Category: Guides

A small chip can sit for months in winter and then run across the glass in a single summer afternoon. Beach season stacks the odds against a damaged windshield.

Heat and AC

A windshield in a parked car in July can get very hot. Start the car, blast the AC at the glass, and the inside cools quickly while the outside stays hot. That difference stresses the glass right at the weakest point: the chip.

More cars, closer together

Summer traffic on Route 1 and the roads into the beach towns means more stop-and-go driving behind trucks, trailers and campers. More vehicles close together means more stones thrown up.

Sand and grit

Sand blowing across parking lots and roads works into open chips, which makes a clean repair harder. Tape over a fresh chip keeps it out.

What to do

Get chips filled as soon as you notice them, especially before a long highway drive home. A mobile technician can come to your rental, hotel or house, so it doesn’t have to eat into your week.

If your car has lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking or adaptive cruise control, there’s a good chance a camera is mounted behind the windshield near the mirror. That changes the math on replacing glass.

Replacement means recalibration

When the windshield is replaced, the camera has to be recalibrated so the car’s safety systems see the road correctly. That adds time and cost to the job, and it needs the right equipment.

A repair leaves the glass in place

A chip repair fills the break with resin. The original windshield, its seal and the camera mount all stay put, so there’s usually no calibration needed.

Catch it early

The difference between a quick repair and a replacement with calibration is often just a few days of a chip spreading. If your car has a windshield camera, it’s worth getting chips filled right away.

In many cases, yes. Here’s how it usually works and what to check on your own policy.

Glass damage is usually comprehensive coverage

A rock chip isn’t a collision. It’s typically handled under the comprehensive part of your policy, which also covers things like theft, hail and falling objects. If you only carry liability coverage, glass generally isn’t covered.

Why insurers often waive the deductible

A chip repair costs an insurer a small fraction of what a new windshield does. Paying for the repair now, often with no deductible, saves them from paying for a replacement later if the chip spreads. That’s why many policies cover repairs in full while replacements are subject to your deductible.

What to check on your policy

• Whether you have comprehensive coverage
• Your comprehensive deductible, and whether it applies to glass repair
• Whether your insurer has a dedicated glass claims line
• Whether you can choose your own repair technician

What to have ready

• Your insurance company and policy number
• Roughly when and where the damage happened
• Your vehicle’s year, make and model
• A photo of the chip

Policies vary, so confirm with your insurer before the work starts. A technician can usually help you check.

That crack of a stone hitting the glass is hard to miss. What you do in the next day or two decides whether it stays a quick repair.

Right away

1. Look at it once you’re parked. Note the size and whether any legs are running from it.
2. Cover it with clear tape. It keeps dirt and water out of the break, which helps the repair come out cleaner.
3. Take a photo with a coin next to it. It’s useful for your insurer and lets a technician confirm it’s repairable.

Until it’s fixed

• Avoid aiming the defroster or AC straight at the glass. Sudden temperature changes are what make chips run.
• Skip the car wash.
• Don’t slam the doors. The pressure change can flex the glass.
• Park in the shade when you can, especially in summer.

Don’t wait too long

A chip that’s been sitting for weeks collects dirt and moisture, and it’s more likely to have spread. Fresh chips repair best, and the repair itself usually takes about 30 minutes wherever you’re parked.

Most windshield damage starts small. Whether it can be repaired, or whether you’re looking at a new windshield, comes down to three things you can check yourself in about a minute.

1. How big is it?

Hold a coin next to the damage, including any legs running out from the center. As a rough guide:

• Smaller than a dime: almost always repairable.
• Dime to quarter size: usually repairable.
• Bigger than a quarter, or a crack longer than about six inches: often needs replacement.

2. What kind of damage is it?

• A chip or ding is a small pit, sometimes with a light halo around it.
• A bullseye is a round break with a ring around the impact point.
• A star break has short legs radiating out from the center.
• A crack is a line running across the glass. Short ones can sometimes be repaired, long ones can’t.

3. Where is it?

Damage within about two inches of the edge of the glass tends to spread and is often not repairable. Some technicians also won’t repair directly in the driver’s line of sight, because even a good repair can leave a faint mark right where you look.

Not sure?

A photo settles it. Take one straight on with a coin next to the chip and send it to a technician before booking.