Dear Car Talk:

The weatherstripping on my 2007 Saturn Ion (yes, it's under recall, but the part isn't in yet) has come off my windshield. I stopped by my local mechanic, who is normally aboveboard. He said that the entire windshield will have to come off to replace that little piece of rubber. Is this accurate? It seems as if I could buy a rubber strip from an auto-parts place and some glue, and fix this.

-- Cecelia

Your mechanic is still aboveboard, Cecelia.

That weatherstripping you see coming off is only half of the weatherstripping. The other half is on the inside of the windshield frame.

In order to secure the windshield to the opening in the body, and keep the wind and rain out, that gasket has to wrap around both sides of the windshield frame and both sides of the windshield itself.

So unless you're going with the silver duct tape approach (which is what my brother would have done), the windshield has to come out in order for that gasket to be replaced, Cecelia.

But if the gasket was the subject of a recall, the cost of removing and reinstalling the windshield should be covered, so you won't have to pay for the labor. If it bothers you that they're going through all that trouble, though, just don't watch.