Safelite Windshield Chip ... ahem ... repair?

[airforce1]

Okay folks, guess I've lived a charmed life and never had to deal with a stone chip repair on my windshield and need your expertise and feedback.

I got one on a trip back from Michigan and called my insurance company to see if they covered it. They waived the deductible and made the appointment for me at the local Safelite. The chip was very small (about size of dime). This was the end result?

I always thought the proper way to repair the chip was to drill out the hole to clear out the cracked facets and then fill with resin.

I argued with the manager and three technicians at the store and they said all they do is "smooth" out the chip with resin to make it structurally sound and that they do not ever drill the hole out. Of course they said they could replace the whole windshield if I wasn't satisfied, but I'd have to pay my deductible.

To me, it looks no better than the original chip and even a little worse because of the resin rings. The large circle and some of the lines leading out from the center are actually just resin and not part of the small original chip.

Should I complain to my insurance company or is this a normal repair?

Thanks in advance!

 

[nevada]

ive never had one repaired either...

that said, I don't think that crack/chip qualified for a repair. I believe that windshield should have been replaced.

also, ive never heard of them drilling into it either. they just fill the void with resin. the idea is to prevent the glass from cracking out from the chip.

 

[ebg18t]

Call the insurance company and tell them it is obstructing your view in the sunlight and you need it replaced. My wife just had the same issue with their resin fill for a crack. Once I called the insurance company safelight arranged for a new wind shield later that week.

 

[Lolrax]

That one right there is too dire for chip repair. That's gonna need a replacement.

 

[airforce1]

The pictures are a little deceiving as they are blown up a bit so just to clarify ... the original chip was the size of a dime. The large circle and lines you see around the center are actually the resin. I'll probably call the insurance company Monday and send them the pictures anyway. Frustrating.

 

[eddiebx]

It's hard to tell from your picture, but did the crack only compromise the outer layer of the glass or the inner layer too? I think a dime sized spider crack like that should've been able to be repaired if it was only the outer layer that cracked. I've repaired a few about that size with one of those cheap DIY kits and the results turned out much better than what you posted.

Based on my unprofessional opinion, it actually seems like they didn't force the resin into the crack properly...if it was forced all the way in the crackly looking areas would pretty much vanish. Also, that big ring seems like left over resin on the outside? If you scratch it with you finger nail does it catch? If so it should be much flatter than that.

You can see what I am talking about in their own advertisement video, lol



I would try and call another Safelite place that's more friendly and see what they say? Hopefully they can scrape off the resin and try again, good luck!

 

[airforce1]

Thanks eddiebx ... that commercial might help me out. As you can see, it's far from "almost invisible" as they claim.

 

[hearno]

Lmao that commercial was all computers. That repair is on par with others I've seen done.

 

[philsey]

I've had chips repaired twice in the past, about dime-sized. Don't remember who did them, but afterwards they were nearly invisible.

Yours may have different circumstances, but it sure looks like shoddy work to me. Agree, call your insurance company.

 

[calcrc]

There is no repair for that size of crack.

Sorry but check with your insurance and a replacement price. If it is cheaper to pay from your pocket do it and say nothing to your insurance company
( which will go higher even if they say it won't )

Unless they have a new technology from 3015 then do it but I don't think we are there yet.

On that note has anyone heard about the Gorilla Glass they want to input on cars in the near future ? Like the screen from the S3.

They are in the prototype mode or something like that atm.

 

[2013Trail]

Lmao that commercial was all computers. That repair is on par with others I've seen done.

That repair is hardly on par with anything except shoddy work. I've had numerous chip repairs done on a number of vehicles that I've owned over the years. If done properly, most of the cracks should be invisible. And even on the bigger cracks, the resin fills most of the damaged area leaving only a small spot visible.

In any case, what resin is on there will hopefully prevent the crack from running.

 

[ImOnAPlain51]

The pictures are a little deceiving as they are blown up a bit so just to clarify ... the original chip was the size of a dime. The large circle and lines you see around the center are actually the resin. I'll probably call the insurance company Monday and send them the pictures anyway. Frustrating.

Back in college I worked at a carwash/detail shop, we had a glass company onsite that fixed rock chips all the time. I helped them out quite a bit. If it was the size of a dime, it should have been able to been fixed pretty well. It will not make the chip invisible, but should have made it look much better. Also, getting a rock chip "fixed" doesn't mean it absolutely won't spread. With our company, if it spread all they would do is refund your money. We would always drill into the glass and then use the resin. I dunno if thats changed in the last 8-10 yrs since I worked at the carwash.

 

[Misterquad]

I had one chip repaired several years back. I watched the tech. It did not seem to complicated. So next time I bought the Permatex windshield repair kit for about $12 at Autozone. I have done about 4 or 5 chips now. I noticed that over a day of curing in the sun the look improves and they mostly disappear. But none of mine looked that bad to start.

 

[eddiebx]

Lmao that commercial was all computers. That repair is on par with others I've seen done.

lol well yeah but that wasn't the point, I was trying to show him how the resin is injected into the crack and how it should spill into the cracks more than what he ended up with. Once the resin fills the voids between the two glass layers it's pretty much invisible from a few feet away.

 

[buchaja]

I've got one on my truck that I think was a slightly shoddy repair, but it looks way better that that. I watched the technician do it, and the last step was smoothing it even with the surface of the glass with a razor blade. You can't feel (or see) a difference between it and the windshield.

In my opinion, you need to let the insurance company know. I think it needs re-doing, and maybe by another company this time.

 

[aulen]

I think it needs re-doing, and maybe by another company this time.

and if it can't be repaired properly because of the bad repair job, it should be replaced - with no extra cost to you (I.e. no deductable)

 

[Rubberdown]

F safelite in the A. Don't ever use them. Ever. They will damage your car and then drag out repairing it 3 times for almost eight months including damage to the paint and body of your 4runner. Ask me how I know. Binswanger did my tundra in 2 hours with zero issues. For half the price.

 

[StevieG]

Newbie, same problem....

My new 4Runner's windshield had a rock chip that needed repair. Noticed the chip this morning, scheduled repair for after work today.

Used service provided my insurance company recommended.

Windshield was scratched during repair. Now I have a repaired rock chip & three to four light scratches about 3" long on one side of the repair. Apparently this damage was caused by a razor blade used to remove excess sealant. It is barely noticable, except in direct sunlight it creates a glare. It is in line of sight of the driver as well, otherwise I would not be concerned at all, out of sight out of mind!

I pointed out the damage and they tried to buff out the scratches unsuccessfully.

They have offered to replace my windshield with OEM glass. My concern is breaking the factory seal, possible leaks, & further damage to vehicle during installation. This is a brand new vehicle with just over 1200 miles, I am not a happy camper.

What would you do, replace glass or just let it go?

 

[propain]

They have offered to replace my windshield with OEM glass.

Replace with OEM. I had that done to mine, truck only had a few hundred miles. No issues after replacing.

 

[TBBrewer]

Chip repairs

We've had several windshield chips repaired on other rigs, and the last one was a biggy. But I've never seen a repair as badly done as that one. If properly done, you never notice them, and they never spread either. - Ted