Cracked Windshield

So I've never had to replace a windshield before, and I'm hoping to get some advice. I went on a road trip, and a semi threw a large rock that cracked my windshield. We didn't notice anything at first, just a loud noise. The next day I noticed a 2" crack coming from the bottom by the passenger windshield wiper. The next day I noticed that it had grown to around 4" and remained at that size.

Last week, we had an ice storm in North Texas, and I had the brilliant idea to use the defrost to help thaw the ice. Well, about 2 minutes into that, I heard a loud "pop" and the crack was stretched all the way across my windshield.

Needless to say, I'm not too thrilled that this happened to a truck with ~4k miles.

So I've been calling around to get quotes on replacement, and here is what I've found:

1.)$375 to get Toyota factory glass from the shop that the dealership recommended.
2.)Safelite is roughly $300 with Safelite glass (lifetime warranty).
3.)1 shop said $175, but barely spoke English
4.)I found some other shops that are in the $250-300 range

My deductible is $250 if I claim insurance.

Is Safelite glass worth saving the extra $100? Is it just as strong, or at least close enough? Should I get Toyota glass, and pay the premium for it? Or do you have a better suggestion?

Thanks in advance for the opinions!

 

get toyota glass

 

Find out if you havent already if you have glass coverage. If you do, it will be free, and depending on your insurance they will most likely use safelite. Unfortunately I just dealt with the same thing.

 

I say safelite because you get the warranty and its cheaper tha the dealership and better than the other two

 

your comp deductible is 250!!? damn. thats the thing you want at 50 or 100.
just do it through your insurance. windshields don't raise rates and your only going t save a couple of bucks trying to find some shop that will do it cheaper than 250.

are those prices glass only because that doesnt sound like labor included. i used to work for a windshield company in Washington and i dont know of too many vehicles that you can buy a windshield for AND install it for 250 or less.

You need to claim through your insurance and have it done unless you know a guy that does it fora living and is going to hook you up.

Also sometimes you can find companies out there that give vouchers for part or all of the price of your deductible. back in the day you could just tell people that you would pay all or part of their deductible if the would give you their business then they made a law against it. sooooo windshield companies came out with this idea of vouchers. you still pay your deductible like normal but as a "sale" or "special" you receive a voucher anywhere from 50 to 250 bucks. this voucher could be redeemed for cash at the store it was for.

 

I don't have glass coverage.

Those prices include the glass, a new molding and labor.

If I go through insurance, I'm gonna get the Toyota glass. Might as well get back to OEM if I gotta pay the same price. But then again, there's the safelite warranty to consider.

 

yeah you are better off going through the insurance. no reason to try and save a couple bucks. pay the 250 and have a piece of mind about it

also lower your damn comp. it really isnt that much more a month. it will take 10 mins. just call em up and ask what it would be to drop your comp a bit. they will give you the numbers right there.

 

Think of the children!

I can't speak for you personally, but where I am, all we use on the roads is sand (and pea gravel it seems) so cracked and chipped windshields are a part of winter life around here. It's MUCH cheaper for me to just pay for the windshield myself (
under $200 with labour) than to claim it through insurance.

That said, yours is likely to get cracked again in the future, so I would go with the cheapest option you're comfortable with.

I've replaced the windshield on my vehicle every year that I've owned one. After I bought my Taco, it took just 3 days for my first chip to appear.

 

How are we thinking of the children? (I like the "children" in your sig!)

So based on that comment, do you feel the Toyota glass is cheap and prone to cracks? I know you say that's commonplace where you live, but i've never had a windshield crack, and I've had a lot bigger rocks thrown at them while driving much faster than I was at the time of this incident.


How does the safelite compare to OEM in terms of quality?

 

I have a Lexus that once had a cracked windshield. I was reluctant to let anybody touch it, but I gave Safelite a try and they did a really good job of replacing it. I'd go to them again if my Tacoma's windshield got busted.

 

Any windshield will crack. It's a factor or everything from the angle of the strike, to the size of the rock, to the age of the windshield.

I would probably go with the Safelite stuff, but I'm willing to bet that warranty only covers the workmanship, not the actual glass from cracking again.

The Toyota recommended stuff is probably just the Safelite marked up to the dealer cost.

 

I just replaced my windshield yesterday. I've used safelight before for cracks and chips and they were good, but expensive. My insurance didn't have anything in it about replacing the windshield so I had to pay out of pocket. I work near a bunch of automotive junkyards and there are about 20 windshield repair shops within a mile radius. They didn't speak English, but they replaced my windshield for $100 including labor in under an hour. They claim the windshield is new and it looks brand new to me. It is not a toyota windshield, it just says "laminated glass" in the lower corner of the driver's side. Other than that, I can not tell the difference.
Just to let people know how I cracked my windshield so it wont happen to them: I was switch out wiper blades, and while they were off, I knocked the passenger side arm and being that it is spring loaded it slapped into the windshield cracking it.

 

well, I know that any windshield will crack. i'm just very disappointed that I have to deal with this when the truck is only a few months old, but I guess life happens.

I'm torn between going insurance and getting OEM or paying out of pocket and going with safelite. And you are correct, the warranty only covers manufacturers defects, leaks and the workmanship.

 

Im a body man and can tell you honestly.. the only difference in an OEM glass and a Safelite or PPG replacement MIGHT be like a wider edge(the black strip around the windshield on the inside) its not like trying to choose between an aftermarket headlight or fender or somethin... honestly do whatever is cheaper cause there will be no difference in quality,.

 

My glass guy tells me that some of the bottom dollar stuff is definite crap. I've also heard it's not the glass that's better or worse, but the coatings. As for Safelite, I'm guessing that the warranty is glass only, and doesn't include labor. Would that be right?

 

my thing with cracked winshields is if its not affecting my ability to see out of it, i save up till i get a fix it ticket

 

I've had the luck of getting to replace a couple windshields in the last couple years. No deductible. Just call the insurance company, some dude rolls up to your house in an suv and puts in a windshield.

Don't even fool yourself into believing that TOYOTA service puts in windshields. Bring it to them, and that same guy in the suv rolls up to toyota service.
One dealer I worked at had a glass guy, but it was just coincidence. He wasn't hired for his experience with glass, and he sucked anyway.

 

South Carolina is one of the few zero-deductible states when it comes to windshield replacements. When your windshield is damaged, if you have full insurance coverage, you can replace it without a deductible.

Getting ready to replace the wife's RAV windshield......



Good thing because we carry $1000 deductibles on the vehicles/
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PPG makes the stock Toyota glass and they make replacement glass, its the same, run on the same line

 

Someone ought write a "how to use your insurance" sticky. There's a hell of a lot of questions posed in threads that are best posed to an insurance agent.
I know I've spent money before after already paying my insurance company.

Lock outs, glass, tows.. all included. Never knew it till i put my insurance agreement on the back of the toilet...