Wing Mirrors Just Dropped Out!

[saintpeter48]

A strange thing happened to me yesterday and I wondered of anyone else had experienced the same.
I've had an Audi A4 for about 5 years, the car was first registered in 2013, and yesterday one of the mirrors, the glass itself, just fell out for no reason and smashed on the ground, anyway, about an hour later I was driving along and there was a sudden 'pop' and I noticed the the other wing mirrors glass had also fallen out and smashed on the road, leaving me with no wing mirrors.
Is this common, I've never had it with any previous cars and never heard of anyone else suffering the same fate, I've ordered replacement mirrors from Halfords and they are going to fit them for me, I'm worried that the same might happen in future.
There was no warning, no change in temperature, nothing out of the ordinary, it just seems so strange and a bit weird really.
Thanks for any help or advice.

[bhg481]

That's a new one on me. My Volvo is 15 years old and still on the original wing mirror glass.

[barry1010]

Are your wing mirrors heated? If so, have you been using the 'thaw' setting much?

[bhg481]

There must be some glue/double-sided tape that holds the glass in which will have aged and lost its effectiveness.

[Zacs-Master]

Yes, as barry asks, did you have the rear window de-mist switched on (which also operates the heated mirrors, generally).

[saintpeter48]

I have not knowingly used the 'thaw' setting, if I have one, on my mirrors and have always used the rear window de-mist switch when needed, I must admit that I did not know that the rear window mist setting and the wing mirrors were connected.
There is no sign of any double sided sticking tape on either of the mirrors, all that is left in the mirror units are soft black pads, its very weird that they should both fall out within an hour of each other.

[Bazile]

Perhaps they were protesting at not being on the door :-)

Sorry

[bhg481]

The soft black tabs must be sticky on one side to adhere to the mirror and on the other side to stick to the housing.
Incidentally, I use my mirror heating regularly to dry rainwater off the mirrors.

[saintpeter48]

bhg481 - The soft pads are not sticky at all, perhaps the stickyness has just expired.

[bhg481]

That's why they fell out.

[Hopkirk]

Watch out. Beadle's about.

[Fitzer]

Happened to both on our ‘15 plate Golf, assume the glue just gives up, replacements about £7 each on eBay, job done.

[Hopkirk]

Not good from a supposedly quality car manufacturer. If the car wasn't new when you got it, perhaps the previous owner had bodged a repair.

Losing the driver's door mirror makes the car not legal to drive in the road.

[gingejbee]

Wing mirrors...actually on the wings?

[barry1010]

Car is nearly 10 years old, it is becoming a common problem due to heated mirrors. VW and Vauxhall owners are also reporting this problem.

[saintpeter48]

Update - Halfords supplied and fitted them both at a total cost of £36, a bargain in my eyes.
On speaking to the young man who fitted them he said it was a common problem due to heated mirrors, he advised disconnecting the heating element, which he says he did to his Volvo after suffering the same fate, I took his advice and he did the job for me.
Thanks everyone for your comments, I am now going to email Audi with my complaint, probably won't get anywhere but you never know!

[barry1010]

Glad he agreed with me :D

[Hopkirk]

Heated mirrors are very useful though.

[kuiperbelt]

/smashed on the ground/

Sorry for your mishap and unlucky too.

Unusual because the mirror part is a composite of glass and plastic.

Unlike old wing mirrors (up to the 1990s) where they would shatter and produce shards, the more modern versions tend to retain there shape and produce cracks on the surface when impacted.