Cracked Windshield

[Jett]

I hit a huge truck tire tread on the interstate, causing my hood to fly up and crack my windshield. (Bent the hood also.) Safelite came out to my house today to replace the windshield. The technician seemed very skilled and knowledgable, but unfortunately still managed to crack the replacement windshield when he lifted it into place. :frown: I have a second appointment for them to come out and do it again.

The windshield is manufactured by Pilkington. Safelite was able to obtain an NSX windshield without difficulty - I would have thought that a windshield would have to be obtained through Acura.

 

[docjohn]

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59414&highlight=replacement+windshield http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63069&highlight=replacement+windshield

 

[Hrant]

I am about to replace mine, and was told by the local shop as well as my insurance that they do NOT and will NOT use safelite because it breaks. The insurance company recommended glass made by Gerber or All Star.

While I read docjohn's links again, according to the glass shop, the difference between the non-OEM and OEM - which they said come from the same manufacturer, is the Honda etching on the left corner. OEM cost is $1661 before discount or sales tax. Aftermarket is $418.75 installed. YMMV.

 

[Jett]

I am about to replace mine, and was told by the local shop as well as my insurance that they do NOT and will NOT use safelite because it breaks. The insurance company recommended glass made by Gerber or All Star.

I think they have may be onto something - the new windshield cracked in the lower driver's side corner when the technician was lifting it into place.

Safelite themselves don't actually manufacture the glass - it is made by Pilkington.

 

[Big_D]

Wow, sorry to hear about your car getting damaged. I would have been livid. Hopefully the next windshield will be better.

 

[nikey22]

I'm all for saving money, but you know what, with a windshield, and your safety on the line, I think I would go with OEM and bite the bullet with the cost. If that glass shatters prematurely you could be injured.

 

[drtruong]

I hit a huge truck tire tread on the interstate, causing my hood to fly up and crack my windshield. (Bent the hood also.) Safelite came out to my house today to replace the windshield. The technician seemed very skilled and knowledgable, but unfortunately still managed to crack the replacement windshield:frown:. I have a second appointment for them to come out and do it again.

The windshield is manufactured by Pilkington. Safelite was able to obtain an NSX windshield without difficulty - I would have thought that a windshield would have to be obtained through Acura.

I am sorry to hear about your car. I hope they will take care of it good.

The windshield (around $1700)from the dealer is thicker and better vs. some another vendor's windshield. Do you think this windshield company replace a cheap one on your car?

 

[Jett]

The windshield (around $1700)from the dealer is thicker and better vs. some another vendor's windshield. Do you think this windshield company replace a cheap one on your car?

According to the esteemed LarryB, who was quoting from the FAQ*...

The factory windshield is lighter than aftermarket replacement units. The inner and outer panels of Honda windshields are customarily 2.0 millimeters thick. The NSX's inner glass has been reduced to 1.8 millimeters, saving 1.36 pounds. It is made by Asahi.

So the replacement glass should be thicker than the original glass. Accordingly, I am not going to panic and will allow Safelite to install a second windshield.

I am almost certain that my insurer goes with the least expensive company for windshield replacements. I saw a figure quoted of eleven million windshields being replaced annually. If insurers saved on average only $100 per windshield, that would be a 1.1 billion dollar savings to the insurers. They have a tremendous incentive to use the least expensive windshield.

*Am I the only person who doesn't like the "wiki"? I have a terrible time finding information in there.

 

[Big_D]

Am I the only person who doesn't like the "wiki"? I have a terrible time finding information in there.

Currently, I prefer the FAQ much better than the wiki, but I understand why Lud chose to go this route. Just think, if everyone spent as much time putting info in the wiki instead of posting, there would be a wealth of info there.

 

[Jett]

Currently, I prefer the FAQ much better than the wiki, but I understand why Lud chose to go this route. Just think, if everyone spent as much time putting info in the wiki instead of posting, there would be a wealth of info there.

I have contributed to the wiki in the past, and I see the value in compiling the efforts of many contributors. Still, if everyone went crazy on the wiki, it would just turn into a big mess full of subjective opinions and devoid of very many objective facts. I was very careful when I edited a section of the wiki to try to be as factual as possible and avoid inserting my own personal feelings on some things. Regardless, I still have a terrible time finding anything in there.

Back on topic - I did a close visual inspection of the Pilkington windshield today. It is visually identical to the original windshield. Blue tint at the top, black perimeter with wide black band at the bottom, black dots around the perimeter, an opening in the correct spot for the VIN to show through, a symbol with A and S1 divided by a stylized T-arrow, etc. The installer had replaced the old black band at the top with a new one. I didn't perceive any distortion while driving today.

I had my car estimated at the claims adjuster today. As a result of my mishap, I need a hood, two turn signal lenses, the windshield replaced (again), and some paint work. They are leaving it up to me to manage the repair process. I am now shopping for the parts and a body shop to do the paintwork. Fortunately, the paintwork is 99% limited to non-aluminum portions of the car, so I don't think I need a specialty shop to do the work.

 

[amengineering]

Sorry to hear of your problems.

 

[4AU4LIFE]

First off, glad you didn't wreck and get hurt.
This might be a dumb question but how did you hitting the tire tread cause the hood to fly up? I would think that if the tire hit the hood it would crush it and the roll up on either bust the windshield from there or go over the car but the hood would stay in place.
Unless the tire hit the hood in the middle with such force that the front of the hood snapped up and ripped the latch completely out.
Did it do any damage other than the hood and glass?

 

[Jett]

Sorry to hear of your problems. I am in the same boat sort of. On the way home from picking up my car a guy with a trailer full of gravel cracked/chipped my windshield and then later I ran over a tire tread and it tore up my bumper, underside of the car, cv boot, Sc oil line, oil pan, ect. I finally decided I think there is enough damage to warrant a claim even with my 1000 deduct. Hope you get it back on the road soon, I'm still looking at a week or two, sucks.

I don't think anything underneath my car was damaged, maybe because the right side tires ran over the @#$% thing and held it down on the road, but you bring up a good point. I should have it put up on a rack somewhere and have a look.

First off, glad you didn't wreck and get hurt.

Thanks

This might be a dumb question but how did you hitting the tire tread cause the hood to fly up? I would think that if the tire hit the hood it would crush it and the roll up on either bust the windshield from there or go over the car but the hood would stay in place.

A huge truck tire tread rolled out from under a truck in front of me (not his, I think he ran over it also), and came tumbling at me, in front of me but a little to the right. I could have swerved left if there hadn't been a car in that lane, but there was.

Unless the tire hit the hood in the middle with such force that the front of the hood snapped up and ripped the latch completely out.

The tread struck the front fascia mainly, and it felt like it sort of hung there on the front of the car for a second before it slid down. It really caused a shudder when it hit, the force was tremendous, the impact was a lot harder than I would have imagined it would be. I think the force of the impact must have caused the latch to release the hood. It felt like hitting a deer, I guess. In the meantime, the hood slammed up in my face and cracked the windshield. I was able to duck down and see underneath the curve of the hood to maneuver the car to the side of the road.

Did it do any damage other than the hood and glass?

The tread never touched the hood. It knocked some paint off the front fascia, and there are a couple of very small dings on the fenders at the rear tips of the hood on each side. The damage was mainly the hood and windshield, with minor damage aside from that. The adjuster made a deduction for preexisting rock chips on the front fascia, and paid for one turn signal lense (the right side) although both were cracked. I think the cracked lense on the left was probably already cracked from a rock somewhere.

 

[Big_D]

The adjuster made a deduction for preexisting rock chips on the front fascia

What a crock...So because you had some rock chips, they will give you less money to make repairs??? Is that because they are assuming that it takes longer to prep for respray because of the rock chips?

Insurance Companies

 

[Jett]

So because you had some rock chips, they will give you less money to make repairs??? Is that because they are assuming that it takes longer to prep for respray because of the rock chips?

Actually the adjuster was very reasonable. (He said he had examined numerous Porsches, but it was his first NSX.) I was very upfront about any pre-existing issues (rock chips) and things I wasn't sure about, like the turn signal lenses. I don't mind being responsible for those things.

Back to the windshield issue - Safelite left me a message today saying that they have looked high and low, and the only windshield they can find is one from Acura which will have to be shipped from California. So they have ordered it, but will have to wait for it to arrive (five days shipping). In the meantime, the windshield they put in has three small cracks in the lower driver's side corner, but seems safe to drive with. It is an improvement over the former windshield that had a double-crack down the middle (right through a stone chip that I had had repaired. The windshield might possibly even have withstood the impact of the windshield slamming up had that weak spot from the stone chip not been there) and running off to the driver's side.

Working on procuring a hood...

 

[Hrant]

Just curious, if they said they are securing an Acura windshield, are they getting one that has the Honda etched on the lower left corner and the ATSI on the top left corner? Safelite will get you a $1661 windshield and charge you/your insurance what exactly, your comprehensive deductible only?

 

[Mirroredshades]

$500 for a Safelite or $1600 for an original?

I'm going aftermarket all the way.

Glass is glass.

 

[The Kid]

This winter Im replacing the windshield on my 92, aftermarket of course. I got quoted $375...with a hook up of course. So many rock chips and a typical shrinking molding:biggrin:

 

[MANIACura]

Did you notice this black hood for sale? Might be worth looking into....
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109720

 

[DocL]

Just curious, if they said they are securing an Acura windshield, are they getting one that has the Honda etched on the lower left corner and the ATSI on the top left corner? Safelite will get you a $1661 windshield and charge you/your insurance what exactly, your comprehensive deductible only?

I know I have posted this in the past and a search would bring it up, but here it is again.

Five years ago I needed a windshield and used Safelite. They installed OEM glass and I paid zero. My insurance covered it all and they could only bill $200 to my insurance company. I was talking to the store manager and Safelite has contracts with insurance companies and there is a preset price no matter where the glass comes from, replica or OEM. For most cars Safelite makes money on the job, but on rare cars like the NSX they lose money. However the quantity of cheaper cars that they work on obviously far exceeds the number of NSX's that they install glass. This scenario is just like a doctor accepting HMO patients.

 

[Jett]

Just curious, if they said they are securing an Acura windshield, are they getting one that has the Honda etched on the lower left corner and the ATSI on the top left corner?

I presume that it is an Asahi windshield (oem supplier). The Pilkington windshield also has the ATSI on the top left corner.

Safelite will get you a $1661 windshield and charge you/your insurance what exactly, your comprehensive deductible only?

Safelite coordinated the purchase of the second windshield with the insurer; the insurer "approved" the purchase of the second windshield, leading me to conclude that the insurer is covering the cost of the second windshield. Safelite's cost for the second windshield is $700 plus shipping. They said they knew they had gotten lucky in obtaining the first one in Baltimore, so they were sick about it when they learned that it had gotten cracked. As they had predicted, the second windshield was hard to come by. They are purchasing the second from Acura in California after exhausting all other avenues. The installer that did the first one was reportedly their best installer with nine years experience. They said the second one will be installed by the same installer, plus a shop foreman with 21 years experience. So the next windshield installation will come with thirty years experience - their own words. I will be paying only my deductible ($250) to Safelite, per the insurer's request, plus $23 for new wiper blade refills which I agreed to let them install.

Five years ago I needed a windshield and used Safelite. They installed OEM glass and I paid zero. My insurance covered it all and they could only bill $200 to my insurance company. I was talking to the store manager and Safelite has contracts with insurance companies and there is a preset price no matter where the glass comes from, replica or OEM. For most cars Safelite makes money on the job, but on rare cars like the NSX they lose money. However the quantity of cheaper cars that they work on obviously far exceeds the number of NSX's that they install glass. This scenario is just like a doctor accepting HMO patients.

I think this may be true in my case. The adjuster seemed concerned with making sure that Safelite got the deductible - his comments sort of led me to believe that the deductible was the only payment that Safelite received. Maybe Safelite agrees to this arrangement so they sell a lot of windshields, and don't mind if they have to do an occasional job at a loss in exchange for the thousands of jobs that they get from this large insurer.

Did you notice this black hood for sale? Might be worth looking into....

Thank you for the link - I already PM'ed that person yesterday. I was hoping he lives in Richmond, VA. He replied today and it turns out that he lives in Richmond, BC, Canada! I have received several responses so far from hood sellers. I am hoping to find a hood closer to me, but I may end up purchasing one from the west coast.

Any links to a black hood on the east coast (USA) would be especially appreciated...

 

[nsxtasy]

I had the exact same thing happen to me, with a car ahead kicking up a big hunk of truck tire retread, denting my hood. Except in my case, my windshield wasn't broken (but one of the headlight covers was).

At that time (early 1990's, maybe '93-94), the hood listed for $2500. It came down in price by a grand a few years later, and even now lists for $1663.

BTW, shouldn't you have had the windshield and the body damage fixed by the same place, so you only pay one insurance deductible, not two? Just asking.

*Am I the only person who doesn't like the "wiki"? I have a terrible time finding information in there.

I don't like it either. However, I find that the easiest way to find information is to use the FAQ table of contents, which is still available. Sections that have been replaced by the wiki show a link to the wiki when you click on them.

 

[Hrant]

$500 for a Safelite or $1600 for an original?

I'm going aftermarket all the way.

Glass is glass.

Sorry, all glass is not the same.

So far, none of the local glass referrals per the insurance company or others are able to confirm the change in the windshield as of the 97 model to add "new heat-rejecting solar green glass" though they note all glasses now have it. My OEM windshield doesn't state Low E, or Solar Ray, or Soft Ray but the NSX catalogue makes a point of this. But from the picture it is not clear if this is unique to the door windows or windshield and door windows.

Not to mention perhaps the lower weight of the OEM vs the aftermarket ones.

Edit: According to the dealer, the part numbers are different.
For 91-96: 73111SLO506
For 97-01: 73111SLOA02

 

[Jett]

I had the exact same thing happen to me, with a car ahead kicking up a big hunk of truck tire retread, denting my hood. Except in my case, my windshield wasn't broken (but one of the headlight covers was).

Hi NSXtasy, thanks for posting your experiences here. I would like to take this opportunity to extend the olive branch of peace to you. I mean that sincerely. :smile:

At that time (early 1990's, maybe '93-94), the hood listed for $2500. It came down in price by a grand a few years later, and even now lists for $1663.

Your "now" figure is essentially perfect. The adjuster allowed $1664.73 for the hood.

...shouldn't you have had the windshield and the body damage fixed by the same place, so you only pay one insurance deductible, not two? Just asking.

I only have to pay one deductible, to the glass installer. That was how the insurer preferred to handle the deductible issue. There was no second deductible applied to the hood/other minor repairs estimate.

Again, thanks for stopping by, really, I am being most sincere.

 

[Floyd]

Go with the non-honda glass. The only auto company that makes their own glass is Ford. It is true that all that extra cash goes towards the etching of a little H.