Leon windscreen - prone to stone chips?

[Phil K]

Hi!

After picking up several stone chips in my windscreen last winter and cracks beginning to spread as the weather warmed up I eventually had a replacement screen fitted this summer...

The fitter commented on that they get a lot of Leon’s needing replacement screens and that the one he was removing from my car was already a replacement!

My car is a 55 plate and only had 6K on it when I picked it up but as I now know it's on it's 3rd windscreen in it's relatively short on the road life!

So, this morning on the school run I've only gone and picked up yet another bloody stone chip and small 8mm long crack, right in the middle of my screen!

I know the council have been re-surfacing roads as cheep as possible - i.e. spread a load of tar and cover in stones - so there is a lot of lose chippings on the road but c'mon this could mean windscreen number 4 with in it's 2 years on the road!

I have never owned a car or have ever heard of a car that has got through this many screens in such a short space of time - in fact the Leon is the first car I have ever had to replace a screen on in 12 years of driving!

So, what’s the cause - increasingly poor road conditions or is the Leon prone to windscreen damage?

 

[G2232]

i have had three replacements too mate but not too sure on reasons
but roads here in yorkshire are wank

 

[si-mate]

I got one in the first 15 minutes of driving my leon.

I can't remember getting any others though.

I don't understand the policy of putting chippings down and spraying them with tar. When they did that in our village they had a road sweeper going up and down the road for nearly a day collecting all the stones that hadn't stuck. My farmer friend got about 40 tonne of stone for free.

It made no difference to the road which is back to how it was in less than a year.

 

[stuart86]

my windscreen looks like it is pebble dashed with stone chips when the sun hits it

poor quality glass maybe?

im looking to get a new windscreen in spring before ultimate dubs and fit my black rear view mirror at the smae time

 

[RikH]

id always read before i got mine and for the first few months that the windscreens were weak due to the curvature towards the bottom

there was an issue with cracks appearing from the bottom ends by each a-pillar with the expanding/contracting due to heat

 

[Willie]

It's not just a Seat or Leon problem. I had a 106 GTI before the Leon and it was the same. Apart from the mentioned above initial problems with the cracking from drivers side it all pretty standard on all cars.
My car is heavily pebble dashed all over the car
BUT (I'm told) this is because I drive too close to the person infront (trying to get past them cause I'm a quick driver and a bit impatient) I had my windscreen replaced recently and I'm not driving that little bit further back and its amazing how little stones I hear bouncing off my car now. This might just be me but with a faster car that you know you can overtake in very small gaps I do tend to drive a bit too close to the car infront

 

[Nutkin]

exactly the leons are all super quick, and everyone else is slow causing us to become too close to them.


Its not our fault its everyone elses

I too have a crack in my screen but i hardly notice it but still annoying.

 

[Willie]

remember if its in your field of vision it will be an MOT fail

 

[Nutkin]

its behind the instrument clusters. so its debatable whether its in the zone and its very very small. less than 10 mm so its fine.

 

[Skii]

I go through more windscreens than tyres. (not literally I might add)

Its one of those things, I had to get the windscreen on my golf mk4 replaced 3 times and so far on the Cupra I'm on my 2nd (only bought it in June)

Guaranteed that lump of rock will hit me, however carefully I drive , wherever I go, and a crack will slowly begin to creep across my line of vision as I drive.

It sucks

 

[Punch IT!]

Hi guys i too have a few stone chips which i can notice when the sun shines towards me when driving and its not the best thing to see.

So how much does it cost for a new one and whos the best at providing these??

Never had one changed before?

 

[Cupraloon]

Yup, mine went last summer only had the car about 3 weeks aswell at the time, very small stone on the motorway, left the car at work came out lunch time and a 2 foot lone crack had appeared,

Can't say if the standard screens on seat's are a weak point, i did ask the fitter but he didn't know the answer either, but 3 screens does sound a little excessive...

I had a similar thing when i had an RST years ago 3 screens inside a year so it's probably just down to either bad luck, or maybe driving a bit too close to other vehicles and getting what they kick up off the road hit you....

 

[Cupraloon]

Hi guys i too have a few stone chips which i can notice when the sun shines towards me when driving and its not the best thing to see.

So how much does it cost for a new one and whos the best at providing these??

Never had one changed before?

Depends if they are just small stone chips, you can get them filled by a screen specialist, if it a crack, then you;ll need a a new screen, which you should be covered for on your insurance which menas you'll a have to cough up about £40-50 on your excess to get it done,

Your insurer should be able to advise you better, they'll have a recognised screen repairer, auto glass or some such...

 

[Willie]

Hi guys i too have a few stone chips which i can notice when the sun shines towards me when driving and its not the best thing to see.

So how much does it cost for a new one and whos the best at providing these??

Never had one changed before?

Get it done through insurance as said above. Check your insurance as mine only covered a windscreen for £100, mine was £110 so had to pay £50 excess and £10 ontop.