Crappy windshield replacement job

I cracked the windshield on my Subie, so I went to have it fixed.

 

Well, after driving an automatic gray Cobalt LT loaner for 24 hours (holy crap this car sucks on every imaginable level), I got my car back. Drove only one block before realizing something was amiss.

 

It snaps, crackles and pops every time I hit a bump, crack or hole. It's like I have a popcorn machine above my dashboard (Xzibit would find some inspiration I'm sure).

 

Called the shop, they said it's not normal, they'd look into it, «maybe a molding is off or something».

 

Then I start my wipers. They didn't put them back on the proper teeth, so now they don't go high enough and they rest below the wipers' heating element at the bottom of the windhsield.

 

Then I inspected the trim/molding around the windshield... oh my f*cking god... ripples in the rubber near both corners (large enough to allow water to seep in), and a 1/8" gap between the rubber and the sheet metal in the upper corner of the windshield on the pass. side, big enough for water, snow, whatever to just flow in.

 

I'm so pissed right now...

 

Id be pissed too! Well, they should make it right and if they don't threaten to report them. GL man!

The first warning sign should have been they were going to keep the car for 24 hours. Places around here come right to your work and fix it an hour, also if you do take it there it doesn't take very long either.

 

Where did you have it done? I hope not at the dealer! That wouldn't be so good for their reputation.

 

Any chance you can get pictures of their awful job?

 

On my new 09' I have a huge black mark on my white trim from a crappy windshield replacement job. Do you have anything like that?

The first warning sign should have been they were going to keep the car for 24 hours. Places around here come right to your work and fix it an hour, also if you do take it there it doesn't take very long either.

 

Where did you have it done? I hope not at the dealer! That wouldn't be so good for their reputation.

 

Any chance you can get pictures of their awful job?

 

On my new 09' I have a huge black mark on my white trim from a crappy windshield replacement job. Do you have anything like that?

 

Yep, they come right to the house and do the job in a little over an hour.

 

They came to the house to replace a broken window in my wifes car. They even vacuumed out all the broken glass.

Yep, they come right to the house and do the job in a little over an hour.

 

They came to the house to replace a broken window in my wifes car. They even vacuumed out all the broken glass.

 

Yes, my experience with the local glass guys around here has been great. Like you said, they'll clean everything up and make sure everything is perfect.

Nah, we don't have come-at-home type places here anymore.

 

Besides, doing this outside by -15°C is probably not a good idea.

 

They let it sleep in the shop so it would be warm and fuzzy this am, did the job, and the rest is how I described it above.

 

The creaking/crackling subsided somehow on the drive home, but resumed (upper driver side) after running an errand.

 

Still not an excusable job on both the wiper and trim/molding front.

 

There are a few greasy fingers marks on the pass. side a-pillar, nothing I can't clean, but still...

 

This is a specialized shop that was recommended by my insurance broker, who used to work with a guy there for 10 years doing just that.

 

And for the record, the OE windshield costs 800$

Yeah, that's completely unacceptable. They should take pride in their work and they apparently done.

 

I at least like how they took your car overnight to make sure it was warm, not because that's how long they take. That makes me feel a little bit better about it. I am hoping this is something rarely done by them.

 

Good luck in getting it fixed!

Wait till you see the repair bill next year if you don't have them re-set the window properly.....with absolutely NO gaps in the molding.

 

 

( I had a windshield replaced by my insurance company once.....it looked "ok" , but apparently the seals were not tight enough to prevent water intrusion. The following year I noticed rust emanating from where the windshield meets the roof. I called Geico....they inspected it and sent me to have it replaced again......cost them $1800 to repair all the rust damage around the entire window seating area----the entire frame was rusting under the window!! The damaged area went down to the top of the firewall necessitating removal of the hood and dashboard.)

 

Edit: The car this happened to was a 1997 Maxima.....not my precious Spec.B !

I had my windshield replaced like 2 months after I got my car. (I still think the factory windshield was defective, as it cracked from a tiny nick that barely penetrated the surface, and certainly didn't extend the full depth of the glass.) I had the snap crackle pop thing a little bit at first, and it subsided with time. Best of luck!

Doesn't your insurance cover it?

 

And did you actually use a OEM windshield? I've always thought that they chip/crack easily.

 

When I replaced the OE windshield in my old Forester with a PPG, I noticed a drop in wind noise.

I got two chip about two years ago on my OEM that I haven't gotten fixed. I've been to the Hover Dam during the summer and to northern Minnestoa in January. These two spots have extream weather and my chips are still chip, not cracks. But, I do think that the glass is poorly made. There are so many tiny chips in my windshield. My previous car, a Honda Civic Si, didn't have half the tiny chips that my car has and I had my Civic for five years and this car for two and a half.

Call your insurance and tell them the problem... so at least it is documented with the insurance, in the instance that even after they "fix" the problem, any further damage or repairs relating to this windshield replacement is going to be on the Insurance/Shop.

I'm worried about your experience since I need to get my wife's windshield replaced soon. Her's got a rock hit back in August when we were going cross country and now since the cold its developed a big crack.

 

My biggest worry is them getting the molding back in right.

 

I think I'm going to take the car to my work and have someone do it so I can watch them like a friken hawk and not let them leave till its done. Or maybe I'll take a day off and let them use my garage with heat... The end result may be better if I'm nice

I've had oem windsheilds replaced in my previous 2 Subaru's, an Impreza and my LGT. Both cracked after a minor rock chip. Both were replaced while I waited and cost in excess of $800 due to the heating elements.

 

I NEVER notice a cracking or popping, that IS NOT normal. I would call your insurance too as stated, so they have a record. They may even send out an adjustor to document the improper installation. This is a reason I don't automatically goto the shop my insurance tells me. I ask around and get personal referalls before I get a job done... remember you never HAVE to go where you insurance company tells you....

 

GL, I hope everything get's fixed perfect for you this time around.

I'm worried about your experience since I need to get my wife's windshield replaced soon. Her's got a rock hit back in August when we were going cross country and now since the cold its developed a big crack.

 

My biggest worry is them getting the molding back in right.

 

I think I'm going to take the car to my work and have someone do it so I can watch them like a friken hawk and not let them leave till its done. Or maybe I'll take a day off and let them use my garage with heat... The end result may be better if I'm nice

 

I don't know if they have em in connecticut, but I have had my windshield replaced once on my subie and once on my jeep, and both times I had a great experience with JN Phillips auto glass, they are big in Massachusetts.

-15 degrees Celsius??? lol no wonder the windshield replacement sucks. The glue used for the rubber molding will not cure well in that cold of temps. find someone with a heated garage to do it. The car will have to sit in the heated garage overnight. If you put it outside you're screwed.

 

FWIW I had my windshield replaced in 35F temps and the repairman was skeptical about the glue curing correctly. One area had to be fixed. The whole thing was $230 bucks for a heated windshield.

That is exactly what you should do when getting a windshield replaced. Stay and watch!

 

I did and it is not rocket science at all. When you see what they do you can also see where they may slack off and if you are there they never do!

 

In my last REX they left a tiny gap in the top corners and after going back and forth they did it again and that time I watched. What you must mention to them is that you are concerned with the gap. I flat out told the guy if there is a gap you will do it again. I also followed it up with how important my car is to me, etc. He was cool about it.

 

Anyway, the reason gaps occur is that they are suposed to grab the glass and pull it up (it takes some effort, so they are doing it right if the guy is sweating) then it's taped up. If they don't get the timing right (it sets real fast) or don't put some effort into it, the glass can slip down a bit and you have gaps.

 

Just watch and don't be afraid to point something out when it doesn't look like they are doing something right... it's simply common sense stuff here.

 

-Drew

 

 

I'm worried about your experience since I need to get my wife's windshield replaced soon. Her's got a rock hit back in August when we were going cross country and now since the cold its developed a big crack.

 

My biggest worry is them getting the molding back in right.

 

I think I'm going to take the car to my work and have someone do it so I can watch them like a friken hawk and not let them leave till its done. Or maybe I'll take a day off and let them use my garage with heat... The end result may be better if I'm nice

I will demand that the glue cures overnight inside the next time around.

 

And yes, my insurance covered it, except my deductible. So even though it only cost me 200$, this is not acceptable at all.

 

I'm there monday at 8AM sharp and I expect to be satisfied 24 hours later.

I'm there monday at 8AM sharp and I expect to be satisfied 24 hours later.

alllright!

Had mine replaced a couple of times. Deductible is $300 and insurance doesn't pay for OEM glass. The first replacement had a very pale tint strip and was rippled like crazy. I had them remove it and I paid the difference for OEM Carlex glass. In the process they also broke one of the A-pillar trim clips and simply used silicone glue to stick it back on. Needless to say I had them order a new A-pillar trim piece to replace the one they broke.

 

It only took a few hours to have them do it, they let it sit for a while after they replace it to make sure the glue sets properly. I do find that the OEM glass does creek a bit, but even the factory installed piece did that.

Well, after a whopping 36 hours of owneerhsip of the new glass... it's CRACKED again!

 

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

 

I was driving, alone on a boulevard, then noticed that there was an 8-inch long crack roughly around the psss. side wiper.

 

Thank God I called my broker as soon as I noticed something was wrong with the first install, therefore the insurance comapny will not be able to claim that this is a 2nd event and try to charge me the deductible again...

Wow. Absolute proof that you were NOT imagining things/or being too picky with your car--------THEY REALLY DID BOTCH the first replacement!

 

Good good thing you had called your insurance company!

I would ask if you can go to a different shop to have the new job done.... I think that would be a fair request. It's not like the old shop can "fix" the old windshield like a body shop may be able to with an unacceptable repair... either way a new one needs put in.

chime in here. started my own thread but...

 

35 days after safelite replaced my windshield mine cracked this morning. on closer inspection I noticed a VERY slight nick in the glass from where I rock hit me the other day. This thing is tiny......and IMO my windshield should not have cracked so soon.

 

they are coming out tomorrow to look at it and hopefully warranty it. if not, I'm going to be pretty pissed.

Well, this AM the shop manager was there, and he started telling me that the wrinkles were somewhat normal and would go away during summer.

 

I bluntly told him «look man, maybe so, but this is winter right now, so use a heat gun, I don't care, mak'em go away on the new windshield you're putting on because it's cracked anyway; besides, they weren't there before, so no, it's not normal and I will refuse the job if they are still there when I pick it up».

 

And then I shoved my car key in the gap between the molding and the body, saying «no matter what, this is not normal» (hell, I could wiggle it in there). He said «the windshield might have slid down a little, creating that gap». Again, I said well put it higher.

 

As for the creaking/crackling noises, «yeah, that can happen, after a while, you don't hear'em anymore». Huh, no. I hear everything and my '05 creaking dash pisses me off. So no, fix this as well.

 

As for the wiper... «yeah, it seems they put them back on teeth too low». No. It doesn't seem like. They DID peut them back too low. Act accordingly next time around.

 

I called my broker and he said that over the weeknd, he talked to the guy who installed it and he relayed my complete insatisfaction.

 

My broker figures that indeed, the windshield might have slid down a bit and rested on a plastic or metal «stopper», so when I hit a bump, it cracked it (the crack starts under the wiper trim, I can't even see where it begins).

 

I demanded that the car be done today and allowed to sit inside the shop overnight for proper curing.

 

And in the meantime, I still have the damn Cobalt!