Your windshield does more than keep the wind out.
Before anyone replaces it, it’s worth knowing what the glass does for you, and what changes when it comes out.
Four jobs your windshield does
- 01
Holds up the roof
In a rollover, the windshield helps keep the roof from caving in. It only does that if it stays bonded to the car.
- 02
Backs up the airbag
The passenger airbag inflates up against the windshield. The glass has to stay put for the airbag to work as designed.
- 03
Keeps people inside
Laminated glass holds together when it breaks and helps keep occupants in the car in a crash.
- 04
Carries the cameras
Lane-keep, automatic braking and adaptive cruise often rely on a camera that looks through the glass.
Side by side
| Repair | Replacement | |
|---|---|---|
| Factory seal | Stays intact | Cut out and re-glued |
| Glass | Your original windshield | New glass, often aftermarket |
| Camera recalibration | Not needed | Usually required on cars with driver-assist |
| Time | 20 to 60 minutes | Several hours plus adhesive cure time |
| Where | Your driveway, office or our shop | A glass shop, then often the dealer for calibration |
| Cost | A fraction of replacement | Often over $1,000 on cars with cameras |
About camera recalibration
Most cars built in the last several years have a forward camera mounted behind the windshield near the mirror. It reads lane lines and spots cars ahead. When the windshield is replaced, that camera usually has to be recalibrated so it sees the road correctly again.
That can mean extra cost, extra time and sometimes a separate trip to the dealership. A repair doesn’t move or cover the camera, so there’s nothing to recalibrate.
About the factory seal
At the factory, the windshield is bonded to a brand-new, clean body with controlled equipment. A replacement means cutting that bond, cleaning old adhesive off the frame, and gluing new glass in. Done well, it’s safe. But there’s no replacement that’s better than the original installation, which is why we think repair should come first whenever it’s possible.