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Your windshield plays a big part in the structural integrity of your vehicle. Once it’s damaged, how long should you wait to visit a service department for a repair or replacement? The simple answer is: don’t wait. Here’s why.

Why Driving With a Chipped Windshield Is a Safety Risk

Windshields are designed to help keep you inside the vehicle and wind and debris outside. Withstanding the everyday stress of driving, as well as stones, debris, hail, and other hazards, is a tough job. When your windshield is damaged, the overall design is compromised, and so is your safety. Damage comes in many forms and often starts out small.

Common types include:

  • Chip
  • Bull’s-eye
  • Spiderweb
  • Linear crack

If the damage is small, why worry?

Safety glass is tough, but it’s still glass — a material that expands and contracts with temperature changes and undergoes a high level of stress as you drive. For this reason, cracks can go from a minor nuisance to a major risk fairly quickly. While your windshield is made to prevent shattering, it’s still possible, especially during an accident.

It’s important to take care of those minor chips before they become too costly and your entire windshield needs to be replaced.

When is a crack too big to repair?

When your windshield is damaged, a small crack or chip is simple to repair and may even be covered by your vehicle protection plan. If it expands to 6” or more, your entire windshield will most likely need to be replaced, and those on higher-end vehicles with specialized technologies may cost you more. For example, models with a driver assistance camera require recalibration when the windshield is replaced to ensure it functions properly.

Schedule Windshield Repair in Omaha, NE

At Copple GMC in Omaha, Nebraska, we know your vehicle inside and out. Talk to our service technicians to find the best solution to help you get back on the road, whether it be a simple crack repair or a full replacement. Contact us, your local Chevrolet GMC dealer in Louisville, for more information about this and the other services we offer.