Living in Arizona, you've likely experienced a moment driving on the highway and then heard a pop!
"That loud bang against your windshield and, you know, the flinch," explained Rich Kratzenberg. He's describing the moment a rock or debris hits a car windshield, leading to a chip or crack.
Living in Ahwatukee, Rich and his family have to hop on a freeway to go to most places. But in recent years, with freeway expansions and construction, he says each drive brings the potential for windshield damage.
"We had to replace five windshields in the last three years," he said.
Every pop on the windshield is annoying but also costly! Rich says in one year, his insurance rate skyrocketed from paying around $2,000 to closer to $8,000.
Rich did add his son onto the insurance policy, but says when he asked his broker why there was such a large increase in cost, he learned glass claims were a major factor.
Rich decided to shop around for coverage but learned not all insurers wanted his business.
"Wouldn't even quote us because of glass coverage," Rich said. "We have never had an accident, we don't have any speeding tickets, DUIs, we have nothing on record, we have a clean record discount. It's all because of cracked windshields."
Auto glass damage happens so often in Arizona that insurers here are required to offer no deductible glass coverage. Five to ten years ago, filing glass claims didn't have much impact on your rates or renewals, but that has changed.
"Windshields are no longer under those $500 - $1,000 thresholds and are just as expensive as small fender benders," explained Nathan Mason, with Insurance Professionals of Arizona, when asked about the cost to replace a damaged windshield.
Mason says, with all of the technological upgrades and sensors that are becoming standard for windshields, replacements can cost thousands of dollars instead of hundreds.
"With the new cars, windshields now average about $1,200 to $1,500 per windshield [replacement], and some are even up to $3,500, almost $4,000 in some of the higher-end electric vehicles," Mason said.
Because of the increase in costs, insurers have changed the way they treat glass claims. However, Mason says not all insurers rate glass claims the same. For example, some may have a policy of one claim per driver per year, while others may have a one claim per vehicle per year policy.
Mason says it's best to ask your agent how your policy may be impacted before filing a claim.
"What is a glass claim going to do to my policy? How's it going to affect me? Will this X amount of dollars for this windshield cause my rate to go up next year?" asked Mason, giving examples of questions consumers should consider.
If you have a large deductible, you could pay for a repair out of pocket and not file a claim depending on repair costs and what your policy covers.
But for drivers like Rich, getting dinged for something he didn't cause doesn't seem fair.
"I think I could handle it if I caused the problem, but we're just driving cars," he voiced in frustration.
We contacted Allstate, State Farm, Progressive, and Geico asking how they look at glass claims. Progressive and Geico did not respond by our deadline, but responses from Allstate and State Farm are below.
Allstate:
Referred us to a section of their website regarding glass repair/replacement claims.
State Farm:
"There is no quota per policy for glass repair/replacement incidents. Many factors are considered when underwriting an insurance policy because each customer's circumstances are unique. We look at each customer's situation on a case-by-case basis.
"State Farm absolutely values the relationships we have with our customers, and that is why underwriting decisions are never made lightly."
For consumers trying to lower or off-set car insurance costs, consider the following tips:
- Contact your insurance company or agent to review your policy. See if you're paying for any duplicate coverage.
- Shop around with other insurers to see if there's a better coverage match or rate.
- Increase your deductible and consider lowering non-essential coverage like rental car and roadside service.
- If you're driving less, consider usage-based insurance.
- Ask for a discount! See if your insurer has any billing method discounts or other discount programs.
