SL/R231: Windshield replacement - update
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 84
Likes: 19
C300 and SL500
Windshield replacement - update
My windshield cracked last year. Insurance covered it, agreed to pay for a genuine MBZ replacement and gave me a list of local glass shops.
Sadly, after multiple attempts, Safelite failed to do the job properly and to make matters worse their customer service was appalling. I posted here and asked for opinions. Although experience was mixed, the general consensus was to take it to the dealer. Even though many of them outsource their glass work, if things went wrong I would be able to lean on MBZ customer support, which could only be better than Safelite.
The car came out of winter hibernation last week and went down to Mercedes Benz Albuquerque. The dealership covers MBZ, Audi and Porsche and has an in-house glass technician. They very quickly found the problem was the exterior A pillar trims. New ones arrived and didn't quite match my 10 year old paint, so they had them painted. While they had the car they took care of an ECU update, a B service and some preventative maintenance that my indie hadn't got around to - transmission service, spark plugs and brake fluid flush.
The windshield problem is fixed! They declined to say if Safelite had damaged the trim, but reading between the lines I'm guessing the trim doesn't usually need replacement. I'm pretty sure I would still be going back and forth with Safelite and still have angry bees in the cabin. I don't think 'clips' were going to solve the problem.
Thanks to all who shared their windshield replacement stories and to those with a cracked windshield, my advice would be: don't trust the generic windshield replacement services, talk to your MBZ dealer first.
Gary
Sadly, after multiple attempts, Safelite failed to do the job properly and to make matters worse their customer service was appalling. I posted here and asked for opinions. Although experience was mixed, the general consensus was to take it to the dealer. Even though many of them outsource their glass work, if things went wrong I would be able to lean on MBZ customer support, which could only be better than Safelite.
The car came out of winter hibernation last week and went down to Mercedes Benz Albuquerque. The dealership covers MBZ, Audi and Porsche and has an in-house glass technician. They very quickly found the problem was the exterior A pillar trims. New ones arrived and didn't quite match my 10 year old paint, so they had them painted. While they had the car they took care of an ECU update, a B service and some preventative maintenance that my indie hadn't got around to - transmission service, spark plugs and brake fluid flush.
The windshield problem is fixed! They declined to say if Safelite had damaged the trim, but reading between the lines I'm guessing the trim doesn't usually need replacement. I'm pretty sure I would still be going back and forth with Safelite and still have angry bees in the cabin. I don't think 'clips' were going to solve the problem.
Thanks to all who shared their windshield replacement stories and to those with a cracked windshield, my advice would be: don't trust the generic windshield replacement services, talk to your MBZ dealer first.
Gary
Member
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 123
Likes: 61
From: Nashville, TN
2019 SL450
I also had a bad experience with Safelite, which is where my insurance recommended. They did use OEM glass, but that's about all that went right.
The tech misrouted the driver's side washer tubing, left screws in the floorboard that he said he couldn't find so he used some he had, and he lost the cap that covered the driver's side wiper arm bolt. He told me there was not one. I fixed the tubing myself, and got the replacement cap from the dealer for about 20 bucks.
The tech when questioned bragged about his skill and attention to detail. Unbelievable.
Otherwise, ok. No leaks and recalibration of the sensors was ok.
I went to their local facility in Nashville to have this done, and in the 2.5 hours I was there, I'd say half the other customers there came in for an issue with a previous repair. Not good.
In the future, I'll use two long time local glass companies thar were great in my previous experiences. Safelite... never again.
The tech misrouted the driver's side washer tubing, left screws in the floorboard that he said he couldn't find so he used some he had, and he lost the cap that covered the driver's side wiper arm bolt. He told me there was not one. I fixed the tubing myself, and got the replacement cap from the dealer for about 20 bucks.
The tech when questioned bragged about his skill and attention to detail. Unbelievable.
Otherwise, ok. No leaks and recalibration of the sensors was ok.
I went to their local facility in Nashville to have this done, and in the 2.5 hours I was there, I'd say half the other customers there came in for an issue with a previous repair. Not good.
In the future, I'll use two long time local glass companies thar were great in my previous experiences. Safelite... never again.
