Cracked windscreen

**Flaninacupboard** · 15th February 2007, 18:11

Yet one more person with a cracked screen. Went to bed tuesday and it was fine, yesterday morning there's a crack from the bottom of the screen up past the tax disc, and growing.

Surely if it cracks itself overnight there is some kind of manufacturing/design fault, the car is only 4 months old. Has anyone had any joy pursuing vauxhall over this? From memory my windscreen excess is £150, which I really don't fancy paying!!

**Ste** · 15th February 2007, 21:30

The crack will start from a very small chip, which will act as a stress raiser. As the temperature changes, the windscreen will contract and expand and will form a small crack. When the crack gets to a specific size it will propogate very rapidly. Thats the physics behind it.

£150 excess seems very high for windscreen replacement. Most insurance is about 50-60 excess for glass and it doesn't count as a claim.

**Flaninacupboard** · 3rd March 2007, 10:27

Just thought i'd do an update, the dealer have said they can't authorise any warranty claims for windscreens/windows, so they are getting a rep from vauxhall in to look at it. The guy at the dealers however did say it sounded like a stress fracture, so we'll see what the rep says next week...

**Sparkyvxr** · 3rd March 2007, 14:34

I had this on my first VXR. The usual stuff came back from the field engineer that it will be a stone chip. Errrr no sorry this is not the case, there is not stone ship even a small one (no disrespect meant to the previous post).

I told them that this was a pure stress fracture seeing how the screen is a main point for strength on the Vectra -C.
They argued all he way to the windscreen fitter. As the screen was removed there was no getting away from it, yes it was , it was a stress crack, as someone in the factory forgot to put the bonding onto the area affected by the crack. The screen was then replaced free of charge by Vauxhall and was fitted properly.

Slo the moral is do not taek the VXL dealer word for it, get some one to the dealer who knows how to fitr the screens watch it being taken out and then discuss if it was a stress crack.

**VauxVeteran** · 3rd March 2007, 15:43

They wont even pay the dealers costs when a new one arrives off the transporter, seems they take the view that anything could have caused it during delivery, the only thing they are sure of is that it isn't their weak shell causing it.

**Ste** · 3rd March 2007, 16:00

All the times I've had a new windscreen (about 4 times now in 2 cars) it has been a stone ship that has started it.

As it's only a £60 excess charge then it's not too bad. Have to expect this kind of thing from time to time IMO.

**VauxVeteran** · 3rd March 2007, 17:46

I'm having mine done next week, still not impressed as it's a stress crack, which i feel is down to the makers as the body integrity can't be up to it if this happens, only saving grace is that all cars seem to suffer it regardless who makes them.

Yours Sincerely £75 lighter.

**Sparkyvxr** · 3rd March 2007, 20:21

Don't let they get away with it, if it aint got a stone chip and there's no bonding past under where the crack is they probably will pay. I didn't pay fr mine, worth keeping going a them.