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Cracked Windshields – Do You Ignore It, Repair It, Or Replace It?
So, your windshield is cracked? You clearly remember pulling up behind that eighteen wheeler truck, just waiting for an opportunity to overtake, when out of the blue a small stone hit your windshield. Of course you couldn’t go after the other driver and blame them, because after all, it wasn’t their fault there was a loose stone on the road. In truth, at this point it doesn’t really matter who is to blame – what matters is what you intend doing about it.
Of course, if the crack is only a couple of inches, you could just pretend it doesn’t exist, at least for the time being. What you need to realize though is the fact that that crack is going to get bigger with each passing day. Admittedly, this may happen very slowly, and you probably won’t see any noticeable difference from one day to the next, but leave it for a few months, or even just for a few weeks, and you’re going to be amazed at how much bigger that crack will be.
Also, unless the State you live in is an exception to the rule, driving your vehicle around with a cracked windshield is in fact illegal. That’s right, it’s illegal to have anything on or near the windshield that could potentially obstruct your view, and in the eyes of the law, cracks are considered to be obstructions.
Your second option would be windshield repair, and contrary to what you may currently believe, windshield repair doesn’t always need to be excessively costly. As with many things, the longer you leave it, the bigger that crack is going to get, and the more it’s going to cost you to have it repaired. Besides, most insurance policies cover the cost of windshield repairs, so the cost shouldn’t really be an issue. Remember, while most policies cover the cost of repairs, they don’t necessarily cover the cost of total replacements, and of course that’s what will be needed if you don’t get that crack seen to in a timely manner.
You third option would be to replace your windshield rather than having it repaired. Naturally this is the most ideal choice, but the costs are often high enough to be prohibitive for many vehicle owners. As already mentioned, windshield replacement is commonly an optional feature in terms of insurance policies, and the value of your vehicle may not be high enough to justify the higher insurance cost.
In truth, the first option discussed above shouldn’t even be considered, given that it’s not only illegal, but also potentially life threatening should the windshield implode while you’re driving. So, that leaves you with two options – repair or replace. Whichever one you chose is of course entirely up to you, but in both instances, always make a point of getting several quotes, something which can be done in a matter of minutes if you go online.