Supergenius40

A rock chipped my windshield last week. Now its a cracked and needs replacement. The dealership is charging $785.00 for the glass, labor plus install kit over $1100.00. Geico is paying $750.00 for the replacement, which would leave me with a $480.00 bill out of pocket.

If I decided to go with an OEM replacement, its only $480.00 for the glass, which would put my out of pocket at $0.00.

I know the insurance company is being cheap but MB is almost double the price of the nearest OEM product.

Before I get into a fight with Geico...is buying the dealership glass worth the fight or extra $400 out of pocket? What are the facts that can support me paying the cost? Consider my car is 11yrs old.

Can anyone give me facts for my argument. Also, my windshield is PPG but othe glass is Pilkington. Thanks

MB-Dude

I can sympathize. While I have no particular justification for one over the other, I can tell you that I need to replace my rear window and the scenario is about the same for me - MB cost is about double what I can find for an 'equivalent' rear glass installation (parts & labor). Supposedly the non-MB glass for me is identical in form, fit & function.

Cheers,
Jeff

Skylaw

Mainly, a non-MB windshield will be missing the small MB logo on the drivers side, and perhaps the"PPG Sungate" label. It is mainly of concern for a collector car - and our beloved W220s haven't reached that "lofty" status yet (heck, even my 33 year old R107 is just beginning to approach that status.

Mainly, you'll want to be sure the replacement accommodates the sensors behind the rear view mirror - the holes in the black mask. There is a rain sensor and a day/night sensor.

Also - a more minor concern. The black mask on my MB windshield is not stippled (bumpy) on the inside. It makes a nice hiding place for my Sunpass toll device, which is sometimes a theft target. The suction cups don't work well on a stippled surface.

Not much difference, other than those things. Sometimes, Mercedes Benz Club of America has the passenger side white G. Daimler signed window sticker that you can order - sometimes not. Sometimes folks scrape those anyway, and sometimes they replace them with a low-visibility sticker such as that used on new models. See http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-Ben...-/260895459576

Supergenius40

MB of Tampa sugested NWR INC. If I go OEM does it matter if I go with Glass Doctor, Safelite etc? Or am I shooting in the dark?

ksc

i needed a windshield replacement a while ago and ,like you, had to choose between glass from the dealer (with out-of-pocket costs) and "aftermarket", provided by insurance, with no cost.

the shop, recommended by dealer, explained that the replacement glass, which Progressive described as technically aftermarket, is identical to original MB glass, minus the white sticker.

so i went with their recommendation and the glass, as far as i can tell, is identical, complete with cutouts, sensors, etc. and is labeled PPG/Sungate. I suppose that makes sense when the shop said they get the same glass as the dealer.

so in my case, the replacement glass worked out well and i didn't have to pay $500+ for a windshield sticker.

i think if you can get a guarantee, as i did , that the glass is MB quality, then going with the Geico glass could be satisfactory, while keeping the extra money in your pocket.

stevedud

I had the same dilema and I have Geico too. I went with the dealer and only paid the $100 deductible. I think the total was $900ish.

I went with the dealer for peace of mind. If they did something wrong and it leaked and caused some electrical problem, I'd be in a big problem.

DRTYLNDY

That sucks. A few years ago I cracked my windshield on my S55 and it ended up costing about $1300 and AAA insurance paid for it all EXCEPT the new white MB sticker, I had to spring for that one.
I don't understand why Geico is cheaping out on you since you have paid thier premiums that they came up with to cover your car. They know the cost vs. risk. I would start shopping insurance after all said and done. What happens if you have a "real" accident and they try and use cheap crappy parts?

Supergenius40

OK, I decided not to use my wheel money to fix the windshield. Now I have a few questions about the glass. According to the glass company there are four types of windshields for our car. Heated with Solar, Heated with solar, rain, light etc.

Question, how do I determind the type of glass to order? Here's a picture of what I have...

jnash

Gosh, I am not sure about 4 different versions of glass. I do know that we have UV filtered glass on the S class and hence less need to have ours tinted. They have the bad affect of reducing the signal strength and this filters the signals for radar detectors and makes them less sensitive.
It it were me I would replace with unfiltered glass since I value avoiding a speeding ticket more than UV protection.
What I can tell you about aftermarket glass is that it's very hit or miss if the installer has to reuse the rain sensor. OEM glass comes with the rain sensor already in place and stuck to the glass. This guarantees the exact location and reliability of the rain sensor operation.
I have had one aftermarket glass where the rain sensor worked for two years then failed. There was nothing wrong with the sensor, it was just placed back not exactly correct and eventually failed in that position probably due to air bubbles in the sticky tape. You can buy the special double sided tape the aftermarket guys use but eyeballing exactly where the rain sensor goes to position it exactly is near impossible, or to remove all air bubbles. Some glass installers refuse to even try anymore since they fail too often to make the rain sensor work again with after market glass. So, bottom line, if you want to ensure your rain sensor operability then make sure you buy OEM, or aftermarket that has a new rain sensor pre-installed actually on the glass.

Hope this helps.

Those white Mbenz stickers have a MB part number and can be obtained from any stealership for about $12 or less.

srknutson

Give MB your VIN they will be able to tell you what the factory installed.

Supergenius40

I did that this afternoon. MB stated there are four features and it's a possibility to have opted out of them. But US 220's have three sensors excluding the heated windshield.

I'm getting PPG glass. Thanks for the help, It will be installed tomorrow morning.

Supergenius40

Ok it's done. I did have the heated windshield. MB said it's not available in the US. MB customer service was wrong. The newer PPG has the logo in the middle bottom of the glass now. So that's the only difference. Here's a picture of what the heating element looks like for the windshield.

Mindy

oh my, depends on your insurance coverage. My insurance replaced the window with zero deductible.