Autoglass - exceptionally poor glass

Horizon81

Well I've complained to Autoglass and they are ordering me a new screen. Unfortunately, this replacement is unlikely to be a genuine Toyota one (despite that being my choice) due to the cost. They were adamant that it doesn't matter whether it's stamped by Toyota or not, the quality should be equal. They suggested the Pilkington one may have been from a bad batch, when I highly suspect that's just how they are and most people just put up with them. In any case, the replacement may or may not be Pilkington - I'll find out in a couple of weeks time which is when they've arranged to fit it.

Of course, I'll be having a good look at the replacement before they set to work on installing it. I've since become a bit of a windscreen obsessive and have been having a look in car parks! Quite a few have minor distortion but I do feel that mine is excessive.

mikey72

I used to work in automotive. Not windscreens, but the quality inspection is all the same.
All the good ones go to the car manufacturer, as if he finds a bad one in the batch they all come back.
All the ones that are rejected during production are graded, if it's "ok" it goes to the aftermarket, if it's not it's scrapped.
So, tbh, you will never get one quite as good as the original, nearly, but not quite. So check the next one carefully, if it's not good, send it back, you will get one that is acceptable eventually.

thescouselander

A bit more on my situation. I realised that if you're sitting in the back seats the distortion was quite severe - it made on of my passengers feel quite sick to look out of the front while moving.

I got onto Autoglass who have been very good - they are going to replace the glass with Audi branded glass - all for free under their warranty

Horizon81

mikey - thanks for the info, thats good to know!

thescouselander - out of interest, how did you manage to get them agree to a genuine Audi screen? I called the customer care line on 0800 500 700 and they logged the call for me and passed it onto my local depot. They then called me to discuss replacement and installation and despite me asking politely for a genuine Toyota screen several times he said that HQ would be unlikely to approve it due to cost.

hyltonlad

i dont know much about cars but do know a bit about the glass industry pilkingtons might have their windsreen manufacturing made by someone else but the quaility should be spot on a lot of work in glassworks were lost to overseas due the price it cost for us to make it (i mean the glassworks i work in lost work the same way)
hyltonlad

thescouselander

I went down to the local branch and had a word with the manager. He tried the old "well you've got to expect a bit of distortion" trick but I just explained that a 2 x magnification windscreen is not a factory option on my model of car and that I wanted glass to the original spec.

He then just offered the genuine Audi glass immediately without any further arguement. In fact it was him who had suggested the genuine Audi glass without prompting.

mikey72

Dependant of the model, Japanese built Toyota use glass from china, UK built ones used to be triplex pilkington.
Some European ones use indian glass as well.

Autoglass10

Autoglass® endeavours to provide customers with exceptionally high levels of service at all times.
We’re concerned to note that you’re unhappy with the quality of the windscreen we installed recently. Please contact our customer services department on 0800 011 3986 and we will be happy to investigate this matter and resolve the issue for you. We look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards
Autoglass®

Horizon81

Big brother is watching! I appreciate the intervention however I already called 0800 500 700 which I believe connects me to the same department as 0800 011 3986 and explained my predicament. It was the local branch who later called me back to arrange a replacement and who informed me that HQ were unlikely to authorise a genuine screen. Obviously that's contradictory to the experience of thescouselander above.

Squeekyclean

Hi Folks

I don't want to hijack this post but I have had a terrible experience with Autoglass, not a faulty windscreen put in, more can't get my faulty windscreen replaced.

The windscreen was hit by a stone on Friday 16th April so when I got home I called Autoglass.

I thought they would come out as soon as possible to prevent any further damage or cracks appearing but I was told it would take a week, so I asked if the windscreen could be replaced at my home address, which they agreed to do and the fitter would call between 12 - 5pm to replace it.

I suggested to the wife that she didn't use the car until the job was done and it's been sitting for a week without being used.

Today waiting for the fitter I got a call from him to say that he couldn't fit the windscreen in the rain and could I take it to the depot.
I explained that it wasn't raining where we were and he said it would take over an hour to get to me but if it was raining he couldn't fit it.

I agreed reluctantly to drive to the nearest depot to meet him but when I got there he explained that it would take an hour to fit the new windscreen and another hour for it to set.

The reason I wanted the thing fixed at home was so that I did not have to sit in a waiting room for two hours so I told him to call me with another appointment to fix it at my home address.

They just called and told me it could be fixed on Friday 30th April, another week away, unless its raining again!

I told the girl who called to put the excess I paid back onto my card and cancel the appointment, I'm not prepared to wait another week for the Autoglass fitter to decide he doesn't want to get his hair wet.

Why don't they change their advert to say "We will even fix or replace your windscreen at home, unless its raining, in that case you will need to drive to the nearest depot and wait two hours", doesn't have the same impact does it.

Will I recommend Autoglass, I don't think so.

I'm now looking for another company to replace my windscreen, any suggestions?

Thank you.