Windshield Cracks Again

[Cbty2050]

Just got to the church parking lot this morning to attend 8:30 am Mass. Just as I was getting ready to exit the truck, I noticed a 6 inch crack at the rear view mirror heading towards the passenger side. 2019 Laramie Longhorn.

No chips anywhere. It looks like a stress crack.

Because of the year avd a half of problems I had with this truck after delivery, FCA gave me the 8 year bumper to bumper warranty. I hope it covers the windshield stress crack.

If not covered by warranty, I'm getting rid of this thing. It's been nothing but trouble since day 1.

Time to start looking for a new ride.

 

[The_Chemist]

Time to start looking for a new ride.

Yeah, I lost my a$$ on this lemon. It only has 7,500 miles on it.

I was shopping it around on all the web car buying sites today and the value has plummeted from a few months ago.

When I checked it a few months ago I could get just under $56,000 for it. Today $48,000 max.

Maybe when gas prices go down, the value will increase somewhat, but by then we'll be in a recession with inflation as high as it is.

 

[mophead]

FWIW, used to install windshields way back in the early 80's. I came across a few (very few) times where the windshield frame was caty wampus from rust or pinch welds breaking. Without too much detail glass is a super cooled liquid. It distributes it's flexibility across it's entire surface and generally fairly evenly. Safety glass moreso. If the glass flexes in all but one spot you will get a crack. With the newer urethane seals this provides a cushion between the metal and glass and holds the glass much more stabile than back in the day seals. Still it's possible that you have something sticking up from the frame or even debris in the old urethane that is creating stress on a particular area. Is the windshield cracking in the same spot?

One last thing. If you chip or scratch glass that becomes the weak spot. Is it possible the wipers are hitting somewhere?

 

[The_Chemist]

FWIW, used to install windshields way back in the early 80's. I came across a few (very few) times where the windshield frame was caty wampus from rust or pinch welds breaking. Without too much detail glass is a super cooled liquid. It distributes it's flexibility across it's entire surface and generally fairly evenly. Safety glass moreso. If the glass flexes in all but one spot you will get a crack. With the newer urethane seals this provides a cushion between the metal and glass and holds the glass much more stabile than back in the day seals. Still it's possible that you have something sticking up from the frame or even debris in the old urethane that is creating stress on a particular area. Is the windshield cracking in the same spot?

One last thing. If you chip or scratch glass that becomes the weak spot. Is it possible the wipers are hitting somewhere?

No scratches at all. In fact I can't even feel the crack on the outside, but can feel it faintly on the inside.

The crack is in a terrible area as well. It starts just inside the camera shroud and heads over to the passenger side.

 

[mophead]

Odd stuff. Reading another thread here about enabling a camera or auto high beams. Vaguely remember some mention of one of them having a heating element to defrost???? Maybe it's heating up too much or too fast when it's cold out. Thermal shock will definitely do it. Might not be seeing the crack right away. May take a bit before it makes it way outside the shroud. Alternately it's possible that area has an inherent weak spot due to the mirror hanger or who knows what. Biatch of a problem.

One of these would find the problem right away. I actually have one of these ( a very old one from the 60's, my Dad was a scientific glassblower for the Army). The one I have wouldn't work on an installed windshield because it has a flashlight with a bracket to a special lens with maybe a foot of reach and it needs lens one side, flashlight opposite side. Looks like the modern ones can read from just one side. The biatch is I couldn't even begin to tell you who might have one (like next to nobody short of an aerospace facility) https://www.strainoptics.com/gasp-surface-polarimeter/

 

[The_Chemist]

Odd stuff. Reading another thread here about enabling a camera or auto high beams. Vaguely remember some mention of one of them having a heating element to defrost???? Maybe it's heating up too much or too fast when it's cold out. Thermal shock will definitely do it. Might not be seeing the crack right away. May take a bit before it makes it way outside the shroud. Alternately it's possible that area has an inherent weak spot due to the mirror hanger or who knows what. Biatch of a problem.

One of these would find the problem right away. I actually have one of these ( a very old one from the 60's, my Dad was a scientific glassblower for the Army). The one I have wouldn't work on an installed windshield because it has a flashlight with a bracket to a special lens with maybe a foot of reach and it needs lens one side, flashlight opposite side. Looks like the modern ones can read from just one side. The biatch is I couldn't even begin to tell you who might have one (like next to nobody short of an aerospace facility) https://www.strainoptics.com/gasp-surface-polarimeter/

This just better not cost me anything!

When I first got this lemon, the dealer service manager told me they had $15,600 worth of parts into the truck before the $5,600 rear differential was installed. That's not including labor.

This was supposed to be a retirement vehicle. I have about 4.5 years left to work. I'll probably have to get rid of it as things keep going wrong with it.

I can't imagine it's going to have long term reliability.

I don't know what all is involved to realign all the lane keep assist cameras and auto high beams. Can the average tech at a dealership get it right?

 

[Cbty2050]

This just better not cost me anything!

When I first got this lemon, the dealer service manager told me they had $15,600 worth of parts into the truck before the $5,600 rear differential was installed. That's not including labor.

This was supposed to be a retirement vehicle. I have about 4.5 years left to work. I'll probably have to get rid of it as things keep going wrong with it.

I can't imagine it's going to have long term reliability.

I don't know what all is involved to realign all the lane keep assist cameras and auto high beams. Can the average tech at a dealership get it right?

Has the windshield been replaced before?

Did you know you purchased someone else's problem?

Just move on from the vehicle, you are already bitter towards it. If anything ever happens to it you just be mad.

 

[The_Chemist]

Has the windshield been replaced before?

Did you know you purchased someone else's problem?

Just move on from the vehicle, you are already bitter towards it. If anything ever happens to it you just be mad.

I bought the truck new. I ordered it.

Windshield is original.

 

[Cbty2050]

When I first got this lemon, the dealer service manager told me they had $15,600 worth of parts into the truck before the $5,600 rear differential was installed. That's not including labor.

so you purchased this truck that had $15k into it? I don't know the back story, my bad. Good luck on that glass, I haven't had any luck getting glass covered by extended warranty esp on a 3 year old truck.

 

[The_Chemist]

so you purchased this truck that had $15k into it? I don't know the back story, my bad. Good luck on that glass, I haven't had any luck getting glass covered by extended warranty esp on a 3 year old truck.

No, ordered the truck, waited, it came in, took delivery and so many things were wrong with it from the factory that the desker had to put $$$ into it under warranty to correct the factory slop. It now has under 8k miles and still things are going wrong with it.

 

[mophead]

Old brain here... So my first reply was actually meant for

Hntopper - about pinch weld/ frame issues​

The_Chemist - since your windshield hasn't been replaced I'd check behind the shroud to see where the crack begins. And I forget to mention whacking the rear view can cause cracks starting at the mount.​

 

[The_Chemist]

Old brain here... So my first reply was actually meant for

Hntopper - about pinch weld/ frame issues​

The_Chemist - since your windshield hasn't been replaced I'd check behind the shroud to see where the crack begins. And I forget to mention whacking the rear view can cause cracks starting at the mount.​

No rear view whacking here... This truck has been babied to the max. It looks showroom new. Only 7,566 miles.

 

[CCA]

Like you, I have never seen or heard of this being a prominent issue at all. I wonder if you could measure the thickness at each corner, and then compare it with other 2019 models( a lot of trouble for not much benefit, but my gears are turning)? Idk that is strange even with extreme weather, this is not a coincidence if its the second windshield you've went through.

Is it only cracking apart from using defrost? Or has it cracked after being parked as well? I believe I read that right and both of these things happened. I would turn the truck on & blow cold air for awhile, while slowly cranking up the heat but Ik that's not necessarily practical/time efficient. May save you a windshield and a couple of bucks though from the sound of it

 

[The_Chemist]

Like you, I have never seen or heard of this being a prominent issue at all. I wonder if you could measure the thickness at each corner, and then compare it with other 2019 models( a lot of trouble for not much benefit, but my gears are turning)? Idk that is strange even with extreme weather, this is not a coincidence if its the second windshield you've went through.

Is it only cracking apart from using defrost? Or has it cracked after being parked as well? I believe I read that right and both of these things happened. I would turn the truck on & blow cold air for awhile, while slowly cranking up the heat but Ik that's not necessarily practical/time efficient. May save you a windshield and a couple of bucks though from the sound of it

Mine cracked all by itself just sitting under the carport after the last snowstorm.

Some snow blew in on the windshield and the next time I drove the truck in warmer weather I noticed the huge crack.

No impact marks whatsoever.

 

[mophead]

Here's that thread with the defroster mention. Might dig through it. I recollect some issue with seating defroster properly.

How to: Add Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane assist, FCW & Auto Hi-beam to Ram 1500

The following is to be used as a guide on how to install ACC, FCW, Lane Assist, Auto High Beam headlights and rain-sensitive wipers in your 5th Gen Ram 1500, also known as the Advanced Safety Group. I’ve also included a guide at the end of this document on how to install blind spot monitoring...

5thgenrams.com

ALSO See Capt Joe's comment https://5thgenrams.com/community/threads/adaptive-cruise-install.8472/#post-121120

 

[djwdjw]

Interesting. I picked up what looks like a stress crack after sitting in the 105 degree Texas sun for a bit today. Not the first time in that temp, but definitely is a crack with no impact marks. Hmmm.

 

[kpontrkn]

I have a 2019 Ram 1500 Limited. Got the vehicle in December 2018, so this is my 2nd winter with the truck. In February 2019, my windshield cracked due to severe temperature issue and use of the defroster. Had to have the windshield replaced and had several issues having that done due to limited availability of the part, as well as calibration of the forward facing cameras. Got that completed, but then in October of 2019, got two more cracks in the new windshield. Had those cracks fixed via Safelite. Came out again this morning to come to work, and have a 3rd crack in the windshield. Not how this one happened but my guess is that the entire windshield will need to be replaced. I'm 47 years old, been driving since I've been 16, and up until last year, only ever had 1 windshield that got a chip in it. My belief is that is not simply a coincidence or bad luck, but something either with the windshield being to thin, structural not very strong, or the angle of the windshield makes it more susceptible to breakage. But this is crazy. Has anyone else experienced this?

Myself and a friend both bought 2019 Dodge Promasters and we are in Colorado. We've both had the exact same issue. The cracks grew vertically about 6 inches from the passenger side of the windshield, then about 10" above but along the dash, and turned and went down vertically about 6" from the driver side of the windshield. It was Winter for both of us and he had warned me about his because it happened about 3Mo after we bought them. Mine started about 1Mo later, and I watched the crack grow when the weather was colder and the defrost was on. The crack is coincidentally exactly where the defrost comes out of the dash. Fast forward to this Winter and I'm now replacing it again for a similar looking crack. I'm using Safelite on insurance as it's too far to drive to a dealer.

 

[jfeheley]

I have a 2019 Ram 1500 Limited. Got the vehicle in December 2018, so this is my 2nd winter with the truck. In February 2019, my windshield cracked due to severe temperature issue and use of the defroster. Had to have the windshield replaced and had several issues having that done due to limited availability of the part, as well as calibration of the forward facing cameras. Got that completed, but then in October of 2019, got two more cracks in the new windshield. Had those cracks fixed via Safelite. Came out again this morning to come to work, and have a 3rd crack in the windshield. Not how this one happened but my guess is that the entire windshield will need to be replaced. I'm 47 years old, been driving since I've been 16, and up until last year, only ever had 1 windshield that got a chip in it. My belief is that is not simply a coincidence or bad luck, but something either with the windshield being to thin, structural not very strong, or the angle of the windshield makes it more susceptible to breakage. But this is crazy. Has anyone else experienced this?

I have a 2022 RAM1500 Limited and took a rock in the windshield on the highway while going about 75 mph. It immediately made a 4" Crack that over 2 days became a 18" Crack. I received a new RAM windshield. Then, this week while driving on the same I-75 I was hit with a rock and my windshield cracked again. The rock sounded like it was small, but it made a star shaped Crack in the windshield so here goes on windshield repla event #2. I'm wondering what specs are for the current windshields that RAM uses.