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Chevy Suburban Auto Glass Prices

10 Min. Windshield Repair with Multiple Cracks

As long as the damage isn’t too extensive, a windshield repair is a great way to save money and can be completed within 5 to 15 minutes.  I recently had a friend of mine call and ask if I could fix a chip on his windshield.  Since we’re having 100+ degree temperatures this week it was important for him to get this chip fixed as soon as possible.  I told him to stop by and I would see if it was small enough to be repaired.  I have to say… this was a pretty nasty looking chip with long cracks running from the center but it was definitely repairable.

Below are the before and after photos of the windshield repair I did for my friend Keith last week.  This repair was completed within 10 minutes and kept him from spending more than $150 on a new windshield replacement.

Do you have a chip in your front windshield?

There are many highly qualified glass techs in the auto glass locator system that are available to handle your glass repair  job.  To locate a shop simply visit our search page and enter your zip code.  Afterwards a qualified technician within your area will contact you with a repair quote.  Visit AutoGlassLocator.com  now to start your search.

Written By: Shawn L.

Windshield Repair Saves Hundreds of Dollars

Image by jronaldlee via Flickr

Summer is here!
While watching the news this morning I noticed a lot of states are reaching and passing temperatures of 100 degrees.  If you live in one of these areas and you’re driving around with a chip in your windshield there’s a very good possibility that you’ll need a windshield replacement soon.  I previously explained how the heat would affect the glass in a post written on April 23rd, 2012 titled “Windshield Repair and The Summer Heat.”  This post also included tips to help protect against further damage if you’re unable to have your windshield fixed immediately.  Click here to read the April 23rd blog post.

Windshields can be expensive so save yourself some money and look into having the chip repaired.  There are 2 ways to have the chip repaired, 1 – Buy a chip repair kit and do it yourself or 2 – hire a windshield repair technician.  There are a lot of chip repair kits on the market for fixing windshields… Question is, which one is the best?  If you’re a DIY (do-it-yourself) type of person this post should help supply enough information to make a decision on how to select a kit or whether to hire a professional.

Which windshield chip repair kits are best?
I personally like and have performed repairs in the past using Tri-Glass and Delta kits and would recommend both.  These kits allowed me to perform repairs quickly and in most cases the damage was 85 to 90 percent less visible after being repaired.  I can’t say too much about consumer grade kits since I’ve only had the opportunity to test one.  However, the consumer kit I tested used a syringe injector which didn’t work too well for me and took twice as long to use as my Tri-Glass professional kit.  Knowing this, I would suggest spending the $40 to $60 to have a professional do the work unless you’re a very hands-on person with a large amount of patience.  All windshield repair kits come with instructions but the experience and speed of a professional will definitely have you back on the road in less time.  That said, If you still plan to perform your own repairs then I would suggest finding a kit that uses a screw-in plunger versus a syringe.  Windshield repair kits that use screw-in plungers seem to hold positive pressure better during the injection process and negative vacuum more consistently.

Why is the vacuum important when fixing a windshield?
During the windshield repair process the vacuum is created to help pull any air pockets out of the crack. Removing the air pockets will help the newly injected resin cure to all the edges of the chip and present a stronger less visible repair upon completion.

Will hiring a professional save you time and money?
Fixing the glass yourself will save you money but having a professional perform the work will save you time and ensure the work is done correctly.  Outside of saving time, below are some other reasons I would recommend hiring a professional.

• Professionals understand the process and can prevent crack outs from happening during the injection process.
• Professionals have fixed every type of chip and understand how much pressure to apply in order to safely complete the repair and achieve the best results.
• Most professionals will be finished within 5 to 20 minutes depending on the complexity of the damage.
• Professional windshield repair tools have better vacuum systems which will help leave a less visible and stronger repair when finished.

In the end, it doesn’t matter if you do it yourself or hire a professional.  Just be sure to have the repair before it’s too late and you end up needing a replacement.

Written By: Shawn L.

Windshield Chip Repair Kits – DIY or Hire Professionals

There are many different living expenses which surround our lives each month and one fixed expense that falls into our monthly budget is auto insurance.  If you drive a car then chances are you have auto insurance.  Automotive insurance is something we all need in order to be responsible drivers.  Keeping our monthly premium as low as possible is very important and filing a claim could potentially cause this premium to increase.  This has many of us questioning whether or not to file a claim if the cost of a repair service isn’t too much higher than our deductible.

Let’s take the cost of a windshield replacement for example.  So, how much does windshield replacement cost without insurance?  Well, this would depend on the type of vehicle you’re driving.  The costs could range from $149 on the low end to more than $1,000 dollars on the high end.  Unless you’re driving a Bentley or Ferrari it’s safe to say you will more than likely fall within the low to mid range and spend around $175 to $250 for a windshield replacement.

Research has demonstrated that the most popular windshield replacement searches taking place over the internet surround the following 7 vehicle types.
(Chevy, Buick, Ford, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and Jeep)

I’ve created a short list of average windshield prices by vehicle make and model using the information above.  The price estimates listed below do not include taxes and could be higher or lower depending on the manufacturer year of your vehicle.

• Chevy Tahoe – $175 to $225
• Chevy Impala – $190 to $215
• Buick Enclave – $340 to $375
• Honda Civic 4 Door – $220 to $225
• Ford Expedition – $235 to $250
• Toyota Forerunner (4Runner) – $169 to $190
• Ford F 150 – $180 to $212
• Nissan Murano – $180 to $199
• Jeep Wrangler 2 & 4 Door – $199 to $225

As you can see from the prices above, the cost for a windshield replacement can potentially be far less than your deductible.  However, if you have a deductible that’s less than $100 dollars then you may want to file a claim to have the work performed.  There’s also a handful of states which have laws in place to waive deductibles so be sure to check with your agent and verify what expenses you’ll be responsible for paying prior to setting up service.

In closing, I would like to go back to discussing our fixed expenses and monthly budget to answer another question I hear quite often.  Will my insurance premium go up if I file a claim to have the windshield fixed?  It’s possible.  There are shops that will tell you a claim won’t increase your premium but they’re not your agent so how do they know.  I’ve had agents explain to me that comprehensive glass claims alone won’t cause an increase in premiums but it does count towards the overall claims filed per calendar year on a policy.  So, if you’ve had other insurance claims throughout the year then filing an auto glass claim could possibly trigger an increase in your premium.  In my opinion, the only person able to definitively tell you if your premium will increase from filing a windshield claim is your agent.  Be sure to do some research prior to filing a claim that could potentially increase your fixed expenses and monthly budget.

Written By: Shawn L.

How Much Does Windshield Replacement Cost Without Insurance?

Here’s another animation from Auto Glass Locator. Please let us know if you have any funny stories related to auto glass and would like to see them turned into animations. Enjoy!

Thanks for watching.

Susie Finds A Windshield Replacement Service