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

aldo98229

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There needs to be a perfect alignment of opportunity (winter temperatures, road rocks, driving behind a truck, etc.), rock size, rock-to-vehicle speed, trajectory angle, and a few other variables, for a rock to strike a Jeep windshield and cause damage.

Having said that, it’s just a matter of time until your windshield finds itself on the trajectory of a flying rock.
Jeep Wrangler JL I thought the stock Wrangler windshield was supposed to be about as fragile as an egg! 1652111104975
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bonediggitty

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FWIW: Phoenix-metropolitan area here. Lots of rock landscapes, and lots of new homes in the area.

2 out of the 3 new vehicles I’ve purchased caught cracks in the windshield, on my way home from the dealerships. The Jeep wasn’t one of them, but its first windshield was replaced with less than 2,000 miles on the clock.
 

entropy

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20,000 miles. Going to be 3 years old soon.

Are you guys tailgating?

Still original windshield. Looks like absolute crap though, with micro damage or whatever it is called everywhere. I am sure mine wont get one crack but it is just gonna shatter all over if I dont replace it soon lol
 

Kyle

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6,800 miles and I've got a couple chips and a crack almost the entire width of the windshield. I caught a rock on the passenger side edge that put the initial crack that then began to extend itself bit by bit. Fortunately, it's towards the bottom of the windshield and out of view but it'll be getting replaced before too long.
 

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DaltonGang

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I live in an area with a lot of construction, so, lots of gravel trucks on the highway. I have a 2006 Dodge 2500, that got a crack in it, a couple of months after I bought it. The crack didn't interfere with the drivers side visibility, and still passed inspection. So many many rock chips later, and 12 years later, the final big rock hit, and I replaced it, for around $150. If I had replaced it after every little crack, I would have gone through 3 windshields. Replace as needed.
 

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And now that you have said it...

You are in the very small minority of Jeep owners who have had multiple rock hits with no cracks--count yourself lucky to say the least.

Every rock that has hit mine has caused a crack with some of them spreading within minutes so there was no chance to catch them before they spread.

I gave up and now have a few that run from the bottom to halfway up on the driver's side and have this AWESOME rocky mountain silhouette that runs from driver's side making peaks and valleys all the way to the passenger side.

Now when I hear a rock hit the windshield, it's like "Pffft..."
 

Irish Creig

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I'm not sure if there is a difference in the quality of the stock windshield or if I'm just one of the lucky ones to not have a windshield crack after more than a year and 19,000 miles. Yes, there are a few very minor nicks in it but no major damage or cracks.

Today a crow took a direct hit on the upper drivers side of the windshield at 62 mph and while it sounded nasty, it appeared to have caused no damage to the glass. I almost pulled over to check for damage as I was still over an hour from home but figured I couldn't do anything about it anyway. Once home I checked close and everything seemed fine.

I've heard numerous rocks smack into the windshield, sometimes quite loud, but no appreciable damage was done. I may have just jinxed myself but it seems strange that I read of those with even the Gorilla windshields having a short lifespan but my stock regular windshield is holding up much better than I expected.
You just jinxed yourself! I guarantee within a week you'll have a cracked windshield!!! 🤣 I was at my dealership a few months back and told the salesman about how I've gone over a year with the OEM windshield and no cracks. The next day I had a cracked windshield!!!
 

beachbumm78

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Lucky you. But you better do some praying now you jinxed yourself. I’m on windshield #5 in 2.5 years. Here in the Phoenix area it’s impossible to avoid small rocks flying at you. I’m not the person either that changes out a windshield with one small crack. I wait until I’ve got several. Definitely the highway is worse than the side streets. But I’ve gotten a few there also. I’ve just ordered the windshield protection film so we’ll see how that helps.
 

JeepGeezer

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Here in the Phoenix area it’s impossible to avoid small rocks flying at you. I’m not the person either that changes out a windshield with one small crack. I wait until I’ve got several. Definitely the highway is worse than the side streets. But I’ve gotten a few there also. I’ve just ordered the windshield protection film so we’ll see how that helps.
When we traded in our Honda Fit for our new Wrangler the sales lady took one look at the windshield on the Honda and said "Amazing. Two years old and no windshield cracks", but then we were very lucky with the Honda and I try to stay far away from the stone trucks.

What windshield protection film are you referring to? I worry about the windshield on the Wrangler and want to protect it.
 

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Cajun21

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I'm pretty sure the Gorilla Glass option was just introduced so that they could sell even more windshields!
Agreed cause this idiot (me) ordered it on my 2021 JLUR and just over 5000 miles it cracked in my friggin driveway, and it took three weeks for the replacement. Stellantis gets us.
 

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My Acoustic Glass has had some pretty hard hits, over 3 1/2 years, and I have only had one chip repaired. No cracks.
 

Gorilla57

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My replacement lasted 6 days and I got hit by a rock from the other side of the interstate. No cars ahead of me for probably a mile, and the rock came over the retaining wall into the 2nd lane over. Totally bad luck. It’s now got 3 cracks, 2 large spiders, 3 smaller chips/fish eyes in it. Ordered the Racing Optics film and gonna test that out on a new windshield here shortly.
 

beachbumm78

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When we traded in our Honda Fit for our new Wrangler the sales lady took one look at the windshield on the Honda and said "Amazing. Two years old and no windshield cracks", but then we were very lucky with the Honda and I try to stay far away from the stone trucks.

What windshield protection film are you referring to? I worry about the windshield on the Wrangler and want to protect it.
It’s from racing optics. I’ve heard some good things about it. Of course while waiting for it to arrive a rock took out my windshield and made a nice little impact right in my driver vision.
 

OldBlue

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I refuse to reply to this thread as I may jinx myself.

Oh crap...
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