Windshield replaced - need advice

[Karearea]

I agree, the design and application has a fault because they always seem to break in the same pattern, center bottom up to about halfway then they go towards the driver side (RT side drive) and back down, like a lower case n. Without seeing the installation at the OEM I cant say for certain but I don't like the placement of the spacers they use behind the glass relative to the height of the factory applied urethane. The spacer may be creating a point of stress as the urethane pulls the glass in as it cures. I don't use the spacers when replacing and have had zero returns with the same break pattern. Could just be luck but I've replace around 50 so far. Prior to owning my auto glass replacement business I was a supplier quality engineer in the automotive industry for 21 years with glass as my specialty commodity so this problem speaks to me and I would love to resolve this as much as the owners (even at the loss of business).

Awesome to have this inside industry knowledge on the glass, many thanks!
Fifty replacements in such a short space of time seems high to me given the fact that I guess most of these are “local” breakages.
Is this unusual to have this number at this stage in a new vehicle’s life?
I’m personally interested as I had similar issues with a new Defender that I owned before the Grenadier. (Each one lasted on average 5000 kms but they cracked after impact in 100% of cases)
Cheers

 

[Shopkeep]

I agree, the design and application has a fault because they always seem to break in the same pattern, center bottom up to about halfway then they go towards the driver side (RT side drive) and back down, like a lower case n. Without seeing the installation at the OEM I cant say for certain but I don't like the placement of the spacers they use behind the glass relative to the height of the factory applied urethane. The spacer may be creating a point of stress as the urethane pulls the glass in as it cures. I don't use the spacers when replacing and have had zero returns with the same break pattern. Could just be luck but I've replace around 50 so far. Prior to owning my auto glass replacement business I was a supplier quality engineer in the automotive industry for 21 years with glass as my specialty commodity so this problem speaks to me and I would love to resolve this as much as the owners (even at the loss of business).

It would be great if @Tom D could get feedback on this view from Lynne to see if they acknowledge there is a problem and have taken action at the factory level to change process or supply to fix this.

 

[Tom D]

I can ask the question.

Here's a thought do all the cracked screens have the ADAS bump around the mirror?

 

[bakepl]

I can ask the question.

Here's a thought do all the cracked screens have the ADAS bump around the mirror?

Not mine.. early 23, Aus spec non adas that is. One cracked screen thus far.

 

[NixGrenadier2023]

I finally had my windscreen replaced yesterday after a lengthy drama... In fact I had 2 windscreens, the 1st was installed by a regional installer specified by the insurance company against my advice and was a total stuff-up. Insurance then directed me to O'Brien AutoGlass Fyshwick in Canberra for it to be redone.

The first installer, apart from installing the glass crooked, the mirror crooked, scratching the glass, had also scratched the paintwork of the bottom edge of the window opening in several spots and even damaged the VIN sticker (also the creaking sound while driving at any speed was unbelievable). The tech at O'Brien Fyshwick did a great job with touch-up paint and then using a black weatherseal around the edge of the glass (similar to what has been discussed on this forum and Owl). He said it would help protect the edge of the glass from cracking, and had done this on Jeeps also. Looks good, almost better than OEM, no wind noise. The glass is non Ineos, branded as XYG.

This morning after -5C, no cracks!

 

[Shopkeep]

They used non-genuine GTE brand.
Looks the same to me.

I think it was XYG.

 

[Empire Glass]

Awesome to have this inside industry knowledge on the glass, many thanks!
Fifty replacements in such a short space of time seems high to me given the fact that I guess most of these are “local” breakages.
Is this unusual to have this number at this stage in a new vehicle’s life?
I’m personally interested as I had similar issues with a new Defender that I owned before the Grenadier. (Each one lasted on average 5000 kms but they cracked after impact in 100% of cases)
Cheers

The OEM glass supplier for Grenadier windshields is Pilkington. An interesting topic is the ongoing class action lawsuit of the 2020-2022 Land Rover Defender windshields also made by guess who, Pilkington.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a62718372/land-rover-facing-class-action-lawsuit-over-allegations-of-fragile-defender-windshields/

In fairness to both mentioned manufactures and a few others such as Jeep (most models), Mercedes (G-wagon) and Ford (Bronco). By having close to vertical windshields there is no way to avoid the physics of an impact and the transfer of energy to the glass surface. You wont likely have a rock "glance" off a windshield in these vehicles and, like Grenadiers, I change a high amount of the others too.

 

[Karearea]

The OEM glass supplier for Grenadier windshields is Pilkington. An interesting topic is the ongoing class action lawsuit of the 2020-2022 Land Rover Defender windshields also made by guess who, Pilkington.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a62718372/land-rover-facing-class-action-lawsuit-over-allegations-of-fragile-defender-windshields/

In fairness to both mentioned manufactures and a few others such as Jeep (most models), Mercedes (G-wagon) and Ford (Bronco). By having close to vertical windshields there is no way to avoid the physics of an impact and the transfer of energy to the glass surface. You wont likely have a rock "glance" of a windshield in these vehicles and, like Grenadiers, I change a high amount of the others too.

Thanks for this follow up, I came to the same conclusion and accepted the risk of the vertical nature of the screen. So far so good

 

[NixGrenadier2023]

Just for reference and comparison... I still have my 1985 Land Rover County 110 with 330,000km on the original windscreen, and I have owned it for 25 years. It has many small chips, but no cracks, from extensive travel in Australia. I get regular rocks thrown at the glass from large trucks, that simply result in a chip.

My Grenadier received a small stone and chip within the first month of ownership, and the "typical" crack from the bottom left side edge (near the windscreen wiper) on a winter morning while parked in the driveway (no visible chip, and not related to the original stone chip). Over the next 15,000km it had received numerous chips and another crack.

If anything, the original Land Rover windscreen is more "vertical" than the Grenadier. I can only say, "they don't make em like they used too".