I know it sounds funny/crazy, but my windshield just cracked on its own tonight. After work, I was at McDonalds grabbing a snack and while I was waiting for my food I heard a small cracking noise. It wasn't loud like when a rock hits your windshield on the highway. Then I noticed I had a small crack at the bottom of my windshield, and to my horror it started growing and eventually became like a foot long crack.

It's located on the lower drivers side. The weather was cold, but not too cold. About 50 degrees?

I did a google search and it seems like this problem has happened before.

Stress Fracture on Windshield of Honda Fit - CarSpace Automotive Forums

What should I do? What gets me the most is that I was parked, and it seems like it cracked on it's own.

I've had the car since May. It's a 2010 Honda Fit Sport.

 

That's crazy... Maybe take to the dealership and see if warranty covers it? There wouldn't be signs of an impact to the windshield so not like they can say something hit it...

 

This is why you shuld have a $0 comprehensive deductible.

 

it MIGHT have happened if you had a rock crack your windshield sometime earlier. it could have just spread from temperature change or stress.

reason i say this is because i had a rock hit my windshield last weekend. I checked afterward to see if it had broken the glass (in which case i would have repaired it right away for like $11). I drove the car a couple days thru like 2 rain/sun cycles, then on 3rd day when i was pulling the car out of the garage i found that a footlong crack had formed overnight, indoors - i had to replace the whole windshield.

i followed the crack and saw that the rock did put a crack in the windshield...at the pass. side's bottom corner, below the wiper arm. it was so obscure and i was so pissed i'd missed it and had to replace the whole windshield.

if you run a needle along the crack and find it gets stuck at a certain spot, that could be where a rock or debris hit the windshield.

 

Reminds me of something non-car related that happened few years ago.

I was living in SD and came back to Chicago to visit my sister while she lived in a condo. I heard a really loud BANG... came to check it out. The "thermal" glass of the oven had shattered. The "funny" thing was... little bits were still popping as we watched (ever see "Mexican jumping beans"?). We didn't dare clean it up until the popping stopped, in case any one pop was bigger than expected.

Who knows what caused that. She said she hadn't used the oven (it wasn't hot/warm, so I assume she hadn't).

 

I do have one.

But I've heard that some insurance companies will increase your premium if you make a windshield claim.

 

This is exactly what happened to me. Little rock chips can grow nasty like that.

Similarly the crack on mine suddenly propagated itself while my girlfriend and I were having lunch in Baguio City...where it's much cooler than Manila.

 

Who do you recommend going with to get it replaced? I looked up Safelite, but didn't like the reviews I read. Also, I want to go with OEM Glass. I'm leaning towards using insurance at the moment.

 

I would try to get something different than OEM glass, the Fit glass seems really weak. I have what seems like 1000 little spots all over my windshield. It sucks when trying to drive right into the sunlight.

 

Thanks for the response. I was thinking the same thing after reading about so many windshields cracking so easily.

Anyone with experience with aftermarket windshields have a suggestion?

 

But then what's the point of paying for the insurance if you're never going to use it...That's really throwing your money away...

You can call and ask about the increase...

 

I work for Allstate. We don't even factor glass claims in, well, anything. A glass claim is really a trivial thing. Rates definitely wll not go up.

 

pics! idk about the quality of the glass.... i've heard alot of complaints about it (including myself [got the tiniest of rock chips... i mean TINY!... and before i could slow down it became 2' long])

 

It's possible your crack may be be the result of torsional stress from the "A" pillar/s or windshield cowl; however, it's more likely your windshield suffered some type of impact damage (however small) and the crack eventually eminated from that.

If/when you take it to the dealer, they will do a "pen test". They'll take a ball point pen and run it down the length of the crack. Chances are, they will find a small pit that the pen point will divet into or bind up at. They will deem that as the impact point that ultimately caused your crack.

If no impact point exists, the crack is stress related. You may have to fight all the way up to North American Honda, but they would have to replace the windshield under warranty.