Safelite screwed up....bad

tuna55 said:

I wonder if this will total the car. If you're in anything close to a salt state, a weld repair is going to drastically compromise the corrosion resistance. Add to that the difficult-to-measure rigidity after the repair on a part of the car critical to the crash structure, and this gets ugly really fast. I'd have Toyota see it and be prepared to call a lawyer.

This. All of this. In some vehicles the windshield is structural, not just to keep water out. Welding in a patch panel could wreck the whole setup if it is some sort of fancy steel. Take it to the dealership for a quote.

In reply to slefain :

Well it's at a Hyundai dealership.  Because it was convenient for safelite.

In reply to slefain :

And their district manager is reassuring me that the repairs will absolutely be done 100%.

In reply to Driven5 :

It doesn't matter if the Toyota dealership is in the body shop business or not.
 

Assuming that this vehicle is still under some portion of the original warranty, the dealership should be able to determine what it would take to constitute a valid repair in the eyes of the manufacturer. 
 

I think this thing is totaled. 

camopaint0707 said:

In reply to slefain :

And their district manager is reassuring me that the repairs will absolutely be done 100%.

Assure the district manager that he should have the vehicle flatbedded to your home immediately. 

In reply to Woody (Forum Supportum) :

also been thinking that too, just given where the metal is cut at

The wife wondered why I spent time and money to take her car to the only guy in the area certified to install windshields in newer VWs....

This is they sort of consumer protection story that your local news station would absolutely love, and Safelite Inc. would absolutely fear. 

I mentioned in another thread yesterday that my sister owned a six month old Subaru in Tahoe. Snow slid off the roof of the condo and went through the windshield. The insurance company totaled the vehicle because they knew that if water got into the dash, it would be an electrical nightmare. 

camopaint0707 said:

Well it's at a Hyundai dealership.  Because it was convenient for safelite.

I'm surprised that they didn't try to take it to whatever questionable shop that one of of the Safelite guys has an 'in' with.

Is Safelite Inc. has any smarts at all, they should be Ford Econoboxing your ass down to the Toyota dealership of your choice this afternoon to pick out your brand new 5Runner, just to make this all go away asap. 

My recent Safelite experience wasn't  nearly so bad, yet still unacceptable.

I had them replace a cracked windshield for some $800, if I remember correctly. The trim was sloppily applied, and the crack reappeared a few months later in the same place (bottom, driver's center). 

OP's experience is bad enough for me to ankle them for all time. Good luck, OP

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

Is Safelite Inc. has any smarts at all, they should be Ford Econoboxing your ass down to the Toyota dealership of your choice this afternoon to pick out your brand new 5Runner, just to make this all go away asap. 

^I just discovered the new entry in the GRM word filter. 

In reply to Driven5 :

that is the shop they have an IN with

In reply to camopaint0707 :

Remember this word and try to insert it into every line of communication with them:

"Safety"

It's the magic word that makes things happen. 

In reply to Woody (Forum Supportum) :

Intriguing. Now I gotta play "fill in the blank" to find the original word.

Hauling

Vanning

Carting???

FJ40Jim said:

In reply to Woody (Forum Supportum) :

Intriguing. Now I gotta play "fill in the blank" to find the original word.

Hauling

Canning

Carting???

Ford Econoboxing... Think of a Ford Econobox that starts with an "E" and ends with a "scort".

In reply to Woody (Forum Supportum) :

that's a good point tbh.  I have been saying I don't feel comfortable but yeah.  I'm gonna start saying I don't feel safe with that method of repair.

In reply to camopaint0707 :

Nor does your family. 

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

Assuming that this vehicle is still under some portion of the original warranty, the dealership should be able to determine what it would take to constitute a valid repair in the eyes of the manufacturer. 

Under warranty or not, it's not safe to assume that any given dealership without an in-house body shop inherently has somebody on staff qualified to assess that type of damage on behalf of the manufacturer. In my experience, if they farm out the body work, they'll probably farm out the assessment too. That's why I simply advised to call and verify with the local dealership(s) before actually sending the car over.

I said it before.. but use your isnurance company and their lawyers.. do not go this alone.

camopaint0707 said:

that is the shop they have an IN with

Unusual for that to be a dealership, but I suppose you may be right. LOL

That does look pretty bad. I would be sending it to Toyota and notifying my insurance. Between the potential for water incursion, rust, and the very increased likelihood that that windshield will continue to crack in perpetuity, I would be pushing hard for them to total the vehicle. And I didn't even touch on the safety aspect yet. On the 4Runner, the weld may be sufficient, but on many cars I would think that this portion is integral to the frame of the car. Just because it is BOF though wouldn't be enough to convince me.

I would not, however, lawyer up. At least not yet. That is what you're paying insurance premiums for every month. I would document, document, document everything.

Driven5 said:

camopaint0707 said:

that is the shop they have an IN with

Unusual for that to be a dealership, but I suppose you may be right. LOL

Could be the best body shop too. Where I grew up, we had a couple of dents repaired at the Nissan/Kia/VW dealer because they happened to have the best body shop in the area.

In reply to Driven5 :

it's honestly because it's 30 feet away.