Front windshield low quality (cracks easily)

[iansriv]

Right! Visit Volvo and Porsche forums and you’ll see the same thing there. It’s interesting there’s a sense that a windshield shouldn’t shatter when struck at highway speeds based on prior experiences of never having had a damaged windshield either due to not having been previously hit by a rock or object or the one experience with an object hitting an windshield on a prior car and comparing that to a different object hitting and chipping their new car; suddenly the new car has weak glass, without having enough information to ascertain differences that may have contributed to no damage on one and damage to another (object mass, shape, material, speed, weight and kinetic energy absorbed vs. deflected by glass and countless other factors).

Heck Elon even took advantage of that perception. Recall how a large steel ball bearing pitched at their prototype ApocalypTruck’s side glass shattered it and then at the launch a lightly tossed baseball at it didn’t shatter it! Suddenly the “new” glass on the production version is super hard shatter-proof/invincible!

Agree. It's a bit to do with luck. I did not have a flat in years. As soon as I got the Rivian, I have two flats within the first two months. Purchased the Discount Tire warranty and have not had a flat since.

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[sdasilva27]

So move further back, sometimes you actually have to be present in the situation, the cruise control isn’t set up to prevent rock chips

Completely judgemental and inaccurate. I was the only car at the beginning of the on ramp when I was hit by a pebble. No one else in the SUV even heard it. The little starburst it made turned into half my windshield being cracked...

 

[sdasilva27]

Right! Visit Volvo and Porsche forums and you’ll see the same thing there. It’s interesting there’s a sense that a windshield shouldn’t shatter when struck at highway speeds based on prior experiences of never having had a damaged windshield either due to not having been previously hit by a rock or object or the one experience with an object hitting an windshield on a prior car and comparing that to a different object hitting and chipping their new car; suddenly the new car has weak glass, without having enough information to ascertain differences that may have contributed to no damage on one and damage to another (object mass, shape, material, speed, weight and kinetic energy absorbed vs. deflected by glass and countless other factors).

Heck Elon even took advantage of that perception. Recall how a large steel ball bearing pitched at their prototype ApocalypTruck’s side glass shattered it and then at the launch a lightly tossed baseball at it didn’t shatter it! Suddenly the “new” glass on the production version is super hard shatter-proof/invincible!

Funny you mention this. I've been driving the same roads for 15+ years and the only glass/windshield issues I've ever had was a year ago on my Volvo XC90 and now on the Rivian R1S exactly a year later.

 

[Riviaenz]

Funny you mention this. I've been driving the same roads for 15+ years and the only glass/windshield issues I've ever had was a year ago on my Volvo XC90 and now on the Rivian R1S exactly a year later.

Right! Most days rocks don’t get kicked up off the road and the next a new rock decides to take flight.

By comparison, we’ve had 3 Volvos from new (V40, 2010 XC90, and 2017 XC90 T8) over 24 yrs (still have the 2010) and only on it have we gotten 2 rock chips that I had promptly gotten sealed. The crazy thing is a 3rd rock impact kicked up by an RCMP flying in the opposite direction at extremely high speed with lights and siren going while we were rounding a bend on the highway. With amazing luck it hit at the same exact spot one of the prior chips that was sealed and it didn’t affect windshield. It’s still going strong on the original windshield and 190k miles. We had our V40 for 18 yrs and 200k miles (2017 replaced it) - no rock impacts; excellent rock and road debris repellent (pre Ford). On our 2017 I once had a massive impact with not sure what that came flying off a truck going in the other direction. It looked like the size of a baseball and I was completely puzzled by what it could have been. It was a hard strIke too. So much so I pulled over to inspect for any damage at the top of the windshield by the CitySafety pod and over the roof glass it was so jarring. Nothing.

On our Boxster on the other hand, I’ve had a cracked windshield from having pushed up on the windshield from inside while installing a car seat. It was likely pitting on the windshield (tiny rocks/sand from track days) that provide some release points that made it easy for the glass to release tension vs. retain it. Since then I’ve used tear away protective film on it to protect it from pitting on tract days.

 

[CharonPDX]

I've got 56k miles on my original windshield, no chips or cracks at all.

20,000 miles, and I got one small chip, from a LARGE rock kicked up by an idiot cutting me off after passing on a gravel road. Standard chip repair place patched it, it’s been fine since. (I was doing the speed limit 55, towing a trailer, asshole in a US-government-plate vehicle zoomed past me at least 10 MPH faster, then cut in front of me with less than one car length - even though there was zero oncoming traffic. He turned off the road less than a mile later!)

 

[White Shadow]

You would think with all the tech advances someone would figure out how to protect the glass. I heard a lot about Gorilla Glass. As it's not an option for us, I'm looking at exterior protective film.

Gorilla Glass

There are clear films that can be applied to the outside of a windshield to help protect it against small impacts. It seems to be pretty popular on vehicles with more vertical windshields, but should help on any windshield.

 

[Riviaenz]

There are clear films that can be applied to the outside of a windshield to help protect it against small impacts. It seems to be pretty popular on vehicles with more vertical windshields, but should help on any windshield.

Yes, they’re from racing application. I used to have them on my Boxster for track days. They’re typically 2 ply so when the first layer is all scuffed up and has reduced visibility you just peel it and still have one ore sheet protecting the glass. One thing to keep in mind is windshield wipers will do a number on them. Being softer than glass the wipers will scratch the plastic. It’s fine if you don’t drive your car often in the rain.

 

[White Shadow]

Yes, they’re from racing application. I used to have them on my Boxster for track days. They’re typically 2 ply so when the first layer is all scuffed up and has reduced visibility you just peel it and still have one ore sheet protecting the glass. One thing to keep in mind is windshield wipers will do a number on them. Being softer than glass the wipers will scratch the plastic. It’s fine if you don’t drive your car often in the rain.

For soft films such as Dynoflex windshield protection film, it's recommended to get silicone wiper blades. But there are more durable films available that work pretty well from what I've seen.

 

[Count Orlok]

who are you suing?

 

[R1Thor]

For soft films such as Dynoflex windshield protection film, it's recommended to get silicone wiper blades. But there are more durable films available that work pretty well from what I've seen.

I was simply told (and to date it's held true) to ONLY use the wipers when there's moisture on the glass. Might seem pretty obvious, but don't dry-wipe. I've not had any issues whatsoever with the wipers, at least.

 

[zymolysis]

I was simply told (and to date it's held true) to ONLY use the wipers when there's moisture on the glass. Might seem pretty obvious, but don't dry-wipe. I've not had any issues whatsoever with the wipers, at least.

Rivian has had an ongoing issue where the wipers will intermittently wipe once. I have seen people complain about it, but thought it was no big deal. For those with plastic protection film, it might be.
Also, when I use the windshield washer, the wipers start wiping before the windshield is wet. This would be an issue if the protection film is easily damaged.

 

[Taco Corp]

Two years, 30,000 miles and I'm on my 3rd windshield. The first two were hit by small gravel kicked up by traffic moving in the opposite direction. Both started as small chips but spidered out to full cracks within a couple of hours. This current windshield has one chip that was patched and another spot where it appears chipped when sitting in the driver's seat, but the exterior side of the glass doesn't feel like there's an impact point, almost like something hit it and a middle layer of glass fractured.

 

[NY_Rob]

Like the former Fuyao Glass exec said in the documentary "American Factory", "there's no Fuyao without FU" lol.

 

[R1Thor]

Rivian has had an ongoing issue where the wipers will intermittently wipe once. I have seen people complain about it, but thought it was no big deal. For those with plastic protection film, it might be.
Also, when I use the windshield washer, the wipers start wiping before the windshield is wet. This would be an issue if the protection film is easily damaged.

Not to minimize your concerns, as I've seen them as well, which points to bigger--potentially systemic--issues.

However my experience is thus:
1- If I push and hold the end button, the wipers do not actuate until I release it. So, I hold it until there's a good amount of windshield wiper fluid on the windscreen. It has never not worked that way. It only 'wipes' once you release that button. SO, if yours is wiping while still dry, you didn't hold it long enough.

2- I maintain my wipers in the 'off' position. Only once have I had the phantom /courtesy wipe after unintentionally leaving the 'auto' wiper function on after it had rained. But with the window film, I use wipers MUCH LESS because the water beads and wicks off REALLY well. No smearing. If I'm doing >55 and it's not a torrential downpour, I don't need and don't use wipers.


THAT said, I do have to 'clean' much more often when there is bug splatter, because that seems to 'stick' better to the Dynashield way more than just...glass...

But it's a trade-off. I don't know if it'll pay off. I'm just hedging my bets. And with how badly I've had rocks and debris spontaneously pepper the front end of my vehicle, I've felt much more at ease knowing I have at least *some* level of added barrier.

 

[evcars4all]

My turn.

A logging truck on local highway kicked up a rock this morning. An hour after I took this photo, there's a crack half way across the windshield.

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