'04 Rx330 Windshield Replacement

[sakaike]

In case anyone else is in my situation, I just wanted to provide a heads-up...

Due to a recent run-in with what appears to be a grain of sand, I will be replacing my windshield on Monday. I went to the dealer earlier this week hoping to get a replacement under warranty, since to the naked eye, it appeared that the crack was originating somewhere under the bottom surround-frame. However, the Service Manager showed me under a magnifying glass that it was indeed due to some sort of extremely small impact not visible to the naked eye.

They then proceeded to give me an estimate for approximately $1400!! $1016 for the glass, $34 for the molding, and $250-350 for the labor. I have a $500 deductible for this particular type of work.

I then called Safelite, based on the advice of others on this board and the Club Lexus forums. They quoted me $320 for PPG glass, new molding, labor, taxes, and will come to my work place to perform the work! If I had opted for their own Safelite-branded glass, the price would have been $217 - all in. I picked the PPG option

I'll post again on Monday with the results - quality of the glass, quality of workmanship, etc.

It's my understanding that PPG is one of several OEM suppliers for this part, so I am hopeful that this will be a quality job - and one that saves me money and an insurance claim. Pending that successful outcome, I would advise anyone facing a similar act to NOT go to the dealer to have this work done, unless you can get it done for free.

[RX400h]

I had a windshield replaced in my daily driver and since my deductible is only $100, I had the insurance company pay for it. Now keep in mind that this windshield is made specifically for cars with HUD (Heads Up Display), so I was not surprised to see the bill to the insurance company - $1500. However, a friend with an identical car didn't want to go through his insurance, so he found a guy who did the job with the same manufacturer's windshield for $300.

So yes, it does pay to shop around!

[SW03ES]

It wouldn't have affected your insurance, most insurance companies do windshield replacements as a no fault comprehensive claim. I definately would have done the OEM Lexus glass and just submitted the $1500 claim to the insurance, I've had bad experiences with aftermarket, even PPG glass. My dad had a PPG aftermarket windshield put a Cadillac one time that was so distorted it made me sick to ride in it. Do yourself a favor and lower your comprehensive deductible!

Most car dealers just farm out the windshield work anyways.

[RX in NC]

Low-or-no comprehensive deductibles are very affordable and worth it for one primary reason - replacing windshield glass. I've kept a zero-deductible comprehensive coverage level for at least two decades at a cost of perhaps $25 a year. During that time I've replaced more windshields on more vehicles than I can remember. A windshield is one component that you always want the best quality your insurance company will provide, and a low-or-no comprehensive deductible is the ultimate method to ensure that you always get top-quality glass when you need it. Like everything else in the insurance business, the cleaner your record and the longer your good history with your insurer, the less it will cost you to lower or eliminate your comprehensive deductible. If you haven't looked into this particular aspect of your coverage, you should do immediately. All it takes is a couple of busted windshields to realize the value of this philosophy. Back in the mid-80s we had two windshields in two different vehicles broken on two successive days by passing semis throwing rocks. That's when the value of having no-deductible comprehensive coverage really hit home for me.

[jazzsax]

I don't know about other companies, but Farmers has a separate windshield replacement deductable. Probably it comes out to $25/yr for an average car with a $100 deductable. For those that have this, read on...

I dropped my windshield replacement coverage from my insurance policy about a year ago. Why? Have any of you seen your CLUE report lately? That's the insurance report that you or other insurance companies can get access to, which details your insurance claims over the years.

Farmer's tells me "oh..go ahead and get your winshield replaced every few years" for the $100 deductable. Sounds good. But do you know what they put on the clue report? That you had a claim for the ENTIRE amount for the windshield, which comes out to $300-500 or more. The insurance company says it won't raise rates for you doing that. OK, that's great. I'm happy.

So, now I decide I want to move to AllState. They run a CLUE report on me, and guess what turns up? I've had multiple claims on multiple cars for many years in the order of many many hundreds of dollars. So, do you think they're going to give me a good rate to switch? Me thinks not.

In the end, I suppose I would save money if I really needed to upgrade my windshield every few years, but it irks me that they do this and not really disclose that they are effectively keeping you with their insurance company.

[SW03ES]

But if you're getting good service why move?

Thats another problem with the way people look at insurance, they look at it from a "cheapest is best"standpoint and leave companies they have decades of experience with to save $100. If you view your relationship with your insurance agent and company as a long term one then you will recieve much better treatment than if the company knows you're going to up and leave over $100 anyways. My insurance agent has insured me since I could drive and my parents for about 20 years. I wouldn't think of switching (unless it was like half the cost) because I have an established relationship there. I call him up and say "Hey Keith, I need a windshield" done, no questions asked. Or "Hey Keith, someone hit me in the parking lot will it effect my rates?" "No Steve, you've been our client for 8 years, why would one parking lot mishap thats not even your fault affect your rates?" As opposed to a company you have no history with. I've seen it happen, I've seen people jump to a new company because of lower rates and get dropped after one claim. Wow, they sure saved a bunch of money now huh? People have no loyalty nowadays, and when you don't give professional loyalty to a company you do business with then why would you expect fair and loyal treatment from them?

Just food for thought.

[jazzsax]

But if you're getting good service why move?

Thats another problem with the way people look at insurance, they look at it from a "cheapest is best"standpoint and leave companies they have decades of experience with to save $100.

Just food for thought.

←

Actually, I haven't switched, though I did cut off that specific coverage.

So my point was just to warn.. er.. inform... people that there might be something going on that they may not have been aware of. Everyone can make their own decisions. I like my insurance agent. But does that mean that I won't go looking for better rates at some point just because I like him?

Nah.

Loyalty to an insurance company..hmmm... that's one I'd never heard of before. Oh yeah.. now I remember, it was that AllState commercial! :)

[jgr7]

If your car has the rain sensing wipers make sure that the IR box mounted to the windshield is attached with the proper adhisive or the wipers will not work properly, I know on the Cadillacs the glue kit is about $80.00.

Jeff

[SW03ES]

LOL, thats your decision. But don't fault insurance companies for !Removed! you over when thats all you intend to do to them. Cheap rates are nice, but its not so nice when the new cheaper company gives you the runaround on paying your claims if you should have an accident because you have no relationship to them. Then that savings has now turned into tripled rates again because they have no prior relationship to base that judgement on.

Theres a reason everybody always !Removed! about their insurance companies, because they don't understand that you get what you pay for. Cheap insurance companies are cheap when it comes to insuring you.

[sakaike]

Thanks for all the great insights and advice. I'm still planning on going ahead with the appointment Monday. Here are a couple of additional pieces of info that contribute to that decision:

- In my 26 years of driving, and owning about 8 cars, the last time I replaced a windshield was about 20 years ago. It's not a frequent occurrence for me, and not one that I figure happens much more often than has actually occurred. Thus, the reason for not changing the terms of my insurance (which is with Mercury, BTW).

- For my policy, here in California, I have been advised by my insurance agent, that while making a claim for this windshield would not immediately affect my rates, it would count one point (in insurance terms, not DMV terms) against me, and the next point against me in the next 5 years would indeed raise my rates (I currently have no points). I figured it wasn't worth the risk.

- I will indeed by checking the glass from all angles, to ensure that it is as free from ripples as my current one, and may decide at that time to go the insurance and OEM route if I'm not satisfied.

- My RX330 has neither the rain sensor, nor the heated wipers, both of which would have added to the cost of the windshield from both Lexus and Safelite. I'm hoping that this more straightforward replacement enhances my chances of a successful outcome.

[sandimas3]

LOL, thats your decision. But don't fault insurance companies for !Removed! you over when thats all you intend to do to them. Cheap rates are nice, but its not so nice when the new cheaper company gives you the runaround on paying your claims if you should have an accident because you have no relationship to them. Then that savings has now turned into tripled rates again because they have no prior relationship to base that judgement on.

Theres a reason everybody always !Removed! about their insurance companies, because they don't understand that you get what you pay for. Cheap insurance companies are cheap when it comes to insuring you.

←

i'm a mercury agent in southern california and my clients use safelite glass all the time. the fact that they do the service onsite is a added bonus.

keep us posted regarding your experience.

[sakaike]

Here's an update:

- Safelite appointment was for 8AM-12PM. He showed at 9:30AM at my work. Very polite, courteous guy. Told me it would be about 45 minutes to an hour. About 15 minutes into it, he tells me that he has the wrong molding and has to get a different one. Returns in about a half hour (not bad, IMHO). Completes the job in about 45 minutes.

- I told him I would be checking up on how things were going from my second floor office window, so he knew I would be watching. I thought his workmanship was exemplary. Took a lot of time scraping out the old adhesive. Removed the windshield wipers and used protective cloths all over the place. Used latex gloves throughout the process. All of this was just as described on Safelite's web site.

- The glass itself appears to be fantastic. I've looked from all kinds of steep angles (and did the same with the old glass before it was removed). If possible, I think that this PPG replacement is clearer and smoother than the original. Although, I admit it may just be wishful thinking.

I'll post once more once I drive home this evening, to let you know about any wind noise, or window clarity issues that might arise at that time.

For the moment, however, I can heartily endorse Safelite's products and services.

[SW03ES]

Cool, in a few days hit it with high pressure water and see if there are any leaks.

[sakaike]

Well, the drive home was great - window-wise. Clarity is stunning. I have heard others (like in this thread) mention their lack of satisfaction with PPG glass, but this was like looking out an open window, if it wasn't for the small amount of tint to remind me that something was actually there.

There was no (new) wind noise that I could discern. In fact, since I usually drive with the stereo pretty loud, I was really driving in silence for the first time in a long time. The only "interesting" noise was how I was noticing for the first time the different types of tire noise different cars were making as we were driving down the freeway. I never noticed that before. There was some slight noise from the side mirror, but that was no surprise.

The last thing the tech told me was the same thing advised by SW03ES above - Hit the thing with a high pressure hose in a couple of days to check for leaks. The fact that the tech advised it was reassuring - Safelite has a lifetime guarantee on materials and workmanship for as long as I own the vehicle, so if there is a leak, they'll take care of it for free. But based on my experience thus far, I would be surprised if a leak showed up.

Although this cost me a few hundred dollars, I guess this is a happy-ending sort of experience, and one that I hope some of you other folks can leverage. If anything pops up (like a leak), I'll be sure to post again.

[Zebra]

I have same problem with my 2005 RX330. I also believe Lexus is aware of this problem with the windshield, because the service rep knew precisely where to look for the small pin point in bottom of the glass. I am not a happy camper with the response, I receive from Lexus.

[sakaike]

I have same problem with my 2005 RX330. I also believe Lexus is aware of this problem with the windshield, because the service rep knew precisely where to look for the small pin point in bottom of the glass. I am not a happy camper with the response, I receive from Lexus.

←

Sorry to hear your experience is sounding the same as mine. Unless you can somehow get Lexus to cover the repair/replacement under warranty, I would recommend Safelite as a cheaper, high quality alternative to the dealer's exorbitant price for replacement. I would also recommend opting for the more expensive PPG glass, as I did, unless you can get some recommendations from others on this forum that the cheaper Safelite brand is just as good.

Best of luck to you.

[endo]

In case anyone else is in my situation, I just wanted to provide a heads-up...

Due to a recent run-in with what appears to be a grain of sand, I will be replacing my windshield on Monday. I went to the dealer earlier this week hoping to get a replacement under warranty, since to the naked eye, it appeared that the crack was originating somewhere under the bottom surround-frame. However, the Service Manager showed me under a magnifying glass that it was indeed due to some sort of extremely small impact not visible to the naked eye.

They then proceeded to give me an estimate for approximately $1400!! $1016 for the glass, $34 for the molding, and $250-350 for the labor. I have a $500 deductible for this particular type of work.

I then called Safelite, based on the advice of others on this board and the Club Lexus forums. They quoted me $320 for PPG glass, new molding, labor, taxes, and will come to my work place to perform the work! If I had opted for their own Safelite-branded glass, the price would have been $217 - all in. I picked the PPG option

I'll post again on Monday with the results - quality of the glass, quality of workmanship, etc.

It's my understanding that PPG is one of several OEM suppliers for this part, so I am hopeful that this will be a quality job - and one that saves me money and an insurance claim. Pending that successful outcome, I would advise anyone facing a similar act to NOT go to the dealer to have this work done, unless you can get it done for free.

[endo]

In case anyone else is in my situation, I just wanted to provide a heads-up...

Due to a recent run-in with what appears to be a grain of sand, I will be replacing my windshield on Monday. I went to the dealer earlier this week hoping to get a replacement under warranty, since to the naked eye, it appeared that the crack was originating somewhere under the bottom surround-frame. However, the Service Manager showed me under a magnifying glass that it was indeed due to some sort of extremely small impact not visible to the naked eye.

They then proceeded to give me an estimate for approximately $1400!! $1016 for the glass, $34 for the molding, and $250-350 for the labor. I have a $500 deductible for this particular type of work.

I then called Safelite, based on the advice of others on this board and the Club Lexus forums. They quoted me $320 for PPG glass, new molding, labor, taxes, and will come to my work place to perform the work! If I had opted for their own Safelite-branded glass, the price would have been $217 - all in. I picked the PPG option

I'll post again on Monday with the results - quality of the glass, quality of workmanship, etc.

It's my understanding that PPG is one of several OEM suppliers for this part, so I am hopeful that this will be a quality job - and one that saves me money and an insurance claim. Pending that successful outcome, I would advise anyone facing a similar act to NOT go to the dealer to have this work done, unless you can get it done for free.

[endo]

In case anyone else is in my situation, I just wanted to provide a heads-up...

Due to a recent run-in with what appears to be a grain of sand, I will be replacing my windshield on Monday. I went to the dealer earlier this week hoping to get a replacement under warranty, since to the naked eye, it appeared that the crack was originating somewhere under the bottom surround-frame. However, the Service Manager showed me under a magnifying glass that it was indeed due to some sort of extremely small impact not visible to the naked eye.

They then proceeded to give me an estimate for approximately $1400!! $1016 for the glass, $34 for the molding, and $250-350 for the labor. I have a $500 deductible for this particular type of work.

I then called Safelite, based on the advice of others on this board and the Club Lexus forums. They quoted me $320 for PPG glass, new molding, labor, taxes, and will come to my work place to perform the work! If I had opted for their own Safelite-branded glass, the price would have been $217 - all in. I picked the PPG option

I'll post again on Monday with the results - quality of the glass, quality of workmanship, etc.

It's my understanding that PPG is one of several OEM suppliers for this part, so I am hopeful that this will be a quality job - and one that saves me money and an insurance claim. Pending that successful outcome, I would advise anyone facing a similar act to NOT go to the dealer to have this work done, unless you can get it done for free.

I just had my glass replaced in my 06 GX 470. I didn't even call Lexus......Why you ask? Because I knew that it would be expensive through them. I went to a local Toyota and asked them for a recommendation. They recommended a local glass shop in my town and it cost 320.00 (taxes, labor, parts, etc.). I have the auto rain sensing glass as well. I had the break occur on a Thursday AM. Called the glass company at noon. They repaired it on Friday (next day) at 9am. Took 3 hours. Used PPG glass. looks great. Go with the PPG if you own the vehicle. If you lease, go cheap and if the area is small, have it repaired. They can make it "look good" by a simple repair procedure for around 40 bucks. DONT GO TO LEXUS FOR YOUR SERVICE. GO TO A TOYOTA DEALER! THEY CAN DO IT FOR YOU (ALL OF YOUR SERVICE).

[LEXIRX330]

So, now I decide I want to move to AllState. They run a CLUE report on me, and guess what turns up? I've had multiple claims on multiple cars for many years in the order of many many hundreds of dollars. So, do you think they're going to give me a good rate to switch? Me thinks not.

In the end, I suppose I would save money if I really needed to upgrade my windshield every few years, but it irks me that they do this and not really disclose that they are effectively keeping you with their insurance company.

One of the companies that I write for is Allstate, and another is Farmers. Allstate will not surcharge you for a comp claim, at least in MD DE and VA. Now in MD with Allstate you would be eligible for the Premier or Premier Plus Discounts which are the highest accident free discounts you can get if you have comp claims but there are 2 levels level 1 and 2 for each discount. Premier level 1 is no accidents of any kind level 2 in no at fault accidents, same goes for Premier Plus can get level 2 not 1 but it is not a significant difference. Most of the time the difference between level 1 and 2 is less than 30 every 6 months on a average policy. Now there are other companies that base on the amount of the comp loss and they would charge you more for a comp claim over 1000 and won't charge you for comp claims under 1000.

I carry a $50 comp deductible, and will get any window fixed since comp claims will not make much of a difference at all. Some companies that we write for have full glass options with say 250 on everything else comp related. Allstate in fact will waive the deductible if the windshield can be repaired. Generally it will not make much of a difference in premium if you file a comp loss or if carry a high comp deductible.

Now as far as original glass and After market...the debate can go on and on. I personally have seen many windshields replaced with aftermarket and not original glass and if the repair is done correctly it is hard to tell. I have also seen some real crappy work done. SW is right almost all of body shops have the work done by outside companies like safelite, or GOGlass.