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I thought the stock Wrangler windshield was supposed to be about as fragile as an egg!

DGT

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My Gorilla glass windshield lasted less than 2 hours before cracked beyond repair. I called Safelite and they have two repair options - OEM $950 (not Gorilla glass) or no-name brand $650. I would not buy the Gorilla glass again.

I agree it's 80% luck (or bad luck) of the rock hit.
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Zero_Accel

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OP, you should put a poll on this post with something like:

1: Undamaged OEM windshield, 1-30,000 miles
2: Chipped windshield, 1-30,000 miles
3: Cracked windshield, 1-30,000 miles
4: Undamaged OEM windshield, 30,000-60,000 miles
5: Chipped windshield, 30,000-60,000 miles
6: Cracked windshield, 30,000-60,000 miles

This will give you a rough idea of what the average windshield toughness with an idea of miles driven, at least for those that read the thread, as from my experience, the only people that you will get complaining about busted windshields are well... those that have busted windshields!

If others are cruising around with no problems, then you won't hear a peep! As for me, I have one good chip in the corner of the window in a non repairable spot, with 37K on the clock. Waiting for it to spread before I replace.
 

offcamber

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I got glass protection when I got mine, having been down this road with the JK. In the first 12K milkes I had 3 broken windshields. On the last one, they said they forgot to put thier protective product on it, something called "Crystal Guard". They kept it a day longer for that to "cure" and I'm at 52K miles now and not a broken window or chip since. No idea what it was but 3 times last year driving from Dallas to Vegas, Moab and Ouray and then back, I took pretty hard gravel hits and not a mark on it.
 

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Reinen

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It's 1 part luck, 1 part where you drive, 1 part how you drive.

If you're on a gravel or dirt road with another Jeep with large MT tires and no mudflaps and you're following right behind, your windshield is doomed.

Travel around town to the mall, you're probably fine.

On highways it depends on how close you are behind other vehicles and how many gravel trucks travel on that road that could drop small rocks.

And luck.
 

DaltonGang

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Mine took a rock, and a good spider web crack at around 5-6k miles. It was in the back country, near Lubbock Texas, at night, and besides myself, only a gravel truck, about 1 mile ahead of me. Nothing, absolutely nothing else around me, and SMACK!!!! The tell tale sound of a good size rock. These Wranglers must be magnets for stray rocks.
 

Cajun21

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This is definitely a conversation that happens from my days having a crazy TJ to me getting older and having a JK and now on my second JL-my 2019 JLU never experienced the cracked glass and let's say it seen it's share of offroad wheeling but I traded it in with 22000 plus miles on it towards my 2021 JLUR with gorilla glass-well seems right after I managed 5300 miles lo-and behold a nice little crack right down the middle and the worst thing was you could not feel a nick or break in the glass it took three weeks for the dealer to get replacement, If this one cracks I'm simply replacing with a regular glass. Keep the Jeep wave going.
 

Strommen95

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After 27,000 miles, my stock windshield looks brand new.
 

Steph1

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So far my JL and my parents have 23,000 miles between them, both 2021’s on original windshields. I typically stay away from other cars on the highway and don’t drive close to people (more so larger vehicles). So I feel that plays a big factor. So far I been lucky, but some big bugs and birds really had me looking for chips.
Totally makes sense. I’ve driven wranglers since 1986 and only had 1 windshield replacement on a TJ in 1999 because I was following a pickup truck too close while I was trying to read which model it was on the tailgate. Sure enough, I saw that rock come out of his tire ans straight in my windshield.

never had a windshield replacement since. I stay far enough behind that rocks have time to hit the ground. Well most of the time.
 

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wolf

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Would be nice if a knowledgeable person could fill us in on who is making windshields. Can’t be more than a couple. 😎
 

JeepGeezer

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Interesting information.

I live in southern Arizona in the middle of a desert, and most yards here are landscaped with small stones, so those same stones are everywhere. New homes are going up like crazy and the highways are full of trucks carrying those stones, and it is rare that you make a trip on the highways and not get at least one or two stone hits on the windshield.

I guess I will have to see how well the windshield holds up. FWIW most people in this area seem to have full glass protection riders in their auto policy. I know I do.
 

roaniecowpony

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I'm pretty sure the Gorilla Glass option was just introduced so that they could sell even more EXPENSIVE windshields!
I fixed it
 
 



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