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Cracked windscreen

33K views 69 replies 23 participants last post by  Jonny 
#1 ·
I've not exactly had the smoothest of starts to my Ateca ownership! First of all one of my keys was lost during the transportation process to my dealer, I've got a severe rattle on my dashboard which is going to require the full removal of my dashboard to identify and fix the issue (may be it is my missing key! :lol: ) and to now cap it off I have a cracked windscreen! :oops:

It started off as a very small stone chip in the black speckled area near the cameras and rear view mirror on the drivers side of the windscreen. Being a brand new car I thought I would get it repaired (even though it wasn't very visible). My insurer uses Autoglass and they came to my work last Friday 5 May to carry out the repair. The chip was in a repairable area and was within the size tolerance.

During the final stage of the repair process while the resin was being injected into the chip, my windscreen started to crack vertically! :oops:

As I now needed a new windscreen the Autoglass repairer contacted his office and advised them what happened (he hasn't had a repair like this crack for years so I don't know if the Ateca windscreens are weaker?) and to order a replacement windscreen.

A week on I'm still waiting for my windscreen to be replaced as apparently there aren't any windscreens for my specification Ateca in the UK and they are on back order!! How on earth can there not be a readily available supply of replacement windscreens?!

The crack has now developed into a horizontal crack that now covers most of the drivers side of the windscreen.

To cap it all off when the windscreen finally arrives I have another problem to overcome as the cameras in the windscreen apparently need calibrating and there isn't a SEAT dealer in the north of England that has the equipment to do this! Luckily I still have regular contact with the CEO Office and they are trying to help by seeing if there are any VW or Skoda dealers that can do the calibration.

The only positive is that Autoglass have confirmed that I am getting a OEM replacement windscreen!

I thought I would warn other Ateca or prospective owners of this issue as it is extremely concerning as I would have expected this to have been a fairly simple thing to fix.

Has anyone else had to replace the windscreen in the Ateca or is mine the first?
 
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#2 ·
That is rotten luck. I thought Autoglass could do the calibration at one of there windscreen centres. I had a windscreen changed on my VW caddy van and the fitted said good job it doesn't need calibrating as it would need to go to one of there centres.
 
#3 ·
That's what I was hoping for, however they aren't sure if they can calibrate it with it being a brand new model! They are currently looking into it.

I don't know what the calibration process involves and what the specialist equipment is they use, especially as the Autoglass repairer who tried to repair my windscreen mentioned something about me just driving slowly and it might calibrate itself?!!

Hopefully SEAT / Autoglass find a way to calibrate my windscreen by the time the replacement eventually arrives, however there isn't even an estimated delivery date.
 
#4 ·
It never rains but it pours.

The problem is likely to be the heated windscreen you specified. It's not an issue for the likes of Ford where most cars have heated screens but when people start playing with the optional extras on any car then delays are inevitable. To give another example, no Ateca comes with front park sensors as std - they're only present when you specify the top camera thingy, so next time someone damages their front bumper, don't be surprised if the parts aren't readily available. Can you specify auto distance control with cruise on the Ateca? Same would go for that too (I believe that also needs a specialist garage to repair).

When you say the good news is the windscreen will be OEM, in a way that's bad news because it tells you no 3rd party would sell enough of them to make a profit - i.e. it's not going to be a common part.

Only advice I can give (and I'm not sure how they can test this), is to make sure your heated windscreen works after it's replaced. I had to have the screen replaced on my Ford, it was around the same time of year. Come winter, on one of the very few occasions I actually needed to use it, the elements didn't clear the ice - that replacement windscreen was actually a faulty one! So I had to go thru the whole process again of having the new windscreen replaced (this time under warranty of course).

All of a sudden, using that £2 Skoda ice scraper on the windscreen starts to sound even more attractive ( that's only for the benefit of Aberdeen lass :lol: )
 
#5 ·
GolfMK56 I see your point about the optional extras causing additional complexity, however I think it is still reasonable to expect a few windscreens for each specification to be readily available for a vehicle that has been around for at least 9 months.

Thanks for the heads up about the heated windscreen. I didn't get chance to test the original heated windscreen therefore I will just need to keep my fingers crossed for no more bad luck!

By the way I pushed the boat out and I went for the £5 SEAT branded ice scraper as I don't like green!! :lol: :lol:
 
#6 ·
Jonny said:
By the way I pushed the boat out and I went for the £5 SEAT branded ice scraper as I don't like green!! :lol: :lol:
'
Damn it... well that buggers up my next theory - windscreens cracking due to folk using the wrong brand of scraper

Just had a thought to test if the new heated windscreen works - remember that scene in 9 1/2 weeks of Kim Basinger and her ice-cube? Perhaps if you asked Saggy nicely enough... :lol:
 
#8 ·
Autoglass have now confirmed that they can't calibrate my new OEM windscreen when it eventually arrives from SEAT - it has to go to a dealer!

SEAT Exec Office advised me today that my nearest SEAT dealer that can do the calibration is in Cardiff (I live in Leeds!). They are still trying to find out if there is a local Audi, VW or Skoda dealer that has the equipment to do the calibration!! What a total farce! :oops:
 
#10 ·
Sorry to here this! Really bad luck....

The same might well be true with wheel alignment, few dealers have necessary equipment to collaborate alignment. It's not just unique to Ateca but other VW Group MQB cars with the 'Front assist'.

Hopefully more of the likes of ATS will start to have the necessary equipment.
 
#12 ·
So it's official - there are not any replacement windscreens available for my specification SEAT Ateca in Europe! Autoglass can't locate one (been trying for 2 weeks!) and are now liaising with SEAT as to what to do next! :oops:

On a positive note SEAT UK think they have found a Skoda dealer in Wakefield that has the equipment that can calibrate the replacement windscreen (once it arrives) for a cool £450!!! :lol: :lol:

Prospective SEAT Ateca owners think twice before ordering a vehicle that does not have any spare parts readily available!!
 
#13 ·
Or is it think twice about ordering the heated windscreen?
 
#14 ·
Jonny said:
Prospective SEAT Ateca owners think twice before ordering a vehicle that does not have any spare parts readily available!!
'
Sorry Jonny but that's not peculiar to SEAT. I've already said above, doesn't matter who the manufacturer is, if folk start customising their cars from the options lists then availability of replacement parts is going to become an issue. Add to that it's a new model and it's always going to be a receipe for trouble.

Just wait until someone is in an accident - the car could be in the garage for months awaiting various parts.
 
#15 ·
I'm sorry I just can't accept this!

If a manufacturer has been selling a vehicle for at least 7 months there should be a readily available supply of common parts. Just because I have selected a few factory fitted options doesn't justify not being able to obtain a replacement windscreen within a reasonable amount of time!
 
#16 ·
Unfortunately Jonny, not accepting it, and actually being able to do something about it, are two very different things. Golfmk56 is right. It happened with the Mitsubishi ASX when it was brand new. On that one, even basic and simple parts were hard to find, let alone options. At least with the Ateca, it will share a high number of common parts with the VW Group. I've ordered the heated windscreen so I'll be wincing more than usual whenever a stone hits the screen :(
 
#17 ·
Golfmk56 said:
Jonny said:
Prospective SEAT Ateca owners think twice before ordering a vehicle that does not have any spare parts readily available!!
'
Sorry Jonny but that's not peculiar to SEAT. I've already said above, doesn't matter who the manufacturer is, if folk start customising their cars from the options lists then availability of replacement parts is going to become an issue. Add to that it's a new model and it's always going to be a receipe for trouble.

Just wait until someone is in an accident - the car could be in the garage for months awaiting various parts.
Totally agree with Golfmk56 on this. I got a Dacia Duster in 2013 when they had only been out a few months. A month into having it I was rear ended with my exhaust ripped off. My car was off the road for months while they struggled to get a replacement. I even ended up with another crashed Dusters exhaust until they could get a brand new one for me. So every brand new line of cars regardless of the manufacturer will struggle with parts for the first year ;)
 
#20 ·
Saggy said:
bull ~ an optional extra can be common

I reckon a third on here at least have heated windscreens

Poll created .............
'
Ha ha ha... And I reckon that out of all Ateca's sold 0.002% of owners visit this forum. Come on Saggy, leave the politicians to rig polls at the moment.

Next time you visit your SEAT dealership, have a look in the showroom + any cars in the pound / awaiting their new owners and see how many have heated windscreens.

Or better still... You'll know that many demo cars are now up for sale with all sorts of fancy options on them - they were used for model launch. Go on to autotrader, see how many Atecas are for sale (94 currently being advertised) and then in the search field, type in 'screen' or 'windscreen'.
Out of those 94 cars, THREE have a heated screen... and that's the market being rigged by SEAT launch models!

In the real world, the only common option specified is paint. I'd have thought the fact that a major Windscreen replacement company who can't source the part would be evidence enough that very few Atecas sold have the heated screen option. Doesn't the fact that adding options like this only increases the build waiting time not tell you something?
 
#21 ·
Don''t know like Saggy has the pole at the moment 11 with it out of 17. It does seem pretty common on here ;)
 
#22 ·
Golfmk56 said:
Saggy said:
bull ~ an optional extra can be common

I reckon a third on here at least have heated windscreens

Poll created .............
'
Ha ha ha... And I reckon that out of all Ateca's sold 0.002% of owners visit this forum. Come on Saggy, leave the politicians to rig polls at the moment.

Next time you visit your SEAT dealership, have a look in the showroom + any cars in the pound / awaiting their new owners and see how many have heated windscreens.

Or better still... You'll know that many demo cars are now up for sale with all sorts of fancy options on them - they were used for model launch. Go on to autotrader, see how many Atecas are for sale (94 currently being advertised) and then in the search field, type in 'screen' or 'windscreen'.
Out of those 94 cars, THREE have a heated screen... and that's the market being rigged by SEAT launch models!

In the real world, the only common option specified is paint. I'd have thought the fact that a major Windscreen replacement company who can't source the part would be evidence enough that very few Atecas sold have the heated screen option. Doesn't the fact that adding options like this only increases the build waiting time not tell you something?
I was with you all the way on this one until your last line. I've ordered the heated screen and my confirmed build week is bang on (this week - 8 weeks after order). Several option items have been suggested on the forum for causing delays like a tow bar, SEAT Sound, even the 1.4TSI engine itself, but none of it has actually been proved to be the case.
 
#23 ·
tobydog said:
I was with you all the way on this one until your last line. I've ordered the heated screen and my confirmed build week is bang on (this week - 8 weeks after order). Several option items have been suggested on the forum for causing delays like a tow bar, SEAT Sound, even the 1.4TSI engine itself, but none of it has actually been proved to be the case.
'
I'm only going on what my SEAT dealer told me when I placed my order - extras were adding to the delivery time. You'd have to take that up with Arnold Clark. (the dealership that is and not Arnie himself. Not quite sure where he'll be at the moment but if St. Peter is an ex-customer, the chances are he was refused entry. :D )
 
#24 ·
Saggy said:
bull ~ an optional extra can be common

I reckon a third on here at least have heated windscreens

Poll created .............
Because it's a good value, affordable option !
I think this will settle down, and that the fact SEAT can't keep up with demand means their OEM suppliers may be struggling too. Even without it being a new car, windscreens can be a pain. Took Autoglass 3 goes to get me the correct new screen for the Polo for various reasons due to its build date and options.
Eventually screens will be more readily available - but doesn't help Jonny! I find it more (?) baffling that so few dealers can apparently calibrate cameras, when they're now not just common but, in fact, standard with more & more models & trim levels across manufacturers.
No surprise that it's so expensive to do this; when the Polo needed its FCA & ACC sensors recalibrated, that alone cost £500 :eek:
 
#25 ·
I've just found the entire process so frustrating. Fair enough the stone chip was a freak accident, but they are fairly common (after all Autoglass and others run a business off the back of it!).

I've now had a cracked windscreen for 2 weeks and I'm no closer to getting it repaired. Trying to locate a dealer that has the correct equipment to calibrate a VAG windscreen is also very difficult if you live in the North of England.

I didn't even consider that it would be so difficult to have what is essentially a basic repair undertaken on my car when I purchased it, especially as I was purchasing a vehicle from the largest vehicle manufacturer in the world!

Just because it's a fairly new model (they have now been on the road at least 7 months) and I have a few options doesn't justify it being able to obtain a replacement windscreen within a reasonable amount of time.

Autoglass can calibrate a lot of windscreens, however they can't do the Ateca!! From what I've found out so far specialist equipment is required for VAG vehicles so it can only be undertaken by a VAG dealer. The problem is it's very expensive equipment so not many dealers can justify the capital outlay especially as it's not a piece of equipment VAG stipulate that they have to have. I think that is why it costs so much when you can find somewhere that can complete the work.
 
#26 ·
Can someone please clarify

Is this about All Ateca heated screens or only one that have something extra .... like lane control or something

As far as I know my screen doesn't have anything "extra" other than the heating elements???
Front assist is in the seat badge and I don't have anything else I dont think that works from there other than rain sensors

Is the main issue to do with calibration on lane assist and stuff rather than an awkward windscreen?

And if they are having trouble getting heated screens are they also having trouble getting standard screens as that part is as "new" as a heated one ?
 
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