Windshield glass optical quality

[Tom Jensen]

I am an otherwise very happy owner of a 2023 Lightning Lariat. I am, belatedly, getting around to whining about something. Since I drove the truck home brand new, I’ve noticed imperfections in the windshield glass. Like a million little pinprick scratches with a million tiny refractions. It looks like what I imagine pitting from blown sand might look like, but there is no sign of pitting or scratching elsewhere on the front of the truck and I haven’t driven into a sand storm. The issue is most noticeable when the sun is at a low angle, during winter. Is this a “thing” with Ford glass? Am I wrong to discount sand pitting of the glass because nothing else is pitted? Is there a cure? Would a new windshield not have the same issue? My eyes are unusually sensitive to glare so maybe I’m whining about something that everyone else accepts as normal. Thank you, as always, for your advice and good humor.

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[digitaldad]

I've driven through major wind/sand storms in previous vehicles (lots of that in my desert state) and that windshield was plenty pitted and scratched as you describe...while after a wash, I noticed nothing negative on the rest of the car: paint/hood/headlights, etc.

Since you drove it home new and noticed at the start, I'd say your truck was possibly on the front of the car carrier, or while dirty (or both), the windshield was imporoperly "cleaned" before physically washed and the dirt/grime/sand was rubbed into the windshield, before you took posession.

Bought mine used and havent gone through a severe sand storm yet in the Lightning. There are some small rock chips I can see, but overall, the glass is pretty clear in the front.

 

[21st Century Truck]

I am an otherwise very happy owner of a 2023 Lightning Lariat. I am, belatedly, getting around to whining about something. Since I drove the truck home brand new, I’ve noticed imperfections in the windshield glass. Like a million little pinprick scratches with a million tiny refractions. It looks like what I imagine pitting from blown sand might look like, but there is no sign of pitting or scratching elsewhere on the front of the truck and I haven’t driven into a sand storm. The issue is most noticeable when the sun is at a low angle, during winter. Is this a “thing” with Ford glass? Am I wrong to discount sand pitting of the glass because nothing else is pitted? Is there a cure? Would a new windshield not have the same issue? My eyes are unusually sensitive to glare so maybe I’m whining about something that everyone else accepts as normal. Thank you, as always, for your advice and good humor.

I had the same effect on the Mach E windshield, and of course now on our Lightning windshield.

The effect is noticeable only when the sun strikes the windshield at a certain low angle. it almost evokes a faint "crinkling" inside the windshield(s).

I note that both the Mach E and the Lightning windshields have the sound-deadening inner layer labeled on the lower left corner as "SenseSurround" or something similar (I'm inside now and it's dark out there so I can't easily verify the exact phrase).

I used to think while I had the Mach E that this effect was the result of another inner layer my Mach E had, the "IRR" UV-reflecting layer which kept the car cooler in hot sunny weather and saved the cabin's interior plastic and fabrics from UV fading. However, once I noticed it on the Lightning, I now think the sound-deadening inner layer common to both these Ford cars is probably the culprit.

 

[Itaintfastenough]

Had the same issue with my windshield… was convinced it was the inner laminate that was the culprit… turns out it was a very fine dusting of clear coat, detected when rubbing my hand over the glass…gave the windshield a clay bar treatment and it’s crystal clear now…

 

[Tom Jensen]

I've driven through major wind/sand storms in previous vehicles (lots of that in my desert state) and that windshield was plenty pitted and scratched as you describe...while after a wash, I noticed nothing negative on the rest of the car: paint/hood/headlights, etc.

Since you drove it home new and noticed at the start, I'd say your truck was possibly on the front of the car carrier, or while dirty (or both), the windshield was imporoperly "cleaned" before physically washed and the dirt/grime/sand was rubbed into the windshield, before you took posession.

Bought mine used and havent gone through a severe sand storm yet in the Lightning. There are some small rock chips I can see, but overall, the glass is pretty clear in the front.

Thank you. If others with the same vehicle don’t have the same issue, I have assumed exactly what you suggest: Mistreatment by humans or mother nature before I took delivery.

I had the same effect on the Mach E windshield, and of course now on our Lightning windshield.

The effect is noticeable only when the sun strikes the windshield at a certain low angle. it almost evokes a faint "crinkling" inside the windshield(s).

I note that both the Mach E and the Lightning windshields have the sound-deadening inner layer labeled on the lower left corner as "SenseSurround" or something similar (I'm inside now and it's dark out there so I can't easily verify the exact phrase).

I used to think while I had the Mach E that this effect was the result of another inner layer my Mach E had, the "IRR" UV-reflecting layer which kept the car cooler in hot sunny weather and saved the cabin's interior plastic and fabrics from UV fading. However, once I noticed it on the Lightning, I now think the sound-deadening inner layer common to both these Ford cars is probably the culprit.

Interesting. I agree that it is most noticeable when the sun is low, hence my complaining today and not mid-summer. I wonder if this is something Ford recognizes. We can’t be the only ones. Something about Northern Virginia…..

Had the same issue with my windshield… was convinced it was the inner laminate that was the culprit… turns out it was a very fine dusting of clear coat, detected when rubbing my hand over the glass…gave the windshield a clay bar treatment and it’s crystal clear now…

Thank you. I’m going to need to learn what a clay bar treatment involves! It sounds like something offered at a fancy spa, but I doubt that’s right.

 

[RLXXI]

Thank you. I’m going to need to learn what a clay bar treatment involves! It sounds like something offered at a fancy spa, but I doubt that’s right.

It's not far off of that lol. It's what a lot of people use to remove paint imperfections from fallout from the rail trip, fine metal particles will embed into the paint, clay bar gets them out and in this case looks like it helps clear up other junk like overspray.

It's literally a bar of clay.

 

[WXman]

I am an otherwise very happy owner of a 2023 Lightning Lariat. I am, belatedly, getting around to whining about something. Since I drove the truck home brand new, I’ve noticed imperfections in the windshield glass. Like a million little pinprick scratches with a million tiny refractions. It looks like what I imagine pitting from blown sand might look like, but there is no sign of pitting or scratching elsewhere on the front of the truck and I haven’t driven into a sand storm. The issue is most noticeable when the sun is at a low angle, during winter. Is this a “thing” with Ford glass? Am I wrong to discount sand pitting of the glass because nothing else is pitted? Is there a cure? Would a new windshield not have the same issue? My eyes are unusually sensitive to glare so maybe I’m whining about something that everyone else accepts as normal. Thank you, as always, for your advice and good humor.

Yes, Ford truck windshields have been like this for MANY years. Junk. They all have pits and marks in them after driving on the highway for a few months. I've also seen some that look wavy, like a circus mirror that distorts clarity of vision. I don't know why they are so bad because I *think* Pilkington makes them and those used to be quality. Maybe Ford just specs them cheaper.

 

[Tom Jensen]

It's not far off of that lol. It's what a lot of people use to remove paint imperfections from fallout from the rail trip, fine metal particles will embed into the paint, clay bar gets them out and in this case looks like it helps clear up other junk like overspray.

It's literally a bar of clay.

Thank you. I’ve learned something new and will give it a shot.

 

[Itaintfastenough]

Thank you. If others with the same vehicle don’t have the same issue, I have assumed exactly what you suggest: Mistreatment by humans or mother nature before I took delivery.

Interesting. I agree that it is most noticeable when the sun is low, hence my complaining today and not mid-summer. I wonder if this is something Ford recognizes. We can’t be the only ones. Something about Northern Virginia…..

Thank you. I’m going to need to learn what a clay bar treatment involves! It sounds like something offered at a fancy spa, but I doubt that’s right.

Had the same issue with my windshield… was convinced it was the inner laminate that was the culprit… turns out it was a very fine dusting of clear coat, detected when rubbing my hand over the glass…gave the windshield a clay bar treatment and it’s crystal clear now…

Thank you. I’ve learned something new and will give it a shot.

This is the clay bar kit I used… Auto Zone has them.

 

[Tom Jensen]

Yes, Ford truck windshields have been like this for MANY years. Junk. They all have pits and marks in them after driving on the highway for a few months. I've also seen some that look wavy, like a circus mirror that distorts clarity of vision. I don't know why they are so bad because I *think* Pilkington makes them and those used to be quality. Maybe Ford just specs them cheaper.

That’s unfortunate. Have you heard whether any of the replacement services like Safelite have a better product?

This is the clay bar kit I used… Auto Zone has them.

Thank you. There’s one around the corner. This brings back memories from when as a kid I hand-ground a 6” mirror for a telescope. We went through a dozen or more ever smaller grit sizes until we had a very smooth surface and good telescope mirror. I’ll be intrigued to see how this works.

 

[21st Century Truck]

For what it's worth, I've special-prepped both my Mach E Premium and now our Lightning windshields when the cars were new, with clay bars and with other stuff like IGL coatings. The "crinkly" faint sparkle always continued to show up afterwards, albeit under just the right low-angle light conditions so the phenomenon I'm referring to is not always visible unless the light is just right.

About clay bars - ha haa I've clay-barred my new car paints on several cars and motorcycles, including the entire Mach E, before PPF and / or ceramic treatments. It's a great technique to remove fine embedded grit and contaminants, when those are present, especially on higher quality paint layers. For new cars which are transported from the factory to dealerships on open rail cars, the ever-present rail brake dust is one such common contaminant.

For those of us who have teenagers, it's a perfect warm weekend "do this or no dinner" workforce training as it is basically a careful application of consistent repetitive muscle movements and a good lesson in the value of patience during physical labor

 

[Tom Jensen]

For what it's worth, I've special-prepped both my Mach E Premium and now our Lightning windshields when the cars were new, with clay bars and with other stuff like IGL coatings. The "crinkly" faint sparkle always continued to show up afterwards, albeit under just the right low-angle light conditions so the phenomenon I'm referring to is not always visible unless the light is just right.

About clay bars - ha haa I've clay-barred my new car paints on several cars and motorcycles, including the entire Mach E, before PPF and / or ceramic treatments. It's a great technique to remove fine embedded grit and contaminants, when those are present, especially on higher quality paint layers. For new cars which are transported from the factory to dealerships on open rail cars, the ever-present rail brake dust is one such common contaminant.

For those of us who have teenagers, it's a perfect warm weekend "do this or no dinner" workforce training as it is basically a careful application of consistent repetitive muscle movements and a good lesson in the value of patience during physical labor

I make mine stack firewood. Neatly.

 

[Adventureboy]

All windshields eventually suffer from sandblasting. The effect is accelerated by driving highway speeds on busy, dirty or sanded highways. If you've had it since new, there could be reasons, but the clear coat overspray that @Itaintfastenough describes would probably be easier to fix than an actual sandblasted windshield.

Unfortunately, I haven't found a cure for sandblasted windshields other than windshield replacement, since these are, in fact, little chips in the glass.

I'm curious if the clay bar works without fogging the glass.

 

[21st Century Truck]

I'm curious if the clay bar works without fogging the glass.

Clay bars, with appropriate liquid lubrication added, pull off surface stuff which adheres to surfaces, painted or otherwise. They don't fog up anything.

Think of Play Doh putty... it's an inexact comparison but illustrative about the mechanics of clay-barring something.

 

[Mal106]

You would think that glass is glass but after replacing glass on a couple of cars that went well over 200k mi, The replacements, 3 total, got the pits much quicker than the originals. The cars were a PT Cruiser, a Miata and a Ford Festiva (KIA). I've tried several things to clear it up with no success. The Lightning is pretty bad after only 12k.

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