Why you should get your chipped windshield repaired and not replaced, if possible

Experienced drivers have probably had this unfortunate, but inevitable experience. You’re driving along on the highway, obeying the rules and doing everything right, when suddenly — seemingly out of nowhere — BANG! Something has been kicked up by the vehicle in front of you and hit your car’s windshield, hard.

Suddenly your perfect windshield has a small, circular imperfection, perhaps with a little crack attached. It may not be so bad.  Especially if it is not in your direct line of sight, you might decide to just live with it. After all, between door dings and other minor blemishes, if you drive your vehicle very much (or even rarely), it will not stay in perfect condition forever. What would be the harm in just accepting the chip and going on with your life?

First of all, let me tell you something. Do not bother trying to see the license plate number of the person who shot the little missile at your car’s windshield. That could just as easily have been you doing that to the vehicle behind you, and insurance companies know that. I tried reporting the vehicle’s description and license plate number to my insurance company a few months ago, after such an incident, and they told me that they will not go after them. The damage repair was paid for by my comprehensive insurance. Fortunately, my policy has a zero deductible (which I almost certainly paid extra for).

So, now you have a decision to make. What to do about the damage? Your insurance company may encourage you to try getting the damage repaired, instead of having the windshield replaced. My insurance company (and probably yours, too) has an entire procedure for getting those repairs performed, perhaps at no cost to you. Here is why you should try that first, especially if you have a new vehicle.

Today’s new cars have forward-facing cameras and sensors that supply vital information to their safety systems. These systems may help keep your car in its lane by applying gentle steering inputs while you drive along. If it sees that you are in imminent danger of a collision, it might apply automatic emergency braking.

Some of these sensors are located in the vicinity of the interior rearview mirror, directly behind the windshield. They are always on the alert, but they need to be in perfect calibration to best do their job. If you get your windshield replaced, those sensors should be recalibrated — and that can be an expensive process that requires skilled technicians and state-of-the-art calibration equipment.

Even if you have an older car without such modern safety systems, replacing your windshield will require that the seal around your windshield be cut and peeled away. The quality of the new seal’s installation will depend upon the skill of the installer, and the quality of the materials. One thing is for certain, it will never be a factory installation again. Furthermore, your insurance company might specify the installation of aftermarket parts, instead of OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts. The quality of these parts may vary.

So you see, it is probably in your best interests to try to get your windshield chip repaired first, if the shop thinks that might be possible. They will inject a compound into the chip and then cure it. With a bit of luck, you should barely even see where the chip was, nor will any cracks be likely to spread. Only time will tell for sure, so a windshield replacement might ultimately be necessary — bit it is probably worth it for you to try a repair first.

I’ve had these windshield repairs done by roaming windshield repair techs at gas stations, by technicians who came to my home and at companies’ drive-in service centers. Frankly, all of these have provided similar, positive results.

A big, national name in the windshield repair and replacement aftermarket is Safelite AutoGlass. They did my most recent windshield repair at one of their drive-in service centers. The last time that I thought to check, their windshield chip repair still looked good but, as they say on their website, “We’ll fix it right — guaranteed.”

To visit Safelite’s website for more information, go to https://www.safelite.com/

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