On the same day my 2020 110 S P300 with unheated windscreen rolled over 20K miles, I came out of the furniture store to discover another cracked windscreen which followed the normal pattern. The single impact mark is in the characteristic place and is the size of the mark from a fine ball point pen.

As this rate, I will hit 100K miles having run 10 windscreens.

I figure I have three choices:

1) budget the $10K USD and the time to install them and do nothing else,
2) put my Defender back deep in the woods (where it is most happy and most capable) and put my high-mileage LR4 back into service on the interstates or
3) tape off the bottom 1 to 2 inches of windscreen with weather stripping in order to absorb the 70mph impact of the very small flying object which is being drawn in an accelerating manner across the top of the hood (bonnet). The trick appears to be how to enable the wipers to still function.

I cannot come up with a 4th option, as abandoning our Defender's superior off-road system capability is not a rational option for me.

For the most fun, I think I must first attempt option three (using the current wasted windscreen as a guinea pig), as soon as I complete the dealer A pillar fix and 21K mileage service which is scheduled for next week.

Thoughts and comments are welcome.

Enjoy !

 

I've had ShatterX installed on my windshield since new and have (3 months in) been crack free. I'm in Texas where we have crap all over the highways and no supplemental windshield coverage, figured taking this $35 gamble couldn't hurt.

So I'd add that as a viable 4th option.

https://www.shatterx.com/

 

Irreparable lower midline crack to the edge. (More likely beginning from the failure point at the edge.) Just like mine and every other Defender owner I've met. I like the funneling of debris hypothesis but I don't buy it. These windshields just spontaneously crack. Mine did, empty smooth, clean highway. It was like a rifle crack when it happened. They all look the same in all these posts across the forums.

I hate to bug @The Insider but is this glass issue on JLR's radar? Mine was a $50 deductible but it won't be long before the actuary folks tack a rider on Defender policies for this fragile glass. I have little doubt I'll be a repeat glass customer.

To reiterate. Almost all are lower midline cracks with no obvious impact etiology. Right over the heating vent although I use mine very rarely. Almost never now after the first crack. Just trying to eliminate the thermal shock idea.

There are a bajillion posts like this on the Defender inter-webs. I don't mind the odd chip. I expect them. My last car's windscreen had a bunch acquired over 8 years.

 

Thanks for the tip. I am on my second windshield (after only 2600 miles). I just ordered the ShatterX product. I'll post my thoughts on it after installing it and driving for a bit.

 

I wonder about model years? I have a 2022 110, built in May 2021, and turned 10,000 last week, ironically, or perhaps I should say fittingly, on my way to the mountains for an off-road joyride. I did replace the windshield once but it was from a limb falling during a tropical storm, nee hurricane, a blow which would have dented the roof if it hadn't fallen perfectly on the windshield.

Fingers crossed, of course, and I'm still nearly in the window of "one stress fracture every 10,000 miles" that Trio implies. But I suppose even if my 2022 has "better" glass, that everybody's replacements would be with post-May 2021 glass, assuming theirs was replaced after that date.

So I know Trio's is a 2020; Gavin, your join date is the same month as my build date; do you have a 2022?

 

Oh, and I bought the ShatterX 6 months ago and forgot to install it. Thanks for the reminder. I'll get it on this week.

 

At SCARR '22 in Texas there was a healthy conversation with the owner's of Lucky8 and Sarek on that topic. Lots of peanut gallery (aka, me) contributions as well. They were describing numerous clients/customers/contacts who had the same issue. It was their believe that it was due to poor engineering or assembly putting pressure on the windows. Mine was that the windows are decidedly thinner these days. Possibly a combination of the two. Every time I read threads like this I get peeved. PLEASE list these with NHTSA (Link). If self destructing windows aren't a potential safety hazard, I couldn't imagine what is. This is likely to be VERY expensive which is why I believe JLR is not being very vocal about the topic. As a result, they likely will need to be forced to cure the problems. Oh, by the way, one of the two mentioned that they had heard of the start of a class action lawsuit on the topic. I actually HATE those things for all the trolling they cause. I'm wishfully thinking that JLR will get ahead of that and if not, I hope it values the Consumers not a bunch of (fill in your favorite adjective/profane or not) lawyers.

 

Yes mine's a 22.

I did see a link to a class action suit someplace on FB. I figured since I'm only out my $50 deductible I'm not really an injured party so I'll leave that to others.

 

Well this thread is timely, I've had my 2022 for just over a week with 1500km on the dial. Is this where y'all are seeing the issue? I have insurance coverage but still.

 

WOW... I just picked up my 2023 Defender 90S, while doing so, they tried to get me to purchase a windshield plan. I passed, but after seeing this and others post about the same issue, I phoned my insurance company (STATE FARM) to find out about supplemental coverage. It turns out I have a zero deductible comprehensive policy, so no cost to replace windshield. Even still, I wonder if they figured the issue out and resolved it on the 23 models. My windshield has a grid on it, must be for the heat? I did get the cold package. Also, does anyone know what the zig zag lines on both sides of the back side windows are?


Thanks,

X-