Rock Chip or Crack: Repair or Replace Your Windshield?

Damage that can usually be repaired

A repair fills the damage with clear resin that bonds the glass back together, stops it from spreading, and makes it much less visible. It keeps your original windshield and factory seal, takes less than an hour, and costs far less than a replacement.

• Chips and bullseyes smaller than a quarter
• Star breaks and combination breaks of a similar size
• Single cracks shorter than about 6 inches
• Damage outside the driver's direct line of sight
• Damage at least a couple of inches from the edge of the glass

When you need a new windshield

Your windshield helps hold up the roof in a rollover and gives the passenger airbag something to push against, so damage that weakens it should be replaced, not patched.

• Cracks longer than about 6 inches
• Damage directly in front of the driver, where a repair could leave distortion
• Cracks that reach the edge of the windshield
• Several chips or cracks in one windshield
• Damage that goes through both layers of glass

Why Arizona makes chips spread

Glass expands in the heat and shrinks when it cools. A windshield that sits in the sun all afternoon and then gets a blast of cold A/C goes through a big temperature swing, and that stress pulls on the edges of a chip. Monsoon storms and rough roads add more. That's why a chip that looked harmless in the morning can be a long crack by the drive home.

Until you can get it repaired, park in the shade when you can, ease into the A/C and defroster instead of blasting them, and avoid slamming the doors.

What it costs

A chip repair costs a fraction of a new windshield, and many insurance companies cover it with no deductible because it saves them from paying for a replacement later. If your windshield does need replacing, Arizona drivers with full glass coverage often pay nothing out of pocket.