My Windshield Fiasco w/Safeco

[Crash513]

I have a migrating crack across the base of my windshield that stated as a rock chip. I called Safelite for a quote and all in with taxes they wanted close to $800 for the whole thing. This is marginally less obscene than what my dealer quoted, but still way more than a "typical" windshield should cost. My car has HUD, LDW, and deep tint privacy glass, apparently all contributing to the high cost.

Long story short, I've had two drive in appointments and one on-site appointment and my windshield has not yet been replaced.

The first try in shop, they had the wrong aftermarket windshield (incorrect tint). The shop foreman told me there are two different tints and they got the wrong one, so they re-ordered both.

On the second try in shop, they had the other aftermarket windshield, but this one apparently did not have the camera cutout for LDW. This time the shop manager told me that there is no LDW enabled windshield for 2011 X5's because it wan't an option that year. I invited him out to my car, showed him on the window sticker where it was listed, and on the windshield where the camera is. He apologized, made some phone calls, and set me up for the onsite appointment the following week.

For the onsite appointment, the tech showed up at my house, this time with a genuine BMW OEM windshield. The only problem is (I swear I'm not making this up) it had a surface defect on it . There was a very small spot where the outside of the windshield had deflected when the mirror mount was glued onto the insite. Very odd, and hard to believe it got past QC at the supplier plant (this replacement had a BMW part number, but was made by St. Gobain-Sekurit, same as my original one).

Before I go back to Safeco AGAIN, I'd like to hear from anyone who has had their windshield replaced. A few questions for you if you have:

1. Have you run into similar problems with Safelite?
2. What other replacement houses are there out there that people have had good experience with?
3. Interested in hearing what anyone has paid for a replacement, especially one with these options.

Thanks,

[smassey321]

Speaking generally here and not specifically about BMW. Get the work done at their shop. They always seem to do better in the shop compared to what is done at your house/work. And insist on OEM trim. Aftermarket windshields can be fine. Aftermarket trim can be awful.

Just noticed you are in SAC. Are you using Windshield Pros North? He had to replace my wife's Lexus windshield 3 times to get it right.

FL requires zero deductible glass coverage so I have never paid for windshields. It was pretty cheap to add this when we lived in CA.

[Thecastle]

Yeah this is a prime example of the BMW tax a lot of places tack on to parts and labor for BMW owners. I'd say shop around.

My X5 had the windshield for 150 including installation with fuyou glass. It had the rain sensor, solar tint, etc. and everything works perfectly. It was done in the hood by the glass guy a buy here pay here car lot uses, Yes it sometimes is good to know people, I discover them when having rims refinished.

I'll be frank, I break windshields a lot on my company cars due to lots of feeway debris, heat and road construction. I've replaced 3 windshields and 1 rear window on my cars in the last year, so I've gotten pretty experienced at this.... I've pad 500 for pilkinton installed at my house by safelite, 279 at a local body shop, and 150 in the hood. By far the most expensive place was the dealer asking $1400 and 48 hours for install. Since glass breaks are so common here in Houston between heat and freeway debris it pays to find a good price.

Safelite is fine, but the quality of the final product is entierely dependant on how good the installer is. There aren't very many glass manufacturers and they all hav to pass the same safety standards and have to be made to fit your car.

My recent ghetto windshield on my X5 has been fine, it's actually held up better less chips and sand blasting then the BMW pilkinton glass.

[ard]

Do you not have auto insurance? The cost to add a $100 windshield deductible to all 5 of our cars is really quite low. People chose high deductibles, but fail to consider a glass cover....

Anyway, safelite sucks. The DO NOT follow BMW procedures- they use their own methods and materials AND they use barely skilled installers. There is a reason ALL insurers use safelite as their default provider. They are the cheapest.

Im up the hill from you, use Breaker Glass in placerville for many years now. OE glass for some, OEM for some and aftermarket for some. Its all in the installer, IMO. (Plus how the shop 'manages' the insurance, etc. "Say, there is no aftermarket glass for a car with XYZ...so you car has XYZ, right?"

[Thecastle]

No auto insurance glass coverage, and in my case you can't get it on a commercial auto insurance policy. My X5 is a company car and registered as a commercial vehicle. Progressive dosent offer glass protection on commercial vehicles, the rules are different on company cars. On my personal policy it's 200 a year for 2 cars and since I can get windshields replaced for unde 300 in general it's not a good gamble on those cars. The markup,on glass replacement is pretty high, if you shop around you can find a deal, no need to pay 150 hr labor ways for a glue job.

Like you I used to buy into BMW dealers having a special install procedure. It really caused me a lot of worry about replacing my windshield on my baby. But when you think about it if they don't do it right, it can be done it again. After researching I learned there is no special BMW procedure for a windshield install, most dealers don't even install windshields they outsource the install to a local installer, you should ask them. Often times it's safelite, and the dealer just marks up the price. It's not rocket science to replace a broken window be it a car, house, etc.

BMW windshields are installed like any other. Remove 3 pieces of trim, cut the urethane adhesive, remove the windshield and rear view mirror. Apply adhesive to the car frame in continuous beed, place windshield on then put new trim on. It's like putting on pants, everyone does it the same way on leg at a time.

My safelite experiences have been excellent, I've had installers who were the trainers come and do my 335d at the house with excellent and cost effective results. My wife's mini coooper s had its rear window replaced with perfect results. So I wouldn't worry about their quality, it can always be redone if your not satisfied.

[seattle]

Have Safeco insurance. Had a crack, probably 2 years ago.
1. Called Safeco, asked about acceptable price range ($1,000 is what I was told).
2. Called local BMW dealer, asked a shop name they work with (not for sake of "Bmw certified" or any of that. Simply to find a shop that seen a BMW or two).
3. Called the shop, asked for a quote (was given $900).
4. Had windshield replaced with OEM. No rain sensor or any other issues.
To shop's credit: they scratched A-pillar trim, but called me ahead of time about slight delay on return due to that, while they get the trim from the dealer. Honest and upfront. I left happy.

OP, you have a shop issue (Safelite) and not a Safeco issue.

[ard]

Originally Posted by Thecastle

No auto insurance glass coverage, and in my case you can't get it on a commercial auto insurance policy. My X5 is a company car and registered as a commercial vehicle. Progressive dosent offer glass protection on commercial vehicles, the rules are different on company cars. On my personal policy it's 200 a year for 2 cars and since I can get windshields replaced for unde 300 in general it's not a good gamble on those cars. The markup,on glass replacement is pretty high, if you shop around you can find a deal, no need to pay 150 hr labor ways for a glue job.

Like you I used to buy into BMW dealers having a special install procedure. It really caused me a lot of worry about replacing my windshield on my baby. But when you think about it if they don't do it right, it can be done it again. After researching I learned there is no special BMW procedure for a windshield install, most dealers don't even install windshields they outsource the install to a local installer, you should ask them. Often times it's safelite, and the dealer just marks up the price. It's not rocket science to replace a broken window be it a car, house, etc.

BMW windshields are installed like any other. Remove 3 pieces of trim, cut the urethane adhesive, remove the windshield and rear view mirror. Apply adhesive to the car frame in continuous beed, place windshield on then put new trim on. It's like putting on pants, everyone does it the same way on leg at a time.

My safelite experiences have been excellent, I've had installers who were the trainers come and do my 335d at the house with excellent and cost effective results. My wife's mini coooper s had its rear window replaced with perfect results. So I wouldn't worry about their quality, it can always be redone if your not satisfied.

I was responding to the OP, in terms of his insurance....


If you are happy with a gluejob, using the cheapest possible products, enjoy. Heck, sounds like you are renting glass, and a compnay car that gets pretty beat, so there is some wisdom to that solution.

FWIW, Safelite cannot provide a written statement that says 'a safelite glass, installed with safelite materials and methods will result in a car that still meets all manufacturers safety standards'....they will provide you with a statement that says "the glue is approved".

In terms of your assertion you can always have the work redone, you cant just get glass removed and redone, there needs to be a demonstrable, documented defect. Increased wind noise when a glass isnt perfectly set at the right depth is hard to prove. Water intrusion into an area where the guy scraped off the paint and never resealed it and now 6 years later it is rusted.... a glass that maybe sits funny in the frame, maybe it should have been rejected by the installer but he just slapped it in- now you dontt like the aftermarket glass you approved, and they say 'well thats the way the cheap glass is- not part of our warranty'.... lots of ways to F up an install.

Agree many BMW stores have cheap glass installers do their glass. Safelite? Dunno.

Also agree that going to a BMW dealer or any particular installer is NOT A GUARANTEE of a quality job- just like everything in life.


Finally, on the bolded part- how much of the old adhesive is cut away; if the paint is damaged or scratched; if they use the proper mounting kit (dams, spacers, etc) to set the glass depth...all not reflected in your 'Safelite procedure'. I know for a fact that the E39 procedure uses dams and spacers; I honestly cannot say if there is a procedure for the E70 or any of the Xs....

Ive had good luck finding a shop that can follow the BMW procedure, has the tool for my one car, understands my expectations. Will not accept a glass that doenst sit perfectly... Ive used them for the other 4 cars as well. Ive gone there for over 8 years. I dont plan on meeting my 'new to the business, been doing this for 4 months' Safelite installer in my driveway. I dont want him slapping in a flawed glass, only for me to come out and reject it- then more risk of my paint when they come back and cut it out.

In summary- I dont use BMW dealers. And I wont use Safelite. Between those there are many high quality installers one can use. As with so many things, most consumers have no real sense of what constitutes a quality job..


PS - BTW, I have State Farm with a $100 glass deductible. Just got a glass done on the MDX last weekend and they chopped $50 off the deduct with an "up to 50 coupon" I got in the paper, saying 'state farm pays us pretty well, we can give you the full $50'.