Hail Storm Test - Involuntary Of Course

[MikeM.]

No, your windshield was damaged because it was hit by a big ass piece of hail. Hail can easily break glass. I saw news pictures of cars from that storm - you got off easy.

You mean non-Mazda's had broken windshields too? But yrwei52 was there and he swears on his holy reputation that he checked other cars in his neighborhood and ONLY his CX-5 had a crack in the windscreen even though there were huge dents in his hood/roof. I thought the hail had to be big enough to actually penetrate the bodywork before it started cracking glass?

Wait...I googled it, looks like the hail storm was an equal opportunity glass smasher. Why am I not surprised?

It must have been coming down sideways too:



In any case, if what yrwei52 would like us to believe is true, local Mazda dealers will be swamped with broken glass while other makes will just have dent repair. (whistle)

You would think insurance companies would be on to the weak Mazda glass by now and either refuse to insure against glass breakage or raise the premiums on glass breakage sky high. After all, broken glass is the number 1 insurance claim for all cars nationwide.

Note: I couldn't find any photos of Mazda's with broken glass (except the one provided by yrwei52).

 

[craigo]

Here's an ambulance windshield... a commercial truck chassis and components:

More: http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/tarrant-county/at-least-50-medstar-vehicles-damaged-by-hail/86575745

 

[yrwei52]

No, your windshield was damaged because it was hit by a big ass piece of hail. Hail can easily break glass. I saw news pictures of cars from that storm - you got off easy.

The other guy may not know as he's only getting information from the internet, but you should know the damage by hail and tornado is fairly localized. The damage sometimes is totally different just one block away. Those damages showed by the other guy doesn't represent the same damage in our area. No Mazda's with broken glass were sighted is because there're so few Mazda's sold in the US. And I only suspect CX-5 is having the weak windshield, not all Mazda's. Yeah there's very little chance that unfortunately a single unusually large baseball-sized hail happened to hit the windshield of our CX-5, and hit right on the weak spot, the sensor area, where everybody had broken windshield suspects. But judged by the fact that no windshields got damaged on our two other cars parked next to our CX-5, and another two other cars parked very close from my next door neighbors (do I really have to swear on "my holy reputation" for this?), that does make me feel the windshield on CX-5 is weak.

I suspect the windshield on CX-5 is weak because:

• Overwhelming number of cracked windshield complaints filed at NHTSA.
• Mazda in Taiwan has extended and expanded windshield replacement warranty coverage after CX-5 owner's protest against weak windshield.
• The windshield failed my own painful hail storm test!

As simple as that.

 

[yrwei52]

Sorry about the hail damage...

I just knew it was coming for my wife's CX-5. We were out and about that evening, around 9PM in Keller (at the pediatric urgent care clinic no less), watching that funnel cloud droop down above our neighborhood. I've got the Buick and my Mazda in our garage at home, but I make my wife park in the driveway. Lol! So, it's always vulnerable. Needless to say, didn't see a single stone, and didn't see a funnel touch down either. It was a tad over hyped, but my 9 month old with the flu that evening wasn't helping the rather hysteric atmosphere in the pediatric clinic either. Boy, what a night.

Thanks, and I just learned this morning our 1 years old roof is totaled. The adjuster coming from Houston said he has 40 more roofs need to be checked! It's scary when the hail started hitting the roof. I guess hail is still the better of the two evils for severe weather, the tornado!

 

[Ricsta]

The other guy may not know as he's only getting information from the internet, but you should know the damage by hail and tornado is fairly localized. The damage sometimes is totally different just one block away. Those damages showed by the other guy doesn't represent the same damage in our area. No Mazda's with broken glass were sighted is because there're so few Mazda's sold in the US. And I only suspect CX-5 is having the weak windshield, not all Mazda's. Yeah there's very little chance that unfortunately a single unusually large baseball-sized hail happened to hit the windshield of our CX-5, and hit right on the weak spot, the sensor area, where everybody had broken windshield suspects. But judged by the fact that no windshields got damage on our two other cars parked next to our CX-5, and another two other cars parked very close from my next door neighbors (do I really have to swear on "my holy reputation" for this?), that does make me feel the windshield on CX-5 is weak.

I suspect the windshield on CX-5 is weak because:

• Overwhelming number of cracked windshield complaints filed at NHTSA.
• Mazda in Taiwan has extended and expanded windshield replacement warranty coverage after CX-5 owner's protest against weak windshield.
• The windshield failed my own painful hail storm test!

As simple as that.

In less than a year I've had my one crack by the sensor area and two rock chips. Windshield was replaced twice. Crack by the sensor was replaced by Mazda warranty, first crack replaced by insurance, third crack was small and filled in.

 

[p38cyq]

The windshield of the CX-5 was very weak indeed.

In Europe, at least in Germany, France, the UK and Belgium (as per the fora) the "crack rate" of the CX-5 windshield went significantly down since FY 2014. At least the ones which were not affected by rocks, stones etc.

 

[MikeM.]

My CX-5 took $1900 worth of hail damage last year...hood, roof and the little piece right behind the spoiler...Luckily it was fixed with a paint free process called PDR.

It sounds like the glass of your 2013 made it through the ordeal unscathed?

I've taken some loud "thwacks" on my windshield from good sized rocks on the freeway and it didn't even chip it. Seems plenty tough to me.

 

[CaboWabo]

My last car, a 2002 Mazda Tribute was considered totaled in a hail storm a few years ago. I took the insurance money and kept the car and drove it for a few years until I bought my 2016 CX5. It still drove great up until the day I sold it a few weeks ago to Carmax for $3k. Most of the hail dings actually popped out on their own over a year or two of hot summers and cold winters.
Anyway, I'd hate for my new CX5 to face the same demise as my Tribby. Unfortunately I don't have a garage. Can anyone recommend a thick car cover that can resist small hail on a CX-5? I know nothing can resist large hail golfball size or bigger. But most hail I occasionally see in my area are seldom bigger than marble size. I think a thickly layered outdoor car cover would do the trick.

 

[yrwei52]

In less than a year I've had my one crack by the sensor area and two rock chips. Windshield was replaced twice. Crack by the sensor was replaced by Mazda warranty, first crack replaced by insurance, third crack was small and filled in.

Thanks for telling us the sad story of your CX-5 windshield. It's expensive too, $666.25 a piece before labor! Please submit a safety complaint at NHTSA website.

 

[yrwei52]

The windshield of the CX-5 was very weak indeed.
In Europe, at least in Germany, France, the UK and Belgium (as per the fora) the "crack rate" of the CX-5 windshield went significantly down since FY 2014. At least the ones which were not affected by rocks, stones etc.

Our current 2016 CX-5 windshield looks extremely thin judging by the cracked hair-lines. The glass among cars parked close together should suffer similar damage as evidenced by the picture with three broken rear windows on cars parked together. But somehow our CX-5 failed my hail storm test with only windshield cracked among cars parked together.

 

[yrwei52]

My last car, a 2002 Mazda Tribute was considered totaled in a hail storm a few years ago. I took the insurance money and kept the car and drove it for a few years until I bought my 2016 CX5. It still drove great up until the day I sold it a few weeks ago to Carmax for $3k. Most of the hail dings actually popped out on their own over a year or two of hot summers and cold winters.
Anyway, I'd hate for my new CX5 to face the same demise as my Tribby. Unfortunately I don't have a garage. Can anyone recommend a thick car cover that can resist small hail on a CX-5? I know nothing can resist large hail golfball size or bigger. But most hail I occasionally see in my area are seldom bigger than marble size. I think a thickly layered outdoor car cover would do the trick.

I think if our CX-5 is older, we may keep the insurance money. But since the car is still pretty new, and the windshield alone will cost $800+, which we have to fix it. After that there is not much, about $2,500, left after my deductible. I do have an appointment tomorrow with a PDR guy who is doing the work for Mazda dealer. We'll see if he can apply the magic to keep the factory paint.

Someone mentioned earlier that Mazda engineers should invent the auto-popping-back sheet metal and the dents will pop back after a few days. It sounded like they may really have that type of sheet metal on your hail damaged 2002 Mazda Tribute!

I remember there was a discussion for those portable hail shelters which can open up immediately to protect car from hail damage. But they're pretty expensive and bulky.

 

[MikeM.]

Please submit a safety complaint at NHTSA website.

That's ridiculous advice! Windshields crack ALL-THE-TIME. According to insurance industry groups, cracked windshields are the #1 most popular insurance claim nationwide. It's very common.

Why would you submit a safety complaint with NHTSA when the inner safety membrane did it's job and prevented injury?

I can see the letter now:

To the Chief Safety Officer at NHTSA,

It has come to my attention that Mazda is using glass, a material which is inherently fragile, in it's popular CX-5 model. Please send them a cease and desist order so they can switch to Plexiglas. I'll take scratches and clouding over the fragile nature of safety glass any day. I wonder how many hundreds of people have been injured by the sharp glass used in automobile windshields. Please look into this most dangerous situation!

Sincerely,

A concerned motorist


(hand)

 

[yrwei52]

I've taken some loud "thwacks" on my windshield from good sized rocks on the freeway and it didn't even chip it. Seems plenty tough to me.

Windshields crack ALL-THE-TIME.

 

[yrwei52]

Here comes again! A week after my hail storm test, another batch of severe weather is approaching to Dallas area right now with large hail and possibility of tornadoes... (hide)

 

[CX5_Pete]

Here comes again! A week after my hail storm test, another batch of severe weather is approaching to Dallas area right now with large hail and possibility of tornadoes... (hide)

Would it help if you got some old blankets and just drape them over the car? Then tie it down or weight it down with something?

 

[MikeM.]

Yes, yrwei52, I realize you think my comments are contradictory. But common sense says you have to take them in context.

Let me help you:

I've taken some loud "thwacks" on my windshield from good sized rocks on the freeway and it didn't even chip it. Seems plenty tough to me. (relative to other vehicles I've owned that have cracked from much smaller sounding impacts or mysteriously cracked for no apparent reason).

(In the population of all automobiles) Windshields crack ALL-THE-TIME.

Did that help you understand?

 

[yrwei52]

Here comes again! A week after my hail storm test, another batch of severe weather is approaching to Dallas area right now with large hail and possibility of tornadoes... (hide)

Would it help if you got some old blankets and just drape them over the car? Then tie it down or weight it down with something?

If the blankets is thick enough it definitely helps. But it only reduces the severity of the dents. The blanket alone doesn't have enough padding. The best way of course is to hide the car in the garage. Or something like this:

 

[CX5_Pete]

If the blankets is thick enough it definitely helps. But it only reduces the severity of the dents. The blanket alone doesn't have enough padding. The best way of course is to hide the car in the garage. Or something like this:

That's awesome

 

[p38cyq]

That's ridiculous advice! Windshields crack ALL-THE-TIME. According to insurance industry groups, cracked windshields are the #1 most popular insurance claim nationwide. It's very common.

Why would you submit a safety complaint with NHTSA when the inner safety membrane did it's job and prevented injury?

I can see the letter now:

To the Chief Safety Officer at NHTSA,

It has come to my attention that Mazda is using glass, a material which is inherently fragile, in it's popular CX-5 model. Please send them a cease and desist order so they can switch to Plexiglas. I'll take scratches and clouding over the fragile nature of safety glass any day. I wonder how many hundreds of people have been injured by the sharp glass used in automobile windshields. Please look into this most dangerous situation!

Sincerely,

A concerned motorist


(hand)

Sigh!

 

[bmninada]

That's ridiculous advice! Windshields crack ALL-THE-TIME. According to insurance industry groups, cracked windshields are the #1 most popular insurance claim nationwide. It's very common.

Why would you submit a safety complaint with NHTSA when the inner safety membrane did it's job and prevented injury?

I can see the letter now:

To the Chief Safety Officer at NHTSA,

It has come to my attention that Mazda is using glass, a material which is inherently fragile, in it's popular CX-5 model. Please send them a cease and desist order so they can switch to Plexiglas. I'll take scratches and clouding over the fragile nature of safety glass any day. I wonder how many hundreds of people have been injured by the sharp glass used in automobile windshields. Please look into this most dangerous situation!

Sincerely,

A concerned motorist


(hand)

Dear NHTSA,

Windshields are perhaps the most affected safety component suffering from cracks and damages - all the time primarily from road chips, hail, etc. In fact most insurance companies cover the damage, if minimal free of cost.
However, based on various forums I believe the windshield of Mazda CX5 is somehow more perceptible to such damages than other comparative cars. It is my firm belief the windshield is thinner than most other cars and thus cracks easily. In order to maintain high fuel efficiency most probably a thinner windshield is being installed effectively cutting down on weight but sacrificing safety. Consequently, I am reaching out to your group since you look into automobile safety and their standards and tests.

As for myself, I already have 2 cracks due to rock chips already in my 4 month old new car, whereas my 9 year old car suffered from no such damages, yet.

Thanks and regards,

Owner - CX5.