Current cost for W123 windshield replacement?
 

Hey, all

Apparently, sometime in the past 24 hours, my 240D's windshield got smashed while parked in the driveway. It's been parked at the back of the driveway since December, away from the street.

I don't suspect deliberate vandalism at this point. I think one of two things happened:

1. It's been windy, and possibly the wind picked something up that smashed into the windshield. I can't find the offending object.
2. I heard some banging coming from next door yesterday - possibly someone chopping wood. I wonder if something flew over the fence and hit the car. Once again, I couldn't find any obvious object.

I don't THINK my insurance has glass coverage, so I'll likely be on the hook for this. The neighbors were outside yesterday afternoon, so I may simply ask if they saw anything without offering an unfounded accusation.

Has anyone needed to replace a W123 windshield recently, and if so, what was the cost?

$198 for a 126 last week. Safelite.

Safelite's website is quoting me $358 for the 240D. AAA auto glass is quoting me $195. I'm not in a rush, as the car is parked for the winter. But, the glass is trashed and needs to be replaced before I drive the car again. :mad:

$175 installed, Southern California -1 month ago. I provided the new rubber seal (recommendation: if you can use a genuine Mercedes seal do so as most aftermarket seals do not fit correctly and will ultimately leak). If your current seal is not too old (still flexible) the installer may be able to re-use the seal.

A couple years ago it was right at $200 from Safelite. However, I just double checked on their site and it's giving an estimate of $334. With Safelite I will say that they've always been well under the estimate, so somewhere between the two is what you should expect. I'm guessing that's because most cars need the windshield cut out, but mine are all a rubber seal which takes a lot less time.

-Rog

Yeah, I'm seeing numbers all over the place. This is not something I wanted to deal with, but if it's the worst thing that happens to me this season, things can't be all that bad.

Those costs are driven by the seal and glass.

If you insist on MB original seal, then you're looking at close to $400 for the whole job.

If you go with the URO/APA seals, then that seal is around $40 bucks and labor and glass is probably another $200 or so bucks.

There are a few brands/"levels" of windshield.

I had my windshield / seal replaced a few years ago. It was an insurance claim so it was covered. I think the bill was $400-ish, however, I insisted on a MB seal and got it. Also, there's dealer glass which is probably NLA and I did not even try to ask for it. I forgot the 3 "categories" of windshield glass or what was explained to me. I know I got the middle of the road.

I'm probably not going to get too choosy. The car's kind of a beater. Glass is glass as far as I'm concerned. As for the seal... I'm not sure I'm willing to spring that kind of $$$ for a factory seal (note - I'm well aware of the reputations of all the seals out there).

I probably won't insist on MB original. Since post #1 I checked, and although I did put collision coverage on this car, I don't have glass/comprehensive coverage.


As a sidebar, I don't purchase comprehensive/glass coverage for my cars. I insure four older cars (basic liability on all except the Mercedes). In the past 10/11 years, I've had to replace two windshields, including this one. I'm sure the out-of-pocket costs are lower than what I would have spent on the insurance coverage.

Update - I just saw the neighbor on that side of the driveway.

They were chopping wood last night and sent a board flying over the fence. They hadn't realized they'd broken the windshield. The guy offered to pay for the repair. We parted with a handshake.

Even though he offered to pay for it, I'm not going to insist on top quality stuff. He's s younger guy and doesn't look he has a lot of money. I'll shop around a bit.

Smashed as in hole through the WS or a crack running across the glass?
Glass can crack from a long ago chipped edge or a stone chip that has finally run.

A friend of mine has Nissan surplus and I was helping him sell some glass. The largest cost to the installer is labor and glass itself is cheap, cheap, cheap. An installer did my 126 for $200 in slightly more than an hour. So, glass, no seal on a 126, drive time, install time and the company probably got $100.

You can also give the installer a little push on price. You're willing to live with lower priced materials. Get a feel for what that price point is then call one that is close and say "they're close and you'd prefer to do business with them but they need to work on the price some. Used car dealers do it all of the time. That entire industry is very transaction oriented.

No hole, and there were no cracks/chips prior to 24 hours ago. Smashed, as in this:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2821/3...6dd1ff6a_c.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3860/3...c584737a_c.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/718/32...e7fc6212_c.jpg

Like I said in my last post, I did run into my neighbor earlier. I'd seen him outside yesterday so I asked him if he'd perhaps seen the wind knock a tree branch onto my car. I knew he'd been chopping wood (he was chopping wood again when I saw him earlier tonight), so I suspected he might have had something to do with it.

He mentioned that a piece of wood had gotten away from him and gone over the fence. It happened after dark, so when he went to retrieve the wood, he hadn't noticed the broken glass. He offered to pay for it. I told him that I'd appreciate it, and that I understand that accidents happen.

I'll get it fixed and approach him with the bill. I suspect I'll see the money. If not, then at least I know what happened.

I don't usually (ever) recommend URO parts but I have a URO seal in my 240D thats going on 6 years old now and still is soft and not leaking.

I had a new windshield put in last July, cost was $240 and I supplied the URO seal. No leaks and so far good. Sure is nice to see where you are going without all the small chips. Old one looked like it was sand blasted.

What was he chopping wood with? An ax? wood splitter? Hard to believe a piece of chopped wood could fly 20 to 30 ft over the 5' stockade fence and land on the windshield.