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This is from the PT Do It Yourself site:

Windshield Damage and Repair Issues

Some PT owners have reported problems with their windshields. The issues generally fall into two categories: stress fractures and road debris damage.


Stress Fractures

Stress fractures can occur in a number of ways. A faulty windshield installation and or parts can result in stress fractures, as well as normal settling within an unibody-constructed vehicle like the PT.

During the early 60's every Chrysler vehicle, except Imperial, underwent a radical reengineering to unibody construction. This major advance resulted in bodies with greater structural integrity than the traditional body-on-frame method. Unibody construction, also referred to as "integral frame" construction, is a manufacturing process where sheet metal body parts are combined with stress-bearing elements to form the body and chassis as a single piece, as opposed to attaching body parts to a frame. Other than strength, this method also provides savings to manufacturers in weight and materials. Based on the same principal as aircraft construction, stresses are more evenly distributed throughout the structure. U-construction is best-utilized with smaller vehicle platforms.

The windshield is a stressed member and part of the unibody support structure. Over time, as the vehicle settles, additional stress may be placed on the windshield, doors and rear hatch. You may also notice that the doors close differently (tighter / looser) as time goes on. If the windshield has any nicks or defects in the edges (generally hidden by fascia moldings) it may fracture. Normally, this settling process is accomplished during the first few months of normal vehicle use.

Stress fractures are covered under your vehicle warranty provided that there is no evidence of chipping. One test that a dealer may use to make a determination is to take a pointed object such as an ink pen, and run it along the length of the crack. If the pen does not hang on anything, than it is deemed to be a true stress fracture and not a fracture, which began with a stone chip.


Road Debris Damage

There have been a fair number of complaints from PT owners who feel that the windshield is susceptible to an inordinate amount of chipping and pitting damage from various forms of road debris. Some suggest that the windshield is of poor quality and chips and pits easily, while others believe that the problem is exasperated by the front-end design of the vehicle.

Unfortunately, windshield damage statistics are not encouraging. According to the auto glass repair industry there are more than 230 million vehicles in the U.S. and one out of every seven vehicles on the road has repairable windshield damage. You have better odds of receiving rock chip damage to your windshield than a flat tire. As a whole, that's a good deal of damage, however their is no current data to support or deny the notion that PT's sustain a larger percentage of windshield damage than other vehicles.


Repair or Replacement?

The decision to repair or replace a damaged windshield is based upon a number of factors and is usually guided by your dealer or a qualified auto glass repair facility, who will also determine if the damage is covered under your vehicle warranty. If the repair or replacement is not covered under the warranty, it will be covered under the Comprehensive section of your automobile insurance policy, assuming that you have coverage. If you financed your vehicle, the loan provider probably requires you to carry Comprehensive coverage until the loan is repaid. Depending on your policy deductible, you may or may not have out of pocket expenses for the repairs. It's also a good idea to check your coverage with your insurance company as it applies to state law. Some states have enacted laws to protect the consumer and require insurance companies to waive the deductible if you have your windshield replaced, and guarantee you the right to choose the repair facility of your choice to repair your vehicle.

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