New Camaro + cracked windshield = kick in the nuts

[oakaro68]

Just bought my 2011 camaro 2SS M6 to match my 1968 camaro orange with white stripes last week on Tuesday. I've had the car for 10 days.

I was on my way to work this morning and a rock flew up from the lane to the left of me and cracked my windshield; in fact, it's spreading into 3 different cracks.


I'm very particular about my vehicles (as are most of you) and hate the thought of someone getting in my car and replacing my windshield.

Anyone in the Maryland area know if the service at Win Kelly Chevrolet is good? Any other suggestions?

Steven

[Camaro8810]

Sorry to hear that. Going through a similar situation right now although my damage is to the passenger mirror and pillar. Hope you get her fixed up soon.

[oakaro68]

Ouch, and that's paint damage too :/

[Dmundz]

Ugh I feel your pain just got my first rock chip driving home from work. Makes a person so angry

[Camarofan69]

Dont be scared of getting your windshield replaced. Just be sure you use a quality shop and they use a Pilkington windshield (that is the one thats in it now). Do not use Safelite or any other nationwide shops. Use a well known locally owned shop that has been in business for a while. Follow the directions for after care and there should be no problems. If you take it to the dealer for the replacement find out who does the work, then call the shop directly and do your research. Getting a windshield replaced is not a huge deal anymore as long as you use a quality shop with the quality products.

[v6sonoma]

Check with your insurance. Sometimes they cover windshields. Usually there's a deductible. Hope all goes well, and 99% of the time the dealer has a glass specialist come and install it so no worries.

[Mr CLuTcH]

Just bought my 2011 camaro 2SS M6 to match my 1968 camaro orange with white stripes last week on Tuesday. I've had the car for 10 days.

I was on my way to work this morning and a rock flew up from the lane to the left of me and cracked my windshield; in fact, it's spreading into 3 different cracks.


I'm very particular about my vehicles (as are most of you) and hate the thought of someone getting in my car and replacing my windshield.

Anyone in the Maryland area know if the service at Win Kelly Chevrolet is good? Any other suggestions?

Steven

Dude, I just recently went through the exact same thing! Im driving home on a raining night and all of a sudden a rock the size of a dime pops up and nails my windshield on the passenger side! The crack was small like a dime. It killed me! Just knowing it was there infuriated me.

So I immediately looked into replacing the windshield, but I reviewed the extent of the damage and it was a crack but it wasn't that bad or noticeable to anyone else besides me. In another words, it was horrible that it was there, but it didn't take away from the beauty of the car out in public because no one else could see it. But, car crazy as I am about my Camaro I took the car to a repair shop (Safelite). They reviewed the damaged and said they could make it look much less noticeable and prevent it from spreading for only 50 dollars out of pocket.

I paid the money and let them begin the work. At first the crack looked like this......



Now it looks like this from a distance.......



You cant see this damage out in public but from inside the car, you'll know exactly where it's at, and despite no one else being able to see it, it's still going to bother you just being there. From the inside it just looks like a line, that's because once safelite started working on it, they actually made the crack spread, they claim it would have spread on it's on much worst, but they managed to removed the spider-web effect from the crack and now it's not visible like it first was.

Im going to go and get the windshield replacement next month though anyway because it just kills me, it's bad enough that we have to deal with rockchips and paint-chips on the car around the bumper and gills.

Safelite said they can order me the OEM windshield for my SS and all I'd have to pay is 300,...they took a hundred off because I told them I still didn't like the result of the repair. I was under the impression it was going to look nearly invisible, instead it just looks barely visible, which is good, no one else can see it, it's just I thought it was going to be next to totally invisible.

My deductable is 400 dollars, safelite took 100 off so I can have a new windshield with 300 next month. But the f'd up part is you can get a new windshield,....just like you started with, and take a ride down the road "POP" another rock chips the windshield. There's just nothing you can do about these things. Well maybe there is.......

I noticed on my old vehicle my dad use to let me use, slow as crap car, but everywhere I drove I sped there, 100mph or more, in the 3 years I used the car, treating it like that, I didn't get one rock chip or crack on the windshield at all. And I thought about why. Sure the truck does sit higher but rocks fly so it doesn't matter, I noticed when I'm speeding, I tend to stay from behind people or big trucks or more or less out of they're proximity because I pass them so fast. By staying from behind people if you don't have to be, you can avoid chips and cracks. I notice when I do 60, it keeps me closer to other cars because cars tend to drive in herds despite no one really being in front of them preventing them from speeding up and getting where they need to go. So the closer you stay to other cars the higher your chances of getting damage. From now on, when there's open passage, in any lane, I'm driving it like I stole it. All other cars, KEEP AWAY!

It's my little philosophy, and now.....I'm going back to it.

[SSLarry]

Insurance companies usually don't charge a deductible and for sure DO NOT raise your rates when you claim a cracked windscreen. This is because the windscreen is part of the structure of the car and helps protect you, and should always be replaced when cracked.

[Phoneguy]

I feel your pain. I have a mysterious ding on my hood in one of the rally stripes that I am trying figure out how I want to address. It almost looks like a water spot and I almost didn't notice it if I hadn't looked at the hood just right when getting into my car on Friday. I'd take the windshield issue over body work any day.

[DevilKnightFalcon]

I don't know about you but with my insurance I have a $0 deductible for glass.

[10_SS]

Just so you do not feel alone, I got my first windshield chip today on I-55. Extremely disgusting on my new 2010 2SS/RS. You can protect the iPhone glass with clear plastic, so someone needs to invent a good plastic windshield protector. I know I am dreaming but I hate chipped windshields.

[John Shields]

Originally Posted by SSLarry

Insurance companies usually don't charge a deductible and for sure DO NOT raise your rates when you claim a cracked windscreen. This is because the windscreen is part of the structure of the car and helps protect you, and should always be replaced when cracked.

Not only that, it's illegal in most states to drive with a cracked windshield. My Jeep right now has a windshield that looks like a spiderweb. It happened just before winter (the first crack), and with the cold and heat changes through winter it turned into three or four more. So I'm probably going to claim it through my existing insurance (I change companies at midnight tonight), rake them over the coals to fix it, then drop them for the new company. Same with my homeowners insurance and my roof. I plan to claim it, then switch companies for a much lower premium.

[formare]

Mine was cracked the same way - the rock hit very close to the edge of the window. I had the window repaired for 190. I can still see the crack/star from outside albeit very faint. From inside it is majorly noticable. 500 to replace.... I decided to repair and wait a year or two then replace. I figure it could happen again so lets wait and see.

[gen5fan]

That's a bummer on the new car.

If it's a 2011 and you have the 2SS, I assume you have the HUD.

Check if there are any special requirements for that type of windshield.

Good luck.