to fix or not to fix a windshield chip?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by ALoLA, Jun 17, 2004.

  1. ALoLA

    ALoLA New Member

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    They day before yesterday, I got behind a truck while transitioning from the southbound 605 to the westbound 10 when it kicked up a rock that chipped my windshield! Fortunately, the chip is pretty small (about 2-3 mm in dia.) and very low on the windshield, just above the wiperblades. It's not very deep either, but it's whitish in the middle, which makes it noticeable, if you know where to look. There are no radiating cracks as welll. So is this something I should repair with one of those kits from the auto parts store, or just ignore? I'm just worried that I might make it worse. :oops:
     
    #1 ALoLA, Jun 17, 2004
  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Most times your insurance will pay, with no deductible, to have it professionally repaired. And YES, absolutely get it fixed or by the end of summer you may have a very large crack and be buying a new windshield....I don't even wanna think about how much that'll cost. :|
     
    #2 efusco, Jun 17, 2004
  3. mdacmeis

    mdacmeis Member

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    Agree. Have it fixed now, before dirt gets into the chip area and makes it harder to fill. Temperature swings from hot sun and rain or winter type weather will cause the laminated glass to expand and contract, likely resulting in a crack that will require replacement, not repair. The glass shops use a vacuum system to get very effective fills. You might be surprised how well they can fill in most chips.
     
    #3 mdacmeis, Jun 18, 2004
  4. aarons12

    aarons12 New Member

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    ditto the above. i'm an independent insurance agent. the fixes work, at least as far as preventing cracks, and that's all you really want. eventually you might get a few more and have to have it done, but they are too common now to change the windshield every time but the potential for spreading is too great to leave them alone
     
    #4 aarons12, Jun 18, 2004
  5. priusist

    priusist New Member

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    I also have a 1 inch scratch on my winshileld. Don't know how I got this. Just found it a week or two after I got my car. Should I go for the insurance for complete replacement? Will that increase my premium in future?
     
    #5 priusist, Dec 27, 2004
  6. Batavier

    Batavier Member

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    I'm not sure how things are arranged for US insurances, but over here you can get chips and large (deep) scratches repaired for free. It's included in the insurance, because it prevents the windshield from completely craccking. And that's pretty expensive, the windshield for my previous car (a fairly common Peugeot 206) cost somewhere between EUR 600 and EUR 700....
     
    #6 Batavier, Dec 28, 2004
  7. paprius4030

    paprius4030 My first Prius

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    I had good luck in the past with windshield repairs using the Novus method. Look in your phone book and see if anybody in your area is a Novus dealer. And most insurance companies will pay for the repair and waive the deductible
     
    #7 paprius4030, Dec 28, 2004
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