If you drive your vehicle with any regularity, you can expect at some point that it will be marred with unsightly blemishes. Usually these occur through no fault of your own. Whether its a ding on your door, courtesy of the careless driver parked next to you, or a small rock hurtled at your windshield from the back of a construction truck, no one is immune to these little accidents. As they say, life happens.

Whether people choose to repair these imperfections or not is another story. Not everyone feels the need to keep their vehicle in pristine condition. A dent here or a scratch there generally doesn’t bother most people. Fair enough.

However, when it comes to the condition of your vehicle’s glass, you shouldn’t delay in getting it fixed.

Not only does Warrenton Auto provide comprehensive mechanical service and body work, we also handle glass repair and replacement.

Cracks that can usually be repaired:

• Star Break: Short radial cracks coming off a point of impact
• Bulls-eye: Circular damage
• Partial Bulls-eye: Damage that is not completely circular
• Crack chip: Single crack size of a quarter
• Ding: Same as a crack chip
• Pit: Small piece of glass missing

If you choose to disregard those ugly little cracks for too long, you run the risk of increasing the damage. What was once a an easy repair can eventually develop into a bigger problem. This can mean a larger out-of-pocket expense for you in the long run.

Damages that cannot usually be repaired and must be replaced:

• On the inside of the windshield
• Damage through to both layers of glass
• Damage that is over a rain sensor, internal radio antenna
• Damages that are in the driver’s view
• Complex multiple cracks
• Contaminated cracks
• Edge cracks and chips
• Very long cracks

Ignoring damaged glass potentially puts you and your vehicle’s occupants at risk. Windshields are a safety feature designed to protect you upon impact; they comprise a large surface area. If the glass is already weakened heading into an accident, you will not be properly protected.

You can read more about it here.

http://www.angieslist.com/articles/why-replacing-damaged-windshield-important.htm

Depending on the size and placement of the damage—and how it obstructs your view of the road—you also run the risk of being ticketed by the Virginia State Police.

Too busy to come in? We’ll come to you, just give us a call.

Whether it’s minor or severe, we suggest having your vehicle assessed right away. Repairs for minor chips or cracks can usually be handled in short order. We’ll fix the problem and get you back on the road.

Please let us know if you have any questions regarding the upkeep of your vehicle.