2022 Expedition - Windshield cracked using defrost

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Cartder

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The windshield had a thin sheet of ice on it, so I turned on defrost. A few minutes later, I heard loud cracks. I assumed it was just the ice and went about my day. A few hours later I got to where I was going and noticed 2 giant cracks going from left to right and top to bottom. I now know what those loud cracks were. I couldn't tell at first since it was still iced over.

Is this a warranty replacement or did I not know about some forbidden rule not to use defroster when there's ice on the windshield?
 

RacerBX1

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It certainly should be, but good luck getting Ford to honor it. That is defective glass, but I bet (and I don’t gamble) they will try and say the crack happened on the road and the cold made it bigger. Best bet is to go through your insurance company and hopefully you have $0 glass deductible.
 

Gumby

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You likely had a small chip or crack in the glass already. Might have been somewhere out of the line of sight, like below the wiper blades or even near the edge. Ever so small. The drastic change in temp causes the crack or chip to get on the move. Part of the snow/ice management practices here (in Alberta) is to use stones and other abrasives. That means that if you are going into the winter season with no damage on your windshield, you will have chips and cracks by January.
 

gural

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i had a same problem in my dodge GC year ago
After ther cold night then i putted on defrose i started the hear cracks
before the whole glass crasked i noticed i had 2 small holes in the very buttom (probably done in the past by the rock on the highway)
sometimes it can last for few years and suddenly crack
i think that service will not do it for free - i would go to insurance company
 
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Cartder

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You likely had a small chip or crack in the glass already. Might have been somewhere out of the line of sight, like below the wiper blades or even near the edge. Ever so small. The drastic change in temp causes the crack or chip to get on the move. Part of the snow/ice management practices here (in Alberta) is to use stones and other abrasives. That means that if you are going into the winter season with no damage on your windshield, you will have chips and cracks by January.

No, it cracked in multiple places across the entire windshield. There were zero chips. Cars only a few months old. I called the dealership and they told me ford warranty only covers delamination. What do I do? Surely this is a manufacturer defect. Windshields shouldn't crack running defrost....
 

GlennSullivan

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I did Lookup and Copy a page out of the Ford 2022 warranty book below. It is a long shot but it does state that stress cracks can / will be covered.

Damage Caused by Use and/or the Environment The New Vehicle Limited Warranty does not cover surface rust, deterioration and damage of paint, trim, upholstery, and other appearance items that result from use and/or exposure to the elements. You, as the owner, are responsible for these items. Some examples are: • dings, dents • cuts, burns, punctures or tears • road salt • tree sap, bird and bee droppings • windstorm, lightening, hail • earthquake • freezing, water or flood • stone chips, scratches (some examples are on paint and glass) • windshield stress cracks. However, limited coverage on windshield stress cracks will be provided for the first 12 months or 12,000 miles (whichever occurs first), even though caused by use and/or exposure to the elements.

Run your finger nail along both cracks from end to end. If there are any spots where your finger catches, the warranty will probably be denied because of foreign object strike. If, however there is nothing that can be felt, you might have a chance at warranty replacement.
 

Gumby

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No, it cracked in multiple places across the entire windshield. There were zero chips. Cars only a few months old. I called the dealership and they told me ford warranty only covers delamination. What do I do? Surely this is a manufacturer defect. Windshields shouldn't crack running defrost....
You are right, it shouldn't crack when running defrost. We get severe temperature extremes here. When it was -40F and we were running the defrost on high all the time the windshields were not cracking UNLESS there was a stress crack or FOD crack or chip somewhere. Maybe that isn't your case and the windshield really is defective, it is possible. But glass cracks are almost always denied due to road hazards unless you can easily prove it defective. I hope it works out for you.
 
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Cartder

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Update: I called Ford, and this is under their bumper-to-bumper warranty as long as there are no chips or signs the damage was caused by your own doing, it'll be covered under warranty. HOWEVER, I found a giant ass chip hidden under one of the wiper blades so that voids the warranty. Though I discovered if you live in Kentucky, the state will waive your insurance deductible for a replacement once a year. I lucked out big time. It's a $1,200 replacement with safelite.
 

Gumby

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Update: I called Ford, and this is under their bumper-to-bumper warranty as long as there are no chips or signs the damage was caused by your own doing, it'll be covered under warranty. HOWEVER, I found a giant ass chip hidden under one of the wiper blades so that voids the warranty. Though I discovered if you live in Kentucky, the state will waive your insurance deductible for a replacement once a year. I lucked out big time. It's a $1,200 replacement with safelite.
I thought it might have been cracked....Also make sure you get the recalibration done at the glass shop once the new glass is installed. With the cameras and sensors up there it is easy to jar one out of alignment.
 
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