# State Farm Insurance and Windshield Repairs



## JasonF

I had one windshield replacement done at Tesla earlier this year. It chipped again a month ago, but now I'm afraid to get it replaced again.

Why? Because my State Farm insurance went up $200/year just for one windshield claim. No tickets, no other claims, just one windshield.

So now I'm a little afraid I'll be paying $400-$1000 more and be considered high risk if I replace the glass again.

Is this a common experience with glass repairs?


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## iChris93

Important to note that Florida has deductible free glass windshield replacement with comprehensive coverage. 

I’d suggest changing insurance carriers.


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## JasonF

iChris93 said:


> I'd suggest changing insurance carriers.


I'm not sure if I can yet. A lot of insurance carriers won't accept a customer who filed a claim within the last year. And if I switch insurance, I don't think I can replace the windshield from the 2nd chip at all, unless I pay it out of pocket (which I can't afford yet).


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## iChris93

JasonF said:


> I'm not sure if I can yet. A lot of insurance carriers won't accept a customer who filed a claim within the last year. And if I switch insurance, I don't think I can replace the windshield from the 2nd chip at all, unless I pay it out of pocket (which I can't afford yet).


Good point.


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## FRC

Pay a visit to your State Farm agent. If he can't(or won't) help you, go around the corner to the next State Farm agent and see what he(or she) might be willing to do to earn your business. State Farm agents(around here at least) are a dime a dozen.


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## skygraff

What I learned recently is that, even though you might have the deductible waived, you’ll still have the comprehensive claim on your record. So, if you do make the claim, be sure to declare it when shopping for new insurance however, if you can afford to pay out of pocket, don’t bother with the windshield claim and consider the deductible waiver a non-benefit.

I got dinged for not knowing the $40 epoxy fix for a rock chip was reported and they considered me a liar for not declaring the claim when I was shopping prices.


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## Bigriver

I got some chips in my 2005 Honday Odyssey windshield the first year I had it, and expected to see them grow into a problem, but 13 years later as we got rid of the car, the chips had never changed, never created a crack. I can’t think of any other windshield issues that I’ve ever had, and I’ve never had to have a windshield replaced.

So I’m reading this thread as a newbie and going to ask dumb newbie questions. Aren’t there (epoxy?) options for filling rock chips in a windshield? How does one know when it is bad enough to replace the windshield?


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## FRC

Bigriver said:


> I got some chips in my 2005 Honday Odyssey windshield the first year I had it, and expected to see them grow into a problem, but 13 years later as we got rid of the car, the chips had never changed, never created a crack. I can't think of any other windshield issues that I've ever had, and I've never had to have a windshield replaced.
> 
> So I'm reading this thread as a newbie and going to ask dumb newbie questions. Aren't there (epoxy?) options for filling rock chips in a windshield? How does one know when it is bad enough to replace the windshield?


My first replacement was due to hundreds of tiny "pock" marks caused(I think) by sand and salt from a Montana winter. When driving into low level light(sunrise and sunset), it was nearly impossible to see out of the windshield. The second was an ill-timed rock from the roadway in South Dakota. It hit the very edge on the driver's side, and within 24 hours, there was a 30 inch crack directly across the drivers eyeline. In both cases, the need for replacement was immediately obvious.


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## JasonF

skygraff said:


> What I learned recently is that, even though you might have the deductible waived, you'll still have the comprehensive claim on your record. So, if you do make the claim, be sure to declare it when shopping for new insurance however, if you can afford to pay out of pocket, don't bother with the windshield claim and consider the deductible waiver a non-benefit.


My last windshield replacement was in 2015, and that was also my only claim until this year, so I didn't think that one single windshield replacement 6 years later would be so costly. It's almost like now State Farm decided that they'll pay out the $980, but they want it back within 5 years. Which is kind of a scary thought, because it means if I have one more claim it's very possible they'll either re-rate me as a high-risk customer or just cancel my policy entirely.

It also makes me wonder if different types and companies of insurance share information - because I did have a claim on home insurance that's not with State Farm.


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## skygraff

JasonF said:


> My last windshield replacement was in 2015, and that was also my only claim until this year, so I didn't think that one single windshield replacement 6 years later would be so costly. It's almost like now State Farm decided that they'll pay out the $980, but they want it back within 5 years. Which is kind of a scary thought, because it means if I have one more claim it's very possible they'll either re-rate me as a high-risk customer or just cancel my policy entirely.
> 
> It also makes me wonder if different types and companies of insurance share information - because I did have a claim on home insurance that's not with State Farm.


Yup, the epoxy fix was in 2018 with Ameriprise (Costco) and just appeared last month when I was shopping around and my current insurer (Progressive) offered to double check my rates. Don't know about home insurance claims impacting auto but I wouldn't be surprised if they take any claims into account; after all, anyone who actually makes a claim of any kind is a high risk - to the insurance company's profit margin.


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## Bigriver

JasonF said:


> I had one windshield replacement done at Tesla earlier this year. It chipped again a month ago, but now I'm afraid to get it replaced again.
> 
> Why? Because my State Farm insurance went up $200/year just for one windshield claim. No tickets, no other claims, just one windshield.


Can you directly link the increase to the claim? Have there been any changes to the discounts/surcharges listed? A windshield replacement falls under comprehensive, so did that component go up? While I have no experience with windshield replacement, we have had a number of deer events over the years, which are also comprehensive, and they did not take away the accident free discount.

I do not know if claims made against home owners could make their way to affecting your auto insurance. I do know that credit score is a factor that most people don't suspect as being linked. So I certainly suspect there could be other factors that go into their risk Calc.

I have 3 cars covered by State Farm and last year the insurance policy cost was at an all-time low and this year the bill has returned more to normal. I have just received my 6 month renewal on my model X, and a year ago the 6 month premium was $367 and the current bill is $478. That's a $222 annual increase and a whopping 30%. $20 of that annual change was comprehensive. No claims here. I also participate in their Drive Safe and Save program, and this car had a lot more miles this year, so that could partially explain the increase. Each of my other 2 cars, which have been driven relatively few miles, each increased by about $50 on an annual basis.


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## JasonF

Bigriver said:


> Can you directly link the increase to the claim? Have there been any changes to the discounts/surcharges listed?


I can't say anything for certain, this is insurance we're talking about. But it's the only thing I personally did that might affect the rate.


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## TomT

I had a windshield chip repaired under a claim wirh State Farm about 4 monrhs ago. Just got my renewal today and my rate has gone down...


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## Dezertracer

Ive had 5 windshields replaced over a 8 year period on my vehicles. Rates have gone down. My rep always has told me glass claims have no effect on the rate.


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## skygraff

Dezertracer said:


> Ive had 5 windshields replaced over a 8 year period on my vehicles. Rates have gone down. My rep always has told me glass claims have no effect on the rate.


Well, apparently, it's only an issue if you don't realize that those count as claims when shopping for insurance. That said, insurance companies will find any excuse to bump up rates even if it means deciding #6 marks a trend (or #4 when they finally get around to updating their data points).


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## JasonF

I finally called and discovered that the State Farm rate went up because they (and just about every other car insurance in the state) are trying to shed policies in Florida. They're all doing the same for home insurance, and commercial insurance companies in Florida are going to start refusing to insure any home built before 2001, or require the owner to upgrade the home to 2001 building code.

So I guess the state insurer (Citizens) is going to pick up a lot of the homes in Florida this year, and then there may have to even be a version of it soon for car insurance.


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## Dezertracer

skygraff said:


> Well, apparently, it's only an issue if you don't realize that those count as claims when shopping for insurance. That said, insurance companies will find any excuse to bump up rates even if it means deciding #6 marks a trend (or #4 when they finally get around to updating their data points).


Go with state farm. Just was on the phone with them actually. I asked. Glass replacements have never had and currently do not affect insurance rate. So state farm for the win!


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## FRC

Dezertracer said:


> Go with state farm. Just was on the phone with them actually. I asked. Glass replacements have never had and currently do not affect insurance rate. So state farm for the win!


This might vary widely state-to-state.


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## Dezertracer

Very true ^^^^.


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## skygraff

Dezertracer said:


> Go with state farm. Just was on the phone with them actually. I asked. Glass replacements have never had and currently do not affect insurance rate. So state farm for the win!


To be clear, it has nothing to do with State Farm. It's about my own ignorance of how glass repairs through insurance are still "claims" and must be declared when shopping for insurance (when they ask "have you had any claims" during x time range). I didn't get dinged for the claim but for failing to report the claim.

What really sucked was the fact that I'd shopped for insurance multiple times since that repair but it didn't get into the system until almost 3 years later so I was super confused about what sudden claim was making me a liar.

YMMV but, basically, if asked about claims, remember to include glass repairs done through insurance.

As for whether they do or ever will impact rates, I believe State Farm as much as I do any other insurer. The Coop thing was nice for a while but, these days, the rates just go up. On the plus side, they seem to have finally figured out the actuarial values of the Model 3 so the most recent rates are much more in line with other insurers than the last 3 years; might switch back.


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## JasonF

As I discovered from a call this week to the State Farm agent, I might end up having to wait until after the 1 year anniversary of the last windshield repair to fix the newer rock chip. Why? Because I discovered that since I made the one windshield claim in 2021 for a rock chip, I am one claim away from State Farm cancelling me. So I'd get another new windshield, but then I'd have to go looking for new insurance, and pay a lot more for it.

The agent I talked to suggested that I either wait or pay for the windshield out of pocket. Which I can't right now, so it's either wait or live with it until there is enough damage to justify possible cancellation.

I can't hop insurance companies yet - no one will even offer a policy at a reasonable price until a year after the last windshield claim.


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## Klaus-rf

Time to leave Florida??


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## JasonF

Klaus-rf said:


> Time to leave Florida??


That would actually create the same problem! Having to set up a new policy with a claim on the car during the past year.


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