IIHS Survey: Half of Drivers Who Had ADAS Repairs Report Post-Service Problems

A February 2023 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety survey of vehicle owners who had crash-avoidance systems repaired produced results with direct relevance for the auto-glass industry. Roughly half of the surveyed owners who needed a crash-avoidance feature repaired experienced problems with the technology after the work was done.

The IIHS survey reached more than 3,000 vehicle owners equipped with front crash prevention, blind-spot detection, or rearview and visibility-enhancing cameras. Most respondents had never needed their crash-avoidance features repaired, but resolution was often not straightforward for the minority who had.

Study designer and IIHS Senior Research Scientist Alexandra Mueller found that many owners had problems with the technology afterward, and some needed the same feature repaired more than once. Windshield replacements are a common trigger for camera recalibration because forward-facing cameras supporting automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control are typically mounted to or near the glass.

The study found that crash-avoidance systems are generally resilient in normal driving — IIHS research showed that the safety benefits of front crash prevention and blind-spot detection hold up well even as vehicles age. It is the repair environment, not everyday use, that introduces risk of system malfunction.

For auto-glass shop owners, the survey's findings were a business case as much as a safety argument. Customers who experience ADAS system failures after a windshield replacement will hold the shop responsible, regardless of whether the root cause was calibration quality, adhesive cure time before calibration, or sensor damage during removal. Investing in proper calibration equipment and documented procedures protects both the customer and the shop's reputation.

The IIHS report also reflected growing insurance-industry attention to post-repair technology performance. As insurers and OEMs refine their understanding of how ADAS calibration affects claim rates and crash outcomes, shops that can demonstrate verified calibration results will likely have a growing advantage in network-provider discussions.