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Cracked my windshield—can GEICO/safelight handle this?

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Nautilus802

Member
Dec 7, 2021
36
55
Texas
#1
I drive about 30k highway miles a year and about every 3 years the odds catch up to me and a rock ends up totaling my windshield.

So the windshield on my ‘21 model 3 needs replaced. My insurance is Geico, and they have typically used safelight in the past. I am weary however due to the camera assembly in the rear view mirror.

Should I let safelight change the windshield or should I have Tesla do it and have Geico pay?
 
#2
Nautilus802 said:
I drive about 30k highway miles a year and about every 3 years the odds catch up to me and a rock ends up totaling my windshield.

So the windshield on my ‘21 model 3 needs replaced. My insurance is Geico, and they have typically used safelight in the past. I am weary however due to the camera assembly in the rear view mirror.

Should I let safelight change the windshield or should I have Tesla do it and have Geico pay?
Click to expand...
I actually am having Geico send the work order to Tesla who will do the work. The camera needs to be recalibrated once the new windshield is in place. I
 
#3
The issue is going to be actually getting the windshield, not the difficulty in either one of them changing it. Go with whomever will get you the windshield sooner. There are enough cars with cameras in the windshield that if safelight says they can fix it, they can fix it.

The issue with safelight, at least from other things I have read here about them and Tesla's, is at least for some people they were "forcing" a camera calibration charge for model 3s and it simply isnt needed as there isnt anything for them to do. The cameras re calibrate themselves when you drive.

(source, my own experience replacing my windshield and asking the tesla service center directly about windshield calibration, and them directly telling me they (tesla) dont do that because all it is is driving the car around until the cameras calibrate, then experiencing the same).
 
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#5
buckets0fun said:
Be aware that some windshield companies will use aftermarket glass, it is thicker than the OE / Tesla branded glass and will be a few MM taller than the center roof panel. We had no idea this was a thing until getting the quickest windshield replacement we could.
Click to expand...

I didnt know there was available aftermarket glass at all yet, so thanks for that feedback.
 
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#8
blackT3$!@ said:
Is this a functional issue for any of the cameras? Does it increase wind noise at the top where it meets the roof panel? Do you think the thicker glass will be more resistant to rock strike damage?
Click to expand...
1. Not for cameras(in that AP worked fine), but for the driver/passenger. Not quite as bad as amusement park glass, but noticeable distortion when moving your head around from the driver seat. Something that may or may not bother you, it bothered everyone that drove that car. I’ll try to find photos I took before having OE glass installed.
2. ABSOLUTELY increased the noise. A whistle that was never there.
3. Fair assumption, one could also assume weaker due to the thickness potentially being from different materials used during bonding process (you could see many different layers from that ridge at the W.S. to middle glass panel)
 
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#9
buckets0fun said:
Yes sir, about 2yrs now. Price (installed) is typically within a few hundred of OE glass. Aka (imo) not worth it, even the shape of the glass is a bit odd with visible image distortion on quite a few of the ones I’ve seen.
Click to expand...

My windshield replacement was Nov of 2021, so I am sure pricing might have changed, but the total service (from tesla) was $938. The windshield as a part was only $499, which I thought was actually really cheap for glass from "the dealership".

Of course, I come from years of driving BMWs before my Teslas, so teslas pricing on most of this stuff looks cheap to me. It probably says more about how expensive BMW pricing is than tesla pricing is cheap, but its all what you are used to, lol.
 
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#11
jjrandorin said:
My windshield replacement was Nov of 2021, so I am sure pricing might have changed, but the total service (from tesla) was $938. The windshield as a part was only $499, which I thought was actually really cheap for glass from "the dealership".

Of course, I come from years of driving BMWs before my Teslas, so teslas pricing on most of this stuff looks cheap to me. It probably says more about how expensive BMW pricing is than tesla pricing is cheap, but its all what you are used to, lol.
Click to expand...
Current (within the last 3wks) windshield pricing through Tesla is ~1200$ installed. But, like with most things Tesla, I don't doubt that pricing changes with locale.

When you find out an EQS windshield is over 2000$ without install, you tend to count your blessings. lol
 
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#12
buckets0fun said:
Yes sir, about 2yrs now. Price (installed) is typically within a few hundred of OE glass. Aka (imo) not worth it, even the shape of the glass is a bit odd with visible image distortion on quite a few of the ones I’ve seen.
Click to expand...
What brand of aftermarket glass was used? (There should be a branding mark in a lower corner of the windshield.)

Saint Gobain Sekurit makes the OEM windshield. I would expect aftermarket glass from the same factory as the OEM glass (i.e. Saint Gobain Sekurit for a Tesla Model 3 windshield) to fit correctly, but aftermarket glass from some other factory to be riskier in terms of fit issues.
 
#13
Nautilus802 said:
I drive about 30k highway miles a year and about every 3 years the odds catch up to me and a rock ends up totaling my windshield.

So the windshield on my ‘21 model 3 needs replaced. My insurance is Geico, and they have typically used safelight in the past. I am weary however due to the camera assembly in the rear view mirror.

Should I let safelight change the windshield or should I have Tesla do it and have Geico pay?
Click to expand...
I had a small chip (less than a dime size) from freeway too on my MS. My insurance, Travelers, was going to have Safelite fix the chip but I had the whole windshield replaced at SC and Travelers re-imbursed me.
 
#14
3sr+buyer said:
What brand of aftermarket glass was used? (There should be a branding mark in a lower corner of the windshield.)

Saint Gobain Sekurit makes the OEM windshield. I would expect aftermarket glass from the same factory as the OEM glass (i.e. Saint Gobain Sekurit for a Tesla Model 3 windshield) to fit correctly, but aftermarket glass from some other factory to be riskier in terms of fit issues.
Click to expand...
Post #8 in this thread.

As far as companies that manufacture aftermarket and OE parts, most have an ‘A line’ and ‘B line’ for parts.

Many examples can be found that point to this.
 
#15
I had my Model 3 windshield replaced last year. Satellite was 3-4 weeks out, because they don't stock the glass. Went with a local shop in Phoenix that was $200 more than my $0 deductible from my insurance. They stock all Tesla glass from Tesla, and buy some by the pallet load. Guy doing the job has thirty years experience and other Teslas that were parked outside waiting their turn. They even plug you car into a wall connector while they are working on it.
 
#16
RonAz said:
I had my Model 3 windshield replaced last year. Satellite was 3-4 weeks out, because they don't stock the glass. Went with a local shop in Phoenix that was $200 more than my $0 deductible from my insurance. They stock all Tesla glass from Tesla, and buy some by the pallet load. Guy doing the job has thirty years experience and other Teslas that were parked outside waiting their turn. They even plug you car into a wall connector while they are working on it.
Click to expand...

Even at my local Tesla Service center (where I had mine done) they told me "oh we have a guy that comes here every day and does it for us". Meaning, they farmed it out as well. The only difference on my end is I got an invoice that said "tesla" did it, but at least in my area, even they had another company come do it for them.
 
#19
buckets0fun said:
Post #8 in this thread.

As far as companies that manufacture aftermarket and OE parts, most have an ‘A line’ and ‘B line’ for parts.

Many examples can be found that point to this.
Click to expand...
Post #8 did not mention what brand of aftermarket windshield. What brand was it?

My experience with a different car was that an aftermarket windshield from the OEM supplier was fine. There did not appear to be any difference other than the branding marks.
 
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#20
3sr+buyer said:
Post #8 did not mention what brand of aftermarket windshield. What brand was it?

My experience with a different car was that an aftermarket windshield from the OEM supplier was fine. There did not appear to be any difference other than the branding marks.
Click to expand...
Post 8 had your answer, you chose to ignore it.
“I’ll try to find photos I took before having OE glass installed.”

OE glass is in the car, garbage glass was thrown in the trash, where it belonged when it failed Tesla’s QC.
 
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