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I have had two USAA/Safelite windshield replacements (on the Outback), and both times the installer who came to the house moved the inspection sticker to the new glass. I don't know how he did it (I was probably inside having a coffee both times), but they looked like they were just put on. The City tax sticker and DoD stickers were a different story, and had to be replaced (at no cost).
I just had the windshield replaced in my Towncar this past week. A few months ago I switched over to Liberty Mutual to take advantage of the special smart car coverage when it finally arrives. Evidently Liberty Mutual is partnered with Safelite here in SE VA. They came to my work, replaced the windshield and were done in less than 30 minutes, put the inspection sticker back on, and even the oil change sticker! I was surprised how nice it looked, very professional and I only paid my $100 deductible. Not bad. I can say if Safelite doesn't have a smart windshield should something happen to my smart when it arrives there will be hell to pay. Liberty Mutual and Smart joined together to offer the smart owners better coverage with all the frills, if their sub contracts can't take care of my smart someone is going to have a bad day...
wow, we really get wrapped up in minutiae (yeah, sp, I know!) don't we, lol?
Here's my contribution. Glass is always a LOT more expensive on a new make or model, til the glass companies start stocking them.
The windshield on my much-loved 1989 Saturn SW got broken the day after I bought it. It was such a new model that the windshield cost over $1,200, and that was in 1989!
Application of deductible is mandated by the terms of your policy you purchased, not by insurance regulation. Some companies have additional, "courtesy" procedures where they will waive the glass deductible under certain circumstances, even if it's not written into the policy itself, for example no charge at all if you choose glass repair, rather than replacement.
Wait about a year until some of the early cars get real mileage on them and head in for scheduled maintenance..
I suppose it will be 28 or more months before we see a 60,000 mile service
BUT I bet that one causes much squalling
My smart tech is convinced the motor needs dropping to change the three plugs...
This weekend I will attempt to pull and inspect one plug to see IF it can be done with my standard tools, or if I need to adapt tools
Swore I read in the service booklet that plugs get done at 30,000 miles, so it may be sooner than we all think. Also, rates for service seem to vary extremely from dealership to dealership, so some of us may be "squalling" more than others. I have a strong feeling the 10,000 mile oil changes will be about $80 - $100 a pop for the Jacksonville, FL dealership.
My guess for the 30,000/60,000 mile service will probably approach or exceed $350-$400. I believe I read somewhere that the smart was designed to have the engine dropped as an easy project and quick, however at $100 an hour labor rate nothing is going to be quick or cheap
Last edited by Chassol; 05-23-2008 at 09:29 AM..
Reason: wording
Wait about a year until some of the early cars get real mileage on them and head in for scheduled maintenance..
I suppose it will be 28 or more months before we see a 60,000 mile service
BUT I bet that one causes much squalling
My smart tech is convinced the motor needs dropping to change the three plugs...
This weekend I will attempt to pull and inspect one plug to see IF it can be done with my standard tools, or if I need to adapt tools
You know Fred, that may be not that bad.
When I was a junior apprentice at a large GM dealer I was assigned to "Fiero" duty with my mentor.
Looking at the rear cradle on the Smart it shares the same basic design.
We would drop the entire rear cradle for nearly any major work and could eventually do an entire engine swap in less than 6 hours.
It seems to me that the key issue on smart windshield replacement is whether the hockey puck rain sesor always, sometimes or never needs to be replaced and secondly whether windshield replacement insurance will cover the replacement of the rain sensor if in deed it does have to be replaced.
Does anyone know for sure the answers to these two questions?????
I live in the Portland area like an earlier poster on this thread and I was talking with the dealer about what it would cost to replace the windshield and while they have raised their price a bit they still only quoted me $600 for the windshield and installation.
The second point is that the gentleman that handles all of the custom installation recommended that I either carry low deductible glass insurance which I always do or get a windshield wrap. He told me that there is some sort of polymer based wrap that they use on skyscrapers that after market glass places can install that will keep the windshield from breaking when struck by a rock.
He told me that they could not put it on due to some concern about liability but gave me the name of their glass shop and indicated that they would do it.
He also told me that the smarts are prone to broken windshields because of the large size of the window and the lack of a hood to deflect rocks and other debris. Evidently they are getting about one broken windshield a month which given the small number of smarts that have been delivered is a lot.
So I wouldn't be down on the smart car as much as I would a dealer that took advantage of the situation.
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