Written by Dylan
Join me as we explore how you can keep your Sportage in peak condition, including caring for that all-important windscreen, and connect with a community that appreciates the finer things in life, both on and off the road.
Are you browsing the internet for some expert guidance on working through the hazards of ordering a KIA Sportage windscreen replacement?
Do you have in-depth questions about how a flawed universe could allow cracks and dents to dare ruin the surface of your precious car glass? Are you wondering where to go from here? And what is this damn glass made from anyway? Why is it so expensive?
Read further to find the answers to these concerns and more!
Why is the KIA Sportage such a popular car?
The Kia Sportage is a top-rated choice of cars on the road and has been for around 25 years. With its sporty configuration and affordable cost, it’s no shock that it’s a prime choice for many potential car buyers. Combine the fact that its repair and maintenance costs are well below those of its closest competitors, and it has a very high rating for reliability.
It’s clear why the Kia Sportage is a good fit for any type of driver on the road – from eligible singles to family drivers.
Interesting Facts about the KIA Sportage
Here are a couple of fresh facts you might not have been aware of regarding the sporty Kia:
- Kia’s headquarters are in Seoul, South Korea and adjacent to the Hyundai Motor Company.
- Kia Sportage owns the Right of being the earliest Korean car to be starred and racing in the Paris-Dakar rally race.
- Kia Sportage makes up a whole 1/5 of Kia’s total trades with over three million units sold worldwide.
- Kia’s Hwasung manufacturing factory produces a million cars per year, which amounts to about 114 vehicles created per hour. That translates to roughly 2 cars per minute!
- Pre-1974, Kia was chiefly producing lorries and multiple versions of three-wheeler pick-up trucks that funky designs. Quite a change in style hey?
- Many giant companies tried to obtain Kia when they were heading towards bankruptcy in 1997. Korea’s biggest electronic giant – Samsung – was one of them. The deal was snatched up by another bidder instead; Hyundai. Which is why they are now located close to each other (refer to the first point).
What type of glass makes up my KIA Sportage’s windscreen?
Your KIA Sportage’s car glass comes from two kinds of processed glass; laminated and tempered.
Your front windscreen is made with something called laminated glass, and every single other section of your KIA’s car glass (the side windows and rear windscreen) is crafted using tempered glass. But what’s the difference? And why is there even a difference?
Laminated Glass – Front Windscreen
This glass is a little more robust and endurable than its tempered counterpart. It’s produced by bonding two conventional glass layers and one plastic interlayer, (usually a vinyl plastic). These layers are smushed together with ridiculous pressure levels and then exposed to an extreme degree of heat in order to bond together and produce a durable glass that can take substantial pressure before it cracks.
We design windscreens with this type of glass in mind to prevent any glass shards from forming since the glass stays together and doesn’t fly towards the occupants of your KIA Sportage.
Laminated glass is also easily repaired if some minor damage takes place on its surface, which is a beneficial and cost-effective feature, acknowledging how expensive windscreen replacements can be.
Tempered Glass – Side Windows & Rear Windscreen
This type is the slightly more fragile counterpart to laminated glass (while still being more potent than your average glass, known as annealed). You form tempered glass by flashing a transparent sheet of glass to intense heat levels within a gigantic furnace.
The glass sheet then undergoes a rapid cooling system known as quenching. Here, it is pressured down and cooled in a short amount of time. This method results in tempered glass, which fractures into small and comparatively safe pieces when crushed.
Because of this, we utilise tempered glass in environments where human safety is a possible issue, i.e. side windows and rear windscreens in cars.
This glass cannot be repaired when damaged though and must be replaced entirely.
Why do cracks develop on the windscreen of my KIA Sportage?
We’ve all been there; aimlessly driving down the road, appreciating the beauty of the day when WHAP!
You spot it – that treacherous little crack or dent that is suddenly warping your perfect field of vision.
And now you’re plagued with questions like:
Where did it come from?
Why is it here?
Who can I blame?
Well, here are some factors you can point the guilty finger to:
Small pebbles and rocks from the road
You’ve probably overheard or even felt this experience before, especially when driving along nearby roads that have been freshly paved or recently had a pothole repaired. Or when you’ve been a mischievous driver and didn’t leave enough distance between yourself and the car ahead.
The impact from these little and irksome pieces of rubble can form a crack in your windscreen if it comes in from the wrong angle and with enough kinetic energy.
This is a relatively small problem, and usually the most common cause of windscreen cracks.
When it gets too hot and too cold
It is such an absolute delight to experience both sides of the spectrum in terms of weather, tight? With blustery winds and hot sunlight, giving off intense heat and chills, our poor KIA Sportage is slightly contracting and expanding its framework every day due to the shifts in temperature. (Thermal changes by changing winds should also be rebuked).
This phenomenon produces something called a stress fracture, which makes sense since the windscreen and the driver are both about to crack under pressure. So whenever you have what resembles an entirely random crack appearing suddenly for no reason – its all the fluctuating temperatures your KIA Sportage has been going through.
The weather patterns
As discussed earlier, hot and cold temperatures from the climate can begin to form cracks, such as ice appearing on a windscreen, or having the sun beat down on the framework all day.
Storm debris – such as hailstones or flung tree branches – are also combined criminals who keep supplementing and adding harm to your car.
Poor framework/car glass installations
Whenever you trust your car to a badly-trained car glass technician who uses worn-out tools and non-OEM-complaint materials, you’re bound to find additional problems down the line.
Parts can grind seriously against each other, causing stress fractures from the framework not meshing well with the windscreen to appear. It’s a ticking time-bomb.
Car crashes
This problem is the number one anxiety of every operator on the road; a collision course with another vehicle. At best? It’s a slight fender-bender that requires an insurance information exchange. It’s worst? A write-off of your KIA Sportage.
Even a medium-sized car crash can lead to you needing to replace entire car glass sections and all the necessary parts that operate with them.
What happens if I drive around with a cracked windscreen in the UK?
There are multiple severe and extremely-avoidable outcomes from operating a car with cracks or dents on its windscreen. Some of these might be minor consequences, while others could be life-threatening in nature.
Obstructed vision
Small cracks might not even show up on your radar at first, and will not influence your ability to drive at all. But these include the potential to convert into a system of cracks that could distort your sense of the outside world just enough that you miss a significant detail and end up in a wreck of a car accident.
The structural integrity of your KIA Sportage could be jeopardised
Many people don’t know that the purpose of your windscreen and other car glass segments is not only to allow you to view the outside world within the safe confines of your vehicle. It also serves towards keeping your car’s frame securely in place during the case of a car accident or whenever your vehicle might roll over. If your car glass has any cracks or dents, it’s more prone to shatter and thus remove all aid towards the structure. This loss of support could result in the car’s frame collapsing in, leading to more critical damages towards the vehicle’s occupants.
Problems with law enforcement
In the UK, if you are found driving with a large enough crack on your windscreen, you can be charged with “Reckless Driving” and may be subjected to a considerable fine and also obtaining three penalty points on your licence. The level of the charge depends on how severely your screen is damaged.
How does the process of a windscreen replacement work?
If you’re looking to subdue the chances of cracks developing, or at least hold off the natural wear-and-tear your KIA’s car glass will go through, then simply follow these steps.
Provide your KIA Sportage with proper shelter
To counter stress fractures and weather debris from making severe impacts on your car’s glass, ensure that you park your KIA Sportage under satisfactory shelter during the day. This way, it won’t be bared open to alternating/damaging temperatures or random projectiles (frisbees, soccer balls, hailstones).
Do not use boiling water to clear frozen windscreens
This method is a sure-fire way to shatter your windscreen instantly.
I’m not kidding. Please do not do this, it is terrible for the windscreen and aside from taking a hammer to your car, the most surefire way to shatter it in one shot.
Make sure your KIA Sportage windscreen’s cracks are kept clean
If a crack does rise despite your best attempts, make sure to keep all dust and water out of it. These particles decay the glass layers fast and accelerate the shattering process. Apply a clear piece of tape over the offending crack or dent (after washing and drying it first of course) to give yourself some breathing space.
Drive very carefully
Leave a bountiful amount of space between yourself and any other cars, and never-ever text while you drive. Paying attention while you go could give you the necessary split-second time advantage to avoid a vehicle or pedestrian… or result in you having an accident that could haunt you the rest of your life.
Obstacles will seem to leap out of nowhere if you don’t hold all your attention on the road!
Inspect your windscreen
A fast look won’t always cut it. Take time out of your hectic program every week or so to rigorously examine your windscreen and other sections of car glass for any symbols of decay. A problem caught early-on means fewer pains and higher-prices for tomorrow. Smaller cracks and dents can usually be easily repaired, instead of being entirely replaced.
Go to a proper car glass technician
Make sure to do your research fully and find a company that will treat your KIA Sportage right. Poor-quality workmanship and cheap materials mean that you’ll have to revisit them sooner than you would like!
Where can I get my KIA Sportage windscreen replaced in the UK?
Not many cars can hold themselves will in just about any situation, but the KIA Sportage is definitely one of them. It is an honour of ours to support the safety and security of your KIA Sportage with the most excellent materials and accredited professional care.
What does it cost?
On average, a Kia Sportage windscreen replacement cost ranges from £276.96 to £911.04.
But there are lots of competing car glass repair companies, so why trust us over them?
We offer nation-wide-coverage
We travel anywhere within the UK, as we can join you through land or via a bridge. No longer will you have to drive yourself somewhere while using a seriously jeopardised windscreen!
We utilise a user-friendly website
Our website has your support executed in its design. Schedule at a date and time that works most suitably towards your calendar, and have one of our qualified specialists come over to your place—no more waiting for weeks or months. In fact; one of our technicians can be there in the next couple of days!
Raving reviews from previous clients
Trust the word of others if you don’t want to take our promise alone.
View windscreen replacement reviews, and you’ll realise that our customer engagement, business care, and quality of materials goes above and beyond your expectations.
BOOK YOUR WINDSCREEN REPLACEMENT
Dylan
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