Hi Everyone,


Last week, I found two chips in my windshield on my 13 es300h. Not sure how they got there but they are both smaller than a quarter.


Took the car to Lexus and they repaired the windshield but you can still see the marks from where the chips were.


Lexus told me that since the chips were on the passenger side and didn't block the driver's vision, the windshield didn't need to replaced.


Has anyone had their windshield repaired? How long did it last? Is there any reason to have the windshield replaced except for cosmetic reasons?


Thanks.

 

Lexus is correct. You can fix windshield chips, not just on the passenger side, but anywhere on the windshield as long as its not in the driver's line of sight.

Fixing is not the best term to describe the work. The repair doesn't really fix it, it just basically injects some glue resin to keep the crack from spreading. Some cracks can be filled nicely. Some you will still be able to see the crack but nevertheless the glue is doing its work.

The repair should last forever. But every crack is different so its not 100%.

 

The repair is likely to last well, but, unfortunately, when that kind of repair is done, the likely result is that it will end up looking like a bug squished on the windshield.

Years ago, I had a similar repair done. Because I wasn't happy with the "squished bug" look, I made my case with the insurance company that, even though it wasn't directly in my line of sight, I still found it to be distracting, and they agreed to replace the windshield. Since I have a $0 deductible on my comprehensive insurance, it worked out well. If I had had a $250 or $500 deductible, I'm not sure whether I would have chosen to replace the windshield and pay the deductible.

 

Thank you. I have a $250 deductible on my plan. I think for now I may hold off but don't like bug squashes . Lexus also told me that it wouldn't have any affect on the trade value guess they would replace the windshield then if they had to.

 

I'm not sure that I buy what Lexus told you about it not affecting the trade value. I know that, if I were looking to buy a used car and if one that I was considering had a windshield with the squished bug look, it would cause me to look elsewhere. While some potential buyers might not be as particular as I am, there are many who would be as particular as I am, and I can't imagine that a used car manager wouldn't take that into consideration when appraising a car as a potential trade-in. It might not have a major effect on the trade-in value, but I would be surprised if it didn't have some effect.

 

You just have to be careful that you get the original Lexus windshield, and not the stuff from Speedy auto glass. Also I would be concerned about leaks if the job is not done right. Plus the auto wipers will have to be adjusted.