As a driver of a Ford vehicle, you may not think much about your windshield other than the basics: visibility, protection, and quieting the loud noises of the outside.
However, the windshields on our vehicles is much more than a glass layer between us and the outside. They are an integral part of what makes up the overall structural integrity and advanced safety technologies (known as ADAS) in our car. The implementation of ADAS technologies becoming standard in today’s vehicles have paved the way for stricter repair procedures to keep you safer on the road.
Before we get into the details, it’s important to note that not all auto body repair shops are the same. The days of dropping your car off at the shop for a technician to perform the same repair he would on every other car needing the same type of repair are forever in the past. On the other hand, many body shops that are part of a major chain are under contract with insurance companies to perform fast repairs which may mean quality gets sacrificed to save time and money.
There is no longer a “one size fits all” solution for collision repair. This is why technicians are encouraged to look up the exact repair procedures laid out by your car’s manufacturer known as OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) repairs. These are the highest quality and safest repairs out there for your car because they ensure your vehicle is repaired precisely as the manufacturer would instruct.
We wish we could say every auto body shop follows OEM repair procedures, but that is not the case. To meet the tight deadline and keep the insurance companies happy, technicians will get straight to work out of “experience,” thinking that will be more than enough to repair your car instead of knowing car repair doesn’t work like that.
Windshield Repair on 2019 F-150s
Repairing glass on the 2019 Ford F-150 vehicles (referred to as “fixed glass”) is not as simple as one would think. According to the OEM repair guidelines, “new or re-used fixed glass must be installed within two hours of cutting the urethane adhesive. Cut or scraped urethane becomes oxidized and inactive beyond two hours, reducing the effectiveness of the repair bond.”
In other words, repairing a windshield needs to be repaired quickly in under two hours to remain safe. Otherwise, the glue (aka urethane adhesive) holding the windshield in place won’t be as strong as it would be, had it been done in that 2-hour window. Any time you work with glue, you only have a short period of time before the glue starts to dry up. When the glue begins to dry and cure it won’t bond and hold its stickage as well. When it comes to fixing a Ford F-150’s windshield, the adhesive ability of the glue is an imperative factor in the safety of the final repair.
The following are the exact words from Ford’s senior damageability engineer, Gerry Bonnani:
“If the fixed glass, such as the windshield, is not seated properly, and the substrate is not prepared correctly, the glass could pop right out during a subsequent collision event, seriously jeopardizing the overall structural integrity and safety of the vehicle.”
This is why proper glass installation is something you must be exceptionally serious about. Never assume that a body shop knows how to perform a windshield repair the right way. It may look good and appear “fixed” on the outside, but it could also fail to provide you with any level of protection in case you get in an accident. Your car’s windshield isn’t just glass, but it part of what creates the overall structural integrity of your car.
Proper Cure Time
In addition to having a mere 2-hour window to repairing a windshield on the 2019 Ford F-150, technicians are also required to follow the OEM instructions of proper curing. An “inadequate or incorrect curing of the urethane adhesive seal with adversely affect glass retention.” The vehicle cannot be driven during this time until the urethane adhesive seal properly cures. If any of this were to occur without allowing proper curing, it would also increase your risk of getting involved in a dangerous accident.
What Happens When A Shop Cuts Corners In The Repair Process
The following photo is what happened to an American couple after their car had a prior illegitimate repair on the roof that they were unaware of. The roof is a critical element of vehicle windshields, as they all work to maintain the overall structural integrity of your vehicle. If one of these vehicle parts has received illegitimate repair in any way, it can create a catastrophic ripple effect on the rest of the car. That’s what happened to the couple involved in the car accident shown below. It may not have been a Ford, but we wanted to illustrate how critical it is shops follow the repair procedures laid out by your car’s manufacturer.
The repair shop that performed a prior repair on this vehicle didn’t follow OEM repair procedures, and as a result, the couple was trapped in a burning car after another vehicle T-boned into them. Had the repair shop performed an accurate repair, this would have only been a minor accident. Instead, it was a catastrophic collision that could have cost the couple their lives.
Other Important Requirements For Fixed Glass Replacement
There are also specific circumstances where Ford requires the damaged fixed glass to be discarded and replaced with a new one. These are:
- “The fixed glass is the windshield glass and is equipped with a camera bracket.
- The fixed glass is equipped with adhesive moldings.”
We feel that we are indeed the best because we are committed to giving you the highest quality of repair out there. All of our technicians are up to date on the latest OEM repair procedures and have received extensive training. You will never be left in the dark throughout the repair process. Once you get your car back, it will be looking, running, and operating as if it was brand new!
We look forward to hearing from you and helping you with any of your auto repair needs!
