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GoogleThe windshield camera usually supports lane keeping and lane centering, lane departure warnings, forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, traffic sign recognition and automatic high beams, often working together with a front radar. Which features depend on it varies by make, model and trim. Chevrolet, for example, describes its lane keep assist camera as mounted behind the windshield, in front of the inside rearview mirror, and Hyundai says its lane keeping system sees the lane markings with a camera in the upper windshield area. Features such as adaptive cruise control may rely mainly on radar instead.
Knowing what the camera does helps you understand why a cracked or replaced windshield matters for your driver assistance systems. This guide is written by Mavi Auto Glass, a locally owned mobile auto glass company based in Roseville that replaces windshields and performs ADAS static and dynamic calibration with its own Autel equipment for drivers across Sacramento, Roseville, Folsom, Elk Grove and the rest of Greater Sacramento. It lists what the major brands say about their camera-based features and how to check your own car.
Which driver assistance features use the windshield camera by brand?
Each brand groups its features under its own name, and each one describes the sensors differently. The table shows what the manufacturers’ own pages say.
| Brand and system | What the manufacturer says about the camera | Features listed |
|---|---|---|
| Subaru EyeSight | Dual color cameras mounted near the rearview mirror, with a third camera on select models | Adaptive cruise with lane centering, lane departure and sway warning, pre-collision braking, automatic emergency steering |
| Honda Sensing | The collision mitigation braking system combines a millimeter-wave radar with a camera, and sign recognition uses a small camera | Collision mitigation braking, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise, lane keeping assist, traffic sign recognition |
| Toyota Safety Sense | Road Sign Assist uses the forward-facing camera, and Proactive Driving Assist uses the camera and radar | Pre-collision system, radar cruise control, lane departure alert, lane tracing assist, road sign assist, automatic high beams |
| Ford Co-Pilot360 | Lane keeping uses a forward-facing camera that scans lane markings | Lane keeping, pre-collision assist and other driver assist features |
| Hyundai SmartSense | Lane keeping uses a camera in the upper windshield area, and Smart Cruise Control uses radar | Lane keeping assist, lane following assist, forward collision-avoidance assist, smart cruise control |
| Chevy Safety Assist | Lane keep assist uses a forward-looking camera mounted behind the windshield | Automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist, forward collision alert, following distance indicator, IntelliBeam |
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration describes lane centering assistance as a camera-based vision system that monitors the vehicle’s lane position (NHTSA, driver assistance technologies).
How can you tell if your windshield has an ADAS camera?
Look at the top center of the windshield, behind the rearview mirror. A camera usually sits in a plastic housing there, and you can often see the lens from outside the car.
- A housing or cover at the top of the windshield, behind or in front of the rearview mirror
- Driver assistance features listed in the owner’s manual, such as lane keeping or pre-collision braking
- Buttons or menu settings for lane keeping, lane departure or forward collision warning
- Dashboard messages about a blocked or unavailable camera
- A brand package name on the window sticker or in the manual, such as EyeSight, Honda Sensing or Toyota Safety Sense
Ford notes that its lane keeping system may not function if the camera is blocked or the windshield is damaged or dirty, which is why a crack in front of the camera can affect the feature even before the glass is replaced.
How do you find out exactly which features your car’s camera supports?
Check the vehicle itself, then the manufacturer’s information for your exact model. You can do it in 4 steps.
- Look for the camera housing: check the top of the windshield behind the rearview mirror.
- Open the owner’s manual: find the driver assistance section and note which features mention the camera.
- Check the manufacturer’s website: search for your model year and trim, since packages change between trims.
- Share the VIN with the glass shop: the VIN helps identify the correct windshield and the camera equipment that goes with it.
Why does a new windshield affect these features?
Because the camera is mounted on the glass, a new windshield puts it in a new position, even if the change is too small to see. The camera then has to be aimed again so it reads the road the way the manufacturer designed. The California Bureau of Automotive Repair has noted that a camera or sensor that is misaligned by a few degrees may prevent a safety system from functioning as designed (BAR newsletter).
California’s Motor Vehicle Glass Act, Senate Bill 988, now requires a glass shop to tell you before the service whether your vehicle has an advanced driver assistance system and whether calibration is recommended by the manufacturer. Mavi Auto Glass performs ADAS static and dynamic calibration with its own Autel equipment, in most cases in the same appointment as the windshield replacement, when the vehicle, location and conditions allow. The calibration aims the windshield camera. It does not repair unrelated sensors or pre-existing system faults.
Will more cars have a windshield camera in the coming years?
Very likely, because automatic emergency braking is becoming a federal requirement. NHTSA’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 127, as currently written, requires automatic emergency braking, including pedestrian automatic emergency braking, on passenger cars, SUVs, pickups and vans with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less manufactured on or after September 1, 2029 (NHTSA).
The rule does not say which sensor a manufacturer must use, but many current systems rely on a camera behind the windshield, alone or together with radar. That makes the windshield part of the safety system on more vehicles every year.
Before your windshield is replaced
Note which driver assistance features your car has and whether they worked normally before the damage. Have the year, make, model and VIN ready, and mention any warning message on the dashboard. Ask the glass shop whether it will calibrate the camera itself and whether you will receive written confirmation of the result. If the crack sits in front of the camera, avoid relying on lane keeping or automatic braking until the glass is replaced and the camera is calibrated.
