Almost hate to get tied up in another windshield thread but..........

Just get the PPG and end of story. I've got 103k miles on my piece of PPG glass that was installed way back in 03 on my 02.

On my son's Cooper the windshield cracked sometime Monday overnight. Although I can't find any indication of rock damage, I haven't been to the MINI approved pen school, so my opinion means diddly. I'm not wasting the time and have already called USAA and the PPG glass will be going in on Friday.

 

I've seen PPG with rock breaks before & I have heard that PPG gets little pockmarks all over it after time so I don't think there's a perfect aftermarket glass out there either but aftermarket is def miles better than OEM

p.s..from my office right now I am watching them install a PPG windshield in the Mini right now. Can't complain since they brought me a CSG windshield by mistake in April they promised me a free replacement no matter what (including rock dings) so I am getting this one for free. I must say I recommend Diamond/Truimph Auto Glass for honoring their word

 

Yep, that's where I will go when needed (we have a Triumph here too). I can live with the pits (our windshields get sand blasted in the desert anyway)...BUT NOT CRACKS...they are dangerous if the windshield decides to cave in! I thought CSG was ok too??? Anything would be better than what we now have!

 

Hey Grommit, do you still have the paperwork for this yet? I'd like to see who the firm(s) in charge of the claim are. They may be interested in this...

 

I had requested PPG & since I had not heard of CSG I refused it which resulted in the total replacement offer I got. After having it, I do think the CSG is good glass. It survived one massing boulder hit undamaged & the rock hit I took last week was pretty hard & it left only minor damage (no cracking). I would probably have considered repair over replacement if I hadn't had a free windshield coming. The Triumph glass guys did confirm that while the CSG glass is good, they felt the PPG was better.

Ahhh life's so good when you view it through a shiny new, blemish-free windshield
I wonder how long that will last

 

I hope a long time!

My PPG does have pit marks, but I can't say its any worse then other brands of glass/cars I've owed and driven around here. It did take a hard whack from a rock about a year ago that resulted in a 1/4" crescent shape crack. It's been thumped a few more times and hasn't moved a mm While the crack on my son's car has moved another 3 inches since Monday morning. Making the standard "J hook"

Nope nothing here, just move along.

 

I had the windshield replaced on my '03 in '04. The dealer said a couple of months after the re-engineered windshield came out. Still have that one in service. There are a few dings in the glass but no cracks. Cracks will get you failed on tech inspection for track events.

Alan

 

I've seen a post indicating that the PPG windshield has a funny bulge near the top. Anyone else notice this?
My windshield finally succumed to a rock and I'm not sure what to replace it with; PPG, Pilkinton, CSG, Safelite??

 

I purchased a used 2003 MC 3 months ago and I have never had a car that was so lousy. My alternator bearings had to be replaced, belt tensioner had to be replaced, windsheild pitted, leak around the rear window and has been in the shop for 3 weeks with a failed transmission. The Mini Cooper has to be the worst car I have ever owned and I will tell everyone who asks me how I like it I'll be sure to tell them. I AM A UNHAPPY.... Mini Owner!

 

nevermind, just realized what thread this was

 

My '04 fortunately has not had the stress crack problem, but I recently had a rock cause a fairly large chip, so I am am probably going to replace it with a PPG or Safelite rather than the OEM, but has the author of the orginal post of this thread ever replied to this issue on another thread or to anyone personally? From a public relations point of view, even a simple update or 'we feel your pain' and are working on it sort of response would reassure owners that this or other future issues would be resolved properly

 

Already got a crack working from the driver's lower corner (near inspection sticker) going towards the center, & then the other day I noticed a new one has mysteriously appeared in the low center-right part headed towards the inspection sticker. No divots, just cracks.

 

This is a little off topic, but I can't help to not chime in here:
I think you may have gotten a bad deal here and you should not judge the car based on your one example. Chances are you bought a car that "has been riden HARD and put away wet", which is one of the risk with buying a used vehicle. The problem is you REALLY don't know how it has been treated pryer to your ownership. Hopefully you got a reasonable deal and you should sell it quickly to get your money out of it. You will find this situation with any vehicle, not just MINIs.

I think you can clearly see these cars are not necessarily riddled with mechanical problems and people absolutely love them. They are cute and have huge personality. I don't think the same can be said for 99% of the other cars on the market.

While I appreciate your view, IMHO I think it is shortsighted and you should give the points I have made some consideration before going around spreading bad press about a great little car!

Cheers,
Ed

 

I beat my 2003 MC to death and I have had almost no issues with mine. 63K miles strong. You just got one that requires a little more attention than most.

 

I recently had the windshield replaced with Pilkington glass. The OEM served me well, if not long, rock chips, pits galore and a big star crack that was put there from the inside; the cracks went six months before growing badly in the cold weather.

While at the glass shop the foreman shared some of his auto glass knowledge. When I said the MINI glass was notorious for this or that he said MINI glass is no more problematic than any other make and gave me plenty of examples. Glass is much thinner than it used to be so it’s not as hard as glass in older vehicles. He also said there are only a few manufacturers that make glass for all the different brands. In the U.S., regulations require a spec that guaranties safety but also creates uniformity, so one brand of glass is no different than another. No manufacturer is spending money to exceed the basic requirements.

However, the installed Pilkington glass is definitely shaped differently than the former 02 build OEM glass. The windshield wipers are much more effective sweeping rain off the glass because it’s flatter; less convex from top to bottom.

 

I don't know what the guy's particular exposure to Minis has been and what the cars he has seen have been in for, but the abundance of stress fractures from the frame of the window is much more of a problem then on most cars, the other issues with the glass notwithstanding. In all of our combined experience with other cars, BMWs included, and associated time on forums have my SO and I ever seen stress cracks come up like they do on the Minis (I think the only other car I've heard that had issues like it were old Jeeps or something akin to that). Having a window split on its own when the car is brand new, then dealing with all the shenanigans and finding that many others have had the exact same thing happen is not, and should not be, considered normal or acceptable.

 

I've got to respectively disagree with this. When I had my OEM glass replaced over 105k mikes ago with the PPG glass, I had the opportunity to take my dial indicator to each piece of glass. I used the same 10 spots the SB called for the tech to mic on a stress crack replacement glass and the difference was huge considering the thickness of the glass in the first place. I think my 02 OEM glass was on average 0.175 inches and the PPG glass was 0.193 inches.

Mine has served my well for the last 3 years and 2 months

 

I know my story is just bad luck, but...

I got a stress crack in my OEM windshield the day before Christmas. This was something like the 5th windshield in my car. The glass shop replaced it with some PPG glass this time. Two days later, the first stone that hits the new PPG windshield takes a big chip out of it and leaves a nasty star crack too.

 

I have a 2003 MC. Bought new. Took delivery on 03/01/03. Still has the original Windshield. No Cracks & very little Pitting.

 

Like k-huevo, I now have a Pilkington windshield (my third) and I'm happy with it. The first windshields were damaged by freeway rocks and I don't fault MINI for that. My Audi caught a rock on I-10 in Arizona with the same result.

For ronstoys1: I bought my 2002 new, drive it hard, maintain it properly and have had no problems. Please don't trash MINI because your used purchase has problems. There might be a reason the original owner sold it.

 

WOW.... I went on here to ask about the "wind noise" from the front windshield area at speed?? Has anyone had their issue resolved??
I have my 06MCS In the shop for service and of course, told them about the noise... I guess I will get a " Couldnot verify the complaint" !! we will see!

Of course the broken/stress cracked windshield is replaced at NO COST if Fl. thru your car insurance, and you pay NOTHING!! One of the few good things about Florida. A bud, has had his changed out 2xs. I never paid attention to why it broke, just he had it replaced!!

Just me..........................................

Thumper

 

I feel bad for your problems, really that sucks but you have no idea what the previous owner did to that car over the past 4 years. No idea how he/she drove it, tracked it, maintained it, whatever. I can easily beat the shitz out of any car in 4 years if I didn't care about cars.