wiper heater causing windshield to crack?

On New Years eve it was a blistery -35C here, on my way to work my windshield cracked, it came up from the bottom (through the heater), across a bit and then back down. I didn't get hit by anything and there wasn't an existing rock chip anywhere on the windshield and the car didn't have a hard 'jolt' when it cracked. The wiper heaters were on at the time of the windshield cracking.

Could a temperature difference in the windshield with the cold have caused the windshield to crack?

you had a chip somewhere. I had it happen to me once. I back tracked the crack to this tiny pen tip chip on the side of the glass. I started the car, turned on the defrosters, did some shoveling, sat back in car and saw big crack. Must've happened while I was outside the car.

Same happened to me 1st year I had the car. Must have had a chip or something along the edge of the glass down by the heaters... 1st or 2nd time using the wiper heaters caused a huge crack to form outta nowhere. I started my car, turned the heaters on, went back inside for 2 minutes and when I came out, my windshield was basically split in half.

 

Getting it replaced finally that I failed inspection for it. I waited this long because of inspection and not wanting to replace it 2 or 3 times before going into inspection. Hopefully aftermarket glass will be stronger.

I went through 3 windshields in 2 years on my 2005 LGT, all of them with cracks starting over the heating element and just after using the element.

I went through 3 windshields in 2 years on my 2005 LGT, all of them with cracks starting over the heating element and just after using the element.

 

Were they all Subaru OEM replacement or aftermarket?

Take a pen and run it along the length of the crack. If the pen doesn't get stuck anywhere, that usually means that it's a stress fracture from the temperature differences.

 

Take it to Subaru, tell them to do the same and they should replace it under warranty. There was a thread a while ago about the crappy windshields Subaru uses and this same issue happened to a few people. I haven't used my wiper heater cause I'm afraid of it cracking

Were they all Subaru OEM replacement or aftermarket?

 

IIRC, the last replacement (that didn't crack) was aftermarket; all the prior ones were OEM.

I just had the wiper heater related crack happen to me before Christmas... been trying to figure out what to do. I'm pretty sure I didn't have any chips, but I'll have to try the pen trick and see if it catches anything.

 

Kenzo - Did the aftermarket replacement that you put in have the wiper heaters?

Yes, it did.

Just happened to me this week. Second time my windshield has been replaced. This one was a Safelite.

Just happened to me this week. Second time my windshield has been replaced. This one was a Safelite.

 

That stinks.. I am about to use them to replace my cracked OEM... do you know if they gave you an option between aftermarket or oem glass when you used safelite? Or even different aftermarket glasses?

If it is damaged(even the tiniest impacts) and cold out the defroster can cause it to crack.

That stinks.. I am about to use them to replace my cracked OEM... do you know if they gave you an option between aftermarket or oem glass when you used safelite? Or even different aftermarket glasses?

 

USAA (My insurance provider) directed me to use a certain auto glass place in town, and they deal with Safelite. I didn't have the option for OEM replacement, and the OEM windshield had strips (assumedly for heat conduction) above the heating elements, where the Safelite that's on there now doesn't.

 

I haven't actually called to get it replaced yet, it just happened Monday after I was out of town for a week. I would normally pursue warranty replacement through Subaru, but I don't want to deal with SOA for windshield replacement. They'll probably claim I misused the vehicle by not driving it for a week, and then void the entire warranty.

I have had to replace my windshield twice on my 2006 Legacy GT Ltd Wagon. The windshield has cracked when I utilize the wiper heater in conjunction with defrost and the external temp is below freezing. The cracks originate around the windshield heating element and not from a rock chip. The first incident was with less than 1000 miles on the car and the dealer wouldn't warranty as they did the pen test and found a chip higher in the windshield the crack had "found" so I had to use my insurance. The second was 3 weeks ago and Safelite came to look at it and replaced it yesterday under warranty.

Mokridela,

 

Mine happened the 3day of owning the car. Just got it. Portland gravels the roads, and as you know, still hasn't cleaned up the roads. I always get a clear bra on my cars because of it. On the way into work this monday I must have got hit because the crack just showed up from no where and is about 2 feet long or more, didn't hear it and the radio was off at the time. I was tempted to call Subaru and ask them to warranty it but there is rocks all over the place and I know I've got a chip in the glass already when the crack is. I don't want to replace the glass yet because of all the rocks, I know it's just going to get broken again. I looked at the width of the glass and it's very skinny! This is a very big deal. I don't want to spend 300 bucks on glass every year going through windshields all the time.

 

What do guys think? Since the crack is so big, should I get it replaced for a safety reason? Or should I wait it out until Portland clears the highways of all that rock? Also the crack keeps growing every morning. I wake up to freezing temps and turn on the heat inside the car and it cracks by the time I come back out to drive it... at least the last two days.

My windshield cracked today in the -7F weather, it also originated from the heating element - though my windshield must have at least a half dozen rock chips if not more after 45k miles.

 

My BMW with 130k had no chips, my beater-Plymouth Neon with 160k no chips, my A4 with 52k has no chips.

ive replaced 6 winshields on my 05LGT.86,900 miles on it 80% highway. 5 from rock chips on the heater element, most caused by the fact when the boston area stripps road they dont like repaving for months, and 1 from a stress fracture from poor install. paid nothing for all of them. love my insurance. but i did pay to have my rear window replaced cause it was leaking.

Interesting. Not saying it's not true but i have not heard of such before. Not on our cars.

Interesting. Not saying it's not true but i have not heard of such before. Not on our cars.

 

 

every crack ive had started as chip on the heater element

sorry kinda random but when does the wiper heater come on? when front defrost is on?

sorry kinda random but when does the wiper heater come on? when front defrost is on?

 

when you push the wiper heater button by your left knee.

Mokridela,

 

Mine happened the 3day of owning the car. Just got it. Portland gravels the roads, and as you know, still hasn't cleaned up the roads. I always get a clear bra on my cars because of it. On the way into work this monday I must have got hit because the crack just showed up from no where and is about 2 feet long or more, didn't hear it and the radio was off at the time. I was tempted to call Subaru and ask them to warranty it but there is rocks all over the place and I know I've got a chip in the glass already when the crack is. I don't want to replace the glass yet because of all the rocks, I know it's just going to get broken again. I looked at the width of the glass and it's very skinny! This is a very big deal. I don't want to spend 300 bucks on glass every year going through windshields all the time.

 

What do guys think? Since the crack is so big, should I get it replaced for a safety reason? Or should I wait it out until Portland clears the highways of all that rock? Also the crack keeps growing every morning. I wake up to freezing temps and turn on the heat inside the car and it cracks by the time I come back out to drive it... at least the last two days.

 

 

If it doesn't disturb your vision and you don't get complaints from the cops you can at least wait for a while.

 

It seems to me that the heaters may cause extra stress to the windshield, but it would be interesting to know if this problem is related to US assembled cars only or if it occurs elsewhere too.

 

I don't have the heaters, and haven't seen any problems, but I may check around when I get some time left.

when you push the wiper heater button by your left knee.

 

i dont believe you... i'm going to check

 

 

edit: it does exist! haha i never noticed... this is my first winter with the leggy and i still haven't had the need to use that features :-(

With all the problems everyone is having, I don't turn my wiper heater elements on anymore. And also I try not turn on the defroster unless it's absolutely necessary. I'm scared. Ha!

i've got chips all over and have yet (knock on wood) to get a crack. it has pretty cold here lately, so maybe i'm just lucky. i have used the wiper heaters now and again and i dont think they do that much, or maybe it is hard to tell on my boch icons.