OMG, my windscreen just "pinged"....

[darksprout]

On the drive to work this morning my windscreen made a high pitched "ping" and there is a small 'internal' break in the centre of the screen, about 10cm above the base of the screen. It has 3 little hairline cracks that go out from it. From the outside you can just feel a tiny pimple, but absolutely no chip like you would get if a stone hit it (mainly cos nothing hit the screen).
Surely without something hitting the screen it shouldnt just shatter internally?

What does everyone think I should do about it? Do I go to VW and ask for a new screen under warranty as a screen shouldnt just ping and lose integrity for no reason? Or do I ring the insurance company for a new windscreen, and then how do I go about ensuring that I get a correctly installed heated VW windscreen?

I am gutted about this, as I have driven Volvos for the past 4 years and never had anything more than a few stone chips. To see a screen do this whilst driving on an empty road is pretty scary!

Look forward to the comments
Steve

[g-black]

Shouldn't be to much hastle to do through your insurance. While parked in the streets of Belfast about a year ago, someone kindly put a screw driver through my windscreen and also my Tyres. I was able to get a replacement windscreen thorugh insurance for £60. Well worth it if you ask me. Especially when the screen had lots of small stone ship marks on it to begin with.

Can't explain why the windscreen would just randomly crack though. Maybe the sudden change in temperature?!

[DSG4ME]

VW won't pay, I had this with a Vectra, the normal cause is body flexing, so when the new one is fitted ensure the car is on level ground at the time.

[Quatrelle]

....What does everyone think I should do about it? Do I go to VW and ask for a new screen under warranty as a screen shouldnt just ping and lose integrity for no reason?.....
Won't cost you anything to ask....

[ToMBoY_C]

This happend to my parents Land Rover over night. It can be a tiny chip and with heat/cold just crack to the nearest egde. They took it to landrover insisting it wasn't a stone chip (even though they said it was) and because they said they were looking for a new landrover, accepted it was a 'stress fracture' and replaced it under warranty. They did smash it so it could not have been investigated and said it smashed on removal. You can only try?

[DSG4ME]

You can try, but I assure you they will say no, the screen comes in the same group as wipers,bulbs and tyres, and I don't believe the post that says they did replace it, unless it was the dealer who assumed responsibility, because no car firm ever will where glass is concerned.