At Auto One, we replace a lot of auto glass. Sometimes a stone is kicked up by another car breaking the windshield. Other times, it’s dropped with precision by a local troublemaker. Although they sound like urban myths, all of these windshield replacement stories are real.
While on vacation, a family van was speared by an angle iron from a passing vehicle. The angle iron passed through the windshield falling onto the back seat where the two children had been sitting. The windshield was totaled, but no one was hurt. The local police called Auto One, and our mobile truck rushed to the scene with a new windshield for the van.
Over the decades, many cars, trucks and SUVs have had hood latch problems. During the late 90s, one of the major car manufacturers became notorious for hoods unlatching. The force of the air during driving would catch the unlatched hood, slamming it back into the windshield shattering it.
Hub caps have that Frisbee style shape. When launched with enough force, they can puncture a windshield. On one occasion, Auto One technicians replaced a windshield where the hub cab was touching the steering wheel from outside the auto glass.
A child’s imagination is a powerful thing. The ways children can break windshields could fill volumes. We most commonly see windshields broken by items dropped from bridges or overpasses. Although a car looks like an item at a playground, when children run over them, windshields often break. Most dramatic is the kid who jumped from the garage roof onto the car below it. He was fine, but the roof and windshield needed to be replaced.
A classic in broken romance circles, baseball bats, hammers and golf clubs are useful tools for breaking windshields. Baseballs and golf balls also do a good job.
Bring your broken windshield story to your local Auto One!
