What Does a Windshield Replacement Cost?

When we talk about what a windshield replacement costs, it’s important to understand just how drastic of a difference there is. So what accounts for the discrepancy? Well, quite a few things do. First of all, the type of car you have is an essential determinant. Why? Well, believe it or not – a lot of it goes back to supply and demand economics. How so? Consider this…a windshield for a popular model is cheaper to produce due to the sheer numbers of windshields produced for that model. Great news for those of you who own Honda and Toyotas – you will pay significantly less than someone driving a BMW 6 series. The former has had many more windshields produced on their behalf; so it only makes sense.

Bob Collier, who works with windshield replacement San Diego will be the first one to tell you about this. “When we look at 3 different models, we’re talking about price differences ranging into the $100s. If there are 100 windshields available for Model A and Model B has 1000 windshields available, it’s very likely that Model B will cost a driver far less.” So, what you learned in high school economics may go a long way in understanding the way the auto glass world works. Well, at least as far as part replacements are concerned.

There’s yet another determinant on what a windshield replacement might run. It all comes down to glass quality. While cheap generics will cost on the low end of the spectrum, original manufacturer glass is sure to run up the bill. One thing of note is that some generics are higher quality than others. In fact, many would be surprised to learn that a generic windshield may be made in the same factory as the OEM glass. This is not the case for all generics; be sure to do your homework on your particular model.

So, what does a windshield replacement cost? Some windshields may cost a paltry $150 while others near four digits. If you’re like most people, you’ll be looking at something well in between. Understanding the normal prices for your particular car model and year are the first step to understanding to what you should be doling out.

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