Moxxon

I was just driving on the freeway a couple of hours ago and this huge truck is in front of me. Just as I decide to switch lanes to get away from the truck, a very large rock hits my windshield. Now I have a ten inch long crack in the windshield that has already become longer as I was driving home.

Has anyone replaced their '05 windshield yet who can tell me how much it cost and where they had it done? Since the rain sensor is attached to the windshield, should I just have the dealer do the work? I would be worried about a glass shop doing the work and maybe screwing up the sensor or doing something else wrong. Thanks.

mbny

damn that sucks. you don't have glass coverage on your insurance policy? i'm guessing it's gonna be expensive due to the rain sensor

spchaser

Sorry to hear that happened to you. I cracked my windshield recently too and had it replaced by Safelite. They came the next day and did a flawless job on my car at my work place. Total charge for a windshield (non-OEM) with rain and light sensor was 345 + tax. You can also go with the Stealer, who will charge 550. I didn't go that way, but some people would swear by OEM. If you are lucky, your insurance may have a no-deductable for windshield replacement. I haven't seen any companies that do that in California.

Moxxon

Thanks for the responses. My deductible is $500, so I will be paying out of my pocket and forget the insurance company. Mercedes needs to install a forcefield button above the radio so that rocks and other objects will bounce off the forcefield before they hit the car....hehe

blkc230k

same thing happend when my car was only 20 days old, i replaced it, and cost me 519 after tax

PacificIslander

Interesting!!!!

PacificIslander

Did you go straight to the dealer??

MBenzNL

I never understood how this can work out right...when renewing the windshield on a recent model mercedes, the new windshield has to be glued in - preferably with MB specific sealant as the windshield is part of the stiffness of the body.
MB advises to let the car stay unused overnight with the windows opened so that when the door gets closed - the windshield won't move due to the non dried out sealant...
I have had my windshield in my 202 replaced 6 or 7 times (605.000km) and I insist on having my car parked inside with the windows open overnight before I take it home again after the windshield has been replaced...

greetingz,

davis449

Had a rock off a quarry truck nail my driver's side headlight on I-35 b/t here and New Braunfels about four months ago. Dealer wanted $600 for it and I got it done for less than three. Damn quarry trucks!

raymond g-

For the purists, don't forget about the need for a replacement MB tag for the new windshield.....and that there are several designs found on Ebay.

NO_WUR_E

Is $500 your collision deductible. I have both collission and comprehesive. Comprehensive for me is $100 and cover glass replacement. You might want to call your insurance and see what coverage you have for your situation.

raymond g-

Some insurers will waive the deductable when it comes to windshield replacement. Dbl check with your adjuster.

Saprissa

if you are going to pay the $500 anyway, then go ahead and file a claim with your insurance. Assuming they don't wave your deductible for windshield damage. Also, get it done right and OEM with an MB dealer. You're already set on paying the $500, have the insurance co. foot the rest of the bill. The rain & light sensors are no joke, and I wouldn't trust anyone else (non-MB techs) playing with them. Unless your window replacement shop deals strictly with MB's, go to the dealer. The window movement issue that MBenzNL talks about is exactly right. The car needs to sit perfectly still until the new windshield is fully sealed in place. Those stickers on eBay... most are fake. The dealer will get you a new one placed exactly where it needs to go.

my $0.02

Carlos

Saprissa@aol.com

mctwin2kman

That is why I have Comprehensive with no deductable for glass breakage. Check with your insurance company!

Moxxon

Thanks for the replies. I called and my comprehensive deductible is $500 and they do not make any exceptions for glass. So I made an appointment at the dealer and they will be putting factory glass in the car. My service advisor said it would be between $500-600.

ctC230K

$500 is better than $0. if it costs $550 you can still get $50 from insurance, right?

Moxxon

yeah, anything over $500 I could get back from the insurance company, but if it's just a few bucks I won't worry about it. Sometimes you make a claim and they quietly raise your rates. My car is at the dealer now and I still don't know exactly how much it will cost. They were doing some other warranty work on the car so it is taking longer than usual...

maguzma

Before you go out and purchase new class call the windshield replacement stores.

I had my windshield crack a year ago and thought I had to purchase one myself. Called windshield places and they told me that my insurance company will pay for most of it (I too have a 500 buck deductable). What the lady at the windshield company then told me blew my mind. She said she will call my insurance company for me (with me). After five minutes with the insurance agent not only did they agree to pay for most of it. When everything was said and done it only cost me approx 150 bucks out of pocket. The repairman showed up at my office. I gave him the keys and he replaced the windshield with an OEM (rain and other sensors) windshield in about an hour. I paid him and never heard from my insurance company again. In fact they submitted the claim for me. So you need to call around insurance companies and ask them what thier windshield replacement policy is and how much do you have to pay in out of pocket expensives. You will be pleasantly surprised.
By the way, I live in California and we get ripped off by insurance companies all the time. So I felt a little better when I got the new windshield at very little cost. Also my RATES did not go up. I made sure of that.... Good luck

Trekman

OK thats well and dandy, but If you go with after market windshild your rain sensor wont work anymore. I say spend the money and go to the dealer its about $550 also and you get the original glass!

Moxxon

Got the car back from the dealer with a new windshield. The windshield cost $348. With labor, the total came to $623. The labor almost cost as much as the part which is ridiculous, but I didn't want to take any chances somewhere else since my car is basically still brand new and I was worried about the rain sensor being screwed up if I had someone else do the job....

maguzma

That is an in correct statement about the rain sensor. There is glass out there that is just as good as the OEM except less expensive. And yes it has the rain sensor. I almost went with the other glass but it was not the green tint but the blue so they had to opt for OEM. They assured me that the sensor will work or they would replace until it did. I just can't belive that people out there are paying full price for glass. All glass companies due is install glass it is up to you if you want OEM or not. I had the choice and did not change price. Remember a cracked glass is a driving hazard and so insurance companies want them changed and it does not raise insurance rates. In fact when I called around for glass most of them said that glass is seperate from your deductable payment. Instead of paying 500+ bucks for glass it cost me a little over 150 bucks. And the glass company did all the hard work with the insurance company and installation. All I did was give some dude my keys and he changed the glass while I was at work. He even took a credit card.