12 inch crack in windshield what do I do...

[Bompen]

Just got back from a 2,300 mile road trip, no problems until 50 miles from home in Indio, CA on the interstate 10 when a rock hit the windshield hard. When I got home I found a 12 inch crack in the windshield starting at the lower corner on the passenger side. It looks like I'll have to replace it as Chat GPT and Google say it can't be repaired and especially in California I could get ticketed for driving with that large a crack, and it is also dangerous to drive. Also says I should not have it washed in a car wash. I don't think I have free glass replacement so likely looking at $1,000 deductible payment at a minimum. Where should I take it? The dealer? A glass shop like Safelite? What do I need to watch out for in getting it replaced? What will it cost if I have to pay fully out of pocket and not use insurance? Am I looking at a long wait for the replacement windshield? Will all the electronic stuff ever be the same again after replacement? What a drag as it is a 2025 and less than six months old.

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[jkernitzki]

Start with your insurance company. I don’t know about CA, but in AZ glass coverage is mandatory.

Even if it is covered, many insurance companies won’t cover for OEM glass, instead allowing for cheaper windshields. Push for OEM.

Major glass companies should manage the sensor realignment, but your dealer is always the backstop for that.

This recent thread has some more info: https://www.broncosportforum.com/forum/threads/should-i-go-with-factory-oem-windshield-replacement-or-aftermarket.15782/

You can also Google along the lines of “cost to replace windshield 2025 bronco sport”.

 

[Escape2Bronco]

You can’t fix a crack. Only a chip. Most dealers don’t replace windshields or they bring in a third party. My father worked for Car Lite and my brother owned an auto glass store so I do have a fair bit of experience or knowledge on the subject. If you can find a good local installer, I’d go with them. They’ll put in any glass you want. Most insurance will push you towards Safelite as it’s cheaper for them. Safelite can be ok but they tend to churn through employees so they have less skin in the game. The quality of the install then can vary. All windshields have to pass a government mandated standard so there isn’t really a bad windshield as far as safety. Much depends on the ratio of old vs new glass used in the process. My brother prefers more old glass but just says it’s better. PPG outside Wichita Falls TX has mountains of old glass stored outside. OEM glass will get you the little Bronco Easter eggs. Others will not.

 

[Brent@ANParts]

Unfortunately there was nothing you could have done, unless you very clearly saw a rock chip and had a repair kit handy. I actually keep one on me (live in AZ so super common). Out of pocket will likely be more than your deductible. I miss the days of $200 window replacements!

 

[AndyC362]

Once a chip moved beyond roughly dime sized it's no longer repairable and crack can never be repaired. As mentioned, I would confirm if you had auto glass with your insurance company. It would probably be cheaper to go with Safelite but I would insist on OEM which will cost more but probably less then a dealer.

Based on the boxy style of these sports they have a very upright windshield and they are prone to glass damage so I would get glass coverage through your insurance as soon as you get this repaired, it will likely save you more headaches down the road.

 

[Glamdring70]

Get a quote first. Ask the glass company if they have an uninsured rate. If you can get the work done for anything $1200 or less, I would not call the insurance company at all. Sure, they would cover the extra $200, but I guarantee those leeches would suck it out of you at renewal. Then if you wanted to add glass coverage, they'll really put the screws to you.

 

[TheX]

Get a quote first. Ask the glass company if they have an uninsured rate. If you can get the work done for anything $1200 or less, I would not call the insurance company at all. Sure, they would cover the extra $200, but I guarantee those leeches would suck it out of you at renewal. Then if you wanted to add glass coverage, they'll really put the screws to you.

My insurers don't treat me like that.

 

[incavulator]

I just had two chips/cracks repaired. The first one was a non-Bronco Sport about a month ago. The results were AMAZING! You almost can't see where it was chipped/cracked. It just looks like a very small bug splatter. The initial chip had two small cracks starting to spread from the center. The overall diameter of the chip and cracks was less than the size of a quarter.

A couple weeks later, I had a rock hit the BS and leave a chip! This time, it started to spread right away. I called the same company that did such a good job of fixing the non-Bronco Sport. To my disappointment, they said it couldn't be fixed. They claimed it would need a new windshield. I decided to get a windshield, and since I had good luck with Safelite in the past, I called them (NOT the same company that fixed the chip). I told them I wanted OEM glass. They initially told me my insurance wouldn't cover OEM glass and asked if I wanted to pay an extra $125 for OEM out of pocket. I said yes. After a couple calls to my insurance company, it was confirmed I DO have OEM coverage at no additional cost. The $125 additional cost for OEM glass was waived.

After thinking about it some more, I called Safelite back and told them please come with a chip repair kit. If they could fix the chip, I'd rather go that route than replacing the windshield. The location of the chip was very low and not at all in my line of sight, and the two or three cracks that had started were about an inch and a half to two inches long each. The tech arrived and said he was willing to try to fix it and if I wasn't happy with it, we'd just go forward with the replacement since he had it on the truck. He used a automatic center punch and added new "chips" at the end of each crack, to stop them from spreading. Then he used his crack repair system to fill the original chip and each of the new cracks that extended from the original chip. The results were NOT as good as the repair I had done on the other vehicle, BUT it's still barely noticeable (just 3 little bug splatters and if you catch the light JUST right, you can occasionally see a glimpse of the cracks). Since I figure it will probably happen again in a less convenient spot, I decided to live with this solution for now instead of paying the $250 deductible for the new windshield. For the record, my insurance waives the deductible for all chip/crack repairs ($0 cost to me for both vehicles), AND if the chip repair ever fails or I ever decide I don't like it, Safelite will come back out and replace the windshield and apply the cost of the original chip repair to the windshield replacement cost (presumably to the insurance company's portion and not my deductible).

I hope someone finds this helpful.

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