Mazda 3 cracked windshield.

[bamboozled]

Hi-ya good people,

 

I just got a big crack on my 2010 Mazda 3 windshield and I'm sure sooner or later replacement will be necessary. Does insurance usually cover this here? If not, anyone have experience on ballpark costs for such a thing?

 

Many thanks, Bamboozled.

[pgrahmm]

Our Toyota SUV was about 3500.....I heard of another place at 2000....This was Chiang Mai two years ago....

Not new info, but ballpark....

[richard_smith237]

That depends on your insurance... but 1st Class insurance - generally yes. 

 

We replaced our windscreen twice last year (on insurance). 

Driving for over 20 years here, only had a cracked windscreen once before, then it happens twice in a year.... 

 

First time: Mazda had no stock and we were going away, so we got it done quickly at a place up by Lad Prao (4800 baht - insurance direct settled) - it was not as good as the Mazda (original windscreen) and the heads-up-display was distorted 

Second time: about 6 months later, a stone from a  lorry... this time a Mazda OEM windscreen (about 10,000 baht - insurance direct settled again). 

 

We just renewed our insurance and the renewal premium was about 10,000 baht higher, so we switched insurance !!! Seems they want to try and claw some of that back, or they consider us expensive customers... 

That could be blamed on losing a no-claims bonus, bot the ’new’ (other) insurance company quotes did not include any no-claims bonus etc... but were still much cheaper.

 

[bamboozled]

Thank you both. I will ask my insurance about it, too. I do have first class with a 3000 baht deductible but I know in the US windshields are replaced for "free". We'll see what first class really means. Those prices are not insanely expensive so looks like I won't have to sell the kids if insurance doesn't pay.

 

Richard, what's the "heads-up-display" and what were other differences between the OEM and non-OEM? Or is that the only difference, the distorted display?

 

I don't think my Mazda has that...

 

 

[richard_smith237]

5 minutes ago, bamboozled said:

Richard, what's the "heads-up-display" and what were other differences between the OEM and non-OEM? Or is that the only difference, the distorted display?

The HUD is exactly that...    its the display which is ‘reflected off the inside of the wind-screen’...

it displays sat-nav info, speed, cruise control settings, lane departure warning, blindspot warning etc...  so you don’t need to take your eyes off the road. 

 

The difference between the OEM and third-party windscreen was noticeable... 

The third-party windscreen is clearly a slightly different shape, slightly different degree of ‘curvature’ perhaps by as little as 1 or 2mm in depth difference and hence the HUD was distorted, slightly out of focus.... The windscreen itself was fine, the slight shape difference was only noticeable because of the HUD. 

 

 

[bamboozled]

Thanks for the reply, Richard. I've never seen a display like that. Pretty nifty and not something I'll have to worry about with my oldie but goodie Mazda. Actually, a mechanic I contacted wants to see a photo of the crack...as if perhaps he can repair it. BUt it's a very large crack and I think will spread quickly. It's already 12 inches long, at least.

 

Cheers!

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, bamboozled said:

Thanks for the reply, Richard. I've never seen a display like that. Pretty nifty and not something I'll have to worry about with my oldie but goodie Mazda. Actually, a mechanic I contacted wants to see a photo of the crack...as if perhaps he can repair it. BUt it's a very large crack and I think will spread quickly. It's already 12 inches long, at least.

 

Cheers!

Yup - changing it is a no-brainer. 

 

You don’t want to be going 120kmh on an expressway and have a windscreen implode into your face, getting glass in your eyes etc... 

[bamboozled]

The mechanic quoted me 5k and insurance said I could claim it if I wanted. Minus the 3k deductible. I'm not sure it's worth claiming to save 2k and perhaps have a premium increase down the road.