Safety is also an issue here. I think repair is almost always a safer option over replacement. There is no way to reproduce the strength of a factory seal. Back in my auto body days I saw many wrecks where replacement windshields seperated from the vehicle, allowing the air bags to deploy outside the vehicle. Sometimes with disastrous consequences for the occupants. I've also seen roll overs where a replacement glass seperated and allowed the cab to crush more than it would have had the windshield stayed attached. A windshield supplies a major part of the rigidity to the passenger area of any vehicle. I have no problem recommending repair over replacement as the better option on a factory windshield.

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