Broken Car & Truck Windows: What Should I Do Next?

It’s a situation every vehicle owner dreads; you get up for work in the morning, go outside to start your car or truck and find that a window has been shattered. Quite a few things can shatter a vehicle window in Minnesota, including acts of vandalism, collisions with other cars, falling debris and hailstorms.

If you’ve never been in this situation before, you may be unsure what to do about your broken car window. To help you handle this stressful situation, check out this guide to the steps you should take after discovering a broken vehicle window.

A 4 Step Guide to Repair Broken Car & Truck Windows

1. Call the Cops – If you’re certain that your car window was broken by the elements, you can skip this step. But if a person broke your vehicle window, whether deliberately or in an accident, you should notify the police immediately. You can then file a police report about the damage and anything that may have been stolen from your vehicle by the vandal. Don’t touch anything before the police arrive but it is a good idea to take extensive pictures of the damage.
2. Call Your Insurance – You can skip straight to this step if your car or truck window was broken by a falling branch or a chunk of hail. Call your insurance company to file a claim. Depending on your level of auto glass coverage, your insurance may cover the full cost of repairs or you may have to pay some of the repair costs out of pocket. Send pictures of the damage to your auto insurance agency in order to validate your claim.
3. Create a Temporary Patch – Damage to certain auto glass, especially extensive damage to the windshield, might render your car or truck completely unsafe to drive. However, if a side or rear window is broken, it’s possible to create a short-term fix until you can repair the broken vehicle window. This is most often accomplished by covering the missing window with a garbage bag or with clear strips of packing tape. Remember that this is only a temporary patch; driving long distances in Minnesota with a broken window is unsafe and risks further damage to your vehicle.
4. Have Your Car Window Replaced – When your car or truck window has merely been chipped or scratched it may be possible to have it repaired. Most often, your broken vehicle window will need to be replaced. Once you’ve determined whether or not insurance will cover the cost of a window replacement, make an appointment to have your broken window replaced at a trusted auto glass replacement shop in Minnesota.

Have Your Broken Car or Truck Window Replaced Today

Instead of driving around with a bunch of tape where a window should be, bring your vehicle into a local shop to have your broken auto glass replaced by professionals. Call Glass Masters today if you want us to replace a broken window on your vehicle in the Twin Cities metro area!