Sort of bizarre, has anyone else seen anything like this? No impact, no gravel on the road, car was new in January. The Clarity was in a cool garage and I backed it into the driveway in direct sunlight. I left it there (hottest day of the year so far) for about 2-3 hours while I cleaned the garage. I came back to find a big crack starting in front of the passenger, then turning and headed across the entire windshield. I can only assume that the window had some minor flaw and the thermal stress made it "Ping".
Happened to my son's Highlander. After inspection, a tiny stone chip was found that created the stress point that cracked the windshield. For him it was the polar vortex last winter, but I'm sure extreme heat can do it too.
Ditto the second time on our Subaru Outback..... but the first time was similar to Ken's scenario; went in for lunch with the car parked directly in front of the cafe and came back out to a long crack. Ended up being an issue with the bonding agent and the heated wiring that later eventually led to a recall. We got reimbursed by Subaru.
Probably worth contacting Honda, tell them there is no visible damage other than the crack and that you are willing to take it to a dealer to confirm this, and be sure to tell them the crack instantly appeared it did not grow. Probably a longshot to get them to replace but worth a phone call to try. Unless you have no deductible replacement, in which case nevermind.
Also check you auto insurance. A friend had a windshield issue and even though he had a $500 deductible the new windshield only cost him $100 because for some reason the windshield has a special coverage. He didn’t even know it.
something like this happened to my mom’s rear car window back in the late 80’s. Although she was convinced it was somehow my father’s fault it was just random.
Take it into the dealer. They will go over it with a virtual microscope to try and find any evidence of an impact but if they can’t, it will be covered under warranty. If there is any evidence of an impact you will have to see what your insurance covers and what your deductible is. Fortunately in Kentucky, we have a state law that all windshield coverage is $0 deductible.
Did you hear a grunting noise as the crack worked hard while making the turn to extend directly in front of the driver's view? Windshield cracks consider themselves to be failures unless they accomplish that primary goal.
OP: Can you check and see if that flared out looking impact at the tip of the windshield wiper is an actual impact - because it looks like it started from there and moved up....
As I understand it, modern windshields can crack on their own if the install isn't done correctly. They are a stressed member and have to be centered, leveled, and bonded following a designed process. Usually the issue turns up at second rate glass shops, but the "new guy" can work anywhere.
Peculiar how the split has formed around the windshield vents. Did you by any chance run the defroster religiously over the winter to melt snow? Collecting data points..
Cars get all kinds of damage during transport that we never know about because it is repaired at the port or dealer. That can include broken windows.
Same thing happened to me around March. Took it to the dealer, service manager ran his finger over the crack to check for impact. Didn't find any impact dents on the crack, so he said was covered under warranty. Called it a stress crack. Took a while for the new windshield to come in, service said it was packaged in the biggest box they have ever seen. Warranty rate was around $2200 CAD, no cost to me. Take it in to the dealer before more damage occurs around the crack.
Definitely our fault. There is a tiny impact crater at the very bottom of the crack. Thanks for everyone's helpful (and humorous) suggestions. My insurance covers all glass damage with no deductible, so it's just a hassle waiting for the replacement to come in, no $$$ loss.
