Last week we bought a nearly-new (2024) Karoq 1.5 SE L. Yesterday we took it back to the dealer to do some minor paint scratches which they had agreed to do. Drove home and then this morning, I get into the car on my drive and notice a thin crack on the heated windscreen that starts at the very base as a hairline crack and progresses up the windscreen by several inches.

There is no evidence that the windscreen has been hit by anything e.g. a small stone. It's as though the windscreen has been put under stress somehow i.e. a stress crack if there is such a thing.

I've informed the dealership and sent photos and the sales consultant who we dealt with is going to speak to the manager and get back to me 'to see if they can help'.

Photos attached.

Has anyone had anything like this happen? If so, was it covered under the warranty?

Welcome to the forum.

Does the lower part of the crack extend all the way to the bottom of the screen?

Yes, stress cracks to screen can be caused by body flexing, or by incorrect fitting.

Had this on the wife's Octavia, parked it on the drive one evening, got in the next morning to find it cracked just as in your picture. The very bottom of the windscreen is covered by trim but it did appear to originate from the lower edge upwards.

Stress fractures can happen unfortunately, in our case there was no warranty on the car so we had to pay for a new screen. Hope your dealer helps out in this instance - fingers crossed.

@Warrior193 and @cnc Yes the crack starts as a hairline crack at the base and is approx 13cm. The crack then widens and goes up another 11cm. There's no evidence of any impact site. The crack is smooth to touch on the inside and outside of the windscreen. I've attached a higher quality photo.

No reply from Skoda as yet. The car is still in warranty, but windscreens is not even mentioned in that.

@RMH Where were the minor scratches that were being dealt with? Hopefully some person was not careless with their orbital polisher and had it laid down near the wipers when working. Or when not working. A Warranty T&C,s is clear enough if you read it. Fundamental, design, manufacturing or material faults. Well it is not that as the car was built over 2 years ago.

The car is registered in autumn 2024 and still in warranty. As a nearly new car, Skoda automatically apply a minimum of one years warranty upon purchase. The paint scratches were on front wing, side door and rear bumper. It was just a touch up job, no sanding involved.

Polishing. Orbital Polisher. I was a Spray Painter. But not one that would dunk stuff up on the bonnet. Or where many do next to the wipers. No warranty on the Glass Sunroof or Windscreen on a 2 year old car, especially if not faulty. It survived winter 2024 and 2025. The Service Manager or Dealer Principal just needs to ask the 'Operative / Tech or Man in a Van if they were careless and cracked the screen. They might own up or maybe not. But the dealership should know if it is not the first time this sort of thing happened while getting 'Warranty work' done. Bodyshop or whoever.

Edited 20 May20 May by Evolution13

38 minutes ago, Evolution13 said:

@RMH Where were the minor scratches that were being dealt

15 minutes ago, Evolution13 said:

Polishing. Orbital Polisher. I was a Spray Painter. But not one that would dunk stuff up on the bonnet. Or where many do next to the wipers. No warranty on the Glass Sunroof or Windscreen on a 2 year old car, especially if not faulty. It survived winter 2024 and 2025.

with? Hopefully some person was not careless with their orbital polisher and had it laid down near the wipers when working. Or when not working. A Warranty T&C,s is clear enough if you read it. Fundamental, design, manufacturing or material faults. Well it is not that as the car was built over 2 years ago.

Didn’t look like much polishing was done to be honest! But anyway, the touchups weren’t really anywhere near it the base of the windscreen. My wife remembers that they said the car would have to be thoroughly dried before they do the touchups. I’m not sure how they dried the car, but if it was in a paint booth, could the temperature have caused the hairline crack?

Yes it could have been heated. They know if so. How were the touch ups done? Did they not polish and wax the car before returning it. You miss the point, it is a front wing you said. I only point out that even if the bonnet was covered the person doing the polishing might of laid up a heavish polisher. Only a suggestion based on experience over 5 decades. I did Warranty paint work.

I'd say that is clearly a stress crack and should be covered under the warranty.

What might of caused the stress / distortion of the body after 2 years? Will a replacement screen be glued in differently and not be under the same stresses?

According to the Skoda UK warranty terms & conditions the windscreen is covered for the first month or 600 miles from date of first registration (whichever comes first), https://www.skoda.co.uk/_doc/190724ab-ac7d-4c6b-943a-c80462816d1c

Insurance should surely cover it?

4 hours ago, sussamb said:

Insurance should surely cover it?

As a last option, yes. I don’t know what a heated screen with ADAS calibration costs, but I’m guessing it’s more than £50.

It won’t have seen a paint booth - will have been a mobile repair guy with touch up paint, a DA and some wet and dry.

You say the wing - same side as the crack? Maybe the screen was leaned on while working?

9 hours ago, OccyVRS said:

As a last option, yes. I don’t know what a heated screen with ADAS calibration costs, but I’m guessing it’s more than £50.

It won’t have seen a paint booth - will have been a mobile repair guy with touch up paint, a DA and some wet and dry.

You say the wing - same side as the crack? Maybe the screen was leaned on while working?

The touch up was done by the Skoda dealership at their location.

@RMH How much touching up then. Actual paint & lacquer applied, so some masking, cleaning off wax / silicone, wet and dry, spraying & then polishing? Do you know for sure they do not have Man or Woman in a van come to do work at the dealership. Matters not, they either accept responsibility or not. They have insurance.

5 hours ago, RMH said:

The touch up was done by the Skoda dealership at their location.

Yes, by a mobile smart repair guy, as I said. Škoda don’t do paintwork, bodywork, glass, etc. Same as anywhere else - they’ll get a local guy in a van round to do it.

As above though, it’s still the dealers problem.

Edited 21 May21 May by OccyVRS

There are still Dealerships or Groups with body shops. Like John Clark Group in Scotland. But the Centre in Dundee is used for the different brands they have franchises they have. Same with Arnold Clark and others. There are dealers with pre-teams, and refurbishers / valeters that will do minor paint repair work, buffing / touch ups. Then Chips Away types are very common. Paintless dent repair as well.

Edited 21 May21 May by Evolution13

16 minutes ago, Evolution13 said:

There are still Dealerships or Groups with body shops. Like John Clark Group in Scotland. But the Centre in Dundee is used for the different brands they have franchises they have. Same with Arnold Clark and others. There are dealers with pre-teams, and refurbishers / valeters that will do minor paint repair work, buffing / touch ups. Then Chips Away types are very common. Paintless dent repair as well.

Yes, it’s the same down here, however these are generally accident repair centers used by all brands/locations across a dealer group. AFAIK they’re generally not used for minor repairs - that’s up to smart repairers/PDR/etc. I know that BMW has approved people that work… with… the dealership to provide services under their umbrella, but I don’t think they’re actually employees.

We know generally. The OP can tell us about where he went and who they have. Someone told the good lady about having to be dried. That is usually about finding leaks inside. The only need to have a dry car about to get bodywork is to see properly where the repairs are needed, then as we know work starts on prepping to work, any part removal, dewax and mask etc. @RMH Was it Listers the car was at?

Edited 21 May21 May by Evolution13