How do you reattach a rearview mirror that fell off the windshield?
Reviewed by the Skyview Auto Glass technical team — NWRD-, ASE- and DINITROL-trained technicians · Updated November 2026
Quick answer
Reattaching a fallen mirror takes a rearview-mirror adhesive kit: slide the mirror off its mounting button, scrape the old adhesive off the glass and the button, mark the exact spot, glue the button back on, and let it cure fully before clipping the mirror on. Go slowly — prying at the glass can crack it, and mirrors carrying cameras or sensors need extra care.
Two ways this job cracks windshields
First, prying a stuck mirror off the glass with a metal tool — the bond is stronger than you expect and the glass gives way first. Second, generic super glue: it fails in heat and takes the glass coating off with it. Use a kit made for rearview buttons, and let the adhesive cure before hanging the mirror.
How to reattach a rear view mirror
The kit contains adhesive, a cleaner, and sometimes a primer; work in a warm, dry space.
- 1
Slide the mirror off the button
Most mirrors unhook from the button with a firm slide or a small set screw — check yours before pulling.
- 2
Mark the button’s position on the glass
A tape or grease-pencil outline keeps the remount within a fraction of an inch of the factory spot.
- 3
Clean both surfaces
Scrape the old adhesive off the button and the glass with a razor held flat, then wipe both with the kit’s cleaner.
- 4
Glue the button, not the mirror
Apply the adhesive to the button and press it to the glass at your mark, holding it firmly for the time the kit states.
- 5
Cure fully, then remount
Wait the full cure time — often an hour or more — before sliding the mirror back onto the button.
When the mirror carries a camera or sensors
Auto-dimming mirrors, rain-sensor housings, and forward camera brackets make the assembly heavier and wired. Disconnect the electrical connector before removing the mirror, support the unit rather than letting it hang by its harness, and expect the remount to be a two-hand job.
If the mirror fell off because the windshield was replaced, the remount is part of that job — at Skyview the mirror and any camera bracket go back on with the new glass, and the camera is recalibrated before the vehicle is returned. A do-it-yourself remount on a camera-bearing mirror is worth a second thought, because a bracket that sits a hair off its factory position changes what the camera sees.
Rearview mirror questions drivers ask
How do you put a rear view mirror back on the windshield?
With a rearview adhesive kit, glued at the button and cured before the mirror is hung. The glass side of the job is cleaning and positioning; the strength comes from the cure time, not from pressing harder.
How do you remove a rear view mirror mount from the glass?
Slide the mirror off the button first, then release the button with the adhesive solvent from the kit or gentle heat from a hair dryer — never a metal pry bar, and never boiling water.
Can I use super glue for a rearview mirror?
It is not built for the shear load and the heat a windshield sees, and it usually fails within weeks. The two-part adhesives sold for mirror buttons are formulated for exactly this bond.
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