Someone Hit My Parked Car and Broke the Mirror. Now What?
By Duber, The Car Mirror Man · Car Mirrors Australia · Updated August 2026 · 13 min read
Short answer: photograph everything before you move the car, check the windscreen and the ground for a note or a broken cover, ask about cameras the same day, and get a written quote. Then do the arithmetic on the claim, because a standard comprehensive excess is usually at or above the cost of the repair — and mirror glass on its own starts from $135 fitted.
In Sydney? We can give you a written quote for the claim at your home or work, anywhere across the metro — see our full Sydney mirror service.
It is one of the more infuriating ways to start a day: you come back to the car and the mirror is hanging off, or gone, and there is nobody around. This guide covers the five things worth doing in the first ten minutes, what your options actually are, and why the repair itself is usually much smaller than the anger suggests.
The first five moves, in order
Do these before you move the car. Once it is out of the bay, most of them become impossible.
The damage close up, the whole car, the bay or the kerb, and any level or bay number. Position matters if there is ever a dispute.
Notes blow off wipers. So do broken covers — and a cover on the ground identifies the other vehicle's colour.
Commercial and shopping-centre carparks almost always have them. Building management will usually check if you ask on the same day, and far less willingly a week later.
Even if you never claim, a written quote turns a story into a number and takes ten minutes to obtain.
Not first. The decision is much easier once you know what the repair actually costs.
Why the photographs matter more than they feel like they do
Not because anyone doubts you. Because if there is ever a question, the only version of events that survives is the documented one.
Thirty seconds with a phone. It is the best-value insurance in this whole process.
If they left a note
Rarer than it should be, and worth handling carefully when it happens.
Photograph the note before you do anything else, because paper gets lost and ink runs. Then contact them, and keep it in writing where you can — a text message thread is a record, a phone call is not.
Most people who leave a note are willing to pay directly, and for a mirror that is usually the sensible outcome for both sides. A written quote is what makes that conversation short and unemotional.
If they did not
Which is the more common outcome in a Sydney carpark. Your options narrow, but they are not zero.
The claim arithmetic
This is the single most useful thing in this article, and it takes one line of maths.
A standard comprehensive excess in Australia is commonly several hundred dollars [11]. Mirror glass on its own starts from $135 fitted, and a full plain assembly starts at $200. For most people the excess is larger than the repair, which means claiming costs you more than paying — and may affect your no-claim status as well.
When claiming does make sense
Three situations, and they are all about scale rather than principle.
Outside those, paying directly is usually both cheaper and faster, and there is no claim sitting on your record for a mirror.
Do not drive on it as it is
Two reasons, one legal and one physical.
A vehicle with a missing or shattered mirror does not meet the standards, and in New South Wales that can attract a defect notice [5]. Mirrors are also checked at the annual safety inspection [6], so it will surface there if not before.
What is actually broken
Usually less than it looks. A mirror hanging off its wiring is dramatic and is often still mostly serviceable.
A side mirror is five separable parts — cover, backing plate, glass, motor and mounting. A low-speed strike from another vehicle normally takes the cover and the glass and leaves the other three alone. That is two components out of five, and both of them are at the cheap end.
What it costs to put right
Which is the number you need before you can make the claim decision at all.
| What is being replaced | What it covers | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Glass only | Correct ADR-compliant glass cut and fitted to your existing backing plate. | from $135 |
| Cover / housing | Outer cap swapped, glass and motor kept. | $150–$300 |
| Full mirror, plain | Whole assembly, manual or basic powered mirror. | $200–$350 |
| Full mirror, powered | Electric adjust, power fold or integrated indicator. | $350–$500 |
| Blind-spot, camera or auto-dim | Mirrors carrying driver-assist electronics. | Quoted per vehicle |
Every band above comes from our national price guide, which is the single source of truth for what we charge. If you want the full breakdown by part and by vehicle, read our side mirror replacement cost guide.
Getting a written quote quickly
You need this for the claim decision, for the other driver if they are known, and for your own peace of mind. It should take minutes.
The close-up of the damage and one of the whole mirror is enough.
Make, model and rough year. If you know whether it heats, folds or has a blind-spot light, say so.
Not a range. The number for your vehicle, which is what an insurer or another driver will want to see.
Home, work, the same carpark it happened in. The car does not need to go anywhere.
Your rights on the repair itself
Worth knowing whichever route you take. Repairs and parts are covered by the Australian Consumer Law guarantees [8], and NSW Fair Trading sets out what a motor vehicle repairer owes you [7].
In practice that means the quote should be in writing, the work should be done with due care and skill, and the parts should be fit for purpose. Our mirror glass carries an unlimited warranty for as long as you own the vehicle, a full mirror assembly carries three years, and an individual replacement part carries twelve months. Impact, accident damage, misuse and negligence are excluded.
Reducing the odds of a repeat
You cannot control other drivers. You can change the geometry.
The folding habit is the one worth building. On a power-fold car it is a single button, and it removes the widest point of your vehicle from harm's way.
What the law says about leaving the scene
Worth knowing where you stand, even though it rarely changes what you do next.
A driver who damages another vehicle is required to stop and provide their details. Failing to do so is an offence, and the Australian Road Rules set out the obligations on drivers involved in a crash [4]. None of that helps if you cannot identify them, which is the usual situation with a carpark mirror.
What it does mean is that if footage or a witness does identify the vehicle, you have a straightforward position rather than a negotiation.
Getting carpark footage, realistically
It is possible more often than people assume, and it is far more possible on the same day.
In person beats a phone call, and the same day beats the next one.
The narrower the window, the more likely they will look.
Many systems overwrite within days. Knowing the number tells you how long you have.
Some will only release footage to police, but many will simply tell you what they saw.
The single biggest factor in whether this works is how quickly you ask. A week later the answer is almost always that the footage is gone.
If it happened on the street
Harder, and the odds are lower, but not zero.
Even without footage, a written quote and photographs mean you have a complete record if the other driver ever comes forward.
Dealing with the other driver directly
When they are identified, paying directly is usually better for both parties on a job this size.
For the person at fault, a mirror is well below most excesses, so a claim would cost them more than the repair and put a claim on their record. For you, direct payment avoids your own excess entirely and removes the wait.
Keep it in writing, send them the written quote rather than a figure over the phone, and be straightforward about it. A written quote from a specialist for the actual part that broke is very hard to argue with, which is precisely why it is worth getting one first.
What a written quote should actually contain
Whether it goes to an insurer, to the other driver, or into a drawer, a quote that is worth anything says four things.
Motor vehicle repairs are covered by the Australian Consumer Law guarantees and by NSW Fair Trading's requirements on repairers [7], and a written quote is what makes those enforceable rather than theoretical.
What Sydney drivers tell us
What it is like on the other side of a broken mirror you did not cause.
Every review quoted on this site is a real, verified customer review. We do not write them and we do not edit them.
The short version
Photograph it before you move the car, check for a note and for cameras on the same day, get a written quote, and only then think about the claim. For most people the excess is larger than the repair, because a mirror is usually glass and a cover rather than the whole assembly. That puts it at the cheap end of the ladder, and it gets fixed in the same carpark it was broken in.
Frequently asked questions
Someone hit my parked car and drove off. What should I do first?
Photograph everything before you move the car — the damage, the whole vehicle in the bay, the bay or level number, and anything on the ground. Then check the windscreen for a note and ask building management about cameras the same day.
Should I claim on insurance for a broken mirror?
Usually not. A standard comprehensive excess is commonly at or above the cost of a mirror repair, so claiming costs more than paying. It makes sense if the mirror went with a panel, if it is a driver-assist mirror, or if the other driver is identified and at fault.
How much does it cost to replace a mirror someone broke?
Glass on its own starts from $135 fitted, which covers most cases because the housing usually survives. A cover is $150 to $300 and a full assembly starts at $200. Send a photo for a fixed price.
Can I drive with the mirror hanging off?
No. A vehicle with a missing or shattered mirror does not meet the standards and can attract a defect notice, and it will be picked up at the annual safety inspection. A hanging mirror can also detach at speed.
Can I tape it up until it is fixed?
No. Tape holds until it does not, and mirror glass leaving a moving car is a far bigger problem than the break. It will also not satisfy an inspection.
Will carpark cameras have caught it?
Often, but footage is frequently overwritten within days. Ask building or centre management on the same day rather than later in the week.
Do I need a police report?
For a mirror alone it is usually disproportionate. It is worth making if the damage is significant, or if there is a real prospect of identifying the vehicle from footage.
Can you fix it where the car is parked?
Yes, anywhere across metro Sydney — home, work, or the same carpark it happened in. Glass-only work is done from outside the vehicle, so it does not even need to be unlocked.
More on Sydney mirrors
Based in Sydney? These cover the rest of it.
Sources
- Australian Design Rule 14/02 — Rear Vision Mirrors, Federal Register of Legislation — www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2006L02663
- ADR 14/02 Rear Vision Mirrors, full technical text (PDF), Department of Infrastructure — www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/migrated/vehicles/design/f
- ADR 14/02 — current consolidated text, Federal Register of Legislation — www.legislation.gov.au/F2006L02663/latest/text
- Australian Road Rules, National Transport Commission — www.ntc.gov.au/laws-and-regulations/australian-road-rules
- Roadworthiness — vehicle safety and compliance, NSW Government — www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/roads-safety-and-rules/vehi
- Get a safety inspection report (pink slip), Service NSW — www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/get-a-safety-inspection-report-pink-s
- Motor vehicle repairs — your rights, NSW Fair Trading — www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/buying-products-and-services/motor-vehicles/m
- Consumer guarantees on goods and services, ACCC — www.accc.gov.au/consumers/buying-products-and-services/consumer-guarante
- Wing mirror — history, design and regulation, Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_mirror
- Rear-view mirror — mount types and history, Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rear-view_mirror
- Car insurance — excess, cover types and claims, Moneysmart (ASIC) — moneysmart.gov.au/car-insurance
- Get help with a vehicle Defect Notice, Service NSW — www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/get-help-with-vehicle-defects
- Blind spot monitor — how the sensors and indicators work, Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_spot_monitor
- Motor Vehicle Census, Australia — latest release, Australian Bureau of Statistics — www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/tourism-and-transport/motor-vehicle-c
- eSafety checks (pink slips) and vehicle inspections, NSW Government — www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/vehicle-registration/renewi
- Vehicle safety check and inspection fees, NSW Government — www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/vehicle-registration/fees-c
Prices and information in this article are indicative only and reflect real quoted jobs at the time of publication. Costs vary with vehicle, part availability and features. Send a photo for an exact fixed price.
