The Windshield Of My Tesla Cybertruck Cracked For Seemingly No Reason, but I Suspect a Stress Crack Caused It - What Do You Think?

Nothing is more frustrating to a new vehicle owner than a very expensive and difficult-to-replace windshield that suddenly fails for no apparent reason. This is exactly what happened to Tesla Cybertruck owner JC. You can see the images JC shared with Torque News. Here’s what JC says about the windshield cracks:

Driving and heard a loud pop. No vehicles in front of me. No cars near me for probably within half a mile. I was in a rural area, not much of anything around. A stress crack or something fell from space. The car was kept in the garage. It was about 44 degrees when I left. Fifteen minutes into my ride, the sun was beating down on the glass.

A Very Common Complaint - Bad Windshield Glass or “Stress Cracks”
It’s very common for owners of EVs and conventional cars alike to report failed windshields with no apparent cause. Some blame the automaker for putting the windshield into the frame in such a way that it is torqued or an induced stress is applied. That’s what JC is implying when JC says, “Stress crack.” Glass roofs are also a commonly broken part of EVs.

Automakers have settled with owners in some class action cases involving glass that fails more frequently than would be expected. Particularly if the model is relatively new or in its first year of release. Like the Tesla Cybertruck is. One good example of this was the recent Subaru Windshield glass class action settlement. Subaru agrees to pay costs owners incurred related to windshield glass replacement under an extended warranty offering. Models include the Ascent, Forester, Outback, and Legacy.

Windshield Glass and Insurance
In some states, the comprehensive part of auto policies covers cracked windshields, regardless of the cause. Massachusetts is one such state. You must opt out of coverage, or it will be included in the premium with no deductible or a small deductible.

Many Fellow Tesla Owners Don’t Support The Idea That It Was a “Stress Crack”
Tesla owners are odd in a way. Based on my experience as a Facebook autos club admin and moderator, Tesla owners seem to side with Tesla by default, and often try to shout down any post that reports a problem. Here are some comments that we think epitomize this behavior:
-"You can see where the object impacted the car, not a stress crack." (We don’t see it)
-"Not a stress crack, you can see the point of impact."

Some Owners Have Reported the Same Issue, and Tesla Did Pay
Other owners of the Tesla Cybertruck did support JC, and they even had receipts. One reported that the same issue happened to his Cybertruck, and Tesla Paid for it

What Does a Tesla Cybertruck Replacement Cost?
One owner commented to JC that his windshield was replaced, and Tesla’s invoice was about $2,300 for the replacement. We scoured the internet for other examples, and this cost seems to be right in the middle of the range.  We found examples from owners who paid $2,800 and one who paid $1,350 to a third-party aftermarket auto glass company for the replacement.

Concerns From the Tesla Cybertruck Owner Whose Glass Broke For Seemingly No Reason
JC is now primarily concerned that there will be a waiting period before Tesla can help fix the truck. JC said:

Tesla service is more than likely going to tell me something hit my glass, but there was literally no one around me on the rural paved road. It’s not fun up north because soon we will have snow, and Tesla service is always booked a month out.

What Do You Think Caused This and Should Tesla Pay?
Based on the information and the images, do you think this is a case of a stress crack, or was the crack caused by some other reason, such as an earlier impact? Tell us your diagnosis in the comments section below, and let us know who you think should pay to repair the broken “Bullet-proof” glass that this owner now has to deal with.

John Goreham is the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association and an expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his fourteen years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on LinkedIn and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. John employs grammar and punctuation software when proofreading, and he sometimes uses image generation tools. 

Images used with the permission of the owner, JC.