Most people don’t give their windshields much thought until a problem arises. We think that it’s important to understand how an intact windscreen can protect you in the event of an accident. With the majority of today’s vehicles being of unibody construction, the windshield is a structural component adding rigidity and strength to the vehicle.

Just like you wouldn’t drive a car with faulty airbags or broken seatbelts, you shouldn’t drive a car with a badly damaged windshield. Your windshield is an important safety feature of your vehicle that protects you from the elements and adds an additional layer of security in the event of an accident. When your windshield is damaged, it can put you and your passengers at unnecessary risk.

When it comes to windshield chip repair, Kelowna drivers have all likely experienced the unpleasant surprise of having road salt, sand particles or flying debris chip or crack their cars glass. On top of this, anyone who has experienced a Canadian winter knows that frost cracks are a frequent cause for windshield replacements due to unrepaired stone chips. We offer quality windshield chip repair Kelowna residents count on.

Windshield Options

The cost of replacing a windshield varies by the options installed on your vehicle.

Third Visor Frit

Exactly as it sounds, the third visor is designed to fill the void between the vehicles two visors reducing glare around the rearview mirror. This location is also used install other devices such as humidity sensor, rain sensor, camera’s and related wiring.

Standard or Electro-chromatic Rearview Mirror

Some car makers use the rearview mirror to hold sensors in position, as well as additional features like compass’, garage door opener buttons, roadside assistance beacon and auto dimming mirror. All these features use wiring to function which requires blackout areas to hide from outside view.

Rain Sensor

Rain sensing windshield wipers are very common on newer vehicles, which turn on wipers automatically when rain is sensed on the windshield. The sensor is usually mounted near or inside rearview mirror. Many of these sensors are dual purpose and act as a light sensor to adjust the interior lighting as well as the exterior lighting.

Heads-up display (HUD)

These displays are becoming common place on new cars, and usually offer speedometer, navigation and audio system displays. Automotive heads-up displays allow safer operation by keeping drivers focus outside the vehicle. The system projects pertinent images on to windshield.

Heated Wiper Park and Integrated Heat

Heated windshields are very common for vehicles built for sale in Canada. The basic design helps to prevent wipers from freezing to glass and to reduce ice buildup along the bottom of the windscreen. Integrated heat is common option on Jaguar, Land Rover, and Mercedes  and uses a grid of fine wires throughout the entire windshield to maximize viewing area during snowy conditions.

Shade Band

The most basic option on many windscreens is a “Shade Band” located at the top of the glass spanning the width of windshield, the colours are typically; Grey for Volkswagen, Audi and Mercedes, Green for Toyota and BMW, and most commonly Blue for GM including: GMC, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, as well as most other manufacturers including Kia, Hyundai, Nissan, Honda, Acura, Ford and Dodge.

Advanced Drivers Assist System Camera(s)

Currently most Automobile Manufacturers attach the forward-facing camera directly to the windshield where it views through a triangular window for lane detection and adaptive cruise control.

Humidity Sensor

When humidity or moisture are present in the vehicle, the climate control is automatically adjusted. Turns on defrost when it senses humidity on the inside of the windshield.


We recommend calling us or filling out our quote request form and provide the VIN to get a more accurate estimate of the cost and availability.

 

Windshield Service Price

Windshield replacement and installations start around $200, but they may cost more or less depending on your situation. We recommend filling out our quote request form to get a more accurate estimate of the cost, even if you have had windshield replacements done by our team in the past.

Autofocus Glass strives to provide you with the highest quality windshield Kelowna has to offer, and our expert technicians will always install your auto glass to the manufacturer’s specifications so that you can feel secure in your vehicle.

We offer the most competitive prices in the industry on all of our services:

  • Windshield replacement
  • Chipped glass repair
  • Cracked glass repair
  • Mobile windshield repair
  • Windscreen replacement

How Your Windshield Protects You

It is uncommon for most drivers to consider the fact that the windshield is an important safety feature of their car.

We believe that knowledge is power, and we think that it’s important to educate our customers about the importance of addressing damaged windshields right away, so we have put together a few fast facts regarding how your windshield protects you and your passengers.

  1. Your windshield gives extra structural support to the cabin of your vehicle.
  2. Windshields provide 40 percent of the structural strength and protection in the event of a front-end collision.
  3. If your car rolls, the windshield provides 50 percent of the vehicle’s structural strength and prevents the roof from crushing you.
  4. The windshield is a crucial component of an intact airbag system. It positions the passenger airbag and directs the deployment toward the passenger.
  5. Windshields act as important barriers between you and the elements when driving at high speeds. They protect you from bugs, high winds, bad weather conditions, damaging debris and dust particles.
  6. In the event of an accident, your windshield serves as an extra constraint to keep you protected and inside of the car.