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My wife has got a super reliable 15 year old Toyota Corolla Verso that has just sailed through another MOT without even any advisories but for a few years the paint has been bubbling under the the top of the screen which I think is bonded, the rust doesn't look terrible but it's leaking quite badly now. I'm not sure if it would be a bodyshop or windscreen fitter job or if I should just try bogging in some silicone, anyone experienced the same? I don't want to spend a fortune as it can't be worth much but it'd be a shame to let it go because of something like this.
Bodyshop - but filling with silicon is what I would try first on that car.
(rust is always worse than what you can see on the surface though)
if you think it's just the bonding and your windscreen has a large chip or crack then getting it replaced on the insurance could be a worthwhile option. They tend not to ask how the crack got there 😉
The problem with using a bodyshop is you're likely to have to pay for a new screen as well as the work. It would be a longer term fix but could be pricey.
edit - also as mentioned rust tends to be worse than you think, my van went in for a small amount of work and came out having had most of one side replaced and I had a massive bill!
Gould certainly try filling the gaps with mastik or the like to stop water getting in.
How friendly's your garage/mechanic? could ask them what they think.
If the frame is rusty, bonding a new windscreen to it likely won't work, it'll not be flat enough. I'd be surprised if a glass place would do it for you, or at least tell you that the work is at your own risk. Auto Windcreens wanted £75 to remove and rebond my van windscreen recently, unfortunately it did crack properly during the process so then had to be replaced on the insurance.
but filling with silicon is what I would try first on that car.
Don’t use silicon, especially if you’re going to send it to a body so if it’s still leaking.
Use a PU sealant.
On a very old Mini Rear side window I used kurust on the rusty bits and then this to seal the window.
It never leaked again and the rust showed no signs of spreading - I owned it for another 5-6 years after that.
I would try a new screen first.
Don’t use silicon, especially if you’re going to send it to a body so if it’s still leaking.
Use a PU sealant.
Ain't no one taking a 15 year old avensis to a body shop on their own dime surely.
I tried sealing leaks round the bottom of a windscreen with Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure. Looks good stuff, and might have worked if it had all be properly dry to start with, but it didn't set. Then it cracked and was replaced on insurance - the fitter said it would have fallen out in a gentle collision. In a lot of cars, the windscreen is structural, it works in conjunction with the A pillars to resist sideways load (wind etc).
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