Just recently purchased a “new” old car with 30K on it. Noticed that the windshield has a small “hole” in it located about 1/3 of the way up and 1/5 of the way across from left to right which puts it about in the straight line of sight of the driver. The “hole” does not go through the glass completely but it is a depression apparently from a very small stone. I am concerned that it might spread and become like a spider web. Is there any basis for my concern and what can be done to prevent any expansion?
Thanks all.
There are lots of shops that can repair this “hole” invisibly for about $30-$50, provided it does not already have cracks radiating from the damaged area. I just had a small chip repaired on my Toyota windshield for $35. If you leave it and live in a cold area the crack will get larger, espcially if you go through a car wash on a very cold day.
Yes, it can expand, especially during extremes in temperature. I’ve been successful making repairs to that kind of damage using a cheap repair kit, available for something like $10 from the major auto parts chains. There are also places that will come to your home or business to do the job, and they will offer a warranty. One such outfit is Glass Doctor.
How bad is the rest of the windshield? The real issue is that a shop can’t make the glass look like new. If it’s right in front of you, you will most likely notice glare from the repair when driving on bright, sunny days. If it were me, I’d just let the crack propagate and get a new windshield.
You can also buy a windown repair kit at the local parts store to correct this. Windshields are made with two layers of glass with a plastic sheet bonded between them. Whil I recommend repairing it so iti has no chance of spreading, recognize that it isn’t an unsafe situation.
I don’t know about your insurance, but mine really likes to replace windscreens when there is a chip or crack in the drivers line of sight. Ask you may get a whole new windscreen and no deductible.
BTW I have had this done and with my next new policy, I had my rates GO DOWN. They don’t punish you for keeping your car safe. At least the good companies don’t.
Where I live, windshield insurance is very expensive, and only damage due an accident is covered. Zero deductible windshield insurance would be unaffordable. Since a new windshield is only a couple of hundred dollars, most people here fix the small chips and when the windshield has chips and cracks all over (about 3-4 years) they repalce the whole thing.
just get a do it yourself windshield repair kit and follow the directions. This will not FIX the problem but will prevent any spreading of cracks. You will eventually have to replace the windshield but this will prolong that task