Safelite

[redtom]

I have a windshield guy since I own several vehicles without glass coverage. He says insurance will always replace if chip is in line if sight. That being said, my son had horrible experience with Safelight. He was living out if state and his insurance covered replacement. Safelight came to his work and put in windshield. When done the guy said, "yah, that trim on the top will probably fall off. If it does call me" . It fell off on the way home. Come to find out, the trim must go in as the window is glued in. So it had to go the shop and the window was changed again, obviously destroying the glass. The trim fell off the next day, again. He gave up.

 

[rrlund]

Well, they won't fix it because it's in the line of sight. I'm going to get a kit and try it myself before I turn it in for a new windshield. I watched a Youtube video. Looks simple. Always fun to try something new. The weather's bad today, so a project for a nicer day.

 

[wingnuttx]

I use Safelite. My insurance pays for it. Billed to them directly. The repair is done in my garage. Never had a raised mark or bump to streak the wiper blades. Barely noticeable. Someone guys have more experience. Safelite sends all employees to a month long school. Use junkyards as training place. Each employee repairs MANY rock chips until they pass a particular test for chips and cracks up to x amount of inches. Wingnut

 

[rrlund]

I use Safelite. My insurance pays for it. Billed to them directly. The repair is done in my garage. Never had a raised mark or bump to streak the wiper blades. Barely noticeable. Someone guys have more experience. Safelite sends all employees to a month long school. Use junkyards as training place. Each employee repairs MANY rock chips until they pass a particular test for chips and cracks up to x amount of inches. Wingnut

They said that repairing one directly in the line of sight is a liability that they won't risk. They said there's a chance of distortion. I didn't ask if it had ever happened, but they won't do it.

 

[Caryc]

The trouble is it may get worse by cracking the whole windshield. Don't ask me how I know.

You can ask me how I know. I had one of those little chips towards the center. It now went from that to a crack going out to each side of the windshield.

 

[JOCCO]

RR depending on line of sight and size if you have state inspection you might have to replace it. In my state with insurance my deductible is like $100 not to bad a deal for new windshield that kit at auto store was like the ones that hand the rearview mirror.

 

[rrlund]

RR depending on line of sight and size if you have state inspection you might have to replace it. In my state with insurance my deductible is like $100 not to bad a deal for new windshield that kit at auto store was like the ones that hand the rearview mirror.

We do't have state inspections in Michigan.

 

[wingnuttx]

Dec 2024 is that last month for state inspections in Texas. Boy….wait until you see what kind of widow makers are on the road in the year or two. People are going to get cars running that just had the motors hanging from a tree branch a few weeks before. No headlights. No brake lights. No brakes. Steering wheel will be a vise grip plyer tightened up on a bolt in the steering column. Big mistake. An inspection is $7 in my county. Wingnut

 

[Jaden]

Nebraska dropped its safety inspection program after maybe 10 years. The fear of a rash of clunkers on the road after ending it never happened. That was probably 25 years ago.

 

[MarkB_MI]

No inspections in Michigan. Yes, there are a few beaters on the road held together with rust and bondo, but most of the cars you see are in reasonably good shape. One thing I do notice is that many vehicles have a headlight or brake light out. Would annual inspections make much difference? I doubt it.

 

[JOCCO]

Any place that has inspection most people want to get rid of it! I never figured out how they keep junk off the roads but does not seem to be a big issue. I do look at it that once a year it gives the car a going over and forces some maintenance like some new tires and lights fixed. An old fellow once said there is no need of it as unreliable cars do not stay on the road long. Cars are like tractors some owners keep them up some are a disaster.

 

[TerryfromSWIowa]

Iowa had an inspection many years ago, I think it stopped in the late 70's. Had a car inspected and it did not pass because a light had a spot on it. Inspector said light was going to burn out. I went ballistic on him and said then the tires are going to wear out, and the exhaust is going to rot off why not reject them also. Got his boss involved and finally got my sticker.

 

[JOCCO]

Some shady inspectors used to use it to drum up business. Also find little nitpicky stuff. One woman took car in they said tie rods, ball joints, shocks and so on. She took it to another, and it passed so she asked him he said nothing wrong total scam from other outfit.

 

[Hobo,NC]

I’ve failed a many they are still on the road someone will pass it. It’s ashamed some have to do inspections to keep their doors open they are bottom feeders with minimum wage employees. A renter across the street talks sheet to everyone about me because I failed her car that’s OK I did not need her $12.85 to stay alive.

For this to work the state needs to do the inspection but they can’t make money at it but tell me I will get rich go figure. I would like to make the state a deal they do the inspections I sell the liquor. This is another failed government program it should not surprise anyone.

 

[JOCCO]

Hobo many feel it outlived any usefulness it had . I would not tie a shop up for 12-20 dollars for that. It was supposed to bring in business but once you fail it they take it to a cheaper place to have repair done.

 

[rrlund]

Hobo many feel it outlived any usefulness it had . I would not tie a shop up for 12-20 dollars for that. It was supposed to bring in business but once you fail it they take it to a cheaper place to have repair done.

You can and will still get a ticket here for defective equipment, but it's on you to make sure everything is in good shape so you don't.

 

[JOCCO]

You can and will still get a ticket here for defective equipment, but it's on you to make sure everything is in good shape so you don't.

Very rare here and would have to be egarious. SEEMS LIKE COPS have gotten out of traffic duty. And they sure don't seem to have time to look cars over in detail. I remember when they did roadside checks similar to commercial trucks. They issued tickets and cars got towed!

 

[moresmoke]

Dec 2024 is that last month for state inspections in Texas. Boy….wait until you see what kind of widow makers are on the road in the year or two. People are going to get cars running that just had the motors hanging from a tree branch a few weeks before. No headlights. No brake lights. No brakes. Steering wheel will be a vise grip plyer tightened up on a bolt in the steering column. Big mistake. An inspection is $7 in my county. Wingnut

No worse than the trains you see on a regular basis headed south of the border.

 

[Caryc]

Some shady inspectors used to use it to drum up business. Also find little nitpicky stuff. One woman took car in they said tie rods, ball joints, shocks and so on. She took it to another, and it passed so she asked him he said nothing wrong total scam from other outfit.

Concerning the smog tests in Calif., If you have a vehicle over a certain age, you have to take it to a "test only" place. In other words, they can't dream up some reason to fail it just so they can charge you to fix it.

WE have no "vehicle inspection" in Calif.

 

[dhermesc]

I'm just curious, has anybody ever had a chip on a windshield repaired? I've got a tiny chip and it's right dead center in the line of sight. It's just distracting. I got a price from Safelite, but I wanted some real world advice. Does it leave the spot blurry or distorted?

I've had several ships repaired by Safelite - the ones they were willing to fix were fixed very well. The worst one I had was on a Ford Freestyle with a laminated windshield. The outer glass had a pretty substantial chip and a VERY noticeable "bubble" formed between the two pieces of glass. They fixed that one so well you couldn't tell it had ever been touched. The cost to replace that windshield at that time was going to run over $700.

Never had the issue of a "rough finish" or anything else. The issue I did have was they were never willing to repair anything bigger than a dime sized area of damage. I had an old 1989 F150 that I bought with a 2" crack right below the review mirror - they wouldn't touch it. Surprisingly that crack never did get bigger. I assumed when winter came and the defrost warmed the bottom of the windshield and top was cold that crack would take off. Never did.