Any car windshield experts here?

What's the point at which a star/chip/crack/line can still be repaired vs. having the glass replaced?

What's the outcome of a repair - no more spreading of the crack or will it be completely unnoticeable?

What's the typical cost of repair? Of replacement?

Damn Houston roads. :rant: The first time I lived here, I repaired a windshield about every six months. I've driven for 26 years and never had a windshield crack in any other city or state. Now we are here 9 months, and my wife drove to downtown Houston 3 days last week for a conference, and she got a crack in the windshield of her van. It is down low, and the crack ran down and then up a couple of inches and then turned right. I'd say from end to end, the crack is about 6"-8".

In addition, we just picked up a great used car this week for her to commute to work in, and it is 99.9% perfect - except of course for the crack in the windshield. The dealership is going to replace that windshield, so when they come out, I'm want to have them fix the crack on the van too. The crack on the car is like an upside down U, right in the center of the glass, and since it goes down on both ends, I don't think it can spread anymore.