AudiFan10

In the year that I have owned my 2016 A7 (25,000 miles), the windshield has been struck by a pebble while driving on the highway. Both times the windshield cracked requiring replacement. I wonder if either the aerodynamics of the A7 or the construction of the windshield itself is contributing to this high number of windshield replacement. Or is it a coincidence.

Has anyone else experience an unusual number of cracked A7 windshields?

mayankag

I had the exact same issue. One minor chip & I got a 10" long crack.

Apparently, the same brand glass is used by BMWs and in their forums, they are complaining of the same fragility.

The glass is:
Pilkington
43R-001622
AS1M1246-2DOT682
E000201

Winshield chips/cracks - Page 9

I wrote to Audi about the poor quality and they seem hesitant to help, but if a lot of us complain about it, they might help.

I'd encourage you to write to Audi USA and complain too.

mayankag

Also, do contact NHTSA and bring it to their attention. If it's a common recurring issue, they should look into it. NHTSA Contact Information | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

gema7

I suffered this same dilemma. Within the first month of owning my 16' I had a "nic" in the windshield. I hated it but according to the service department folks it was such a small nic that nothing could be done about it. Even went to third party windshield repair place to see if they could do anything and they basically said no. Sucks. Not sure why its so fragile.

snagitseven

Same here. I had a small chip in my A6 that my insurance company paid to repair. That lasted one day before it tuned into a crack and the windshield was replaced with OEM. I feel that all manufacturers these days have specd thinner glass to save weight for EPA mpg ratings.

Indemand

I'm going to guess it's about the rake of the windshield vs how well roads are not taken care of. My glass insurance just went up $100 on a $63K vehicle to an $82K base to base Audi. Expensive glass. $70-$170.

localbrew

A highway stone hit my A7 and it cracked as well, I had a repair shop fill it and seal it. Seems okay for now but yes I would agree that the glass is weak as well as the rake most likely are the reasons for them cracking easily. My previous Range Rover had a similar problem with being chipped because of the sheer size of the surface area, however they never cracked only chipped.

Disstrict

yup, same here, got a crack like a month ago on the highway .. I was thinking about maybe wrapping the windshield, what do You think? like we do on our smartphones for example..

localbrew

Interesting idea, I've not seen this done before. I had a friend of mine tint his front windshield which was highly illegal and the fine was huge for the installer if caught. But yes, perhaps a film on the outside would help just not sure how effective if a rock hits it anyway.

16RS7

Did any of you get a replacement windshield through Audi? If so, how much did it cost?