The temperature hit 102 degrees here in Washington yesterday. When I got to my car after work, the windshield had cracked. But it wasn't a straight horizontal crack--It was in the shape of a sideways 'S' on the driver side. I'm assuming the heat building up inside the black car was too much for this air tight vehicle.

So I guess a warning is in order--if you can't get your sun roof open, leave your windows open a crack on these hot days. Does that sound like something your dad might have said 30 years ago?

Are windshield replacements expensive and/or hard to find?

 

Here in Kuwait it's 115+ every day and I don't exactly see cars with cracks in their windshields all over the place. I think you just got unlucky.

 

I have to agree. 2 years in Arizona with uncovered parking and no cracks.

Les

 

1) If you have insurance, a windshield replacement won't cost you anything, and they will come to wherever you are to do it.

2) A black car doesn't get any hotter inside than a white car or any other color car. Any car interior will easily hit temps of 130° and above when parked in the heat. The only difference is, it takes a white car a minute or so longer to heat up.

3) People who live in hot southern states, or who have in the past, know to leave a window cracked when it's hot out. You not only avoid cracked windows, you avoid having a window blow out entirely.

 

There was a flaw or chip in the glass. In that case, yes - heat will cause it to crack, as will the pressure from the heat build up inside the car.

 

Don't think it is air pressure inside the car, it's not that airtight. More likely the windshield frame distorts from thermal expansion and stresses the glass. Then the glass fractures easier if any chips are present.

 

All it takes is a little water on a hot windsheild to crack it.

I cracked mine on the roadster just trying to clean it on a cool day. Pressue of my hand trying to clear the haze from one year sitting on a gravel lot in Georgia before I bought it. Scrubbed it for two hours and got it bright.

Next day driving in town, spontaneous crack as I drove.

Weeks later, My wife's SRT needed a wash. 95 Degree F bright sunlight. A little splash of hose water and Zip, a horizontal across the top of the entire windshield.

Defect? I don't know. Insurance covered them both.