[7thGear]

Originally Posted by thomaswolf

Live in Scottsdale Az, and drive on highway lots...

That's the key. Rock chips and pits don't happen when driving around town at 35-40 mph, it's the high speed freeway driving that causes the damage. Those who drive a lot of miles at higher speeds and in heavy traffic have to replace windshields more often.

My cheap Hyundai hatchback is 5 years old and the windshield still looks nearly new, but I only drive about 5k miles a year and 75% of my driving is putting around the suburbs. The last time I replaced a windshield in any car was in the late 90's.

[chicagofan00]

And with all the construction and landscaping trucks driving on the freeways with loads not fully secured here in AZ there is a bunch of rocks and road debris that gets thrown up.

[sahajesh]

Originally Posted by Slalom

On my X5 the deductible for windshield glass was $3000 so effectively no insurance.

USD3000!! Over here, our excess for window glass is between £50 and £75

Why so bloody expensive in the US?

[modthispny]

same here, my 6 month old glass (was replaced as a hard pinecone fell on it and shattered it) is full of small pinhole nicks!!

[cwbrow2]

Soft windshield is my only complaint with this vehicle. I am at 5k miles and it's pitted more than my previous Ford Edge Sport at 30k.

[prolix21]

The windshield on my e90 was just as bad, as have windshields on two VWs we've had. Road debris, salt, etc just pepper the crap out of them. I know people out here in Colorado who replace their windshield yearly b/c of the crap roads and trucks kicking up stuff.

I have a local detailer who is offering to do Clearplex, but he keeps saying it would be a total experiment and they cannot vouch for the durability or longevity. Around $300 installed and maybe it lasts a year? may be worth trying - certainly cheaper than a windshield.

[jlin101]

soft windshield AND soft paint.

[gohawks23]

Originally Posted by thomaswolf

Interesting Thread -

In less than 1-year ownership of a brand new 2018 X3 M40i, I have had to replace 4 windshields!!

I do not drive Off-Road! Live in Scottsdale Az, and drive on highway lots, but our other car is a 6+ year old Mercedes E-350 Coupe, and only one windshield the whole time.

I am convinced the issue is a combination of factors: 1) High Angle of the Windshield and 2) relatively low (44 inches) base of windshield to road, and now reading about probably poor quality of glass!

Just filed a formal complaint with BMW USA - for whatever that is worth. Told them I will never buy another!
Tom W.

I lived in Dirtdale...errr Scottsdale for many years...and the amount of dirt/particles/stones in the air is very high...replaced about a windshield a year there.

[BobsM3Coupe]

Originally Posted by jlin101

soft windshield AND soft paint.

All vehicles are made that way now.

[chicagofan00]

Originally Posted by jlin101

soft windshield AND soft paint.

Soft paint for sure! I've got way more little nicks in the paint in the 11,500 miles live out on the X3 than I did on my Tahoe in over 40,000 miles.

[Climb Mode]

Originally Posted by chicagofan00

Soft paint for sure! I've got way more little nicks in the paint in the 11,500 miles live out on the X3 than I did on my Tahoe in over 40,000 miles.

So much this. My 2017 F30 340 had the soft clear coat eaten into by just about anything, and the windshield was laughable after a couple years.

Tough to admit, but my previous Toyota for a third of the price had a windshield and paint that didn't show hardly any wear after many years.

[chrisk03]

Most new windshields are like this, mainly to save weight and squeeze more MPG's for the Feds. I'm just surprised someone hasn't come out with some type of gorilla glass coating that could be applied to strengthen the glass and fill in the pits.

[BobsM3Coupe]

Originally Posted by chrisk03

Most new windshields are like this, mainly to save weight and squeeze more MPG's for the Feds. I'm just surprised someone hasn't come out with some type of gorilla glass coating that could be applied to strengthen the glass and fill in the pits.

Oh I bet someone has, but the Feds probably say it will somehow obscure vision. So it will be very hard to change their old fashioned way of thought.

[jole996]

Originally Posted by BobsM3Coupe

Oh I bet someone has, but the Feds probably say it will somehow obscure vision. So it will be very hard to change their old fashioned way of thought.

We will have to wait for years for it to become a choice for us...
https://fcautoglassflorida.com/goril...r-windshields/

[VMMVMMM]

All my BMW products have had very soft windshields. It is supposed to reduce cracks by allowing chips instead (for watch guys, it's the difference between a mineral or plexi crystal and a sapphire - you trade durability for scratch resistance).

[prolix21]

was up in Wyoming this weekend, where they use sand on the roads, and our brand new windshield has a dozen or so small pitts in it.

talked to the detailer who I am gonna have xpel the front-end and he isn't recommending any of the windshield films out there, said they're expensive and best he can tell they last maybe 6 months. said there are rumors xpel is coming out with a windshield product, but no solid info yet. i was gonna do the Clearplex film, but he seemed to really be steering me away from it.

[sungja6911]

Do you guys know how much would acoustic windshield ?