2011 Tacoma Factory vs Non-Factory Windshield

There is a big difference between a big rock hitting your windshield while your driving down the highway {and cracking it} and your windshield just cracking for no reason. Your windshield never cracks for no reason. WTF Have you ever heard of a winshield cracking out of the blue for no reason? Ever?

 

OP most insurance companies offer no deductible glass replacement. I had mine replaced and the cheap glass looked like a soda bottle looking thru and you could see waves which gave me a head ache, after 3 tries they finally went OEM and never had any problems.

 

I had a $1000 deductable with the ins. company I had at the time. Paid out of pocket, no regrets.

 

Exactly. Now please point out to me where the OP mentions *anything* about an impact?

The way I read the OP, his windshield cracked for no discernible reason. So once again: Why would this not be warrantied?

 

Don't know about Toyota in particular but with most mfr's it depends on which warranty being talked about. There's like 3 or 4. The first warranty probably would cover window glass, but it's fairly short. It's intended to cover cosmetic things like paint imperfection, dents and as well window damage; basically damage that could have happened in shipment and/or defects the dealer missed during prep .

The 3/36 basic probably excludes it and the 6/60 powertrain definitely won't cover nor does the 8/80 federal emissions. You'd have to consult the warranty booklet to see...it's all spelled out. Maybe you could and instead answer the question "Why WOULD it be covered?" That would arm OP with some facts to support his case.

But good dealer relations might help when the warranty doesn't guarantee it: like it did the guy with the oil pump who wanted a new truck.

 

I would take before and after pictures. These installersl are hacks for the most part. They can scratch the crap out of the channel and you won't know it for several years until it starts to rust, they also have a knack for scratching paint and saying it was like that already. Again, unless you can stand there and watch, I would take pictures.

 

Dude, a factory windshield has Toyota written on it and costs alot more for a reason. Not shop related either, safelite uses a cheap mold and the glass will be bent to fit correctly. Check for bent corners and also waves in glass on the safelite.

 

It costs a lot more BECAUSE it has Toyota written all over it... not much other reason.

Just being OEM is no assurance it's a better windshield. You can go into dealerships and pick out variability in window quality on brand new cars on the lot. I can remember looking down a row of brand-new Camry's and doing just that. Some had more wavies than other. Many dealers go to aftermarket too, because they are better than the OEM they get (waviness) and cost a lot less.

 

www.toyotapartscheap.com windshield $899.72 look it up,like someone said most ins. companys will replace for free.

 

For the record my windshield was hit by something at the very bottom next to the weather stripping. Having the windshield replaced tomorrow but will take a closer look at it when it is removed. Will let you know how it goes.

 

Allstate and State Farm have replaced windshields on my cars for free. No questions asked, they just sent someone out and replaced the OEM windshield...

 

No matter what you decide I would never recommend you run a windshield replacement or rock chip repair through your insurance. It will most likely come back to haunt you if you ever shop around for lower rates or if you company decided to raise your rate due to claims.

The old no deductable windshield replacement is the oldest insurance trick in the book. Find an honest insurance agent and they will give the scoop behind that scam if they say it doesn't matter how many claims you make they are just trying to make sure you are stuck with them forever because no other company will pick you up.

 

That clarifies things. Thank you.

Aware of all that. The 3/36 is bumper to bumper, so it had damn well better cover the windshield if it stress fractures.

 

Mine was replaced by Safelite. We have 0 deductible glass coverage in SC and I went with who Nationwide recommended which includes lifetime warranty. There are no leaks, the glass is no different than any other except, and this is a pretty big one, it has waves in the curves on either side that cause distortion. III don't like it, though I don't notice it all that much. But just know there is a difference.

 

Most people are surprised to learn how much the bumper to bumper won't cover; like the clutch, for instance, when it goes out with only 30k on the clock.

But as someone else pointed out: road hazard as well as collision damage obviously isn't. You could further say that anything your collision or comprehensive insurance would cover pretty much isn't (like a broken windshield) covered by warranty. And since, without laboratory analysis, it will be difficult to prove a stress fracture is from a latent mfg. defect vs. an impact, getting Toyota to cover it depends an awful lot on good will: if not everything.

IMO, it's better to deal with your insurance than try to tilt at that windmill. Besides: if insurance companies thought the warranty should be in effect they'd push it back to Toyota, you know they would.

 

Meh, nothing aside from sports cars should even have clutches anymore anyway.

Bumper to bumper covers non-wear items, but even then I'm gonna raise a stink if the wear is ridiculously premature. If my ball joints or brake pads shit at 7k, I don't want to hear "wear item".

 

In Florida it is law that you have to replace cracked windshield (I guess somebody sued somebody). Also, it is law that the insurance companies have to pay 100%, no deductible, and they can't hold it against your claim record.

 

I have replaced about 10-20 windshields in my life and can say that I have never had a replacement one that's as good as factory. Move your head from side to side and see just how bad a non-factory windshield is. It's like the mirrors in a fun-house at the circus.

As bad as they are, what choice do you have unless money is no object? My current glass is almost 2 years old and has had 3 big dings repaired. They look like crap but I want to keep the factory windshield as long as possible.

 

I had my '08 Tacoma glass replaced by Quality Auto Glass in Santa Clara, CA and the replacement was perfect. It was made by PPG, and is the exact same glass as the original one - but in the place where the Toyota logo was printed on the stock windshield, it was blank on the replacement. And the mirror mount was already glued n the new one. The price for the glass, install, and a whole new rubber channel was only $215.36! Perfect job. They even re-prime/paint the minor scratches in the channel before gluing in the new glass. Awesome - and better than I thought it could be.

 

I also have usaa, however it depends on what state you are in. Colorado is not free...