Depending on who you ask, the Wrangler and, by extension, Gladiator, are extremely prone to windshield damage from debris, presumably due to the steep rake of the glass. Stellantis and Corning worked together to devise an alternative windshield made of Gorilla Glass designed to endure those knocks and chips a bit better, and it’s been on sale for the last several years.
It appears that windshield may be reaching higher trim levels of both Jeeps as an option, according to Mopar Insiders citing anonymous dealer connections. What’s more, the upgrade will reportedly cost just $95, which would make it seem like a no brainer given how regularly people seem to complain about cracked Wrangler windshields. Jalopnik was able to separately corroborate that price with a dealer contact.
If you’re unfamiliar with Gorilla Glass, there’s a good chance your smartphone or tablet already employs some type of it. Gorilla Glass has gone through multiple revisions over the years, each time becoming stronger against shattering from drops and falls. The trouble is that making glass more pliable to withstand breakage actually makes it softer and thus less protected against surface scratches. But since impacts are really the key issue with car windshields — as opposed to hairline scratches — Gorilla Glass could actually prove a viable solution to ward off damage.
Mopar is touting three times better impact resistance compared to normal auto glass, according to Mopar Insiders. To make it, Corning reportedly combines a thin inner ply of Gorilla Glass with an outer ply that’s 52 percent thicker, though the overall panel is still lighter and thinner than a normal Wrangler or Gladiator windshield would be.
The report claims Jeep will only offer the Gorilla Glass windshield as an option on the following trim packages:
Wrangler
Willys (N/A on Willys Sport)
Sahara
Rubicon
Rubicon 392
Sahara 4xe
Rubicon 4xeGladiator
Willys (N/A on Willys Sport)
Overland
Rubicon
Mojave
Given that these windshields are already offered as replacements from Mopar, you could swap out your existing windshield for a Gorilla Glass one no matter what model you have. The only trouble is that it’s quite expensive to do after the fact; a standard OEM replacement windshield from Jeep parts retailer Quadratec is listed at $259, while Mopar’s Gorilla Glass option goes for $675. That makes the supposed $95 price sound like a really sweet deal.
We’ve reached out to Stellantis for more information on how it may be rolling out these windshields, and to confirm pricing. But considering the program hasn’t been formally announced, don’t expect a straight answer.