Back Glass Replacement in Fayetteville, NC

Fayetteville Auto Glass is Impex Auto Glass serving Fayetteville. Impex has no shop in the city, so the rear window is replaced at your home, your workplace or the lot where the vehicle is parked. This page covers why back glass cannot be repaired, what to do before the technician arrives, how the job is done, how long it takes and how insurance usually treats it in North Carolina.

Why back glass is replaced, not repaired

A windshield is laminated, two layers of glass with plastic between them, so it holds together and a chip can be filled. Back glass is different. Impex notes that it is made of tempered glass that shatters when damaged, and that most of the time it cannot be safely repaired, so replacement is the safe and effective answer. Tempered glass is made to break into small, blunt pieces rather than long sharp shards, which is safer for the people in the car but leaves nothing to repair.

Impex lists the usual causes as road debris, temperature changes, accidents, and even pressure changes in the cabin. A slammed hatch on a cold morning with the defroster running is a familiar story.

Before the technician arrives

• Keep the rain out. Tape heavy plastic over the opening from the outside and park under cover if you can.
• Take photos of the broken glass and anything damaged in the car, for your insurer.
• Leave the glass where it is if you can. Pieces of tempered glass get into seat seams and trim; it is easier to clear them properly than to sweep them around.
• Do not drive at speed with the back glass out. Air pulls loose pieces around the cabin.
• Have the vehicle details ready: year, make and model, and whether the glass had a defroster, a wiper, an antenna or a third brake light in it. Impex checks the part by VIN.

How back glass replacement in Fayetteville, NC is done

1. The vehicle is protected and the trim around the rear window opening is taken off.
2. The broken glass is cleared from the opening, the frame and the cabin.
3. Old adhesive is trimmed from the frame so the new glass sits evenly.
4. The new back glass is set in a fresh bead of adhesive.
5. The defroster, and any antenna or other electrical connection in the glass, is reconnected and tested. Impex says its technicians take special care to reconnect and test the rear defroster and any other electrical components during installation.
6. The trim goes back on, and the adhesive is left to cure before the vehicle is driven.

Impex says a back glass replacement takes about one to two hours in most cases, depending on the make and model, and that the car is ready to drive once the adhesive has cured. For 24 hours afterwards, avoid washing the vehicle and avoid using the rear defroster, so the adhesive can cure properly.

Trucks, SUVs and hatchbacks

Back glass comes in more shapes than any other window. A hatchback’s glass is part of the tailgate; many SUVs carry a rear wiper; pickup trucks often have a back window with a sliding center panel or a heated element. Because the part differs so much from one vehicle to the next, the VIN check before the visit is what makes sure the right glass arrives. If your vehicle has anything unusual in the back glass, say so when you call.

Insurance for a broken rear window in NC

Impex says back glass replacement is typically covered under comprehensive insurance, and the North Carolina Department of Insurance lists breakage of glass among comprehensive losses. Comprehensive pays the cost of repair less your deductible, and Impex’s claims guide notes that, unlike windshield chip repair, side and rear glass usually do carry the deductible. Compare the quote with your deductible before you file.

• Under G.S. 58-3-180 you choose who replaces the glass, and the insurer pays the same whichever you choose.
• A comprehensive glass claim is not an at-fault accident, so it adds no SDIP points; an insurer may still look at how often you claim.
• If the window was broken in a break-in, Impex’s guide notes that glass claims rarely need a police report unless there was vandalism or theft, so in that case report it.

Impex works with all major insurance providers. See insurance and glass claims for the full process.

Tint on the new back glass

A replacement rear window arrives with the factory shade but without any aftermarket film. If the old glass was tinted, the new one needs tinting again to match. North Carolina’s tint law (G.S. 20-127) allows more on the windows behind the driver of a multipurpose vehicle such as a minivan or pickup than on a car. The article on NC window tint rules after a glass replacement sets out the limits.

Other glass on the same visit

A break-in often takes more than one window. Impex can do a side window replacement on the same visit, and if the windshield has a chip, a windshield repair in Fayetteville, NC can be done while the technician is there. The overview of every window on the vehicle is on the auto glass repair in Fayetteville, NC page.

The mobile service covers Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Spring Lake, Raeford and the towns in the areas served list, at homes and workplaces off post.

Questions people ask