Should I Use Insurance to Replace My Windshield?

Yesterday at our center in sector 54, Gurgaon. We have a Toyota Fortuner with a cracked front windshield. The owner asks for the windshield price and then starts calling his friends. After a long discussion, we guessed about the cost, and he asks about insurance for replacing the windshield glass. He looks a bit confused, but finally, after a discussion with our center manager, he opted for a cashless insurance claims facility.

He was confused because he didn’t know how much replacing a windshield cost without insurance. He bought the car 4 years ago and hasn’t claimed any damage in the last 4 years. and couldn’t decide if should he use his insurance to cover the windshield replacement cost.

The reason why I am discussing this incident is that it is a really good question and the answer to his question is tricky. There are many variables in this question. He was confused because one of his friends suggested using insurance for replacing windshield cost. While others told him that he should go for cash as it ultimately increases his premium in the next renewal.

As an expert in car windshield replacement and being someone doing car windshield replacement under insurance claims for the past 6 years, we suggested he not opt for the claim. But it is after due diligence and giving him a clear idea about the cost to replace a windshield without insurance.

How much does it cost to replace a windshield without insurance?

For a cash job, its really simple total cost needs to be paid by the customer and hence he needs to pay ₹14800 for replacing a genuine Toyota Fortune windshield glass.

To get a clear idea about the insurance claim you should consider a few more things like,

1. When should you use your insurance to cover windshield replacement costs?
2. How much is the deductible?
3. Does it affect your insurance premium?

 Let’s try to answer his questions.

When should you use your insurance to cover windshield replacement costs?

Though you can claim any kind of windshield damage, you should make some quick calculations before you decide to file an insurance claim. You should check the cost of replacing the windshield without insurance, your deductibles (compulsory clause and depreciation cost), and your No Claim Bonus (NCB).

Experts advise not to use insurance claims for minor damages if your calculations show that you will have to pay more in cash than you should go for a claim.

Let’s check how much will it cost if he would have decided to cover windshield damage through an insurance claim.

Total Cost (if claimed through insurance) = Compulsory clause (₹ 2000) + Deductibles (₹ 742) + Loss of NCB 35% (₹ 16787) = ₹ 19529

Total difference in Cash and Insurance claim= ₹(14800 – 19529)= – ₹4729

The above calculation shows that if he uses insurance claims for windshield damage, he would be at loss. As his current No Claim Bonus is more than the cost of windshield replacement.

How much is the deductible?

The deductibles in your motor claim policy include the compulsory clause, depreciation, and voluntary clause.

The compulsory clause for cars up to 1500 cc engine is ₹ 1000 and for above 1500 cc, it’s ₹ 2000. You may have noticed in the above calculations we have deducted ₹2000. Toyota Fortuner has an engine of 2500cc.

Depreciation includes 50% cost of all rubber parts and PU sealant used as adhesive. For small cars, it’s ₹371 and for cars with large windshield glass is ₹742.

The voluntary clause is the amount you have agreed in your policy for any claim, it’s mainly to reduce the premium and is personalized by the insurer as per insured requirements.

Can the deductible be waived?

The compulsory clause and voluntary clause is not waived by the company. On the contrary, this clause is in your policy to discourage the insured from filing a claim for small losses. The compulsory clause is in tune with the amount of loss that your insurance company expects you to claim.

But depreciation can be waived if you have a comprehensive cover. Most insurance companies offer comprehensive policy cover for the first 2 years of a new car.

Check why your insurance deductible is waived.

Does it affect your insurance premium?

An insurance claim can affect the premium in 2 ways. First, once you claim a loss irrespective of the insurance company or amount of damage, your No Claim Bonus becomes zero and you need to pay a higher premium in the next policy renewal.

Like in the above case Fortuner has a 35% NCB which amounts to be ₹16787. If the customer chose to go for a claim, in the next renewal his discount against NCB becomes zero.

Secondly, your insurance company may increase your premium if they find that you are filing repetitive claims. Though in case of a third-party claim where you are not at fault, the insurance company generally ignores the case, once they are sure that due to your driving or any other fault you are filing repetitive claims, they can increase your premium amount. In extreme cases, the insurer can also reject to renew your policy.  

We have discussed this so that it may help you make up your mind in case you have a broken windshield. You can also ask your workshop for their expert advice to use insurance for replacing windshield glass before making a final call.

Check out the list of insurance partners and documents you need for claims here.

Windshield Replacement under Insurance

Before going into details of insurance claims for windshield replacement, let me tell you most Indian insurance companies cover windshield damage and you can claim your windshield cracks.

Now come to specifics, the reason why we are writing on this topic is that a customer called our customer care yesterday to know the windshield replacement cost for his Maruti Swift. And we were astonished to know that he was not aware of the fact that his windshield damage is covered under an insurance claim. Though he owns his car for the last 2 years.

As we have cleared in the very beginning that windshield damage is covered by most insurance companies. let’s check other facts regarding windshield replacement under insurance.

Does my insurance policy cover the complete windshield damage cost?

The extent to which your insurance company covers the windshield damage cost depends upon the type of insurance policy. If you have a comprehensive insurance policy then all types of charges like windshield cost, adhesive cost, labor charges, and any kind of consumables that may need to be replaced with the new windscreen will be paid by the insurance company. Only you need to pay the compulsory clause. But if you don’t have a comprehensive cover, you need to pay the deductibles.

How much do you need to pay out of your pocket?

Now, as we have explained what is covered under insurance? The amount you need to pay for comprehensive cover is ₹1000 for cars below 1500cc engine and ₹2000 for above 1500cc.

For the non-comprehensive cover, the compulsory clause will be the same additionally you need to pay a 50% depreciation cost for adhesives and consumables. That will be roughly ₹371 if 1 PU sealant is used and ₹742 if 2 PU sealant is used.

Why there is an additional cost when an insurance company pays completely for the windshield?

Irrespective of your policy cover type, the cost of a new car windshield and labor charges are covered 100%. But if you don’t have a comprehensive cover, you need to pay the deductibles. i.e. depreciation cost for rubber parts or consumables and depreciation cost for the adhesive along with the compulsory clause. Also, if you have opted for any voluntary clause that will also be deducted from the overall payment made by the insurer.

Will I lose my No Claim Bonus after the windshield claim?

Yes, you will. A windshield replacement claim is considered a normal damage claim in India by most companies and hence if you claim a loss, your No Claim Bonus becomes zero.

Does my windshield claim affect insurance premiums?

If you claim your new windshield through insurance it does not increase your premium renewal cost unless you are a defaulter. This means the company feels that you have claimed repetitively and most of the time the accident is caused by you.

But in monetary terms, your total premium payout will increase in the next renewal. It’s because you will lose the discount you have for any claim-free year. Now, it can be substantive based on how many such claim-free years are there. To give you a more clear idea

Should I need to contact my Insurance Agent before claiming windshield damage?

Yes, you can contact your agent if you have any confusion. But, to claim windshield damage there is no need. As most windshield replacement companies have tie-ups with insurance companies and know how to process the claim. Your workshop can guide you through the process. At Windshield Store, we do all the paperwork on our own so that you will have a hassle-free experience.

Please go through the list of papers required to claim windshield damage under insurance here.

Can You Drive Right After Windshield Replacement?

Each time you go for a car windshield replacement, you may wonder if you can drive right after the windshield is replaced. The answer is NO. You should wait for at least an hour before you should drive. But there are many factors on which this time depends and ideally, your service provider should inform you about it.

First, why should you even wait after a new windshield replacement?

The main reason why you should sit is the adhesive used in windshield replacement. Adhesives have different curing times. Though most industry-approved adhesives tend to cure within an hour after applying to the car body. It basically depends on environmental factors like temperature and humidity.

If you drive immediately after the new windshield is replaced, it can disorient the windshield from its position or may cause some gaps between the windscreen and the car body. In case of any mishap/accident, this can be fatal. The windshield is not only to look through or just to keep air and dust away from you. It’s an integral part of the car’s structural strength. The windshield holds the car roof and hence in case of an accident your car roof doesn’t collapse immediately. If your windshield orientation is not correct just because you have driven your car immediately after windshield replacement, its structural strength is compromised. Now your car’s roof is prone to collapse in case of a serious accident. Even if something fell off the roof it will collapse as this support base is compromised.

Also, the windshield gives support to the airbag deployment during an accident. If your car windshield is not at the correct position or loose due to ineffective PU sealant curing it can affect the airbags functioning.

Now let’s see what is the minimum time you should wait before you drive and what are the different factors on which it depends.

The minimum time to drive after a windshield replacement is 1 hour. In some cases, it can be more than an hour. It’s basically the time that is required by polyurethane/PU sealant to cure. Though to cure completely, it may take 2-3 days, once its outer layers get cured, you can drive your vehicle.

Hence, it is important that your workshop inform you of the minimum time you should wait before driving whenever you get a new car windshield. Also, you should also ask if they fail to do so. After all, your safety is your responsibility.

Now you may ask that your workshop has put some tape on the windshield to keep it at its position, so should you still wait?

The answer is YES, you should. The tapes at the top or on the side of the windshield are to keep the windshield in position after the primary layer of polyurethane is cured and these are just precautionary. So, these tapes support the adhesive to keep the windshield at the correct position for about 24-48 hours after the new windshield replacement so that the inner layers of PU sealant also get cured properly.

Next comes the question, is the minimum drive-away time (MDAT) the same as the safe drive-away time (SDAT)?

A few years ago, the automotive industry used the term Safe Drive Away Time (SDAT) but discouraged its use in favor of Minimum Drive Away Time. As the term, Safe can be legally incorrect and can be a liability for the service provider. Technically SDAT and MDAT are two different terms and SDAT was used wrongly instead of MDAT.

SDAT is the safe time in which PU Sealant cures to the level that you can drive your car safely without worrying about windshield disorientation due to jerks. While MDAT is the minimum time after which you can drive your car normally, you need to take care of the speed to avoid any kind of serious jerk to the windscreen.

Now that you know that to maintain safety you should at least keep the car ideal for at least an hour after the new windshield replacement. Let’s examine what can affect the Minimum Drive Away Time (MDAT):

1. Quality of Adhesive
2. Type of vehicle and Glass Size
3. Temperature and Humidity

1. Quality of Adhesive: The MDAT of 1 hour that we have suggested is for OE-approved quality adhesives / PU sealants at normal temperature i.e. 23°C and 50% RH. But here is a catch, if your workshop uses a substandard PU sealant, this curing time increases, and hence you may need to wait for 2-3 hours or more before you can drive. You should ask your workshop for minimum drive away time.
2. Type of Vehicle and Glass Size: MDAT also depends upon the type of vehicle and type of glass that needs to be replaced. MDAT for back glass is about 30 minutes at standard temperature and humidity, also MDAT for cars with large windscreens, buses, and other commercial vehicles that have large is more than 2 hours as the thickness of PU sealant required to hold the glass increases, the curing time also increases and as a result of our minimum drive-away time also increases.
3. Temperature and Humidity: The curing time varies with absolute relative humidity i.e. temperature and relative air moisture. In general, curing varies between 2.5mm – 4mm for the first 24 hours at 23°C and 50% RH. But it may vary if the climate variation is high in a particular country. You should refer to the product data sheet for more information regarding curing time and should check with your workshop for more information.

Curing depth in mm in first 24 hours for Sikaflex

Generally, in summers at high temperatures and high humidity, the curing rate is higher than in winters. In some countries under sub-zero temperatures, special PU sealants need to be used.

6 factors that affect the cost of a Mercedes windshield replacement

Windshield cracks are a normal phenomenon one has to face while driving a car. It cost you your time and money to get a new Mercedes windshield replacement. If you own a Mercedes, it going to cost very much higher than a normal Indian car. But what are the factors which decide your windshield cost and how should you select a windshield for your Mercedes car?

Time and again Mercedes has made it clear that if you need a new windshield you should always go to a trusted automotive glass expert. Mercedes is an embodiment of safety and elegance. Your Mercedes pre-safe systems and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems keep you safe through a series of sensors and cameras placed all over the car body including the windscreen. Hence it is very important that your car glass service provider knows about these systems and is experienced enough to handle a Mercedes windshield replacement.

Below are the factors that decide how much your windshield will cost:

1. Model of your car
2. Glass Brand
3. Automotive Adhesive Quality
4. ADAS Calibration
5. Insurance Policy
6. Choice of your garage

Model of your car

The price of your new windshield depends upon the model of your car. A Mercedes A180 windshield is lower in price compared to a Mercedes E-class windshield or a Mercedes S-Class windshield. This is because of the complexities of the windscreen itself. The number of sensors available on the windshield and the type of windshield PVB used in your car model.

An A180 windshield typically has 1 Rain/Light sensor while an S350 windscreen has both a Rain/Light Sensor, IR cameras, Lane Departure Warning, and a Lane-keeping system on its windshield. So the price of the S-class windshield is higher than an A-class windshield.

Comparison table for Mercedes windshield price based on model and ADAS sensors

Glass Brand

Your Mercedes windshield price also varies based on the brand of glass your garage offers. Mercedes in the USA back in 2017 issued a six-page statement of why it refers only to Mercedes-Benz OE parts. Below is an excerpt from this statement

“To promote and maintain its rigorous standards of quality and safety, if a collision repair is necessary, MBUSA strongly recommends that all repairs be performed by a certified technician using only genuine Mercedes-Benz Parts,”.

It is because genuine or OE Mercedes windshield has all the necessary child parts and rubber moldings that come with the windscreen when you buy a new car. An aftermarket replacement part may have child parts, but it is not guaranteed that these are of exact same specifications as Genuine Mercedes Parts. That’s why genuine Mercedes parts are costlier than their aftermarket counterparts.

To know more about the difference between an OE and Aftermarket parts read here.

Below is a price comparison table for the OE Mercedes windshield and its aftermarket equivalents in India.

Automotive Adhesive Quality

Windshield adhesive or polyurethane that is used to bond your windshield with the car body is another deciding factor that can affect windshield replacement prices. If you have selected an OE Mercedes windshield but didn’t care for the kind of adhesive used by the garage, it can become a compromise with your own safety. The price of the adhesives varies with the brand you use. Your car turn-around time also depends upon the quality of the adhesive used. Commonly used glass adhesives are shown in the below table with the market price.

ADAS Calibration

 Based on your Mercedes model and the ADAS installed in your car, windshield calibration cost can vary from ₹ 3500 – ₹ 8000. Windshield calibration adjusts your car camera and sensors to the manufacturers’ standard and hence keeps the car safety system intact. We strongly advise you to have a calibration after any windshield replacement.

Know more about windshield calibration here.

Insurance Policy

The price of your Mercedes windshield replacement also depends on your insurance policy. All major Indian insurance company covers 100% glass replacement and its associated cost. If you have a comprehensive insurance policy your windshield replacement cost will be ₹ 2000 only, in case you have a non-comprehensive cover then also your windshield and labor cost is 100% covered but you need to pay 50% cost of consumables. To claim your losses, you need to have valid documents, a list of documents required for the insurance claim is given here. Auto Glass Masters have cashless tie-ups with all major insurance companies and can process your claim efficiently.

Choice of garage

As Mercedes explains in its statement that to have a flawless windshield replacement, you should always choose a certified and experienced technician. So, the cost of windshield replacement depends upon the garage you choose. It is also necessary that you choose a service provider like Auto Glass Masters, which specializes in luxury car glass replacement and carries an inventory of genuine windscreens for all running Mercedes models. It reduces the time for which your car needs to be in a garage. Ideally, we can replace a Mercedes windshield in an hour, but in case you have opted for a cashless insurance claim the turn-around time is about 4 hours. For more information regarding your Mercedes car glass, you can call us at +91-9278783578.

How effective is a Solar Windshield?

A solar windshield is a special kind of windshield glass in which PVB is treated with metal oxides to either absorb or selectively reflect most of the invisible solar spectrum to the ambient.

The solar windshield is like any other laminated windshield but it has multi-layers of IR-absorbing material. The coating consists of two layers of silver sandwiched between anti-reflective dielectric metal oxide layers.  Some of the solar windshields like Renault models have 15-20 layers of silver and titanium between the inner and outer solar-controlled glass sheets. This special solar control layer is less than 50 microns thick.

Why Your Car Needs a Solar Windshield?

New stylish and more elegant cars are being designed by prominent car manufacturers to make their models more and more attractive to international markets. New cars have a steep and trendy design with large glass surfaces.

Cars don’t only have a windshield and door glass, but premium car manufacturers offer retractable sunroofs and a panorama sunroof. Though it looks great to have a large glass surface it also causes some serious issues related to car heating and passenger discomfort. Which is neither desired nor acceptable.

It leads to new innovations and inventions that lead to the Coated Solar Controlled Glass.

Effect of IR Rays on Windshield

While designing a car with a large windshield looks great and increases effective visibility for the driver and passengers, it also adds its heating area. The more the size of the windshield glass, the more it absorbs the IR radiations from SUN. These radiations got absorbed by car interiors and they remit IR rays which make the inner compartment heated. The IR rays that got refracted into a car got trapped inside.

More than 40% of the heat that builds up inside a car cabin is due to its windshield. It requires an adequate air-conditioning system to keep it cool. It adds to the car engine load and hence to your fuel consumption. IR heating also creates issues with other delicate digital and electronic systems used in high-performance and premium cars. Another issue with IR absorption is that your car’s interior fabric deteriorates sooner than its life. It adds to maintenance. A coated solar-controlled glass can effectively reduce cabin heat.

Effect of UV Rays & Solar Glass

UV rays consist of UVA and UVB rays. Though most of the UVB rays got reflected by the car windshield. UVA rays with longer wavelengths got transmitted into the car. UVA rays are the prominent reason for skin cancer according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

As per a study conducted by Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler of the Boxer Wachler Vision Institute in Beverly Hill, California, while windshield blocks most part of the UV rays, protection through side windows is as low as 44%. As per the 29 models of 15 manufacturers tested only 4 models have above 90% blockage for UVA rays. Lexus models offer protection up to 92 – 96% using UV-controlled windshields and window glass.

AGC automotive solar-controlled windshield and solar-controlled window glass provide 99% protection from UVA rays and hence also bears a Skin Cancer Foundation recommendation.

Manufacturing a Solar Windshield

There are basically 2 types of methods to produce a solar windshield.

1. Absorptive Method
2. Selective Reflection

Absorptive Method: To avoid drive discomfort and extra maintenance, glass manufacturers designed new innovative windscreens with an additional coating layer under an outer glass layer that can absorb additional heat without compromising the car design and visibility. These coating layers help to absorb the selective part of the solar spectrum. These are called Absorptive Glazing. Tinted glass and privacy glass are an example of such glazings. These windshields can be manufactured through conventional techniques and hence reduce the cost of production.

Selective Reflection: There are other windshields that use the selective reflection method to reduce the cabin temperature. As you know while light travels from air to any medium with higher density, a part of the light spectrum is reflected back to the ambient while some light passes through it. To achieve a selective reflection of the non-visible solar spectrum, multiple coated layers of different refractive indices are used together and hence it achieves its purpose of letting the visible light pass and obstructing the IR rays.

Another method to manufacture solar reflective windshields using selective reflection is the use of a mesh of dielectric-metal layers, specially silver-based mesh. Since these are made through vacuum processing, this solar-controlled windshield is cost a bit higher but has better performance than absorptive glazing.

Effects of Solar-Controlled Windshield

Coated solar windshield glass doesn’t absorb all of the sunlight. On the other hand, it absorbs about 70% of IR radiations and UV rays while allowing visible sunlight to pass. This helps to keep the inner cabin cooler and adds to driver comfort. These multi-layer coatings reduce the load on car air conditioning up to 25% which ultimately adds to the car’s performance. The average drop in car cabin air temperature is 1°C while the front dashboard temperature drops up to 3.5°C. (source: read more about the effects of solar glazing on vehicle temperature and fuel efficiency)

Different Solar Coated Windshields

Solar Windshields are manufactured by all major automotive glass manufacturers like Saint-Gobain, Pilkington, Guardian, and AGC Automotive. These are produced under different trade names and batches like Solar Tint, Solar Green, Solex, Solextra, and Solar Shield. These windscreens have a characteristic green tint and can absorb IR rays up to 70%. Some of these windshields have grey or bronze tint. Ranger Rover Evoque uses a purple windshield tint for solar control windshield.

Other kinds of solar-controlled windshields are produced by PGW which sells it under the Sungate™ trademark. These have characteristic purple or orange tint as visible in Mercedes S Class and ML-Class SUVs. According to PGW, “The Sungate™ windshield incorporates a multi-layer metal/metal oxide coating on the inboard surface of the outer glass”.

Guardian’s so-called SilverGuard comprises a family of nano-particle thin-film coated laminates that provide high levels of solar energy reflection while selectively transmitting visible light. The coatings can be combined with a variety of glass substrates to achieve the full range – from the maximum visible transmission and solar reflectivity to privacy-type light transmission combining solar reflectivity with absorbing solutions to achieve very low transmission levels.

Some of the popular models that have solar-reflective windshields are Volkswagen Passat Coupe, Audi A6, and A8, BMW X3, X5, and X6, Porsche Cayenne and Panamera, and Bentley Flying Spur. Also, many premium brands like Mercedes use rear privacy glass to control solar radiation inside the car.

How important is windshield calibration?

To increase the safety of the car occupants, cars have a series of sensors and cameras that provide real-time situational awareness to the driver and cars onboard computer systems, collectively they are called Driver Assistance Systems or ADAS. Car features like lane departure warning, traffic signal detection, automated braking, lane-keeping assistance, pedestrian detection, etc. create a safe environment on the road.

What is windshield calibration?

Some of the ADAS sensors are attached on the front windscreen these include rain/light sensor, lane departure warning sensor, night vision, and IR cameras, lane-keeping assistance. Optimizing such sensors and aligning cameras available on the car windscreen as per OE standards is known as windshield calibration.

Why your windshield need calibration?

Cars driver assistance system guide the driver through traffic, dark, and bad weather. In the center of these is the windshield camera that provides images of the road ahead. In case of any damage to your car windshield, the camera may get misaligned and can give wrong information to you regarding the distance of other cars in front or even may not work properly during low visibility. Misalignment of even a few millimeters can be disastrous on a highway. So, it is always advised that after any windshield replacement such systems should be recalibrated by an expert.

Though windshield calibration may increase windshield replacement costs, it is always recommended. A calibrated windshield keeps you and your car safe and can assist you in case of any imminent threat on the road that may cause a collision.

Read more about cars advanced driver assistance system.

When do you need a windshield calibration?

As per the car manufacturers, anything that leads to damage to the car windshield or affects the functionality of the sensor requires you to get your windshield sensors recalibrated. It includes

1. A new windshield replacement
2. Wheel alignment change
3. Car suspension change
4. Fault develop in the car camera
5.  Partial disconnection of the camera

How is windshield calibration done?

Depending upon the type of driver assistance system available in your car, your workshop can opt for a dynamic or static windshield calibration.

Static or fixed calibration: In this case, the car needs to be placed in a customized workshop to adjust the camera and sensor parameters. The ADAS calibration tool has different settings for different car manufacturers, which precisely optimize all sensor settings to the OE standards.

Dynamic or mobile calibration: This calibration needs the car to be driven on a well-marked road in specific conditions and for a specific time period on a prescribed speed. For this, a handheld ADAS calibration tool is connected to the car with predefined settings.   

How much time does the windshield calibration take?

Time depends upon the make and model of your car, but ideally, 1 hour is enough to calibrate the ADAS.

What is the cost of windshield calibration?

Windshield calibration may cost you around ₹ 3500 – ₹ 8000. But it depends on the make and model of your car and the type of ADAS fitted in your car.   

Which technologies or sensors are affected during calibration?

The following car systems or features can be affected due to poor calibration

• Lane Departure Warning
• Lane Keep Assistance
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Adaptive High Beam
• Collision Avoidance
• Forward Collision Warning
• Driver Monitoring System
• Pedestrian Protection System
• Traffic Signal Assistance
• Parking Assistance System
• Wrong-Way Driving Warning
• Hill Descent Control
• Blind Spot Monitor