Windshield rock chips and major cracking

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Purchased my second Subaru, a 2025 Forester Premium. Within the first month windshield was struck multiple places by small gravel pieces forming cracks in several places that had spread extensively. Had a 2023 Crosstrek previously and no issues at all despite having rocks and other items hit windshield on trips. When I inquired on getting windshield replaced, I was told there are currently no windshields available for order and price for a new one is outrageously expensive at rough $1,750!!!!
Beware prospective buyer!
 

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I do believe I'd check around outside of Suburu land. What's the one singing jingles on TV all the time? Safelight something or other.
 
I checked with some others. They say car is too new and therefore none are available yet.
 
Could you at least have the chips filled? They use a clear epoxy that fills the chips to prevent cracking down the road.
If you haven't yet, I suggest doing that at least as an interim measure.
It's not a costly process. First they clean the chips, then they apply a vacuum pump to expell the air then allow the chip to fill with the epoxy resin which bonds the glass which prevents thermal and stress cracking that most likely will occur if the chips are left untreated. I think there are several do it yourself kits avalible if you want to save time and money over having it done. Videos are on YouTube showing how it's done.
 
I already did that for first and second one. The last one I did not even discover until cleaning windshield days after rock hit. It was so soft a hit, I did not realize it had happened until chip already spread into a three way crack because to was lower down near hood out of view from inside the vehicle. Never owned a vehicle from any manufacturer so susceptible to winding chips and cracking as this one.
 
Good do the last one too.
I don't know if it's a problem with the car or just rotten luck.

From my time working with the global auto industry, I found that all the so called OEMs ie brand names do is assemble parts from a variety of global autoparts makers into the finished product and often they don't even do that much. Often farming final production out to other companies as well.
I've seen different makes with different names and different prices produced on the same production line one after the other, the only difference being the brand badging and retail price to the end customer.
In that instance it was GM Geos and Toyota Corollas being assembled at the one time NUMMI plant in Fremont, CA.
I think that plant later became a large Tesla assembly plant. There is no longer an American, Japanese, German or any other make of car. All the OEM brand names are all just a conglomeration of globally sourced auto parts and systems made by various tier 1, 2 & 3 companies which are themselves global wide businesses. It's a very incestuous industry.
Ever who made that windshield is very likely not Subaru but some other company you may or may not have ever heard of who supplies windshields to other makes for a variety of models.
At least I think Subaru is still Subaru and not someone else. As Rolles Royce is really BMW, I think, today, unless it belongs to someone else now, Mercedes maybe, as Saab was once really GM until they sold it to I forget who it is now. I think Ferrari is Fiat and Nissan, a Japanese make is really Renault, a French company and assembled lord only knows where, a US plant in Ohio maybe, from parts made by dozens of companies from plants and factories from every corner of the globe from every continent.

.
 
Nice although I think I spotted a couple of errors and it doesn't delve into the tier 1,2&3 supply chain. Still you get the drift.
The auto business isn't like it was back when the big three held 90% + of the global automtoive market share.
Between the insidious, incestuous management and short sighted, self serving unions, they threw that away by abusing their customer base. A 1978 model year was the very last piece of Detroit made crap and likely the very last that I'll ever by. That decision came immediately following a phone conversation I had with a senior VP and divison head of a major automotive make at that time which no longer exists today.
 
The motorcycle world is the same...if that makes you feel better, or worse. :) KTM is in a heap of trouble, financially.

Likely some errors in there...like everything on the Internet. I own all of the vehicles i'm likely to ever own. I do not want any of the current tech in my cars.
 
I'm afraid it's an affliction that takes in almost anything manufactured today. Vertical integration has become an old fashioned, out of date concept.
Like you, the car I own now will probably be my last. I'm not getting any younger and time is likely to run out someday sooner rather than later.
 
Purchased my second Subaru, a 2025 Forester Premium. Within the first month windshield was struck multiple places by small gravel pieces forming cracks in several places that had spread extensively. Had a 2023 Crosstrek previously and no issues at all despite having rocks and other items hit windshield on trips. When I inquired on getting windshield replaced, I was told there are currently no windshields available for order and price for a new one is outrageously expensive at rough $1,750!!!!
Beware prospective buyer!
There is a class action lawsuit against Subaru for defective windshields on certain models. I had to get two new windshields and am filing a claim with the lawsuit to reimburse the insurance deductibles I paid. Claims have to be made before Jan. 31, 2025. Here's the link https://www.subaruwindshieldsettlement.com/
 
Purchased my second Subaru, a 2025 Forester Premium. Within the first month windshield was struck multiple places by small gravel pieces forming cracks in several places that had spread extensively. Had a 2023 Crosstrek previously and no issues at all despite having rocks and other items hit windshield on trips. When I inquired on getting windshield replaced, I was told there are currently no windshields available for order and price for a new one is outrageously expensive at rough $1,750!!!!
Beware prospective buyer!
Subaru has finally reached the Limit on Cheap-Body Design-Strength, and is using the Glass of the WindShield to reinforce the flimsy firewall betwen the two Strut-Towers ; the only customer alternative now is to stiffen the FireWall area with non-OEM-Approved Strut-Tower-Braces, inan attempt to get the pressuresoff of the WindShield !

Good Luck getting any help outside the Subaru-LOVE-Environment; as their Darling is Too Beautiful To Be Decorated with Braces ..... !!! Sorts like the Lip-Stick on-a-pig problem .... !!!!!
 
Talk to your insurance agent. I assume that you have comprehensive and collision coverage on your new car. Comprehensive covers glass, some policies have a $0. deductible. Most likely they will send you to a glass company, not the dealership because the glass companies discount the cost to the insurance companies. Also they Eyesight computer program will have to be recalibrated whenever a windshield is replaced.
 
Welcome to the club. Outback 2015 - 2 years into having it took a rock salt hit on I-65 North driving to Chicago for Christmas. Happened right near the Subaru factory in Lafayette. Crack grew so by the time we got back home, it needed a new glass. Safelight did it. Filed insurance claim - they paid part. Contacted Subaru and nice lady sent me a check to make me whole, along with a computer case with the Subaru logo. Probably doesn't happen these days. Still ha ve the Outback (only 40K miles).
 
I have a ‘23 Forester Touring. Have only had a little over a year. Rock from a truck hit the windshield on the passenger side chipping and cracking it. First checked with the dealership when I took it in for routine maintenance. They used a different repair shop. Gave me an estimate that was about $1700. Windshield replacement isn’t covered under warranty with a new car. My insurance uses Safelite. Since Subarus have Eye Sight, it requires recalibration of the cameras in the windshield. This makes my insurance deductible $1000. Not a cheap replacement, but it had to be done. The crack was spreading. Hopefully this will not happen again. Maybe this windshield will be more resilient to chips and cracks.
 

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