Have you ever been driving down the highway and all of a sudden, hear a sharp pinging noise on your car’s windshield? It’s likely that a rock or piece of debris has flown up and hit the glass (we’re looking at you, I-4) and it’s also likely that if it hit hard enough, it did some damage. Worst case, you may have a cracked windshield on your hands.
However, as much of an inconvenience as a cracked windshield may be, you don’t have to stress about it too much. Here are tips from Toyota of Orlando’s Collision Center on how to deal with this auto repair situation.
How soon do you have to deal with a cracked windshield?
You may be tempted to not deal with a cracked windshield right away - what’s a few days or even weeks, anyway? After all, your car will be out of commission for the time that it takes to get it fixed.
Don’t give in to this temptation.
There are two reasons why you should address a cracked windshield immediately. First, it’s actually illegal to drive with a cracked windshield in the state of Florida because it’s a danger to both you AND other drivers. In fact, if a police officer pulls you over and the crack is bad enough, they can force you to have the car towed to a repair shop, adding extra expenses to the situation.
Second, no matter how big or small the crack is, the bottom line is it has compromised your windshield’s structural integrity. This means the glass isn’t as strong as it should be and if you were to get into an accident, collision, or even hit bad weather, it could crack worse, break, or even blow in on you and your passengers. A cracked windshield is a liability no matter how you frame it.
Here’s the good news, though - it won’t cost much (or even anything) to fix a cracked windshield in the state of Florida. Auto insurance companies in the great Sunshine State are required to replace a cracked windshield with zero deductible… i.e., for free. We’re talking no cost to you!
So if you find yourself with a cracked windshield on your hands, what should you do? Here are the steps our Orlando Toyota Collision Center recommends taking.
Report the crack to your car insurance company so they can start a claim. Like we said, it’ll be at no cost to you, but they still need to document it and have an active claim to be able to replace or repair it.
Decide whether you need your windshield repaired or replaced. Oftentimes a repair company can just fix the glass to ensure it’s structurally sound, but you might be able to still see the crack or chip in the glass. If this is a problem or repair just isn’t an option, then you’ll need to have the glass replaced entirely. Either way, your auto insurance company should cover it for you.
Schedule a time and date and then get back out on the road!
Let Toyota of Orlando help you get back out on the road
Have more questions about cracked windshields and auto glass repair? Call us - Toyota of N Orlando’s body shop is open seven days a week at (407) 298-6006!