Wow! Second windshield in two years, is there a flaw with them? Where are they manufactured?

 

Modern cars have very thin glass in order to reduce weight. But the problem is they break very easily.

 

Can you give us a cite for that?

 

no I can't, that's just what the glass repair folks have told me. I've driven over 1.5 million miles in the last 20 years and only have had glass break on cars within the last 5 years (multiple times) and the 4 or 5 windshield repair/replacement folks I've spoken to have all said that the newer cars have thinner glass in order to make it lighter weight, and as a result is not as chip/crack resistant as older cars. they've shown me the glass they had on the truck and compared newer car glass to older and the older does look significantly thicker, almost 2x the thickness.

 

That would make sense. I started driving in 1982 and before that didn't ever remember my parents breaking a windshield. Now between our two cars my wife and I break on every other year and get chips on a regular basis.

Or it could be a lot of junk on the roads in Houston.

 

My 2014 windshield cracked on 5th day of ownership .... Don't even know what hit it. (I wasn't following a truck)

I was cruising along 101 on my way to Santa Barbara.

 

My E55 would get a ding almost annually, this in a mild climate in a car driven less than 6K/year. The windshield was later claimed by an errant road divider puck. The Bluetec has been lucky, but had several tiny chips before 10K. Something changed, as the W126 had an original windshield at almost 200K, and I suspect the one on the fintail is original too.

 

Cracking is ok ... as long as nothing is coming through it then we have a bigger problem.

However a windshield is $1500-$2000 ... (heated, rain sensor, LDW camera) on the face-lifts.

 

I've lived in 3rd world countries with less junk on the road than Houston

 

Parts on these cars seem outrageous in terms of pricing ... If you bought every part individually for a w212 it seems like the car would cost $200k

 

Heated windshield??? Never heard of a heated windshield. Lol
If you replace the windshield, you also have to replace the electronics? Wow, what a waste, it should just be able to be glued onto the new windshield.

 

Some cars have heated windshield though it is not included in our model. The heater is actually inside the glass between two layers and it is made with such thin wire it is very difficult to see it.

I don't think the camera and rain sensor need to be replaced with the new windshield. They would be re-used.

 

I have a very small rock chip in my windshield that is right in my line of site, but I will wait to replace it. I just know that as soon as I replace it I will get another one.....
I agree that these new windshields must be made of paper thin glass with no resistance to the smallest pebble.

 

The heating element is the darken section below the wipers.

The sensors are reused but the mounting frame is bonded on the replacement windshield.

 

The glass repair guys are wrong. There have been significant increases in glass technology allowing lighter weight and thinner glass.

True, but as far as the consumer is concerned, glass costs are capped by the deductible on the comprehensive portion of your insurance. A glass claim will not affect your rates and you should look at setting a low deductible for the comprehensive portion (collision low deductibles are expensive). For me, the difference between a $500 deductible and a $50 deductible is about $26 a year.

Herein lies the problem with windshields breaking. Localities aren't cleaning roadways like they used to and there is still lots of gravel from winter on the roads.

Try many times more. When I was the university in Munich, we spent a math class at BMW. Back then, they figured a car would cost 10x as much if you bought the parts retail - before labor.

Glass has gotten a bit "softer" over the years with the advent of the European pedestrian safety laws but the main cause of breakage is still the debris.

 

Struggling with windshield myself. I've had two replaced in 30,000 miles and currently running with two significant chips (not in line of sight) and considerable pitting. I tend to agree that something has changed. I am noticing the same pitting issues on my wife's 13 ML.

 

I don't think our cars have any kind of heating build in them.

 

I feel the windshield of my car is way weaker glass than anything I had before.

If you have a "spider" on your glass have it repaired by a glass repair guys. It only cost $30 or so to do pr is free for you if you use insurance. It will prevent the glass from running a crack all the way across.

 

When I saw the subject line I thought the OP would be talking about precision bird bombings. I got nailed twice last week on the Sunshine Skyway, 3 days apart. Happened on the approaches on both sides.

I know Rolls & Land Rover have heated windscreens. Not sure which other cars have shipped with them. I didn't see one on the E-classes I've test driven.

 

I had the windshield on my S replaced today because of air bubbles in the glass....it was deemed a defect as was covered under warranty, and yes; there is a heated windshield option, on the 2015 S class anyway

 

Correction: the heating element is for for wipers area. No frozen wipers for your E-class



Camera mounts for the eyes and sensors for your car. LDW cars will have two extra ports





Bye bye 5 day old cracked windshield.

 

Thanks for posting those pics! I had no idea that part of the windscreen was heated. Funny, if this were any other car you'd see their marketing department tripping over themselves to promote it. Instead on the 'Benz you only hear about it in the forums. I don't think the manual even mentions it.

 

You should consider the Clearplex film for the windshield which is essentially a clear bra on the windshield. It'll help prevent pitting and chips and that's what I plan on getting installed when I get the car.