Stone chip to windscreen :(

[jonesinamillion]

M6 north today, all down to a fecking pot hole.

 

Saw it coming, huge thing (doing about 80 ish), huge bank, I even ducked 

 

Luckily its on the passenger side and the result could best be described as a graze (5mm diameter), was sure it would have gone through.

 

I'm gutted to be fair, car is 3 weeks old to me (registered oct 2017).

 

I could claim on insurance but I'm a bit sceptical on a screen replacement....

 

Will it be sealed properly?

Will I get like for like?
Theres electrics attached / stuck to it?

Maybe etched / ID'd to my car (haven't looked)?

Just stuck a dashcam on it :(

 

Would you go down the replacement route?

A repair?

Live with it?

 

 

 

 

 

[Danny 57]

Bummer. Picture might help people decide.

[xman]

If the outer layer is chipped or cracked it will eventually spread and you will need a new windscreen.

 

Cheapest route is through insurance, their approved repairer (often Autoglass) will come out and assess it. If its less than 40mm on passenger side they'll repair it and most insurance have no excess and you'll get a lifetime warranty on it. 

 

Leave it and it will get moisture in and if followed by an overnight frost it will crack, then its a new windscreen (heated if fitted) plus recalibration of ACC. Windscreen excess may then apply (typ £50 - £75) through insurance, private repair would be very expensive (several hundred)

 

Most insurances will not count it as a claim. Check your policy or ask them.

 

Autoglass technicians are self employed and the one replacement  I've had was done excellently.

Edited 10 February, 2018 by xman

[jonesinamillion]

cheers folks, will throw a pic up tomorrow.

[Alan_P]

You’re allowed up to 10mm of damage/obstruction in zone A so if it’s C (multiple) or D (40mm) you will be legal.

I would be very surprised if anywhere approved will sign off on a screen replacement… they will likely want to drill and fill it. Even if it’s rushed it will be almost clear and should stop further damage… probably free too. I would definitely take that option over bonding a full screen.

[dm222]

pic, they fixed mine a year ago... if it is not broken untill the border and it is less than a coin, it can be fixed.

 

my insurance paid it fully

 

Edited 10 February, 2018 by dm222

[jonesinamillion]

Just booked an autoglass appointment for repair on weds, £10 excess (frost scares me!), will post a pic tomorrow 

[xman]

You do right, the quicker the repair the better.

[MaddicIrl]

I had the same dilemma just before Christmas, car was about 2 months old and a missile hit the windscreen, too big for repair.

 

I choose to bring it to my dealer and have an OEM screen fitted which is not likely the case with auto glass etc and didn't want to get caught between Skoda and a glass repair company if there were any side affects. I also wished to make sure I kept the parking ticket holder and the screen had all the black bits in the right places.

 

To give you an idea of main dealer cost, the OEM windscreen fitted cost €390, the said if it needed calibration is would cost an extra €150 but this was not required. The windscreen was non-heated, I have TSR but not lane assist or High Beam Assist or ACC. So far so good, since replacement.

 

BTW The dealer is likely to use a third party for fitting but at least its OEM, the insurance will reimburse me €225 but this is policy dependent of course, they have been known to cover the full cost from what I have read. I would get onto my insurance and insist on a new OEM screen fitted by dealer and see what they say.

[PSM]

I had the screen replaced on my Octavia towards the end of last year by autoglass. I kept the ticket holder and all the black bits are still in the same place as the original. Auto wipers and everything still works and no leaks. Sounds a bit like paranoia about autoglass. Think I would prefer someone who changed screens every day of the week compared to a dealer who does not. Sometimes people put too much faith in the main dealers and down talk others too much.

Can not say anything bad about autoglass, came to the house and fitted screen with no hassle.

[Redboy]

14 hours ago, jonesinamillion said:

Just booked an autoglass appointment for repair on weds, £10 excess (frost scares me!), will post a pic tomorrow 

 

If possible get it repaired rather than replaced as repairs are iften hard to detect and it's cheaper. If it must be replaced your insurance will rise despite what they say, I've had 2 in less than 2 years and even with NCB protection my insurance quote rose above wgat I'd expect. On the plus side, if you have a camera, lane assist etc, insist on screen replacement at an Autoglass centre equipped to align the camera, rather than on your drive or at your workplace. It may cost you some fuel to reach the centre but it comes within your insurance excess, otherwise Skoda dealers will charge you £125 for the same alignment check. 

[MaddicIrl]

27 minutes ago, PSM said:

 Sometimes people put too much faith in the main dealers and down talk others too much.

Quite the opposite actually, have used autoglass and others in the past, I have no issue with them. Like the OP, my car was 2 months old and I wanted it back to OEM spec, my Dealer used a third party to fit the screen, As you have pointed out Dealers may not have the experience. Any issues for the remainder of the warranty I can go back to Skoda and they cannot blame the third party, that piece of mind is worth the extra €165 to me at least.

[PSM]

Are you sure you can go back to Skoda if you have an issue? If you have an issue then you need to go to the dealer for redress much like you would go back to autoglass if you had an issue. Skoda would have nothing to do with it since it has had work done on it that is not their work from the factory. Since the dealer used a third party you would have an intermediary to deal with i.e. the dealer potentially giving you more issues. At least with autoglass you deal with the company that did the work. Autoglass use OEM spec glass so just do not see what you have gained by going through the dealer.

[MaddicIrl]

1 hour ago, PSM said:

Are you sure you can go back to Skoda if you have an issue? If you have an issue then you need to go to the dealer for redress much like you would go back to autoglass if you had an issue. Skoda would have nothing to do with it since it has had work done on it that is not their work from the factory. Since the dealer used a third party you would have an intermediary to deal with i.e. the dealer potentially giving you more issues. At least with autoglass you deal with the company that did the work. Autoglass use OEM spec glass so just do not see what you have gained by going through the dealer.

I did mean dealer not Skoda themselves, that would make warranty claims very complicated 

I gave the Skoda Dealer the money for the car, I gave the Skoda Dealer money to replace the windscreen, my contract is with them and even Skoda themselves are third party to that under Irish Law. If there are any complications after install I don't have to worry about the Dealer blaming the third party as I paid them. Chances maybe slim but so is the cost and I know what position I would rather be in if it came to it.

 

If the screen on your phone broke while still under warranty, would you bring it to the manufacturer (or approved repairer) or the shop down the road because they are cheaper and use OEM spec parts? Shortly following your phone repair, you discovered your wifi pick up is ****, you send it back to the manufacturer and they blame the screen repair, screen repair shop say its your manufacturers fault, what do you do? 

 

I am only saying I did what I did because the car was only 2 months old, just like the OP's, I would not bother me if the dealer used Autoglass for the replacement.

[Glassy]

On 09/02/2018 at 23:58, xman said:

If the outer layer is chipped or cracked it will eventually spread and you will need a new windscreen.

 

Then again, it might not, especially if the damage isn't structural.

 

Quote

 

Cheapest route is through insurance, their approved repairer (often Autoglass) will come out and assess it. If its less than 40mm on passenger side they'll repair it and most insurance have no excess and you'll get a lifetime warranty on it. 

 

A claim will also have an impact on renewal. On some policies it may even affect NCD in some way but in any case you will be required to declare it for five years after making the claim.

 

Quote

 

Leave it and it will get moisture in and if followed by an overnight frost it will crack, then its a new windscreen (heated if fitted) plus recalibration of ACC. Windscreen excess may then apply (typ £50 - £75) through insurance, private repair would be very expensive (several hundred)

 

Please explain the science behind frost cracking a windscreen. I've had a chipped windscreen for three years (doesn't fall in the fail criteria for MOT) which hasn't cracked.

Re: recalibration - please explain also why (or when) a self-calibrating (or auto calibrating) device would need calibrating.

 

Quote

 

Most insurances will not count it as a claim. Check your policy or ask them.

 

Autoglass technicians are self employed and the one replacement  I've had was done excellently.

 

Autoglass technicians are employed by Autoglass. The only similarity they have to being S/E is that the techs - or the majority of them - are on performance-related pay/bonuses.

 

Edited 11 February, 2018 by Glassy

[Glassy]

On 10/02/2018 at 13:52, PSM said:

I had the screen replaced on my Octavia towards the end of last year by autoglass. I kept the ticket holder and all the black bits are still in the same place as the original. Auto wipers and everything still works and no leaks. Sounds a bit like paranoia about autoglass. Think I would prefer someone who changed screens every day of the week compared to a dealer who does not. Sometimes people put too much faith in the main dealers and down talk others too much.

Can not say anything bad about autoglass, came to the house and fitted screen with no hassle.

 

Most main dealers will be using a subcon who also fits windscreens for a living, and probably has more of an interest in getting it right.

[Alan_P]

Username checks out… sorry, I’ll get my coat

[Glassy]

On 10/02/2018 at 00:16, xman said:

You do right, the quicker the repair the better.

 

Depending on the type of damage/position of it, there may not be any need for rushing to get it done.