New windshield: Will it raise my insurance?

[ColonelPanic]

I've heard way too many conflicting stories on this one, so I figured a nice poll is in order to watch people battle it out over my stupid car. I am new to this so excuse me for the stupid question. I have driven somewhere in the neighborhood of 269,000 miles in three vehicles with full coverage insurance over the last 9 years. Not once have I needed needed to get a windshield replaced, so I guess my number was going to be up sooner or later. Today, er Saturday I guess, something smacks the Vibe's windshield HARD and cracks the hell out of it, giving it a nice spidery-looking type thing going on. There is a nice chunk of glass missing right in line where the wiper has to wipe. It looks swell! This is kind of a blessing of sorts, the windshield has been very difficult to see through when traveling toward the sun when the sun is lower in the sky due to quite a bit of "sandblasting" of the glass.. It developed that very early in life, within the first few months actually. But I never had anything obvious enough to make the insurance company say "oh, hey, you really need a new windshield" until now. I've been somewhat jealous of the people who have had winshield after windshield, I wanted a new winshield I could see out of but never had that one big spot or crack. lol! Pity though, the timing was beyond crappy, a time where I needed the $100 (if I can use the insurance) for the deductible to use on other more important maintenance items on this thing. Now, if I go by the friendly State Farm agent on Monday and tell them that some projectile smacked my windshield and I pay my $100 deductible on comprehensive, will that be the end of it? I did not see any additional "glass breakage" coverage on the policy so I am assuming it is part of the comprehensive. Or, will my insurance go up if I turn this in to the insurance company? Would it do anything to make me/my rating/whatever look different (read:worse) to them? I haven't had to file anything with my insurance company since an at-fault accident in 1997... Anything I may do that could cause my insurance to go up is a no-no, for I'm still in that blasted "single male" group - therefore to the suits that run these insurance companies, I'm apparently considered to be out drinkin' and doin' whatever "single males" do every fricken' night, even though I don't do that crap, whatever that crap is. I'm just now getting to the point where I'm paying below $90 a month for full coverage with $100 comprehensive and $500 collision deductibles. So with little money to spare, pennies do add up.So, which way shall it be?

[Sputnik]

My insurance did not go up when I got the windsheild replaced on my cavalier.

[nortsr]

To my knowledge, there is NO increase in premiums for glass breakage.

[ArcsVibe]

I had no increase either and I have changed my windshield twice on the Vibe!

[Kari]

Quote, originally posted by nortsr »To my knowledge, there is NO increase in premiums for glass breakage.That makes sense, being as that the glass breakage isn't really your fault most of the time and doesn't mean you're a bad driver who puts yourself at risk. Hopefully that's actually the case.Maybe being not technically single anymore will help

[Sputnik]

Quote, originally posted by Kari »Maybe being not technically single anymore will help Isn't that only if you're married?

[Kari]

Quote, originally posted by Sputnik »Isn't that only if you're married? I have no idea...does being "close" count? This sort of sucks because it happened on the way up here to see me Wonder if that makes me a risk? I've long thought the whole "single male" and "risky behaviors" thing should be something that is adapted for each individual, because some people do it and some don't, and also the older you get the less likely you are to do it but they don't seem to truly take that into account. They should come up with some kind of a risky behaviors test...I know it would be hard though because any sort of a reponse-based test would have people not being truthful. But the simple fact is that the many are suffering here for the sake of the few and it really sucks.

[binary]

Typically any amount of money an insurance company has to be out on your behalf - could raise your rates. Thats why I answered yes.But it's at the discression of your insurance company. They'll calculate that you haven't made a claim in X months, and that they've made X profit on you... so raising your rates would probably make you mad and go elsewhere.On the otherhand, I decided to pay for the 2nd and 3rd windshields on my last car out of my own pocket, to prevent the "too many claim, rate raising syndrom"As for turning in your windshield repair - just call your agent and say you'll need a new windshield and need to use your comp coverage to help pay for it. They'll ask if you have a preference and may suggest a few prefered replacement companies you could go through. As always, they can't and won't force you to go to a specific service.If you can catch the crack or chip before it spiders out, most insurance carriers will pay 100% of the repair bill if the service can fix it before it ruins the windshielf. So if you get a chip on your way home one day - call your insurance carrier right away and then a windshield repair company. I had a three hour turn around on a repair, from rock smacking my windshield on the way home and chipping it - to the truck in my driveway fixing the chip. It was in the fall, so I knew the defrost would accelerate the cracking from the chip...

[jimincalif]

I was 27, single, male, when a rock from a truck in front of me broke my windshield in my Mazda 626. Paid my deductible, no change in insurance rates. Stuff like this does not occur because of a risky driving style, it just happens.

[mcgusto82]

insurance will cover the windshild but if you have the coverage. some make it an option and have a seperate diductible. i've known the screen to cost around 250$. some places cheaper. i would look for a good peice and if it's cheaper than the deductible... then go your own RT.

[vibebob]

mcgusto makes a good statement ... see how much a new windshield is and how much your deductible is. if the deductible isn't that much less than a new shield then I'd just pay for it out of pocket.

[JohnC]

Quote, originally posted by binary »Typically any amount of money an insurance company has to be out on your behalf - could raise your rates. I am with binary...your rates may not increase right away but the big picture is every time an insurance company pays out money everyone pays. Thats why I promote..."Death to Car Thiefs!". Shoot them on sight.

[joholste]

when i had my windshield replaced in my grand am, i didn't have to pay a thing, it all went on my insurance company, and they didn't raise my premium either

[Toolman]

Anything that is turned in on comprehensive claim should not raise your rates. I have hit 4 deer in the last 5 years, turned in hail damage on 2 cars, for a total of over 13k in claims, my insurance hasnt gone up.

[jwalcik]

Quote, originally posted by joholste »when i had my windshield replaced in my grand am, i didn't have to pay a thing, it all went on my insurance company, and they didn't raise my premium eitheri believe certain states require that insurance companies cover windshield replacement with no deductable. i seem to recall the same thing happening when something did a number on the windshield in my old corolla. that was also nine years ago. anyone know if that's still the case?

[joholste]

it happened in north carolina so its true here...maybe it's cuz it could be safety hazard so to try to prevent people from driving with a broken windshield cuz they can't afford it they make the insurance companies pay for it.

[jake75]

When I changed insurance companies their background check picked up the fact that I had 5 glass breakage incidents in the past several years. They were satisfied with my explanation that I had as many as 4 cars insured at the same time and this was over a ten year period. Worked out to about one claim per 7 years of insurance coverage. One of the claims was only a few dollars over my deductible. But if I'd paid it myself the bill would have been higher as the insurance company got a special rate with Safelite. My memory is bad but at least one was a side window break-in, one was a windshield, one was a rear window, and at this point I don't know what the other two were. Did not affect my premium but might have affected if they would insure me.

[ToolGuy]

$180 bought me a new one last year due to a rock! Less than my glass deductible but when I did go through Insurance when I lived in Ohio, the rate never went up.

[northvibe]

my insurance covers my windshields, before i got the vibe, i had a windstar and within 1.5 weeks i went through 2 windshields, havent seen my insurance go up yet

[yardman13]

just had to replace the windshield on my matrix cost $179. went to safe lite auto glass. It was less than my deductable so i paid for it. In fla the deductable is waived and the insurance will pay for it..

[AKLGT]

speaking from past experience (and soon to be), we had 3 vehicles in my family, all with windshield dings and 2 windsheild replacements in 2 years. up here, it's a part of life, we call it the "alaskan beauty mark." so, after 2 years of countless ding fixes and 2 windshields, the insurance co not only charged us more, but upped our deductible due to too many "glass" replacements. now, Phil just had one fixed yesterday, and I was going to get mine done too, but then by 10:30 am, my windsheild was already cracking. by 6pm last night, i have all but about a foot uncracked! we paid out of pocket for the ding fix, and now will most likely have to claim my windshield. i'm sure it will not be cheap since it has heating elements for the wiper blades. luckily, Phil works at the dealership so maybe we can get a good deal. I'll probably have to wait til Spring to fix it because I know as soon as I were to replace it, some bozo in a lifted 4x4 will scream by me and chuck up another huge (removed) rock! I am a firm believer they should require by law, all vehicles with over 6" ground clearance to have mudflaps!

[Mavrik]

Heated window with sunshade, Speedy Glass $275.00 for me on an LGT parts and labour.

[AKLGT]

good! since the deductible is $250. not bad at all. was imagining something like $600 +

[ColonelPanic]

Well, the official answer is "no" from the insurance agent for the "will it raise my insurance?" question... The dude is out there now putting in a windshield. $100 poorer now though. Indiana doesn't do the free windshield replacement jazz. I work in KY and everyone here says they get 'em for free. Bummer. I wonder if that's part of the reason why my insurance dropped like a rock when I left Kentucky and moved to Indiana?

[Raven]

My new Vibe is just over 2 months old and the windshield is already broken. I was smart though, because of my experience with the "ROCK MAGNET" '04 which I owned, to have the deductible reduced to $50.00 for comprehensive.

[ColonelPanic]

That's good thinkin'... I'll probably be lowering my deductible next time around.The windshield looks great, I was saddened by the fact that I was going to lose my strip of tint that I had put on the top... But it's not so bad - I did end up with a windshield better than OE, which actually has *gasp!* that blue strip of tint across the top of the glass that Toyota was too dang cheap to give us! Ahh, I increased the trade-in value by at least $5 with my $100 investment. I may need that in a couple of weeks.

[Raven]

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic »That's good thinkin'... I'll probably be lowering my deductible next time around.The windshield looks great, I was saddened by the fact that I was going to lose my strip of tint that I had put on the top... But it's not so bad - I did end up with a windshield better than OE, which actually has *gasp!* that blue strip of tint across the top of the glass that Toyota was too dang cheap to give us! Ahh, I increased the trade-in value by at least $5 with my $100 investment. I may need that in a couple of weeks. Does it still have the dot matrix around the mirror?

[ColonelPanic]

Yep, sure does. I was expecting one or the other, but it has both. I'll get a pic once it is daylight again.

[jasonvibe]

Here I have always had no deduct. on glass. Don't know if it's law. But the only question? Do you want OEM glass??? Some non-OEM glass replacements are not tinted correctly. Glass on these is quite flat when compared to others. So the cost should be low as stated by others.

[ColonelPanic]

Personally, I couldn't stand the OEM glass, so I'm quite relieved that I didn't get it. The tint up at the top is a must-have, IMHO.

[ColonelPanic]

Here is a pic from the inside, tint + dot matrix... Haven't got one from the outside yet...

Attached files

[Raven]

I like it. I'll try to find the same when I replace mine in the spring. It should be broken in about 3 places by then.

[indyerf]

just paid insurance on vibe - it went up $8 (other car went down $9) but I don't think it was becasue of windshield - I'm on my 4th one - they seem to crack VERY easily if hit by a stone.

[northvibe]

I just had my vibe windsheild replaced after a rock hit it and left a little nick but then started spidering across my windshield. yea i now have the blue tint plus the dot matrix on top! im liking it. i had 2 rocks hit my new window yesterday on the highway and luckily no damage!