Question

How do rental car companies handle chipped windshields?

The damage waiver will cover the cost of a chipped windshield on your rental car. If you haven’t signed up for it, your auto insurance coverage will cover the damage.

A chipped windshield could result from “acts of God” or after being hit by another vehicle. However, the crack on the windshield must be addressed immediately to ensure safety and save your purse strings.

Action Plan to Deal with a Windshield Crack on a Rental Car 

• Check the available coverage options. 
• Inform the rental company about the damage. 
• Avoid making any unauthorized repairs. 
• In the absence of a collision damage waiver, file a claim yourself.  

Who pays for a chipped windshield on a rental car?

The rental car company will cover the cost of damage for a chipped windshield on a rental car. However, this depends on what you have signed up for before renting the car. In other words, you may not need to pay any additional charge if you have agreed to the collision damage waiver with the company. If not, your personal insurance or credit card will have to pay the expenses, which can be anywhere between $50 and $200. 

Does the insurance for a rented car cover a chipped windshield?

This will depend on the car rental insurance you selected. Firstly, you won’t be charged if you have signed the rental car company’s collision damage waiver (CDW). Secondly, if you didn’t buy the rental company’s insurance, your car insurance or credit card may cover you. 

However, if you have refused the rental company’s waivers and your car insurance doesn’t cover collision and comprehensive coverage, you may be responsible for repairs. In other words, in such a situation, the insurance for a rented car will not cover a chipped windshield.

Does insurance cover windshield cracks?

Window damage and repair are covered by mandatory insurance, and property damage liability insurance covers it when others are at fault. Therefore, in most cases, damage to your windscreen and car windows is covered by insurance.

However, things can be different in the case of rental cars. The Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) signed before renting a car is the superior protection you can get for a rental, even though CDW has a tarnished name in terms of being overpriced.