Don't Get Your Windshield Chip Repaired Here…read more
Don't let the lower price fool you. Spend a little more and get your windshield chip repaired professionally.
My initial quote was $65 for a repair that would take approximately 30 minutes. I agreed to the price and brought my vehicle to the shop. An assistant started the repair, and although I'm no expert, I noticed there was no attempt to wipe down the area or remove any dust around the chip. I figured maybe that was normal, so I let him proceed.
He drilled into the chip, which I understand is a standard part of the process. However, when he attached the injector bridge with the suction cup, it was clearly not adhering properly to the windshield. Throughout the process, I watched the suction cup repeatedly come loose and move around, making me question whether it was maintaining a proper seal. He also used a lighter to heat the glass from underneath, assuring me that this was normal procedure.
He eventually applied the filler resin, covered it with clear curing film, and scraped it off after about a minute. The entire repair took approximately six minutes, excluding the curing time. The result? Absolutely no visible improvement. The star-shaped crack looked exactly the same as it did when I arrived.
I talked to the owner afterwards to express my concerns. He told me that sometimes a chip repair looks the same even after the repair is completed. I'm not a professional, but I would expect the work area to be cleaned properly and reasonable precautions to be taken to prevent contamination during the repair.
To his credit, the owner offered me a refund, which was appreciated. Looking back, I probably should have accepted it. However, I wanted the chip repaired, so I gave him an opportunity to fix it himself.
While he worked on it, I researched whether a failed resin repair could be corrected. I learned that once resin has cured inside a chip, attempting another repair can be difficult because the existing resin may prevent additional resin from properly penetrating the damaged area.
After approximately 12 minutes, including about eight minutes of curing time, the second attempt actually made the windshield look worse. The additional drilling left what now looks like a tiny, pen-tip-sized white hole in the glass.
This entire experience was frustrating and a waste of both time and money. Although the owner initially offered a refund, I believe he should have carefully assessed the damage before attempting a second repair, especially after the first attempt had failed to produce any visible improvement.
UPDATE: reached out to Jay and he refused to provide me with a refund on his botched repair.
