Best Windshield Crack Repair Kits: 3 Resin Kits for Chips and Cracks
A stone chip in the windshield starts small — a tiny star or bullseye where a rock hit the glass — and then it grows. Heat, cold and the vibration of the road push the crack outward a little more every day, and a chip that could have been repaired becomes a crack that needs a whole new windshield. A windshield crack repair kit is the tool that stops that spread: a resin that fills the chip, a syringe or injector that pushes the resin into the break, and a curing strip that holds it in place while sunlight hardens it.
The short answer: if you want the complete kit, start with the Permatex 09103 — a 9-piece windshield crack repair kit with a syringe, plunger, pedestal, curing strip and razor blade, made for bullseye damage up to 1 and a quarter inches. If the damage is a longer crack, the Rain-X 600001 is the pick: a resin kit made for round damage up to 1 inch across and cracks up to 12 inches long. And if you only have one small bullseye to fix, the single-use Permatex Bullseye kit is the pick — one syringe, no mixing.
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Quick Pick: Windshield Repair Kits for Chips and Cracks
| Pick | Product | Best For | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete 9-Piece Syringe Kit | Permatex 09103 Automotive Windshield Repair Kit For Chipped And Cracked Windshields. Permanent Air-Tight Repairs, With Repair Syringe & Plunger, 9-piece Kit | A windshield crack repair kit with every tool in the box, made for bullseye damage up to 1 and a quarter inches | Check Price on Amazon |
| Resin Kit for Cracks up to 12 Inches | Rain-X 600001 Windshield Repair Kit – Quick and Easy Durable Resin Based Windshield Repair Kit for Chips and Cracks, Good for Round Damage Below 1″ in Diameter and Cracks Smaller Than 12″ in Length | A windshield crack repair kit made for round damage up to 1 inch across and cracks up to 12 inches long | Check Price on Amazon |
| Single-Use Bullseye Syringe | Permatex 16067 Bullseye Windshield Repair Kit, .025 oz. Syringe, .025 Ounce Syringe, White | A single-use windshield crack repair kit for one bullseye chip, with no mixing and no leftover parts | Check Price on Amazon |
Table of Contents
Permatex 09103 Windshield Repair Kit: The Windshield Crack Repair Kit With Everything in the Box
The Permatex 09103 is the complete windshield crack repair kit in this roundup: a 9-piece kit with a repair syringe and plunger, an adhesive disc, a pedestal, a curing strip, a pushpin, a razor blade, an alcohol towelette and an instruction sheet with photographs. The listing says the kit makes permanent air-tight repairs of bullseye damage up to 1 and a quarter inches on most laminated windshield glass. The model number is 09103, and the kit has been listed since June 2006. Our Permatex windshield repair kit review covers this same kit in detail, and it states the same size limit: bullseye damage up to 1 and a quarter inches.
The syringe and plunger are what make this windshield crack repair kit different from a resin-only bottle. The pedestal sticks to the glass over the chip with the adhesive disc, the syringe sits in the pedestal, and the plunger first pulls air out of the break and then pushes resin in — the vacuum step is what gets the resin into the tiny legs of a star break instead of leaving air trapped under the surface. The curing strip goes over the filled chip to keep air out while the resin hardens in sunlight, and the razor blade scrapes the cured resin flat at the end. The kit is made for a single repair, and the instructions say to work in the shade with the windshield between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Permatex 09103 is the pick in this roundup for the driver who wants every tool in the box and has never repaired a chip before: a complete windshield crack repair kit with the syringe, the pedestal and the curing strip all included. Check the listing still shows a live offer before you order, because listings change.
Permatex 09103 Windshield Repair Kit on Amazon: 9-piece windshield crack repair kit, model 09103, repair syringe and plunger, adhesive disc, pedestal, curing strip, pushpin, razor blade, alcohol towelette, bullseye damage up to 1 and a quarter inches
Buy the Permatex 09103 windshield repair kit if: you have a bullseye or star chip up to 1 and a quarter inches across, and you want a complete windshield crack repair kit with every tool included. Work in the shade with the glass between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Rain-X 600001 Windshield Repair Kit: The Windshield Crack Repair Kit for Longer Cracks
The Rain-X 600001 is the long-crack windshield crack repair kit in this roundup: a resin-based kit that the listing says works best on round damage not more than 1 inch in diameter and cracks not longer than 12 inches. The model number is 600001, and the kit has been listed since February 2014. That 12-inch crack limit is the widest in this roundup — the two Permatex kits are made for bullseye damage up to 1 and a quarter inches, while the Rain-X kit is made for cracks up to a foot long.
The Rain-X kit uses the same idea as the Permatex kit — resin pushed into the break, then cured in sunlight — but the applicator is a resin injector that sits over the chip, and the kit is built for the longer crack as well as the round chip. The listing says the resin helps minimize the appearance of the damage and stops the spread of chips and cracks, so the repair is as much about stopping the crack growing as it is about making it invisible. Buyers report the job takes under half an hour, and the kit is made for laminated windshields. A repair kit cannot make a crack disappear completely — the goal is a repair that is hard to notice and a crack that stops spreading, not glass that looks brand new.
The Rain-X 600001 is the pick in this roundup for the driver whose damage is a crack rather than a round chip: a windshield crack repair kit made for cracks up to 12 inches long, with a resin injector and a curing strip. Check the listing still shows a live offer before you order, because listings change.
Rain-X 600001 Windshield Repair Kit on Amazon: resin-based windshield crack repair kit, model 600001, round damage up to 1 inch in diameter, cracks up to 12 inches in length, for laminated windshields
Buy the Rain-X 600001 windshield repair kit if: your damage is a crack up to 12 inches long or a round chip up to 1 inch across, and you want a windshield crack repair kit built for the longer crack. Expect the repair to be hard to notice, not invisible.
Permatex Bullseye Windshield Repair Kit: The Single-Use Windshield Crack Repair Kit
The Permatex Bullseye kit is the single-use windshield crack repair kit in this roundup: one syringe with 0.025 fluid ounces of resin, a pedestal, an adhesive disc and a curing strip, and nothing else. The listing describes it as the first one-component windshield repair system made for the car owner — no mixing, no heat, and no leftover parts. The kit is made for bullseye damage up to 1 and a quarter inches in diameter on most laminated windshield glass, the same size limit as the 09103 kit. The US model number is 16067, and the same kit is listed as model 81546 with a 0.75 millilitre syringe.
The single-use design is the whole point of this windshield crack repair kit. A driver with one small bullseye chip does not need a 9-piece kit with a razor blade and a pushpin — one syringe, one pedestal and one curing strip do the job, and the kit is done when the chip is done. Review coverage of this kit says the resin cures in about 15 minutes in direct sunlight, and at least an hour on a hazy day — those are review-sourced cure times, not a Permatex specification, and the weather on the day decides how long the cure takes. The trade is that the kit is made for one repair: if the chip needs a second try, or a second chip appears, a new kit is needed.
The Permatex Bullseye kit is the pick in this roundup for the driver with one small bullseye chip and nothing else to fix: a single-use windshield crack repair kit with no mixing and no leftover parts. Check the listing still shows a live offer before you order, because listings change.
Permatex Bullseye Windshield Repair Kit on Amazon: single-use windshield crack repair kit, model 16067, 0.025 fluid ounce syringe, one-component resin, bullseye damage up to 1 and a quarter inches
Buy the Permatex Bullseye windshield repair kit if: you have one bullseye chip up to 1 and a quarter inches across, and you want the simplest windshield crack repair kit with nothing left over. One chip, one kit.
What a Windshield Crack Repair Kit Can and Cannot Fix
A windshield crack repair kit can fix small damage in the outer layer of laminated glass: a bullseye chip, a star break, a half-moon chip, or a short crack. The resin fills the break, the curing strip holds it in place, and sunlight hardens the resin into a clear plug that stops the crack spreading. The repair makes the damage hard to notice and keeps the crack from spreading — it does not make the glass new.
A repair kit cannot fix everything, and the limits are the ones the listings state. It cannot fix a crack longer than the kit is made for — 12 inches for the Rain-X kit, and a bullseye up to 1 and a quarter inches for the two Permatex kits. It cannot fix damage in the driver’s direct line of sight: a repair in front of the driver leaves a faint outline that can distract, and a professional or a replacement is the right answer there. It cannot fix damage at the edge of the windshield, damage that goes through both layers of the glass, or a chip that is old and full of dirt — resin cannot push dirt out of a break that has been collecting it for months. If the damage is any of those things, the kit is the wrong tool, and the windshield needs a professional repair or a replacement.
Bullseye, Star Break or Crack: Know Your Damage
Before you buy a windshield crack repair kit, look at the damage and name it. A bullseye is a round chip with a dark center and a ring around it, like a target — the most common stone chip, and the one every kit in this roundup is made for. A star break is a chip with short cracks radiating out from the center, like a star — the Permatex 09103 syringe is built to pull air out of those legs and push resin in. A half-moon is a partial bullseye, a chip with a curved edge on one side. A crack is a line across the glass, and its length decides the kit: under 12 inches for the Rain-X kit, and no kit in this roundup for a crack longer than that.
Measure the damage before you order. A bullseye wider than 1 and a quarter inches is past the Permatex kits’ limit, and a round chip wider than 1 inch is past the Rain-X kit’s limit for round damage. A crack that reaches the edge of the windshield is past every kit in this roundup. And a chip in front of the driver is a replacement job, not a repair kit job, however small it looks. The same rule applies to scratches on the rest of the car — our how to remove scratches from car guide covers paint scratches, which are a different repair from glass damage entirely.
How to Use a Windshield Crack Repair Kit
A windshield crack repair kit works the same way across all three kits in this roundup, and the steps are the ones the instructions give. First, clean the glass around the chip and let it dry — a clean surface is what the adhesive disc sticks to, and dirt in the chip stays in the repair. Our best car cleaning kit guide covers the cleaning side of the job. Then work in the shade, with the windshield between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit: direct sun cures the resin too early, and cold glass slows the cure. Stick the pedestal over the chip with the adhesive disc, seat the syringe or injector in the pedestal, and follow the plunger steps in the instructions — pull the plunger to draw air out of the break, then push it to drive the resin in.
Once the resin is in, lay the curing strip over the filled chip and move the car into direct sunlight so the resin hardens — the strip keeps air out while the resin cures. After the cure, peel the strip off and scrape the cured resin flat with the razor blade, then clean the glass. Check the repair from the driver’s seat and from outside the car: the chip should be hard to notice, and the crack should not have grown. If the resin did not reach the end of a crack leg, the repair is incomplete — a second kit cannot undo a repair that has already cured, so the first attempt is the one that counts.
Cure Times and Temperature: What to Expect
Cure times for a windshield crack repair kit are listing and review-sourced, never a specification from the kit maker. Review coverage of the Permatex Bullseye kit says the resin cures in about 15 minutes in direct sunlight, and at least an hour on a hazy day — the weather on the day decides the cure, and a cloudy sky stretches it. Buyers report the Rain-X kit takes under half an hour for the whole job, and the Permatex 09103 instructions say the resin cures in natural sunlight, with the cure taking longer on a dull day.
Temperature matters as much as sunlight. The Permatex instructions say to work with the windshield between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit: colder glass slows the cure, and hotter glass can cure the resin before it has filled the break. Work in the shade while the resin goes in, then move into the sun for the cure. Do not wash the car or run the wipers over the repair until the resin has fully hardened, and do not judge the repair until the resin has cured fully.
Windshield Crack Repair Kit Mistakes to Avoid
The most common mistake is waiting. A stone chip is simplest to fix on the day it happens — heat, cold and road vibration push the crack outward, and a chip that a windshield crack repair kit could have fixed becomes a crack that needs a new windshield. Repair the chip the same week it appears, before the next cold morning widens it. The second mistake is repairing in the wrong conditions: direct sun while the resin goes in cures it too early, and a cold windshield slows the cure — work in the shade, with the glass between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
The third mistake is repairing damage the kit cannot fix: a crack longer than 12 inches, damage at the edge of the glass, or a chip in the driver’s line of sight. A repair in front of the driver leaves a faint outline that distracts, and that is a replacement job. The fourth mistake is a dirty chip: resin cannot push months of dirt out of a break, so a chip that has been collecting dirt for months will not repair cleanly. Clean the glass first — our best car wash soap guide covers the wash itself — and repair a fresh chip, not an old one. The fifth mistake is judging the repair too soon: the resin needs its full cure time, and a repair that looks cloudy on the day can clear as it hardens.
Who Should Use a Windshield Crack Repair Kit — and Who Should Not
Use a windshield crack repair kit if: the damage is a fresh bullseye, star break or short crack, inside the size limits of the kit — up to 1 and a quarter inches for the Permatex kits, up to 12 inches of crack for the Rain-X kit — and away from the driver’s line of sight and away from the edge of the glass.
Do not use a windshield crack repair kit if: the crack is longer than 12 inches, the damage sits in front of the driver, the damage reaches the edge of the windshield, the chip goes through both layers of the glass, or the chip is old and full of dirt. Any of those is a professional repair or a replacement, and a kit will not fix it.
The Verdict
The best windshield repair kit is the one that matches the damage. The Permatex 09103 is the pick for the driver who wants every tool in the box: a complete windshield crack repair kit with a syringe, a pedestal and a curing strip, made for bullseye damage up to 1 and a quarter inches. The Rain-X 600001 is the pick for the longer crack: a windshield crack repair kit made for cracks up to 12 inches long, with a resin injector. And the Permatex Bullseye kit is the pick for one small chip: a single-use windshield crack repair kit with no mixing and nothing left over.
Whichever you choose, repair the chip the same week it appears, work in the shade with the glass between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and check the listing still shows a live offer before you order, because listings change. And if the damage is in front of the driver, at the edge of the glass, or longer than the kit is made for — that is not a repair kit job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a windshield repair kit fix a long crack?
Only up to the limit the kit is made for. The Rain-X 600001 in this roundup is made for cracks up to 12 inches long, and the two Permatex kits are made for bullseye damage up to 1 and a quarter inches. A crack longer than 12 inches, a crack that reaches the edge of the windshield, or damage that goes through both layers of the glass cannot be fixed by a repair kit — that is a professional repair or a replacement.
How long does the resin take to cure?
Cure times are listing and review-sourced, never a specification from the kit maker. Review coverage of the Permatex Bullseye kit says the resin cures in about 15 minutes in direct sunlight, and at least an hour on a hazy day. Buyers report the Rain-X kit takes under half an hour for the whole job. The weather on the day decides the cure — work in the shade while the resin goes in, then move into the sun for the cure, with the glass between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Will the repair be invisible?
No — a repair kit makes the damage hard to notice, not invisible. The resin fills the break and stops the crack spreading, and a good repair on a small bullseye chip is hard to find. A star break or a longer crack usually leaves a faint outline where the resin filled the legs. The goal is a repair that is hard to notice and a crack that stops spreading, not glass that looks brand new.
Can I repair damage in the driver’s line of sight?
No — damage in the driver’s direct line of sight is not a repair kit job. A repair leaves a faint outline that can distract the driver, and the outline sits exactly where the driver looks. Damage in front of the driver needs a professional repair or a replacement windshield, however small it looks.
Do I need to repair a chip right away?
Yes — repair the chip the same week it appears. Heat, cold and the vibration of the road push the crack outward a little more every day, and a chip that a windshield crack repair kit could have fixed becomes a crack that needs a whole new windshield. A fresh chip also repairs more cleanly than an old one, because resin cannot push months of dirt out of a break.
What temperature should the windshield be for a repair?
The Permatex instructions say to work with the windshield between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Colder glass slows the cure, and hotter glass can cure the resin before it has filled the break. Work in the shade while the resin goes in, then move the car into direct sunlight so the resin hardens. Do not wash the car or run the wipers over the repair until the resin has fully hardened.
