have about 75k miles on them now and have never had a broken windshield. There certainly seems to be a lot more broken windshield threads on the G05 forum than any other car forum I've visited over the years.

BMW glass is very soft I used to go through a lot of windshields but knock on wood. I’ve been lucky the last 4 bmw I’ve not had to replace a windshield

[LDT]

Originally Posted by NbyNW

And if your windshield is tinted it has to be redone also. Another trip to a shop and depending where you are (traveling) it can be a hassle. When you get used to tinting not having it is a… well, first world problem. Couple years ago my S Class windshield cracked and USAA paid for the tint also.

Great. Most insurance companies will not cover windshield tint given that it’s illegal in most, if not all, states.

[PunsGalore]

Our 19' Q7 just had the windshield replaced at safelite - curious if even though it was replaced with Pilkington-branded glass it still doesn't have the Audi rings on top of all the other info in the bottom right corner like (I believe) the old one did, so wondering if its still considered OEM? I think so, but just wanted others' opinions..

[tooloud10]

Originally Posted by GerryC

It stinks, but it's just luck. I had an E60 that went 175k miles and still had the original windshield. (The last couple years I was hoping for a good crack so I could get it replaced under insurance. No luck.) Then I had an F30 and in 4 years, 65k miles it went through 5 windshields. The first was a month after I bought it.

That doesn’t sound like bad luck, it clearly sounds like the E60 had a more durable windshield than the F30 that required five replacements.

[GerryC]

Originally Posted by tooloud10

That doesn’t sound like bad luck, it clearly sounds like the E60 had a more durable windshield than the F30 that required five replacements.

It was apparently more resistant to large cracks. But it never got hit with anything of significance. Most of it was just the sand kicked up by traffic. It did have a lot of pitting which is why I was hoping for a big crack to justify replacing it. When the sun hit it at just the right angle it looked like a star field.

And some of it was luck. Only one of the F30 cracks started with a small chip. The others were all large rocks that put a large impact crater that then propagated.

[Coercion Shaman]

I don't care what anyone says. There has to be some new environmentally friendly manufacturing of windshields that lets them pit more. The three vehicles from three manufacturers I have owned in the last 10 years all look sand blasted and quickly. Never a car before that did I have that issue.

It is like the dishwashers that use 1/3 gpm of the water but run three times as long or the washers that don't clean your clothes as well, but I digress.

[biterror]

Originally Posted by LuckyBrand

I think it's pretty clear by this thread that plenty of people have suffered windshield blues and many that have suffered multiple replacements on the same vehicle.

No fun for sure but still seems like a high percentage of replacements. I wonder if vehicles from say 20 or 30 years ago experienced as much damage.

They are no longer allowed to use lead in the glass and that makes windshields more fragile.

[X5CO]

My 08 Xterra: plenty of rocks, etc. have hit that windshield and barely a chip. It's definitely pitted over the years, but never cracked.
The 24 X5: Already had two large chips repaired and it's not a year old. Thinking I should have bought the windshield insurance.

[sharkymcpeterson]

I bought a cpo m50 with virtually no miles on it and within a week a dump truck from a local concrete company threw a rock the size of a golf ball off the back of the truck into my windshield. Somehow I was able to have it repaired rather than replaced.


It’s a $3500 job so it’s nice to avoid the hit on my insurance.