Is windshield repair worth it?

What you save

• Money. A repair is a small fraction of the price of a new windshield. On newer cars with driver-assist cameras, replacement plus calibration often runs well over $1,000.
• Time. 20 to 40 minutes for most chips, at your home or office, and you drive away right after. A replacement can take several hours plus time for the adhesive to cure.
• Your original glass. The windshield your car came with was installed at the factory under controlled conditions. A repair keeps it; a replacement cuts it out.
• Camera recalibration. Lane-keep, automatic braking and adaptive cruise often use a camera behind the windshield. New glass usually means recalibrating it, sometimes at the dealer. A repair doesn’t touch the camera.

The honest trade-off

A repair makes the damage much less visible, but it doesn’t make it disappear. Expect a faint mark on a chip, or a thin line on a crack. If a perfectly clear windshield matters more to you than keeping the original glass, that’s a fair reason to choose a new one.

When repair makes the most sense

• The damage is fresh and hasn’t filled up with dirt.
• It’s a chip of any size, or a crack that isn’t branching all over the glass.
• Your car has a camera behind the windshield.
• You want to keep the original factory glass, for example before selling or trading in the car.

Not sure?

Text a photo of the damage. You’ll get an honest answer and an exact price before any work starts.

Related questions

Is it worth repairing a small windshield chip?

Yes. Small chips are the quickest and best-looking repairs, and filling one stops it from turning into a crack that costs more to deal with.

Does a repair affect resale value?

A repaired windshield keeps the original factory glass, which many buyers and inspectors prefer over an aftermarket replacement.

Can I use insurance?

We give you a detailed invoice you can submit to your insurance company.