Overhaulin'

I bought a second hand car yesterday and today I noticed a chip on the windscreen. What should I do?

Yesterday, I spent the most I've ever spent on a car, to get some peace of mind, instead of my usual worries about breaking down, or frequet repairs on an ancient car, costing a fortune. So I've been getting used to my new, flash motor, when today I noticed a chip on the windscreen. I'm guessing it must've been there before - I'm assuming I would notice if something flew at the windscreen and chipped it. I trusted the car dealer...for example, he pointed out the small bit of rust. If he knew about it, did he have a duty to tell me if he had noticed it? Is it risky if I keep driving with a chipped windscreen? I mean, will it shatter? Should I ring the car dealer and confront him? Am I making too much fuss? I can't spend any more money for the time being..I can't get a free repair, as my insurance is still 3rd party...are DIY kits any good? I feel disappointed, as I finally thought I'd got a car that would be ok for a while and not have to visit a garage and spend money for a while...I'm now thinking I may have to get a new windscreen...Any advice? The chip is not in my direct line of vision by the way...I've heard chips are risky in cold weather...or is that just Autoglass hype...one last thing...know any good glass repairers in manchester UK? Cheers

Public Comments

1. Most of the insurance companies will repair windscreens free of charge ,just give your insurance a ring ,and having a chip repaired is not expensive .
2. I can't tell you about Manchester, sorry. But in the US we have "autoglass" places that can just fix it no trouble. I can't comment on the dealer's duties, as I am sure the laws are different. But what the autoglass and "fix a crack" places do here is an injection or coating of a polyurethane or something, it's not visible. The trouble with cracks, not just chips, is the contraction and expansion of the glass, so I guess you have to determine the odds of that causing a break and the actual temperature change for your area. and Cheers to you, good luck.