Buying a Used Car with a Chipped or Cracked Windshield

You found the right used car. The color is right, the miles are fair, and the seller seems honest. Then you sit in the driver’s seat and see a crack in the glass, or a chip you can feel with your fingernail. Do you walk away?

Not necessarily. A damaged windshield is one of the more fixable problems on a used car, and it is a fair thing to bring up when you talk price. But you should know what you are looking at before you talk. This guide covers what to check, what to ask, and how to turn a chip or crack into a number you can use.

Look at the glass the right way

Most buyers glance at the windshield from the outside, in the parking lot, in the glare. That is the worst way to see damage. Here is a better way.

First, look from the driver’s seat with your head in your normal driving spot. Cracks and chips that sit in your line of sight matter more than ones on the passenger side, because they can leave a blemish right where your eyes go, even after a good repair. Our page on damage in your line of sight explains why.

Second, look at the glass at an angle with the sun behind you, and then again from outside with a flashlight if you can. Run your fingertip over any chip. If you feel a dent or a rough spot, there is a break in the outer layer. Check whether there are small lines running out from it. Those lines are called legs, and they are a sign it may spread.

Third, look at the edges of the glass. A crack that touches the edge of the windshield is almost always a replacement, even if it is short. See edge cracks. A crack longer than about three inches has also run too far to hold a repair, so plan on replacement. See long cracks.

Fourth, look at the whole surface for tiny pits. A hazy windshield that scatters headlights at night is worn out, and it cannot be repaired. Our page on pitted windshields and glare covers it.

Count the chips, too. A chip repair with us is a flat $85 for up to 3 chips on the same windshield, with mobile service included. With more than 3 chips, we usually recommend replacement.

Ask the seller direct questions

A seller who knows the history will tell you. One who does not will shrug. Both answers are useful. Ask:

• How long has the damage been there?
• Did a rock cause it, or did something else, like a hit from a ladder or a heat crack?
• Has the windshield been replaced before? By whom?
• Has an insurance claim been filed for it?
• Does the car have a camera behind the windshield, for lane or braking systems?

That last question matters more than you might think. Many newer cars have driver assist features that use a camera mounted at the glass. An advisory from IIHS, reprinted by Safelite, says most manufacturers recommend recalibrating those sensors after a windshield replacement. If the car has them, a replacement is not only the glass. It can include a calibration step. We do not do calibration. If your vehicle needs it after a windshield replacement, we refer it to the dealer, because manufacturers recommend dealer calibration and makers call for a controlled indoor space. Our page on camera recalibration explains more. When you price the glass, ask whether this car needs it, and add the dealer’s side to your math.

If the seller says “it has never been a problem,” do not stop there. Ask whether a warning light or a driver assist message has ever come on.

Eyeing a used car with a damaged windshield? Send us a photo of the glass and the VIN for a free replacement estimate before you make an offer. We come to your home or work once the car is yours. Get a free quote

Check the paper trail and the car

A windshield is one piece of a car’s history. Do not let it distract you from the rest.

The Federal Trade Commission says it is always a good idea to pay an independent mechanic to inspect a used car before you buy. It points out that a mechanical inspection differs from a safety inspection, which usually checks only for things that make a car unsafe to drive. The FTC also says to ask the mechanic for a written report with a repair estimate, and to use that estimate to bargain on the price. If a dealer will not allow an outside inspection, the FTC suggests thinking about another dealer.

Add the windshield to that report. Ask the mechanic to note any chips, cracks and signs of past replacement, and to tell you whether any warning lights are on.

You should also run the car’s VIN through a history check. The Department of Justice runs NMVTIS, which provides information about a vehicle’s title, odometer data and certain damage history. The same page points to the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s free database, which you can search by VIN for flood damage and other information. A history report does not replace an inspection, but it can warn you about a car with a bad past.

Keep the glass in proportion. Look at the whole car, not just the part that bugs you.

Price the glass before you talk price

This is where you can save yourself some grief. Before you make an offer, get a real estimate for the glass.

For a chip, the number is simple. A flat $85 covers up to 3 chips on the same windshield, with mobile service included. You can read how we handle repairs on our windshield repair page.

For a replacement, the number depends on the vehicle, and we need the VIN to give you one. One vehicle can have up to about 15 windshield versions depending on its option package, so a quote without the VIN is a guess. Ask the seller for the VIN and text it to us with a picture of the damage. We give a free estimate by vehicle. See our pricing page for how it works, and our page on windshield replacement.

Now you have a number. Take that number to the seller. The FTC advises using an inspection’s repair estimate to negotiate the price, and a glass estimate works the same way. You can say, “The glass will cost me this much to fix. Can we adjust the price?” It is a fair, calm conversation, and it is much stronger than “I think it needs work.”

A few things to keep in mind when you do this:

• If the car is priced low because of the glass, the seller may already have counted it. Ask.
• If the windshield is the only flaw you can find, that is a good sign for the rest of the car.
• If the seller will not move at all, you can still decide it is worth it, now that you know the real cost.

Understand “as is” before you sign

Dealers in the U.S. have to post a Buyers Guide on every used car. The FTC says it shows whether the car is sold “as is” or with a warranty. An “as is” sale means the dealer will not pay for problems after the sale, so you carry the risk. Private sellers do not have to use the Buyers Guide, and cars sold by individuals are typically sold as is, so a private sale makes your own inspection matter even more.

What does this mean for glass? If you buy a car with a chip or crack “as is,” the damage is yours. If the seller says “I’ll fix it after you buy,” get that in writing. The FTC notes that spoken promises are hard to enforce. If you buy from a dealer and they agree to replace the windshield, ask that it be on the Buyers Guide and in your contract, and ask which glass they will use and who will install it. See our post on how to choose an auto glass company for the questions to ask whoever does the work.

If you are financing, add the windshield to your total cost. Some buyers would rather have the dealer take a little off the price and fix the glass themselves, so they can choose the shop and the glass. That is a fair way to do it, and it puts you in charge of the choice.

Safe and legal: do not drive away with a hazard

A used car with a chip you can repair is a car you can drive while you plan the fix. A used car with a long crack or damage right in front of the driver is different. It may not be safe to drive. Our page on whether it is safe and legal to drive with a cracked windshield in Georgia walks through what we know. If you are not sure, ask us or ask the seller to arrange a safe way to get the car home.

Keep in mind that heat makes it worse. Georgia summers can be hard on glass. A car with a small chip that sits in a hot lot all afternoon, then gets blasted with cold air, can end up with a longer crack by the time you get it home to Cumming or Dawsonville. If you buy a car with a chip, call us before the next hot afternoon or rainstorm. Our post on the first day after a rock chip covers what to do in the meantime.

When you buy near home

If you shop in Forsyth County, Gainesville or around Buford, you will find a lot of used cars with miles on them from GA-400 and I-85. Many of them have a chip or two. That is normal. The thing that matters is whether you know the cost before you sign.

Here is a short plan.

1. Look at the glass from the driver’s seat, then from outside.
2. Ask the seller about history, claims and past replacement.
3. Have an independent mechanic inspect the car and run a VIN history check.
4. Get a glass estimate from us, with the VIN and a photo.
5. Use that number to talk price, and get any promises in writing.

A chipped or cracked windshield is a fixable thing. Handle it as a known cost and it stops being a reason to walk away. We are happy to give you the number. We come to your home or work, we install OEM, OEE and aftermarket glass so you can choose, and our workmanship warranty lasts for the life of the vehicle. Read the details on our guarantee page.