Auto glass is not a product—it's a safety feature.

• Many people only look for the lowest price when they shop for auto glass.
• But there are varying qualities of glass, and levels of installation quality.
• An improperly installed windshield is virtually useless at protecting you during an accident.
• That's why it's very important to choose a reputable installer.
• The windshield provides 40% to 70% of the strength of the vehicle.
• In a rollover, the windshield helps the cabin maintain its rigidity, protecting the passengers.
• In a front impact, the windshield assists airbag deployment and keeps passengers from being thrown out of the vehicle.
• The windshield also helps protect from flying road debris.

Windshield installation quality is affected by these 6 factors:

1. Glass Quality
   
   Windshield glass is laminated - a piece of vinyl sandwiched between two pieces of specially strengthened glass. A good windshield matches your old windshield exactly - tint, exact size, and extra features such as a rain sensor. Cheap installations often use badly-fitting glass.
2. Moldings
   
   Look at your windshield and you'll notice that there's a rubber seal that wraps around all or part of it. Most of the time, the moldings are replaced with a windshield replacement.
3. Urethane
   
   Urethane is used to bond the windshield to your vehicle. After an installation, the urethane must have enough time to cure and create a strong bond before you can drive your car. A weakly attached windshield may pop out or buckle in an accident.
4. Temperature and Humidity
   
   Temperature and humidity at the time of installation determine how quickly the urethane cures. A good installer will let you know a safe drive-away time.
5. Existing Windshield Frame
   
   If the windshield frame on your vehicle is bent or rusty, your new windshield may not be able to bond with it properly. A high-quality auto glass installation on a damaged frame can still be unsafe.
6. Installer Ability
   
   All the high-quality materials in the world won't make up for an autoglass installer who doesn't have experience and training. It's worth paying a little more to get a good installer. A windshield price that seems too cheap probably is - and could even be subcontracted to someone else who has little or no training.