Brand new Bronco, windshield cracked with weather change.

[peetuhr]

Have had a Bronco for a couple of months now. Under 2k KM driven.

Today we had our first big snow and sub zero temperature. Had the windshield defrost on and after 5 mins, out of nowhere there was a pop, and I watched a crack form and spread half way across the windshield.

Another few minutes and a second pop and it spread the rest of the way across.

Is this a thing? I know if you have previous damage, it could present itself but I was alone on the road, almost no highway driving, and there are no visible signs of chips.

What are the odds this is a defect and what are the odds it'll get treated as such??

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[RagnarKon]

I've had this happen three times on vehicles. Two front windows and a rear window. Happens when you heat up the window too quickly and the temperature differential between the outside and inside (or sometimes the top and bottom) of the windows is too extreme and causes stress fractures.

But... this when I was in Alaska, and we're talking real cold... like... -20°C. I know it gets cold in BC, but usually not that cold.

I don't know if the dealer would consider it to be a defect or not, but worth a shot. And in the future, heat up the window slower

 

[Gassyjack]

I’ve had it happen in the past, not the Bronco. But I should have known better.
Don’t run defrost as hot as it will go when it’s really cold or you have a build up of ice. That quick temperature change is more than the glass can take at times.
As in all things, moderation is the key.
Used to work in a bodyshop and replaced windshields that had hot water poured on them to remove the ice.

 

[Ducati1098]

Have had a Bronco for a couple of months now. Under 2k KM driven.

Today we had our first big snow and sub zero temperature. Had the windshield defrost on and after 5 mins, out of nowhere there was a pop, and I watched a crack form and spread half way across the windshield.

Another few minutes and a second pop and it spread the rest of the way across.

Is this a thing? I know if you have previous damage, it could present itself but I was alone on the road, almost no highway driving, and there are no visible signs of chips.

What are the odds this is a defect and what are the odds it'll get treated as such??

Windshields are covered under 12/12 for stress cracks, so even though it’s probably a rare occurrence, it happens. Hopefully your dealer can get it taken care of for you.

 

[peetuhr]

Huh, thanks for the input everyone! Somehow this is news to me...

For context, still doesn't inspire a lot of confidence... I live in Victoria so cold is -5 degrees C...

I've also never had this happen in any of my past vehicles (7 different shit boxes) and I used to live in Ottawa with -30 on the regular.

Isn't the point of the defrost button to... defrost the window? It doesn't offer heat settings... 🥲

 

[Lifeliberty]

The defrost just directs the air flow to the windshield. The thermostat knob controls the temp.

You shouldn't have a problem normally, but there could of been stress when the windshield was installed, or it could be a bad windshield(flawed), or there was a chip you didn't notice.

It's glass, it happens. See what you dealer will do for you. Fwiw, I've never had a windshield crack with Ohio winters

 

[peetuhr]

The defrost just directs the air flow to the windshield. The thermostat knob controls the temp.

Agree with everything else, but, this is simply not true.

 

[MNBigfoot]

It's -13F out now (-25c), lived 50+ years in MN, I've seen -46F, and this defrost thing is news to me. I'm guessing you had a defect to begin with.

 

[peetuhr]

It's -10F out now (-23c), lived 50+ years in MN, I've seen -46F, and this defrost thing is news to me. I'm guessing you had a defect to begin with.

Appreciate the vote of confidence. I was feeling like I somehow missed some universal truth about windshield defrosting.

I'm also gonna vote defect, with very minor possibility of an existing chip, but I feel like it would be visible along the crack, or I would have noticed it in all my obsessive cleaning/staring at it in the driveway/while driving.

Anyway, thanks for the input everyone. I'll talk to Ford and beg for help. Wish me luck.

 

[Lifeliberty]

I don't know what that video shows. Is that max defrost? That turns all the settings to max.

I have manual controls on the base, not automatic temp control

 

[peetuhr]

I don't know what that video shows. Is that max defrost? That turns all the settings to max.

I have manual controls on the base, not automatic temp control

Correct. It's the primary defrost button on the dual temp model. It sets heat to max and directs air exclusively to defrost.

Gotta be a defect. No way Ford would give you that button if they expected -5C to blow up your windshield.

 

[DUSTYcazOREGON]

Huh, thanks for the input everyone! Somehow this is news to me...

For context, still doesn't inspire a lot of confidence... I live in Victoria so cold is -5 degrees C...

I've also never had this happen in any of my past vehicles (7 different shit boxes) and I used to live in Ottawa with -30 on the regular.

Isn't the point of the defrost button to... defrost the window? It doesn't offer heat settings... 🥲

Agreed. Over my 50 years of vehicle ownership, I have always run the defrosters on full hot and full fan. I guess with the Bronco....I better not do that.

 

[NC_Pinz]

Agree with defect. They test the Broncos down to -40C during development, including startup from a soaked temp. If this were a pervasive problem then the auto HVAC would have been designed differently.

For the testing, I know it for fact as I designed the facility that the Bronco and other Fords are tested in Allen Park, MI.

 

[RagnarKon]

I do agree it is likely a defect in the window. Perhaps there was already a small crack/fracture in the glass and the temperature change just exploited that crack.

I tend to avoid the Max Defrost button based on my experiences in Alaska and usually use just the "regular" Defrost button (which in the Bronco is on the touchscreen if you have Mid package or higher). But I fully admit my experience in Alaska was somewhat unique. Usually if you turn on your car, turn on Max Defrost, and walk away for awhile it'll be fine as long as the window doesn't have a ton of snow/ice on it. The air from the defrost will gradually get warmer as the engine & coolant gradually gets warmer. But in Alaska we were dealing with REAL cold temperatures, and we used engine block heaters overnight... which gave the coolant/engine a "head start" on the warming process, and increased the chances of the window heating up too quickly.

But yeah, take it to the dealer and see what they say.

 

[Lakelife36]

But... this when I was in Alaska, and we're talking real cold... like... -20°C. I know it gets cold in BC, but usually not that cold.

For context, still doesn't inspire a lot of confidence... I live in Victoria so cold is -5 degrees C...

This was my commute into Kamloops this morning. We get upwards of a week in the -20s once or maybe twice a winter down here. I hear it was still only -2 in Victoria though!

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