Jwolf427

After doing some research on where to take my 993 in to have the front windshield replaced, I choose to use Safelite as they were priced reasonably compared to other shops. I called them to make an appointment and stated that the front windshield has an outer seal and the response I get was a know it all attitude from the person on the phone saying the windshield comes with all the seals, whatever right.. after all he does do this for work. I show up to my 1st appointment and turns out they don't have the seal, so they had order it from Porsche and reschedule me for an appointment for today(Fkup #1) I made it very clear that I want an experienced technician to do the work as these cars are a little tricky..... and what do I see when I return to the shop?.... a f*&king kid working on my car(Fkup2) ..... Hey also my radio does not work(Fkup#3)













There are also hairline scratches on the paint all along the windshield which leaves me to believe he used a paper towel to wipe down the car(Fkup#4). WTF?!?!?!


They said they will call me tomorrow to reschedule an appointment to fix the hack job the child did on my car. Also, demand they pay for a detail to get rid of those scratches

Here is the shop that did the work.
Safelite
2281 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose, CA 95128


Also, today is my birthday!

Cactus

Welcome to 2016. They botched my R32 job years ago. My guess is to take it to a restoration shop and you might have a chance.

Quadcammer

Total dog****. As expected from a bunch of clowns though

Jwolf427

I refused to pay for the work, so they said to come back when they set up another appointment sometime next week, I am just going to take it to German Auto Body and have them do the job properly.


Does anyone have any recommendations on shops that are competent on replacing the front windshield? I contacted Cecil Beach in San Jose and he recommended taking it to German Auto Body as he is in the middle of moving locations, but they quoted me $2,500 as a worst case. I am assuming worst case means rust? Anyone with testimonials on a shop would be highly appreciated.

993c4_Toronto

Sorry to hear. I have a crack on the passenger side of my windshield from a boulder a truck threw up at me (sounded like I was hit with a sledgehammer). The crack spread 9-10 inches and then stopped. That was 2 yrs ago. I have been too afraid to get a new windshield for just this reason.

0396

Sorry to hear, my Audi S 4 got broken into.
Insurance company, authorized Safelight for the repair...and no out of pocket for me.
I insisted that my local Audi dealer do the R&R.
I wanted factory glass and an experienced Audi tech to do the repairs. I'm happy that I went that route...I simply don't have the time a few months later when certain parts of the side window does not work. Good luck with your search.

Elfinko

Im sorry to hear of your misfortune related to replacement of your windshield, but that is what happens unless you micromanage every step of the process. It is a sad state of affairs undoubtedly. I too used Safelite to replace my broken windshield, but I first researched the proper removal and replacement of a 993 windshield. I interviewed the shop manager and the technician to be assigned to my project. I provided them with the related section of the Porsche shop manual and a couple of step by step instructions I found on the Internet. I also provided them the Porsche part numbers for the windshield, inner seal, and outer seal. Leland-West approved the repair and paid the full $1,800 tab. Since I had the proverbial lower channel windshield rust (minor), I drove my 993 to my body/paint shop. The Safelite technician came to the body shop and removed the windshield. The body shop repaired and repainted the two lower corners of the windshield channel and one corner of the rear window channel. Total tab was $1,050 (they also painted my new turo ducts). I then had the car towed to the Safelite shop for the windshield installation. I watched th entire operation. The dashboard had to be removed to access the plug for the radio antenna. The technican knew what he was doing and did a great job. I left the car in the shop overnight to make sure the adhesive cured. I would recommend this level personal involvement with any shop chosen for a windshield replacement unless they can give a proper detailed explanation of the process they propose to use. Attached is a photo of the finished product.

Cactus

I have had two windshield replacements in my life and both were failures. My 4Runner was worse when they mixed the glue wrong and the windshield never set. They also left a big gap without sealant/glue so when you drove on the highway you had an extra fresh air vent. The body shop said they just pushed on the windshield and it came out.....

AOW162435

Not sure what's worse, this situation or the AAA horror show experienced by another Rennlister.

Galactic levels of gross incompetence are everywhere these days. Sad.



Andreas

Jwolf427

Elfinko,


Thank you for the reply. It looks like they did a excellent job on your windshield replacement. Quick question, is the outer seal supposed to be installed with the windshield or installed after they seat the new windshield? Safelite put the outer seal onto the windshield then installed. I inspected the area around the windshield when they pulled the old one out to see if there was any rust or potential spots where rust would form, I did not see any signs. I did see the technician use a small tool to pull the outer seal over the body and suspect he may have scratched the paint which would cause rust in the future.I might just take it to a shop and have them do the job for a peace of mind.


If you look at the 3rd photo where the outer seal is ripped due to the tool the tech used. I told him that this was unacceptable and I wanted them to warranty the work, he had the nerve to say to me, "It really isn't a big deal". I damn near lost it....

Techno Duck

Just wanted to say it really depends who the tech is that works on your car. Years ago i had the windshield done on my 944 and the guy did a perfect job, he was a mobile installer also. I used them again about 2 years ago on my 951, the tech was a real young guy but i hoped he was the type that took pride in his work. I was wrong and he screwed up the install. Windshield was not fully seated in the frame, sat about 1/8 inch proud, he tore up my a-pillar trim cutting the old windshield out and the seal didnt fit correctly.

I called Safelite and complained, they said bring it back and they would fix it. I scouted another one of the Safelite locations nearby, this one is much larger and of the 4 Safelite locations near me i would consider it the 'main' hub. I talked to the manager and he said he could put his most experienced guy on it. I met the tech, middle aged guy with a huge belly that probably had been installing glass as long as ive had my license. He was the one that did all the higher end cars that came in. I had a much better feeling about this. I dropped the car off and he spent probably 6 hours on it total. I felt bad because they threw out the first windshield...brand new, 10 miles on it, $600 Sekurit windshield with integrated antenna. He did however do a perfect job on it.

My '88 911 needs the rear glass resealed, i visited a few high end body shops in the area to ask them who they use for glass installs. It will probably be significantly more, but after my last experience with Safelite i dont want to get anymore grey hairs!

I am the Walrus

Wow. What a hack job to your car, you might have to just take it some place reputable before letting that place get their hands in your car again. Then try to sort out $ back..

Jwolf427

Hi Techno Duck,

Thanks for the reply. Sorry you also had to go through this ordeal. When I made the appointment with Safelite I specifically asked them to have a experienced tech do the job, which was the opposite of what I asked for. What is even more frustrating, I over heard the guys in the shop say, "this windshield looks pretty easy, why was it noted experienced tech?". I may give them a second chance and go to a Safelite where they have a tech that has done 993s. I am hoping they will take the higher road and pay for the scratches the tech caused by using a paper towels.

Jwolf427

Hey Gordon9898,

The general manager agreed that I would not have to pay anything out of pocket until this gets sorted. They already have another windshield on order, which is a shame because its a waste to throw out a brand new windshield.

bukowski

This timing could have not been better as I have spent the last few hours trying to find a competent shop that can instal a 993 windshield. The name German Auto Body has came up several times and I have also heard a lot of great experiences from Action Auto Glass in Concord,CA. I have also found in my research that a lot of people have had success using the 996 "rope" to prevent creaking etc. The part number for the "996 rope" is 996-541-903-00. Sorry to hear you have had a bad experience and hopefully you get it sorted ASAP as I will be in the same situation soon enough!