Show us your crack (windshields)

[Baron von Teuchter]

I had the same after a rock chip. I bought the windshield insurance. Replaced no questions.

Yeah glass insurance is pretty standard with policies in the UK. You just pay an excess and the insurance company cover the cost - and generally claims don’t count against your history so don’t impact your renewal price (in theory).

I just booked my replacement for 16th Sep, under two weeks isn’t bad. Cost me £115 for the excess - the non-insurance price is £1800!!

Here it is, my second crack (so-to-speak)

 

[Logsplitter]

“Here it is, my second crack (so-to-speak)”

 

[Clark Kent]

I installed the edge protection strip today. To be honest it feels a bit me-too but given how many owners have reported cracks that propagate inwards from a chip near the unprotected edge I'll give this protection strip a crack .

Easy to install. I used less than 3 metres of the 7.9 metres (26ft) in the kit.
My MY23 has the top seal so I only needed to do the sides and bottom edge.
Preparation is important. I used a razor blade scraper to clean the glass. That lifted a surprising amount of gunk off. Then I used Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to wipe down.
I used a heat gun to soften the molding at the bottom corners. No need for relief cuts.
I had some tape strips ready but didn't use them.
I started at the top left corner and finished at the opposite corner. I used a plastic trim tool to go past the RAI where there is less access to press your fingers onto the molding.

A 30 minute job including preparation.

Amazon USA

https://a.co/d/5pIA2OL

 

[CRH]

I installed the edge protection strip today. To be honest it feels a bit me-too but given how many owners have reported cracks that propagate inwards from a chip near the unprotected edge I'll give this protection strip a crack .

Easy to install. I used less than 3 metres of the 7.9 metres (26ft) in the kit.
My MY23 has the top seal so I only needed to do the sides and bottom edge.
Preparation is important. I used a razor blade scraper to clean the glass. That lifted a surprising amount of gunk off. Then I used Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to wipe down.
I used a heat gun to soften the molding at the bottom corners. No need for relief cuts.
I had some tape strips ready but didn't use them.
I started at the top left corner and finished at the opposite corner. I used a plastic trim tool to go past the RAI where there is less access to press your fingers onto the molding.

A 30 minute job including preparation.

Amazon USA

https://a.co/d/5pIA2OL

I did mine, in the hope it might help but also because with the rubber seal at the top it made it look finished and a bit more retro

 

[Clark Kent]

I did mine, in the hope it might help but also because with the rubber seal at the top it made it look finished and a bit more retro

It does look like it should always have been there.

 

[Logsplitter]

All this talk about rubber edge protection is making me feel left out. I may have to relent

 

[CRH]

All this talk about rubber edge protection is making me feel left out. I may have to relent

Go on, you know you want to

 

[TheDocAUS]

All this talk about rubber edge protection is making me feel left out. I may have to relent

Too bad you are not coming to NZ via Sydney, I could give you some I have spare.

UK source for this trim listed here:

INSTALLING RUBBER TRIM AROUND THE WINDSCREEN FOR ADDED PROTECTION

Aug 26, 2025

rubber trim, windscreen, protection, DYI, OWL Van

• TheDocAUS
• Resources, Maintenance Tutorials, Procedures and guides.

 

[Clark Kent]

All this talk about rubber edge protection is making me feel left out. I may have to relent

If it's not on, it's not on

 

[Commodore]

Lost my second windshield today. This one only made it a few months. My insurance is not going to be happy. Are there any aftermarket replacements yet? I’m guessing the dealer is still the only one that can “calibrate” the stupid camera that I never wanted in the first place. $3,000 to replace a windshield is absolutely out of control.

Anyone know what happens if you don’t calibrate the camera?

 

[OkGo]

Lost my second windshield today. This one only made it a few months. My insurance is not going to be happy. Are there any aftermarket replacements yet? I’m guessing the dealer is still the only one that can “calibrate” the stupid camera that I never wanted in the first place. $3,000 to replace a windshield is absolutely out of control.

Anyone know what happens if you don’t calibrate the camera?

Don't dismiss aftermarket adas calibration, I have seen it advertised.

If adas is not happy, you can turn it off. Things like speed and lane departure won't work as expected.

 

[AWo]

Does the Grenadier require a static or dynamic camera calibration?

AWo

 

[Fab]

Out of the blue, no stone, no sound.

 

[AWo]

$3,000 to replace a windshield is absolutely out of control.

Get used to it. my workshop neighbour is a glass repair guy. I asked him today....Ford S-Max windscreen around €3,000 EUR (the windscreen only). The price is driven by windscreen heating, tinting, thermal insulation and especially by ADAS (cameras). The quality needs to be very high. Absolutely no distortions are allowed, they have special coatings etc., it has become an active sensor carrier. Also the glue is of a special kind.

His labour is €145 EUR per hour. Mounting an ADAS windscreen takes longer, that adds to the labour costs Also the calibration adds to it.

The special equipment for camera calibration is around €20,000 EUR, that's an invest (beside other thing he needs to buy on a yearly basis). My workshop neighbour hasn't bought such a calibration station, as he retires in a few years. He takes cars with ADAS to a friend, who calibrates the cameras after he has replaced the windscreen.

Some cars need a static calibration, others a dynamic one. The two guys need to ride about 30 min. with the car...also additional labour costs.

AWo

 

[OkGo]

unsure what the legal implications are around turning off ADAS... a Red warning light on the dash is a MOT fail in the UK

 

[AWo]

But even if you turn off ADAS....what do you want to tell the glass guy? Don't take the expensive windscreen because I turned ADAS off (if there exists a cheaper windscreen not suitable for ADAS)? Or : "don't take care about precise mounting I turned ADAS off!"?

I don't think that will lead to reduced costs.

AWo