Windshield is cracked! =(

[vknid]

Hi all, my wife and I have an MP5 (and love it!). While driving to work, a huge rock hit the lower passengers side of the windshield.. its about the size of a grapefruit.

our insurance said if we pay the $1000 deductible, they will glady fix it.
Now, my wife has called around and one guy says $375 installed, and another says $150 installed.. my cheap side wants to side with the $150 guy, but that makes me think... am I getting what I pay for? or is glass... glass?


I know nothing about windshields so any help will be greatly appreciated.
all I DO know, is I dont want to pay $1000 for something that might be under 500 bucks...

thanks!

[arcane73]

glass it not glass from what i've seen....and cheap = something is done cheaper *somewhere*

the higher priced glass will likely be less likely to chip/break/pit later on down the road.....and as far as the labor costs go....i would rather pay extra bucks for someone to do it right the first time than have to go back and have it done over again....i've been through that with 2 different cars now :mad:

the above is my opinion and i've never *seen* solid proof that there are different quality windshields...but one would think there are....

[Khaavren]

I had my windshield replaced 3 years ago after I picked up a rock for ~$200 and have not had a problem with is since.

[kevcouto]

your best bet is to also find out if one is offering you a new winshield, while the other might be offering you a used one from a scrapped mazda

[bucksatan]

In my experience it is better to go with a name brand place, apple etc, for a windshield. I;ve had to replace a few in other cars and trucks (damn northern ontario roads), and getting a good one properly installed is worth it. We once bought a cheap one for a work truck and it cracked from hitting a bump at high speed. I guess it wasn't sealed correctly or something.

[FastPro22]

I've tried several auto glass company for my truck and the one I like best is Safelite (www.safelite.com) they have a reasonable price and good quality windshields. Try them you won't be dissappointed. I'm just not sure if they service your area, but you can check their website, they have a listing of which areas they service. Good luck!

[5PADZAM]

Higher price does not mean quality. I had my windshield replaced last summer. My insurance deductable is $100 for a windshield. The place that replaced it charged my insurance company $500. When I picked up the car I was not happy. They did not instal the new outer gasket correctly, and it was sticking up on the passenger side. I asked them to fix it, but they said that they "did not see a problem". The claimed that they couldn't tell that it was sticking up. I called my insurance company, and they made them re-do it. When I picked it up the second time it was better, but I could tell that they just removed some of the sealant and pushed the gasket in further, rather than removing the glass, removing the sealant, and re-doing it. It was still not like it was before they replaced it, but much better the second time.

I guess what I am trying to say is get recomendations from people in the area that you live in. Ask people at work, the grocery store, local sporting events... I'm sure you know someone who has had windshield work done. I will never recomend the shop that did my windshield to anyone, and hopefully someone you know has had a more positive experience with someone in your area.

[lil_red_wagon]

odds are that all of the glass that they are using has just come reconditioned from a salvage yard anyways. reconditioning could mean as little as going over it with some goo gone and then cleaning it. the install process is all the same too. there are, however, some people that would order a brand new piece for you and those would be the ridiculously expensive ones.