Rising Premiums Push Some Consumers to Drop Comprehensive Glass Coverage

A Guardian Service survey released in July 2025 found that approximately 25% of Americans had downgraded their auto insurance coverage in the prior 12 months, and 8% had switched to liability-only policies—which do not cover auto glass damage or collision repairs. The survey also found that 77% of Americans still considered car insurance a financial necessity, but rising premium costs were pushing a meaningful minority to accept higher personal risk.

The average monthly auto insurance cost reported in the Guardian Service survey was $189—slightly higher than the $169 monthly average for home insurance and representing a significant recurring expense for middle-income households. As premiums increased, consumers increasingly evaluated whether comprehensive coverage—which includes glass damage—was worth the additional cost relative to their deductibles and expected claim frequency.

For auto glass shops, the trend toward reduced comprehensive coverage had a direct and unwelcome implication: fewer insured glass jobs. If 8% of drivers nationally are liability-only, they cannot file an insurance claim when their windshield cracks. They either pay out-of-pocket, defer the repair, or go without service entirely. The segment of customers likely to defer or go without—particularly those driving older vehicles—represents lost revenue for shops.

However, the trend also validated the Belron investor-day projection that cash jobs would become a larger share of total auto glass revenue. Shops that price their cash services competitively and invest in clear, transparent pricing for consumers—rather than relying on opaque insurer reimbursement rates—are better positioned to capture customers who are paying out of pocket.

Windshield chip repair, in particular, becomes a compelling cash offering when customers lack comprehensive coverage. A chip repair for $50–$75 cash preserves a windshield that would otherwise require a full replacement at $300 or more. Shops that have built effective chip-repair programs and market them to liability-only drivers are creating a new customer pathway.

The survey results also underscored the importance of transparent, consumer-friendly pricing in shops' public-facing materials. Customers who have dropped comprehensive coverage are more price-sensitive and more likely to shop around; shops that communicate value clearly—and that offer payment plans or financing for larger jobs—will have a competitive advantage.