Crack in Windshield?

A car in front of me threw a piece of gravel or a rock onto my windshield while on my way home today. I have a 4" crack extending from the bottom of the wndshield, center of the driver's side windshield wiper. Can I fix this myself or do I have to call Safelite?

 

oh yea get it fixed, it could get much worse

 

If the crack is smaller then a dollar bill safelite may be able to fix it. I would first look into a repair vs a new windshield.

 

Another vote to give the Safelite repair a try first, if it is not already too large. That is IF your insurance company is like a lot of them and offer this free with the deductable waived. Nothing to lose, if it comes back later you can pursue getting a replacement.

 

Most insurance co cover glass replacement. My second one has a crack in my 2011. Here is what I have been told by a glass expert this man owned a huge glass company. Every Toyota I have had suffered the same cracks right near the wipers were talking about 6 of them. He said that MB had the same issues of cracking and the problem is where they are hit. The spot where the windshields crack has no give you never see them cracked in the middle the fix they used was to put a strip of air craft tape (same plastic that's on the rear fender edge) in the lower part of the glass just about to the top of where the wipers stop. This makes sense to me and it will be installed when the new glass is, worth a try I sure have been through a lot of glass.

 

Safelite. Depending on how much you are willing to pay, they can go from the cheapest made in China glass (which seems fine, just thinner maybe) to oem. If it's covered by insurance, you'd go with most expensive. I believe some states requires car insurance companies to provide windshield replacement with 0 deductible.

The tacoma windshield seems to crack or chip very easily. I've only had the truck not even 5 years and I have 2 chips already. Compared to my 20 year old minivan windshield that can take hits from small gravel without getting any damage.

 

Glass is glass the only thing it can be is thinner. The lower part of the glass is where it fits tight to the body work over the years I have had the glass take hits every where the only time it cracks is when it's hit low there is no give to the glass at that point my VW was the same way only time it cracked was when it was hit low just below the wipers.

 

If it's in the drivers view, no auto glass company will attempt it. Against the law.

 

I've broken my windshield in that location 3 times in one year

 

Craigslist, $120 installed

 

My BIL is a body shop guy and he said to use PPG. He had the glass replaced in a Honda and it was some cheap crap and had waves in it. The windshield wipers did not work well at all.

 

I got a chip with a small crack in my windshield and went to walmart and picked up a self repair kit for about 10 dollars. It worked and no one can tell it was ever cracked or chipped.

 

Lots of good info in here. Safelite claims if it fits under a dollar bill, they may can repair it. I just had mine "repaired" through my insurance by interstate glass. Their rule was if it fit under a business card. Neither one of these companies would repair it if it was within line ofo site. It had to be pretty much around an edge otherwise it would be a replacement. If it can be repaired, run it by your insurance company as most will waive the deductible, and won't raise rates, if you go through them versus safelite directly.

 

I used to be "naga" cert. Fixed many of "chipped" windshields.
If you live in an area where temps fluctuate, trust me..just get the glass replaced.
You will be doing it soon after the repair anyway.

lol. Unfortunately, not many questions.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/137311-ask-certified-glass-installer.html

 

lets face it it pays to have glass coverage

 

My insurance pays for it so in my case if the crack is out of my line of sight I leave it until the pitting from the rest of the road debris has beat the glass up. A big enemy of glass here in Maine is sand.

 

Yeah, but eventually it stops. I had one for a year that ended up about 12-15 inches. Eventually another chip appeared on a different part of the windshield and I said screw it.

Unfortunately, if it happens more than a few months previously, your insurance may not cover it .. (bastards)

 

^^^^^^