I am reporting a spontaneous windshield crack that developed on my 2020 Tesla Model 3 Performance under normal operating conditions. After exiting a routine drive-through car wash in Las Vegas on a hot day, I noticed a hairline crack in the windshield. It originates from the very bottom edge within the black ceramic frit area, curves upward, and spans across the glass. There are no impact points, chips, or pits of any kind. I brought the vehicle to Tesla Service, where the Service Manager visually confirmed it is a stress crack not caused by external damage. Despite this, they stated that Tesla does not offer goodwill or warranty repairs for windshields, regardless of the nature of the failure. This raises a serious safety concern. A windshield is a structural component of the vehicle and critical for driver visibility. A spontaneous failure like this without external cause compromises safety, especially at highway speeds. There are numerous reports of similar spontaneous cracks in Tesla Model 3 vehicles, often originating from the same area. This suggests a potential systemic defect in the design, installation, or bonding of the windshield. I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate this issue for safety implications and possible structural design flaws.
2020 Tesla Model 3: windshield cracks
5 of the 455 complaints about the 2020 Tesla Model 3 describe windshield cracks.
- owner complaints
- 5
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- recalls
- 2
Windshield cracks by model year
- 20252
- 20233
- 20222
- 20205
- 20192
- 20182
- 20171
What owners say
A crack appeared on the interior of the windshield, with no marks of any exterior impact and no external crack or other mark on either surface of the windshield. The crack originated directly from the windshield positioned camera/rear view mirror.
Rear windshield developed a stress crack. No incident was involved, it just suddenly appeared. It ran about 1/3 of the rear window. I was concerned the glass would fall in on infant passenger seated in a car seat in the back seat. This appears to be a common glass problem for Tesla.
My roof glass cracked from inside of the glass that is sandwich to it. They replace the roof glass for free. A few months later, when I pull into a parking lot at an angle, the windshield is cracked from inside of the glass just like the roof glass. No damage from outisde and inside of the glass. But tesla want to charge me for new windshield.
My front windshield has chipped and then cracked twice in about 6 months. I heard a pebble hit the windshield the first time, but it sounded very small and I did not expect it to chip/crack. The second time I didn’t even hear anything hit it. My friend has the same vehicle and her back windshield cracked unexpectedly and another friend’s cracked when she hit a bug that was on the windshield with her hand.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Visibility: power window devices and controls
- What is wrong
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2022 Model 3, 2020-2022 Model Y, and 2021-2022 Model S and Model X vehicles. The window automatic reversal system may not react correctly after detecting an obstruction. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."
- Risk
- A closing window may exert excessive force by pinching a driver or passenger before retracting, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update of the automatic window reversal system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 31, 2032. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1‑877‑798‑3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-013.
Recall number 22V702000 · Recall details
Visibility: rearview mirrors/devices: interior
- What is wrong
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling all 2017-2020 Model 3 vehicles. The rearview camera cable harness may be damaged by the opening and closing of the trunk lid, preventing the rearview camera image from displaying.
- Risk
- A rearview camera that does not function reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Tesla Service will inspect and install a guide protector and new cable harness as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 24, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1‑877‑798‑3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-17-008.
Recall number 21V00D000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2020 Tesla Model 3 windshield crack
Is windshield cracks a common problem on the 2020 Tesla Model 3?
5 of 455 owner complaints about the 2020 Tesla Model 3 (1%) mention windshield cracks. The model year with the most reports is 2020.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2020 Tesla Model 3?
There are 2 recalls and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2020 Tesla Model 3
Adaptive cruise 84Phantom braking 61Ball joint 30Wipers 17Lane assist 15Collision warning 12Sudden acceleration 12No deployment 11Backup camera 11Grinding brakes 9Power steering loss 9Jerking 7Harsh shifting 6Headlights 6
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