Windshield crack issues

[mwdesignstudioinc]

I have had three cracked windshields in a timeframe of 1 1/2 years with my Ineos grenadier. Prior to owning an Ineos, I have (maybe) had one cracked windshield in over 45 years of driving/owning other autos. Is this an integral flaw with the Enos and if so, is there any fix for this?

 

[Rupert]

Reach out to your dealer as they have a new policy that is unlimited windshields and calibration for a one time charge of $2500. This wasn’t offered when I bought mine in Jan of ’24 but they have it now, so I am filing a claim on my insurance for the replacement and then buying the windhsield package from the dealer….

 

[abbeyroad]

The solution isn’t replacing it every time it cracks because each replacement exposes you to some lazy hack literally hacking up your frame exposing bare metal which will result in hidden rust underneath the seal in a short period of time.

Xpel or Clearplex or whatever has its own set of pros cons, yet it’s the best preventative solution in the market today.

 

[Psignore00]

I’m on my fifth in 23 months and 27000 miles. I used expel film the last time in September and that only lasted a few months too.

This is the biggest flaw. Make a stronger one, somehow, someway, something must change with the design or it will just continue to happen and that is not sustainable long term for a vehicle

I agree if it’s not directly in your field of view, done replace it and keep using it.

 

[.Jeff]

I owned a Wranger and a Bronco, and both suffered a lot of windshield breaks. The Bronco was > $1200 to replace. After the second break in 3 months, I put an Xpel film on it and drive for over a year without a break.

That experience led me to IMMEDIATELY have an Xpel film put on the Grenadier. I still hear rocks hit, but no breaks. No protection is impervious to every impact, but the Xpel film does work.

https://www.xpel.com/products/windshield-protection-film

 

[Gasguzzler]

Reach out to your dealer as they have a new policy that is unlimited windshields and calibration for a one time charge of $2500. This wasn’t offered when I bought mine in Jan of ’24 but they have it now, so I am filing a claim on my insurance for the replacement and then buying the windhsield package from the dealer….

Really? Do you have any more details on this, is it really unlimited? I went through two windshields last winter....

 

[agcheck]

This is largely due to the overall shape and design of the car, rather than a problem with the windshields themselves. The car has a very short hood, and a large upright windshield.

 

[ecohen2]

I have a friend who recently installed this on an SUV and loves it: https://www.xpel.com/products/windshield-protection-film. @Psignore00 is this the same stuff you used?

It sounds like it greatly deadens the impact of stones, etc while also reducing wind noise.

I suspect once my windshield is cracked to the point that it becomes a problem I'll probably try the film and see if it does the job.

 

[.Jeff]

I have a friend who recently installed this on an SUV and loves it: https://www.xpel.com/products/windshield-protection-film. @Psignore00 is this the same stuff you used?

It sounds like it greatly deadens the impact of stones, etc while also reducing wind noise.

I suspect once my windshield is cracked to the point that it becomes a problem I'll probably try the film and see if it does the job.

@ecohen2 - Why wait? See my post above. The stuff works wonders on my vertical windshields, but only before they are cracked.

 

[Psignore00]

I have a friend who recently installed this on an SUV and loves it: https://www.xpel.com/products/windshield-protection-film. @Psignore00 is this the same stuff you used?

It sounds like it greatly deadens the impact of stones, etc while also reducing wind noise.

I suspect once my windshield is cracked to the point that it becomes a problem I'll probably try the film and see if it does the job.

Yes, exactly what I used. $400 installed at the dealer

 

[abbeyroad]

I owned a Wranger and a Bronco, and both suffered a lot of windshield breaks. The Bronco was > $1200 to replace. After the second break in 3 months, I put an Xpel film on it and drive for over a year without a break.

That experience led me to IMMEDIATELY have an Xpel film put on the Grenadier. I still hear rocks hit, but no breaks. No protection is impervious to every impact, but the Xpel film does work.

https://www.xpel.com/products/windshield-protection-film

Windshield protection film has been around for ~15 years. Back when Metropolitan Detail was just a tiny shop in a strip mall on Bel-Red Rd, I first installed Clearplex. On every.single.vehicle I've owned since from Land Cruisers to 911s to M3s to Range Rovers to Raptors to the Grenadier, I've had to replace 0 windshields because of Clearplex, and more recently, Xpel film. Knock on glass.

Just like tires, it's a consumable, it's not impervious, but I absolutely love retaining the factory installed glass. I improve my odds. In the 8K miles driven, I've had 4 hard whacks. IG glass still good. Knock on film.

I'll repeat myself: You want to minimize windshield replacements because getting the glass off properly takes more time than not. Hack techs will literally hack at the frame if you do not watch what they're doing. Who has the time to do that? More glass jobs, more money. Spend less time per glass job, squeeze in more jobs = more money. Any sliver of exposed metal WILL rust and you'll never know until it's too late. See: vintage Land Cruisers, G Wagons, Defenders.

1st world probs lol do you.

 

[ecohen2]

I owned a Wranger and a Bronco, and both suffered a lot of windshield breaks. The Bronco was > $1200 to replace. After the second break in 3 months, I put an Xpel film on it and drive for over a year without a break.

That experience led me to IMMEDIATELY have an Xpel film put on the Grenadier. I still hear rocks hit, but no breaks. No protection is impervious to every impact, but the Xpel film does work.

https://www.xpel.com/products/windshield-protection-film

I totally missed this... Your experience sounds like my friends, very positive... Do you notice and weird glare at night?

 

[.Jeff]

I totally missed this... Your experience sounds like my friends, very positive... Do you notice and weird glare at night?

No glare problems at all, on any of the vehicles. After installation, you may see a few water bubbles under the film; those will evaporate out over the course of a week or so. You still need to hold the installers accountable, though.

On my Grenadier Xpel installation, I had two problems: a very visible 1/2" distortion line running vertically in front of the passenger's seat. I learned that this is a flaw in the material that happens as they approach the end of the roll.

I also noticed that where there were water bubbles, after a week they did indeed evaporate but left behind permanent dirt spots under the film.

Needless to say, they are re-doing it this week. The films are clear and do a great job; they just have to be installed by a professional. Don't accept shoddy work. I'm sure not.

 

[Commodore]

I’m on number three in 16 months. I’m reach to silicone a piece of plexiglass on the windshield. When it gets ugly I’ll cut the silicone and put another one on.

I forgot what YouTube channel was building a Quartermaster for Sema this year and they showed a plexiglass cut to the shape of the windshield that they were going to tape on for the drive to Vegas. That says something!

 

[.Jeff]

Windshield protection film has been around for ~15 years. Back when Metropolitan Detail was just a tiny shop in a strip mall on Bel-Red Rd, I first installed Clearplex. On every.single.vehicle I've owned since from Land Cruisers to 911s to M3s to Range Rovers to Raptors to the Grenadier, I've had to replace 0 windshields because of Clearplex, and more recently, Xpel film. Knock on glass.

Just like tires, it's a consumable, it's not impervious, but I absolutely love retaining the factory installed glass. I improve my odds. In the 8K miles driven, I've had 4 hard whacks. IG glass still good. Knock on film.

I'll repeat myself: You want to minimize windshield replacements because getting the glass off properly takes more time than not. Hack techs will literally hack at the frame if you do not watch what they're doing. Who has the time to do that? More glass jobs, more money. Spend less time per glass job, squeeze in more jobs = more money. Any sliver of exposed metal WILL rust and you'll never know until it's too late. See: vintage Land Cruisers, G Wagons, Defenders.

1st world probs lol do you.

...and Wranglers and Broncos and...

Could not agree more. Windshields and sunroofs are always better left as factory. And an Xpel film installation should only run $400-700 installed properly. It's less than half the cost of the first windshield replacement.

I'm not very precious with my vehicles. I don't do snout PPF or ceramic (though the IG has ceramic on it... different story). But the windshield PPF is just a smart investment for any vehicle with a vertical-ish windshield.

 

[Commodore]

...and Wranglers and Broncos and...

Could not agree more. Windshields and sunroofs are always better left as factory. And an Xpel film installation should only run $400-700 installed properly. It's less than half the cost of the first windshield replacement.

I'm not very precious with my vehicles. I don't do snout PPF or ceramic (though the IG has ceramic on it... different story). But the windshield PPF is just a smart investment for any vehicle with a vertical-ish windshield.

One of my wheeling buddies put Xpel on his stupidly expensive F350 rig. It made it two days in the desert before the dirt under the wipers scratched the crap out of the film and he had to pull it off so he could see. It might help with the rock impacts but is doesn’t like constant dirt exposure.