Is Your Replacement Windshield Actually Safe? ABC News Investigated — Here's What They Found

A 20/20 investigation revealed what most drivers never know until it's too late. Here's what you need to ask before anyone touches your glass.

Most drivers assume a windshield replacement is straightforward. Glass comes out, new glass goes in, you're on your way. But a landmark ABC News 20/20 investigation uncovered something that should make every driver think twice about who installs their glass — and how. Watch the full investigation here:

https://youtu.be/ou_I1_vA32Q?si=PUaa2JPNePRbERkt

THE WINDSHIELD IS A SAFETY SYSTEM — NOT JUST A WINDOW Your windshield does far more than keep rain out. In a rollover accident, it supports the roof and keeps you inside the vehicle. On the passenger side, the airbag is specifically designed to bounce off the glass before inflating around you. If that windshield isn't properly bonded, the airbag blows it straight out — and the airbag can no longer protect you. The 20/20 team demonstrated this on camera. With a properly installed windshield, the airbag deploys correctly. With an improperly installed one, the force of the airbag blew the entire windshield out of the vehicle.

THE STORIES THAT SHOULD STOP YOU COLD Jean Frane was 25 years old when her car rolled off a Wisconsin road. Witnesses called 911 and couldn't find her inside the vehicle. They found her body 70 feet away — on top of the windshield that had been ejected during the rollover. Experts determined it had not been properly installed. Tracy Ryan was a mother of three when the replacement windshield on her family's minivan popped out during a California rollover. The roof buckled into the passenger compartment. Tracy broke her neck and became a quadriplegic. The company that installed her windshield had forgotten to apply the secondary primer — the bonding material never hardened properly. The Ryan family settled their lawsuit for $2 million.

WHAT THE INVESTIGATION ACTUALLY FOUND The 20/20 team sent a hidden camera crew to watch windshield installers in three cities. Glass installation expert Steve Coyle observed the work. What he found: BARE HANDS ON THE GLASS Technicians carried and handled the windshield with bare hands, fingers touching the bonding edges. The oils from your skin prevent adhesive from bonding correctly. In a crash, that's the first place the seal lets go. At the factory, human hands never touch the glass until it's already glued and in place — and even then, gloves are always used.

PRIMER SKIPPED Technicians are required to apply a coat of primer before the urethane adhesive. It helps the glue bond to the glass permanently. In multiple cases, the 20/20 team's experts never saw primer applied (note there aer now primerless urethanes, the point here is to follow manufacturer's labeling). When the windshield was removed the next day, the urethane pulled away easily.

CHEAP BUTYL TAPE INSTEAD OF PROPER ADHESIVE At a salvage yard outside Minneapolis, expert Mitch Becker found car after car with windshields installed using butyl tape — a cheap material that automakers say is far too weak to keep glass secure. He pushed one out with his feet. Drivers had been on the road with no idea.

TOLD TO DRIVE IMMEDIATELY In Minneapolis, one installer told the customer the car was ready to drive right away. The manufacturer's directions say the vehicle should not be driven for approximately 10 hours while the adhesive cures (note, there are now urethanes with 30 minute driveaway times - follow manufacturer guidelines). Driving before cure time dramatically increases the risk of the windshield failing in a crash.

ONE OF THE MOST DISTURBING QUOTES IN THE PIECE One of the installers caught on camera put it plainly: "There's actually more guys that do it wrong than guys that do it right." And then confirmed: "Sadly, yes."

THE ONLY PROTECTION THAT EXISTS Unlike many trades, windshield installers in most states are not required to be licensed or certified. Anyone can pick up a tube of urethane and call themselves an auto glass technician. The 20/20 expert gave one piece of advice: ask if the installer is certified by the Auto Glass Safety Council (AGSC). It doesn't guarantee a perfect job — but it significantly increases the odds that the person doing the work has been trained to proper standards.

WHY THIS MATTERS FOR EASTERN MONTANA DRIVERS Out here, we drive fast, we drive far, and we drive on roads that throw rocks at our windshields constantly. When you call someone to replace your glass, you deserve to know that the person doing the work has been trained, follows a proper installation process, uses the right adhesives, wears gloves, applies primer, and won't hand you your keys back after 20 minutes. At Badlands Auto Glass, I am an AGU student with AGSC certification. Every installation follows the process — proper primer, proper urethane adhesive, proper cure time, proper handling.

Not because someone is watching. Because your family is in that vehicle.