Cracked/Chipped Windshield: Repair vs Replace, 6 Key Factors & 5 Must Know!

Cracked Windshield? Don’t panic! This in-depth guide helps you decide between repair & replacement. Learn about laminated glass, crack size, DIY repair (use with caution!), and more. Plus, 5 things to know about windshield replacement, including mobile services & insurance. Watch to save money and keep your vision clear!

When you have a chipped or cracked windshield, the first thing you may be thinking about is the cost and the insurance. You may think your comprehensive insurance deductible is too high to replace the windshield. But not necessarily – your auto glass coverage may have a much smaller deductible. The second question you will probably have is whether it can be repaired or whether the whole thing must be replaced. This video is going to give you a complete picture and discuss everything you need to know, 6 things to know for repair and 5 things to know for replacement. You will see a windshield repair technique, drilling a hole to stop the growth of the cracks, that failed in this instance. We will also discuss the size of the chips or cracks, the depth of the damage, and the structural integrity issues with a cracked windshield.

If you decide to use epoxy resin to repair the cracks you should watch my previous videos of both success and failures with very useful tips:

1. This video of my successful attempt has 425,000 views: https://youtu.be/i5960A7u15k

I also failed to repair the windshield crack twice earlier, see previous fails:

2. Windshield crack repair experiment 1 : https://youtu.be/DOrI3sXPmCU
3. Windshield crack repair experiment 2 : https://youtu.be/BsuLtR74L9M

Timestamp
0:0 overview
0:26 1. laminated glass
0:57 2. Size matters.
1:23 3. to drill a hole to stop growth of cracks
2:18 growth of cracks
2:51 hard to predict crack
3:14 finally one hole working
3:38 4. depth of the damage
4:04 5. structural integrity
4:23 6. cracks gradually spread & stress
4:50 to replace 5 things you should know
5:00 1. auto glass deductible insurance , comprehensive
5:21 2. non-OEM parts & EZ-Kool
5:43 test EZ-Kool glass with phone app
6:22 compare reading EZ-Kool vs regular glass
6:48 3. mobile windshield glass replacement
7:00 4. 8-step replacement process
7:10 a) b) c) Remove wiper blades, weather strips, rear view mirror, trim, windshield
7:21 d) e) Clean, Prepare new glass, add molding, Apply urethane
7:35 g) fit windshield h) Reinstall old wiper blades …
7:50 5. insurance company, glass shop and warranty

Chipped or cracked windshield: 6 things to know for repair & 5 things for replacement