[Engeeaitch]

I've just noticed that my windscreen appears to have many spots perhaps 2-3mm in diameter in the lamination of the front windscreen, and smaller ones on the rear windscreen. I've only had the car a couple of weeks and had thought that it was just marks from rainwater, but on closer inspection, there is definitely a flaw. Some of the spots are on the bonding, so it can't be on the inside, and no amount of rubbing on the outside will move them, which is why I think that they are in the lamination.

Anyone else noticed this?

 

[Mjkelly5a]

I had that on a Ford Orion many moons ago. Needs new wind & rear screens.

Kia will use one of the major windscreen replacement companies.

 

[Watto_uk]

Well the rear glass is tempered glass, so any spots are on the inside or outside of the glass. There are no glass layers. Spots in the front screen will require a new glass if it is between the lamination layers. Most probably a re-calibration of the camera as well.

 

[AlunS]

One source of these kinds of marks can be if someone has been using an angle grinder or similar in the vicinity of the car. Sometimes it can happen without you even knowing it if you've parked somewhere near a building site or something like that. It's know as "grinder splatter".

Take a look at some these images and see if that's a possibility ...

grinder splatter glass - Google Search

 

[Carty]

Do they look like rain water circles or more like a trapped air bubble inside of the glass ?.
The reason I ask, is because after cleaning my ZS EV at the weekend, I noticed some different sized circle water marks on the front screen.
I tried using some glass cleaner, but they still remained.
Then I came to the conclusion the spots ( circles ) where on the inside.
Tried cleaning the inside with glass cleaner, still there !.
Somehow, I was still convinced they where on the outside of the glass for some reason ?.
They where on the drivers side, and almost after the section of the screen just outside of where the wipe blade completes it's sweep.
After a bit of head scratching and then maybe coming to the conclusion the there was actually a fault in the glass, I made the decision to try something else first.
I had purchased a bottle of Meguiar's Ultimate Compound polish.
It is a mild strength paint finishing polish.
I place some polish on a micro fibre cloth and set about cleaning the outside area of the front screen, then after a few minutes of polishing by hand, then buffing off with clean cloth.
Circles now - GONE !.
Not sure if these rain spots marks / circles had been as a result of rain water drying on the car after a shower, then being hit by directly by strong sun light ?.
These type of water marks are very difficult to remove on the bodywork if you just allow the car to sit with water drops on the body work.
Removing the excess water with a large micro fibre drying towel is best way to prevent this situation happening.
Allowing the sun to evaporate the water on the body work will produce these white coloured, hollowed circles on the paint work.
I guess it COULD have the similar effect on the glass, I think it did in my case.
Washing the car at home with tap water and leaving it to dry in the sun ( when we get it ) is a sure fired way to to produce this condition.
Hard water area's and the chlorine in the water are some way responsible for this condition.
It's more evident on cars with darker coloured body work, black and dark blue etc.
Almost invisible to detect on a white car of course !.
In it's worse case condition the marks can only be removed by machine polishing with a cutting compound.
Don't try using a body wax or polish on the windscreen glass, just try using a mild cutting agent on a small section of the glass to see if it does indeed remove the marks.
If so, al least you know it's not a fault contained inside of the screen !.
Worth a go I guess ?.

 

[Engeeaitch]

Hi - here is a picture of my problem.

I read the reply by @Carty and I think you are right. Window cleaner and normal rubbing with a cloth does not remove the marks, but rubbing with a finger (not fingernail) for a long time, did eventually remove the mark. I also tried some bathroom cleaner (removes limescale) and eventually was able to get a spot removed, which makes me think that it might be a hard water deposit. Anyway, it's going into the dealer on Wednesday for them to sort it out. I'll let you know what they come back with.

 

[Carty]

Hi - here is a picture of my problem.
View attachment 132365

I read the reply by @Carty and I think you are right. Window cleaner and normal rubbing with a cloth does not remove the marks, but rubbing with a finger (not fingernail) for a long time, did eventually remove the mark. I also tried some bathroom cleaner (removes limescale) and eventually was able to get a spot removed, which makes me think that it might be a hard water deposit. Anyway, it's going into the dealer on Wednesday for them to sort it out. I'll let you know what they come back with.

I would be interested to hear what they say !.
They look very similar to the ones I had on my car.
I will check mine again, after I wash it in the next few days and report back on my findings.

 

[Marksla]

I've got the same issue on my new Soul. Similar effect to a poorly applied screen protector on a mobile phone. It covers the whole screen like a rash. I can't see the bubbles whilst driving but took the car to Kia today to register the issue so, incase the bubbles expand, I've registered my complaint.

They took some photos and will send to Kia and let me know the outcome. The service chap was surprised by the quantity and implied they'll replace the screen.

Seems like Kia's screen supplier made a bad batch.

 

[Carty]

Just to add, that my nephew who own's a 2 year old Golf, has just had his front screen replaced under warranty.
The screen has a black banding border that run's all around the wind screen.
When he washed the car a few weeks ago, he noticed a "Haze" had appeared on the lower section of the wind screen.
At first, he though it was a condensation film on the inside of the glass.
After ventilating the car for over one hour, the haze was still there.
He decided to take the car to "Auto Glass" and ask for there opinion.
The advisor took only a couple of seconds in informing him the wind screen would have to be replaced.
He said it was a common sight on a LOT of different cars and it was a sign of the the screen delaminating !.
My nephew reported the findings to his local VW dealer, who in turn spoke to VW Customer Services.
The dealership had to provide numbers to VW CS, that where taken from the wind screen itself.
They could tell it was the original factory wind screen and replaced it FOC under warranty.
Had the screen been replaced from the original unit, then they would have rejected the claim.
I think in the case of the O.P. the marks on his screen are clearly on the outside surface of the glass, because he IS able to remove the marks with some degree of effort and some cleaning materials.
The hollow circle marks on the glass, look to be some type of stain from from allowing domestic water to dry on the surface of the glass, or body work for that matter !.
Maybe a lime scale "ring" left as a result of leaving water drops to dry on the surface of the glass / bodywork as a result of living in a hard water area ?.
Could even be a stain left by the chlorine in the water ?.
If the fault was in-between the layers that make up the wind screen, no amount of cleaning / rubbing etc on the outside, would make them disappear I don't think.

 

[Engeeaitch]

So the car went into the dealership today, and they have removed the spots by polishing the glass. I couldn't get them to give me any more details, but the spots have gone, and for now I am happy.

 

[championc]

Sounds partially like maybe something like ceramic coating polish ended up on it.

 

[AlunS]

Another possibility ... tree sap? Some trees drop the stuff from their leaves especially in spring and it can be pretty stubborn stuff to remove.

 

[Marksla]

Or was your car stuck in Immingham for 3 months due to lock down? Mine was so is it related to the sea air? (clutching at straws)

 

[Carty]

So the car went into the dealership today, and they have removed the spots by polishing the glass. I couldn't get them to give me any more details, but the spots have gone, and for now I am happy.

I does sound like some type of water deposit marks then, which could be seen as a good thing ?.
It would appear it’s not a fault in the glass.
No amount of polishing would remove the marks if it was a manufacturing fault in the screen.
Maybe a repeat of this could be avoided by not allowing domestic water to air dry on the glass or bodywork in the future ?.
I washed my Dynamic red exclusive yesterday and when using a large drying towel on the body work, you could see the potential water rings forming on the paint work.
The towel removes them, but without this process it is easy to see how this happens.
If you have white body work, then this never a problem.
Not because it is not happening, you just can’t see it.
Darker colours are always more likely to suffer from this issue.
Regarding the wind screen, Auto Glym do a brilliant glass cleaning polish.
They do a fast glass spray, which is okay, but the glass polish is really good I find.
It’s a white cream polish and not a liquid water based product like the fast glass cleaner.
Hope this is of some help.

 

[Marksla]

Kia have authorised the screen replacement. Unfortunately there are no screens in the country (it's a Soul) but as soon as one arrives it'll be fitted.