POW, I got hit!

C

Changeling

New member
In my area there is a lot of new home/commercial construction going on. Yesterday I was driving along minding my own business when something hit my windshield!

No idea what so ever where it came from. However it left a small chip in my wind shied, you guessed it, right smack in my line of vision. It is about the size of the head on a pin, maybe 1/32 to 1/16 inch!

It is in a position that when I look straight ahead and not at the chip I see "Two Chips"!!



Question: Are the chip fixes you see in WM or other stores worth the effort or is it junk, and I should go to a glass place to get it fixed?

Changeling
 
You could get it patched. Or if it annoys you, you can get the whole winshield replaced. Either way, I would do it A.S.A.P.
 
toyotaguy said:
if it affects your vision, most insurances will replace it for free
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This is really interesting to me. Do you have any more info on this? Will my premium go up as a result? The 4 bigger chips I have on my windshield are all right in front of me. Even if I tried out some of the more drastic procedures like cerium oxide (?) that have been previously mentioned those are only good to take out minor scratches and water spots, not actual chips you can feel using your fingers.



I have liability insurance with State Farm though if that makes a difference?
 
It does not fall under liability. It would come under your comprehesive coverage that you should have with your auto insurance. Most reputable insurance companies would replace the entire windshield with a problem in the "critical view" area. A deductible should not be an issue-I've replace two windshields on two different cars through SF because of catching boulders from trucks on a highway. No cost to me. Check with your insurance agent.
 
Changeling- Can't help with the patch-jobs (never had it done), but if you get the windshield replaced be sure that the guys who do the work don't mess things up. If they accidentally (i.e., *carelessly*) cut through the paint when they "cut out" the old one, it'll rust out down the road.
 
A small chip like you describe can usually be easily repaired. SF will most assuredly cover this. If you need to have a replacement windshield, be very sure you specify OEM glass and not aftermarket glass. Your windshield is not just there to keep the rain and bugs off your face. It serves as the backing plate for your airbags. As such it needs to be strong and aftermarket glass is cheaper because it is not made as strong. Be aware that in some cases the same companies make both OEM glass and aftermarket glass. Know what you are getting. Also be sure that if you replace the glass that the proper cleaning is done and the proper adhesives are used. Check the expiration dates on the adhesives as well.



In most cases, a repaired OEM windshield is stronger than an aftermarket windshield.
 
An insurance company with not authorize the repair of a windshield if the damage is in the line of vision. There's too much liability involved with the the repair impeeding your vision. Look at the glass breakage section on your policy to see if a deductible applies.

On a unrelated side note, cement companies usually pay through the roof in premiums due to the fact that they spew stones and rocks out of their mixers. If you ever have one hit your windshield, write down their company name and truck number and your insurance company will go after them to subrogate for damages.
 
jfelbab said:
A small chip like you describe can usually be easily repaired. SF will most assuredly cover this. If you need to have a replacement windshield, be very sure you specify OEM glass and not aftermarket glass. Your windshield is not just there to keep the rain and bugs off your face. It serves as the backing plate for your airbags. As such it needs to be strong and aftermarket glass is cheaper because it is not made as strong. Be aware that in some cases the same companies make both OEM glass and aftermarket glass. Know what you are getting. Also be sure that if you replace the glass that the proper cleaning is done and the proper adhesives are used. Check the expiration dates on the adhesives as well.



In most cases, a repaired OEM windshield is stronger than an aftermarket windshield.
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Usually if your vehicle is older than 1 year and has more than 15,000 miles, you don't have a choice what kind of glass they choose to use. They reserve the right to use the cheapest one they can locate. You may be left with the only option of paying the difference between OEM and Aftermarket. Could be several $100 bucks.

Can you explain how your windshield serves as the "backing plate to your airbags"? I don't think that a windshield serves any relationship with an airbag restraint system. There isn't any sensors in it and your bags won't blow if your windshield breaks and vise versa.
 
David Fermani said:
Usually if your vehicle is older than 1 year and has more than 15,000 miles, you don't have a choice what kind of glass they choose to use. They reserve the right to use the cheapest one they can locate. You may be left with the only option of paying the difference between OEM and Aftermarket. Could be several $100 bucks.

Can you explain how your windshield serves as the "backing plate to your airbags"? I don't think that a windshield serves any relationship with an airbag restraint system. There isn't any sensors in it and your bags won't blow if your windshield breaks and vise versa.
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Every glass policy I've seen states that it will be replaced with "like kind".



Good source : http://www.ultrabond.com/safetyreport.pdf.



The Motor Vehicle Act, Section 1397 (a2a) states "No...dealer...or repair business shall knowingly render inoperative, in whole or in part, any device or element of design installed on or in a motor vehicle."
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If you bring this up to your insurance company I'm sure they will agree to OEM glass. All you need to say is that the glass must meet the FMVSS requirements for safety and must be installed properly.



Windshield replacements per the Independent Glass Association, National Glass Association, and ABC’s 20/20 and Fox News are known to be done incorrectly 70% of the time
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That's a pretty strong reason to consider a repair over a replacement if at all possible.



Your windshield serves several purposes. If a passenger side airbag deploys, the windshield glass serves as the backing plate for that bag. If there is no windshield there bacause the stress of the impact causes the glass to fail, the bag is useless and won't provide protection to the passenger. A windshield also provides 30-70% of your roof's support in case you wind up rolling over.



Aftermarket glass is made fast and cheap. The faster it can be made the cheaper it is. It lacks the same strength as OEM due to the fact that it is not slow annealed. OEM glass is more expensive because it takes longer to make and is subsequently stronger. The federal government requires that new car glass meet FMVSS stress tests. Car manufacturers use OEM glass, even though it costs more because it is safer and meets these Federal requirements. They don't use aftermarket glass because it doesn't meet these FMVSS requirements.



I doubt that your insurer will argue the issue of OEM glass if you press them about it.
 
Anyone able to answer the original question please?



I have had cracked windshields before. In all cases I had a deductable to pay!



Remember, this is a tiny chip, but it's location couldn't be worse !



Changeling
 
In my experience with SF insurance, they have not charged me a deductible on either a repair or a replacement. Check with your insurance agent. I would not attempt a home repair in either case.
 
David Fermani said:
There isn't any sensors in it and your bags won't blow if your windshield breaks and vise versa.
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Actually, I've seen the windshield blown out by a passenger-side airbag. When my wife hydroplaned a year ago and hit a highway retaining wall the airbags deployed on both sides (2000 Focus) and the passenger-side bag demolished the windshield from the inside out, to the point there was an opening in the middle of the glass. I believe other models will have the same thing happen and I'm guessing this is what he meant when he said the glass acts as a "backing plate". I'm not sure whether they take the glass into account for airbag safety design or not.
 
Changeling said:
Anyone able to answer the original question please?



I have had cracked windshields before. In all cases I had a deductable to pay!



Remember, this is a tiny chip, but it's location couldn't be worse !



Changeling
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My experience is the opposite... several windshield changes and never laid out a single penny. They even came to my house to do the work. I have Gico and they even have a plan where they will come to your house and inspect the glass for chips and wear and repair if possible otherwise they just replace it.
 
DFTowel said:
My experience is the opposite... several windshield changes and never laid out a single penny. They even came to my house to do the work. I have Gico and they even have a plan where they will come to your house and inspect the glass for chips and wear and repair if possible otherwise they just replace it.
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I'm with MetLife and they have options for the comp coverage whether or not you want to include glass coverage. If you include it, they'll do a repair for free, but I'm not sure what the policy is if it's more than a chip repair can handle or if it's in the driver's line of vision.
 
jfelbab said:
Every glass policy I've seen states that it will be replaced with "like kind".



Good source : http://www.ultrabond.com/safetyreport.pdf.



If you bring this up to your insurance company I'm sure they will agree to OEM glass. All you need to say is that the glass must meet the FMVSS requirements for safety and must be installed properly.





That's a pretty strong reason to consider a repair over a replacement if at all possible.



Your windshield serves several purposes. If a passenger side airbag deploys, the windshield glass serves as the backing plate for that bag. If there is no windshield there bacause the stress of the impact causes the glass to fail, the bag is useless and won't provide protection to the passenger. A windshield also provides 30-70% of your roof's support in case you wind up rolling over.



Aftermarket glass is made fast and cheap. The faster it can be made the cheaper it is. It lacks the same strength as OEM due to the fact that it is not slow annealed. OEM glass is more expensive because it takes longer to make and is subsequently stronger. The federal government requires that new car glass meet FMVSS stress tests. Car manufacturers use OEM glass, even though it costs more because it is safer and meets these Federal requirements. They don't use aftermarket glass because it doesn't meet these FMVSS requirements.



I doubt that your insurer will argue the issue of OEM glass if you press them about it.
Click to expand...



I brought this arguement up to the higher powers at my company and we(as well as most other insurance companies) feel that A/M windshields are just as reasonable and of like kind and quality as the OEM ones. The article you provided talked mostly about the improper replacement of windshields, not the actual piece of glass(unless I missed that part). Most insurance companies (except maybe Chubb) use A/M glass. If an A/M windshield is hindering the safety/performance of a vehicle, an insurance company wouldn't pay for them. There's too much to loose. An insured can argue this all they want, but we'll still use A/M if it's cheaper. If someone feels that strongly about using an OEM replacement piece, they can pay the difference.
 
velobard said:
Actually, I've seen the windshield blown out by a passenger-side airbag. When my wife hydroplaned a year ago and hit a highway retaining wall the airbags deployed on both sides (2000 Focus) and the passenger-side bag demolished the windshield from the inside out, to the point there was an opening in the middle of the glass. I believe other models will have the same thing happen and I'm guessing this is what he meant when he said the glass acts as a "backing plate". I'm not sure whether they take the glass into account for airbag safety design or not.
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Lots of passenger air bags are designed to bounce off the windshield, causing them to break. I see it all the time. A/M glass won't hinder this from happening. An improperly installed windshield will though.
 
David Fermani said:
I brought this arguement up to the higher powers at my company and we(as well as most other insurance companies) feel that A/M windshields are just as reasonable and of like kind and quality as the OEM ones. The article you provided talked mostly about the improper replacement of windshields, not the actual piece of glass(unless I missed that part). Most insurance companies (except maybe Chubb) use A/M glass. If an A/M windshield is hindering the safety/performance of a vehicle, an insurance company wouldn't pay for them. There's too much to loose. An insured can argue this all they want, but we'll still use A/M if it's cheaper. If someone feels that strongly about using an OEM replacement piece, they can pay the difference.
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As was pointed out in a prior link. OEM glass is safer then aftermarket glass. That is an indisputable fact. If auto manufacturers could save a couple hundred dollars on a windshield per car they would most certainly do so. Unfortunately they can't do so safely. If these aftermarket windshields were truly "like kind" the auto manufacturers would be using them. They clearly are not up to the OEM quality.



I've read the following piece of a report prepared for the Center for Auto Safety, several times. If you re-read the link you might notice that some insurance companies have turned their glass replacement claim processing over to the aftermarket glass manufacturers.



OEM & ARG Windshields: The OEM windshield is the best and safest windshield that will ever be installed in a vehicle. ARG (auto replacement glass) or after-market windshields are most often improperly installed and are not OEM quality.



Car manufacturers would not accept the windshields sold in the after-market because the stress is much higher and they crack even easier. When a windshield is manufactured, a polariscope is used to read the amount of stress at the perimeter. General Motors and Toyota, for example, will not accept windshields with stress greater than their contracted amount.



These OEM windshields are annealed slowly to limit the residual stress, which increases the cost per windshield. PPG for instance, has separate factories for making OEM and ARG windshields. ARG windshields are made faster (the faster they make them the less they cost) and have higher levels of residual stress. These windshields crack easier so once you replace you may continue to replace.



The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration should but does not have requirements for limiting the residual stress in after-market windshields. It would make sense for insurance companies to have a contract limiting the amount of residual stress, because they have a contract with their insureds to replace with “like kind and quality�. The insurance companies are aware of their contractual obligations; but these lesser quality windshields are cheaper and lower their claim costs and who could sell them cheaper than a windshield manufacturer.



Who is adjusting and processing windshield claims for insurance companies?

Windshield Manufacturers with retail shops
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It is clear, aftermarket glass is not as safe as OEM glass. Not as safe means not "like kind and quality". My insurer agreed to replace my windshield with OEM glass when presented with these facts in writing.



Good luck with your replacement.
 
jfelbab said:
It is clear, aftermarket glass is not as safe as OEM glass. Not as safe means not "like kind and quality". My insurer agreed to replace my windshield with OEM glass when presented with these facts in writing.
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Not as safe / yes, safe enough - yes. So i guess we see it as "like kind & quality enough". Insurance companies have as much to loose as auto manufacturers when someone gets injured or dies. I think you have a very good arguement, but I guess I'm just use to the insurance way of dealing with things. :usa There's not a person out there that likes it when I replace their OEM part with a used, aftermarket and/or reconditioned part, but it's in the insurance contract they choose to purchase. Most insurance companies offer the same product/coverage, but there are a few that offer less for less (Progressive). :sosad
 
Changeling said:
....... Question: Are the chip fixes you see in WM or other stores worth the effort or is it junk, and I should go to a glass place to get it fixed?...........
Click to expand...
I just had a very small stone chip repaired on the passenger side of a windshield by a glass place and I was not impressed. It's OK and it will keep the chip from turning into a crack but it is more noticeable than I expected. If it were on the driver’s side in my line-of-sight it would drive me nuts.



Maybe some glass guys are better at doing the resin repair than the place I went to, but if not I'd look into getting the windshield replaced. I can live with this repair because it's in a spot I don't really notice, plus it's on my company vehicle that I'm getting ready to replace in a month or two.
 
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