Cracked windscreen. What's the best procedure to getting it replaced? Others on here have had issues

Ricochet J

Ricochet J

Ricochet J

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Joined
29 Jun 2004
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12,957
Hello,

I have a cracked windscreen and it needs replacing.

My insurance company is Endsleigh and their preferred windscreen replacement company is AA AutoWindshields.

My car has auto windscreen wipers, auto headlights and auto rear view mirror. I'm guessing the windscreen wiper sensors are embedded into the windscreen.

I have a number of options:
  1. Pay £70 excess and get AA AutoWindshields to replace the screen. My insurance company will pay an unlimited amount toward the replacement.
  2. Pay £125 excess and get a non approved company of my choice to replace the screen. However my insurance company will pay a maximum amount of £150 toward the cost of a replacement windscreen. Will my replacement screen come to £125 + £150 = £275 using another company?

I guess the questions are:
  1. Are AA AutoWindshields good?
  2. How do I make this as hassle free as possible?

Thank you :)
 
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I've had 6 windscreens in as many years, and apart from one company bringing the wrong screen (for old version of same car), I've not had a problem. One of them had auto wipers/lights/dimming rear view mirror (E39 BMW). No problem with leaks, rattles, fit, finish etc.

Mine were fitted by Autoglass or Auto Windscreens.

Maybe I've been lucky.
 
A complete screen replacement can be very expensive. I recall one for my old Mondeo was ~£1600, that was for auto lights, auto wipers and solar reflect coating.

Personally I would be inclined to go with your insurer's preferred route, then you can pile on unlimited hassle if it's a poor job.
 
danza said:
I've had 6 windscreens in as many years, and apart from one company bringing the wrong screen (for old version of same car), I've not had a problem. One of them had auto wipers/lights/dimming rear view mirror (E39 BMW). No problem with leaks, rattles, fit, finish etc.

Mine were fitted by Autoglass or Auto Windscreens.

Maybe I've been lucky.
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I would have thought needing 6 windscreens in 6 years is the exact opposite of very lucky! :p
 
Had two windscreens from Autoglass in the past, no problems whatsoever.
Recently had dealings with AutoWindscreens who seemed to be completely incompetent at even being able to turn up with the right parts.
So ditched them in favour of Nationwide Motorglass, who were frankly excellent. See my posts in "What have you done to your car today?" thread for details.
 
Ricochet J said:
I have a number of options:
  1. Pay £70 excess and get AA AutoWindshields to replace the screen. My insurance company will pay an unlimited amount toward the replacement.
  2. Pay £125 excess and get a non approved company of my choice to replace the screen. However my insurance company will pay a maximum amount of £150 toward the cost of a replacement windscreen. Will my replacement screen come to £125 + £150 = £275 using another company?

I guess the questions are:
  1. Are AA AutoWindshields good?
  2. How do I make this as hassle free as possible?

Thank you :)
Click to expand...

I had a screen replaced on a Mondeo ST with Heating Element, Auto Wipers, Lights and Rearview. List price of the screen without fitting was £870.

Pay the £70 and get it done by insurance. If it isn't right get them out to do it again.
 
ShadowMan said:
I had a screen replaced on a Mondeo ST with Heating Element, Auto Wipers, Lights and Rearview. List price of the screen without fitting was £870.

Pay the £70 and get it done by insurance. If it isn't right get them out to do it again.
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Other than the obvious water leaking into the cabin, or wind noise howling through the car, how do you know if/when it's not right? Sometimes the issues of a poorly fitted windscreen do not manifest themselves until a few months after, such as scratches to the paintwork corroding, or the water leak going unnoticed (and leaking into somewhere not visible).

There is also a question over the quality of parts fitted. Most insurance 'approved' repairers will (for fiscal reasons) fit fake parts; IOW, not genuine.
 
When Autoglass messed up my A6 windscreen replacement, the problems were immediate. Namely error messages on the DIS telling me that the automatic wipers were borked.

So far, I've not had a single "good" experience with any car glass company on the first visit. They are all numpties. Seems that you have to accept the fact the first fitting will be inept, then complain to high heaven before someone slightly less moronic comes to "fix" the problems.
 
paradigm said:
When Autoglass messed up my A6 windscreen replacement, the problems were immediate. Namely error messages on the DIS telling me that the automatic wipers were borked.

So far, I've not had a single "good" experience with any car glass company on the first visit. They are all numpties. Seems that you have to accept the fact the first fitting will be inept, then complain to high heaven before someone slightly less moronic comes to "fix" the problems.
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The trouble is, you are agreeing to using the approved, or 'nominated' repairer when the proposed policy is accepted. The entire process of insuring a vehicle (especially when done online) is designed to get the consumer to the checkout stage as quickly as possible; there is no emphasis (other than a pop-up window inviting you to read a 64-page download of jargon) to study the proposed arrangements before the policy is incepted. It is a requirement; ICOBS 6.1.5 states:

"A firm must take reasonable steps to ensure a customer is given appropriate information about a policy in good time and in a comprehensible form so that the customer can make an informed decision about the arrangements proposed".

I would argue that the appointment of a nominated windscreen repairer (which suits the insco more than the policyholder) who will more than likely use cheap replacement parts is quite a salient point.

http://www.glasstecpaul.com/motor-insurance-windscreen-cover/
 
Not quite sure what any of the above has to do with the utter ineptness of the fitter, I watched him force the rear view mirror housing off the old windscreen, no amount of parts (expensive or otherwise) brought by the "technician" would have negated his ham-fistedness and "can't be bothered" attitude, which resulted in broken housings and sensors.

My insurance company, nor its smallprint have anything to do with the undertrained monkeys that get sent out, regardless of glass company.
 
Slightly OT, but reminded me of a bad experience!

I had a nightmare with Auto Windscreens a few years ago on my 1 series. They had to replace the windscreen 4 times, yes 4!

First time he'd used the wrong rubber around the outside, so my first trip down the A34, I had a trail of rubber flying down one side of my car. Got some very odd looks.

Second time the guy did such a bad job of the fitting that you couldn't even see the VIN number anymore as it didn't line up, which also caused the most ridiculous amount of wind noise ever. Third time, the guy had trashed the interior, got dirt everywhere and he'd even knocked off one of the airbag covers and just half pushed it back on. The worst bit was that you could feel the windscreen move if you pushed on it and it made a right racket when driving because it would rattle.

Final time, the guy obviously knew what he was doing for a change and did a proper job. But there were annoying rattles and squeaks after all that bodge work before hand. And I remember I had to put bits of foam between panels (where the airbag covers met the dash) to stop it squeaking and rattling.

I got my £70 back after complaining but wanted a lot more, but was so sick of it all by the end that I just accepted the money

On my old XF, I used Autoglass and it was a much better experience, first time with no issues. Except the for the fact that I picked up a chip on the drive home :p
 
I went through my insurance company, paid the £70 and Autoglass came out to my work to fit it. Soon as winter came I started getting condensation on the inside of the window, I assume it wasn't fitted properly :(

MW
 
Be careful, if you go through insurance you may not loose your no claims but it WILL have to go down as you have made a claim in the last 5 years. I know a few who have been stung by this.
 
Yeah you certainly do with Tesco. I had to declare my windscreen claims with them but not Admiral, annoyingly.
 
Steedie said:
Yeah you certainly do with Tesco. I had to declare my windscreen claims with them but not Admiral, annoyingly.
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The problem is, if you call and ask they don't make it clear they essentially just say 'it doesn't affect your no claims' but then come renewal they'll say oh well you made a claim!
 
craig_t said:
The problem is, if you call and ask they don't make it clear they essentially just say 'it doesn't affect your no claims' but then come renewal they'll say oh well you made a claim!
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Yeah, they insisted to me that windscreen claims don't affect your premiums, and to be fair, adding it or taking it away when I do my quotes on comparison sites doesn't affect the price.
 
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