Sometimes you can be too presumptive!

[masso Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close masso]

Thought i would share a little story.... just before Christmas we were camping at a van park at Alexandra Headland. One morning, i noticed a small crack at the top of the windscreen in the 150. During the day... every time i walked past the car from the van.. i noticed the crack get larger....till it was halfway down the screen! So, I thought... new windscreen.... insurance? nah...of course i still had to pay an excess..... and also heard the stories of the windscreen being an integral part of the sound deadening etc.

It was Friday, and we were due to leave the next day.... so... i thought... ok.. lets do the "last resort" first... and drop into the nearest Toyota Dealer to ask about pricing.

So... 11am , i dropped into Ken Mills Toyota at Maroochydore... fully expecting to be told they could book me in next month and the cost would be thousands!

Well..how wrong was I ? The young lass at the service counter was happy to help...grabbed a notepad and ducked out to the car to check if it might be a warranty issue.. Unfortunately it wasnt.. as the stone chip was pretty clear. Well, she said the only thing to do is replace the screen. I prepared for the financial damage... and she said... "it should be about $300 fitted".... Well.. that was not too bad i thought... so i asked.."when?" ...she said..." i will see if i can get someone to do it for you later today (yes TODAY!) as i know you are heading off tomorrow..I'll call you shortly and let you know

So I headed back to camp, and the phone rang, with the lass telling me if i can drop it down now they will do it straight away!... they will also drop me back to the park and then pick me up if i wanted to!

So, i dropped the car in (decided to wait in their lounge as i could do some work from there) and in 2 hours... it was ready... $290!

So, i have to admit... excellent service, reasonable pricing, and a happy experience from contact with a Toyota Dealer ! Ken Mills Toyota Maroochydore Service Department..... well done!

[Riv39 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Riv39]

Did they put a genuine Toyota screen in as at that price I can't believe it. I had a terrible experience with a chinese replacement in a Honda Oddesey some time ago and had it replaced with a genuine screen (ripples in the glass when you looked out through the passanger side) by my insurerer who authorised the chinese screen in the first place!

[wooley Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close wooley]

definitely can't be genuine glass... my windscreen is being replaced under warranty: 12 week wait from Japan and almost $2000

[masso Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close masso]

Nope... not genuine. Its an Obrien replacement..... i asked about genuine... and comment was that if you dont have rain sensors etc...the O'brien one is the go. I really didnt have much of an option, but, it fits , doesnt leak, there is NO difference to sound deadening or anything... it has a 3 year warranty against defect... so..what the heck?

[masso Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close masso]

.....and the genuine one that cracked....did so after a stone chip of no real consequence.. about 20mm from the top edge, but of course no warranty as it WAS caused by a stone strike... so i cant see the value of a genuine one...particularly if you gotta PAY for it..! Also, no ripples, all the blacked out area seems to be the same... hard pressed for me to tell any difference actually. So maybe i am double lucky??????

[wooley Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close wooley]

Well the genuine ones can't all be good anyway. Mine certainly isn't and after 12 months of complaining and arguing its finally being replaced.

[Guest Close Guest]

If you took up the windscreen replacement option on your comprehensive insurance, then there is no excess.

[matt150 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close matt150]

Good story Masso, I replaced my windscreen with a O'briens screen and it's fine.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

The original windscreen in my first (2005) Prado was rubbish,it would scratch with the slightest thing rubbed on it. Fortunately it got cracked early on and replaced with an aftermarket screen that was much better, so I would be happy with an Obriens.

Good story Masso, big improvement over your desert experience a few years ago hey

Cheers Andrew

[Davo150 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Davo150]

Great to hear a good news story Masso, I have also had my windscreen replaced with an aftermarket part and no problems, Cheers.

[derek11 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close derek11]

That's a excellent price Masso, in May last year on my way to the Cape, a stone chip put a crack in the windscreen and i watched it grow as we were driving so had to go into Cairns to try and get a windscreen. This was a Sunday and O'Briens quoted us over $800 and they had to order it in, Instant Windscreens quoted $450 and would open up to do our Prado that arvo. So $300 is cheap and good service as well.

Cheers Derek

[gspy4u Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close gspy4u]

Always carry one of those instant windscreen fix kits in the glovebox. Have used it three times now, one on a foot long crack in the middle which has now lasted 18,000klm's and not grown at all. The other 2 for bullet or bullseye type ones. Both have come up the same as the $80 fixes the windscreen places do.
Just clean, put suction things on screen, add a few drops into the device to fill crack or damage and then let sunlight harden it. $45 from supercheap and has saved me a fortune.

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

If you took up the windscreen replacement option on your comprehensive insurance, then there is no excess.

Yes but, it still counts as a claim. Most ppl want to avoid that. Also usually costs about $50 a year extra. Not a real bad option if you like answering YES to have you made any claims n the ladt year..... ohh yess, ive had 3.... then you will forever be paying for it in premiums.

You can get a much cheaper replacement if you avoid the big guys like obriens.
They're all Chinese of corse.

It's usually pretty easy to get a screen done the same day, because its all sublet for the dealers, the windscreen guys basically have new work each day.

[chester ver 2.0 Member Find all posts View Profile Close chester ver 2.0]

Had a similar experience in Albany went out to dinner and came out no headlights went to Albany Toyota as it was the only place open and asked if someone could have a quick look at the car expecting the book it in reply etc. (supercheap etc not open due to holidays)

Guy came out with test light looked it all over and replaced 2 bulbs for me right then. I then went back inside only got charged trade price for the bulbs and no labour Stoked

[AK7 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close AK7]

My original windscreen cracked badly after a tiny stone hit it. Only had 6,000KM on the car at the time. Wasn't impressed. Figured that the genuine one must have been pretty shit for that to happen. Instant swapped it out for $290. No difference in terms of noise, etc.