NHTSA Complaint #10114278 — 2004 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

ONE MORNING LAST YEAR, MY WIFE AND I DISCOVERED TWO SMALL (1/8" DIA.) POCK MARKS ON THE OUTER SURFACE OF OUR 2004 HYUNDAI ELANTRA'S FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE GLASS IS LABELED: KOREA AUTOGLASS LAMINATED A. WE ASSUME THAT THE MARKS WERE THE RESULT OF STONES OR SIMILAR OBJECTS WHICH FLEW UP AND HIT THE WINDSHIELD WHILE ONE OF US WAS DRIVING. WE DID NOT WITNESS THE EVENT. WITHIN A FEW DAYS, WE NOTICED THAT A SURFACE CRACK HAD BEGUN TO "RUN" FROM ONE OF THE POCK MARKS DOWN THE WINDSHIELD - ABOUT 2 TO THREE INCHES IN LENGTH. A FEW WEEKS LATER, WHEN WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR A RECALL FIX UNRELATED TO THE WINDSHIELD, WE WERE TOLD THE CRACK WAS PROBABLY THE RESULT OF THE ORIGINAL DINGS AND WAS THEREFORE NOT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING SINCE THE LATE 1950S. NEVER ON ANY CAR I HAVE OWNED HAVE I SEEN AN ENTIRE WINDSHIELD THREATENED BY WHAT BEGAN AS MINOR DAMAGE SUCH AS WAS SUSTAINED BY OUR ELANTRA. TO DATE, THE CRACK HAS INCREASED DOWN THE WINDSHIELD TO ABOUT 8 INCHES, AND APPEARS HEADED FOR THE LOWER WINDSHIELD FRAME. I WONDER IF ANY DRIVERS OF HYUNDAIS OR OTHER MAKES HAVE REPORTED A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE WITH WINDSHIELD DAMAGE. I SHOULD THINK THAT A WELL-MADE QUALITY LAMINATED GLASS WOULD BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND WHAT STARTED AS A MINOR MISHAP. THANK YOU. SINCERELY, KEN SPALDING . *AK