Glass repair broke my car

[Audi_quattro]

im a newbie looking for some advise, and having a good ol vent! Hope you will give me a chance :-)

I recently reported a front windscreen stone chip to my insurer who delayed almost a week to process, at which point during an overnight frost a crack from left to right appeared. They apologised for the delayed oversight, and offered my 75pound excess back. Ok, all happy so far.

On the morning of the job, the glass company called me and explained that because the car has adaptive headlight and adaptive cruise control, they could only change the screen and i would have to have it re-calibrated myself. I wasn't too pleased so called my insurer to explain, that i would prefer the entire job was done by Audi. They refused, even both the glass company and myself tried insisting the whole job be done at audi given the complexity of it. It was agreed the glass company would change the screen, and after i'de take the car to my dealer to preform the re-calibration. Ok, not the end of the world? ......

A week later again, this morning the glass replacment guy arrived, and explained that he was nervous in case he would cut the wires for the adaptive cruise control unit. And that this job is best done by a specialist/dealer. I explained how the insurance wouldn't allow it, how his boss and i already had that conversation and how far we got with the insurer.
low and behold, he cut the loom, apologised, and explained how the glass company would cover the costs for repair. I did feel sorry for the guy, as he knew there was a high chance of this happening as he explained earlier. So i dropped the car as planned to the dealer and went home in a rental car.

This evening audi called me, and told me that the entire loom needs to be replaced. This means removing the headlining in the car, the back pillar and much of the interior. It will take 10 days for the part, and 2/3 days to do the job, so min 2 weeks at best. The bigger issue is I'm currently traveling in Ireland and due back home on Sunday morn ferry. Now what?

So I called the insurance company this evening and told them that while i did try insisting that the work should have been done by audi but they refused because of cost, and that they in my belief are responsible and not the glass company.
It looks like this is going to be a pretty big bill, which the glass company has accepted already to cover. But who is going to compensate the inconvenience in canceling my return to the UK by car, and having to return later to collect the car. Im also concerned about the interior being pulled apart, i hate rattles and I'm concerned that the car won't be the same after? Maybe an over reaction but honestly, i need to go home Sunday with or without the car as i have to go back to work, and i have a car load of personal things. I wonder what compensation can fix this big mess. Ive contemplated taking the car as it is to the UK, and letting the job be done there however, its the dealer here where i bought the car and the warranty stands (originally an Irish car) plus there are many faults in the lights as well as other things without this vital part of the cars computer system. The job in London, will take even longer, because dealers are too busy there. Any ideas what route i should be taking and if i should seek some legal advise? or just accept the case and move on with costs/delays to my trip.....

[fest0r]

I would be fuming with your insurer too. IMHO your claim is with the glass company though… I hope he was an employee and not a sub-contractor. Keep any receipts and all evidence of expenses including a diary of any time spent (even time on the phone) and present it to Autoglass (assumption) customer services. Give them a call first to get the ball rolling and a complaint ref no… if possible a contact name.

Autoglass
1 Priory Business Park
Cardington
Bedford
MK44 3US

Include a letter detailing the events and point out the next stage will be Financial Ombudsman Service plus legal advice and you wish to avoid any further claims for these additional expenses.

You could peruse your insurers as it was their agent, but they would be within their rights to process it as a proper claim and you could lose your excess. It could also go against any no claims bonus and/or protection. Your insurer has no obligation to use Audi unless you have paid a premium for this or you agree to pay a higher excess to nominate a repairer.

Do not drive the car anywhere… I would guess it’s not officially roadworthy and currently uninsured. Although I would take the car for a test drive with the service manager prior to the repair to confirm the lack of any rattles.

[AK88]

bad design really for this to happen, I only have a head up display which I believe has a different windscreen, did you declare the options on your insurance? if so then I think the insurance should take the responsibility

[El-Cap]

I had had an issue with my windscreen (now resolved) and at the time it looked like it needed replaced.

Insurers put me on to Autoglass who said I had to go to a certain site because of the style of car. The repair was to have been with an OEM screen and I would have had to have brought the car in with a full tank of fuel which was required for the calibration process. They intended to conduct the full calibration on site - all as part of the job.

Not sure why your experience should be so different!


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[fest0r]

bad design really for this to happen, I only have a head up display which I believe has a different windscreen, did you declare the options on your insurance? if so then I think the insurance should take the responsibility

You normally don’t have to declare factory fitted options. If it’s a specialist insurer they might ask, but an owner isn’t expected to know what the standard spec was... especially with a second hand car (for example). If it’s a brochure option and part of the original spec and they never requested details you will be fine.

An aftermarket modification or retrofit is a very different matter though.

[Audi_quattro]

Thanks you for the good advise. I'm returning to the Uk where the damage will be repaired and will insist on taking the car for a test drive as you say to prove lack of rattles.
the glass company seem pretty engaged to help and fix the issue but my concern is how the repair may have a long term damage.

[Audi_quattro]

Because I am traveling in Ireland. And they don't have the calibration equipment there but they have in the UK I'm told. But nobody mentioned anything about a full tank of fuel. Maybe they will in the uk

[Audi_quattro]

My car was the highest spec A6 to according to the dealer to leave their forecourt with 25k additional options.
i bought the car second hand from the dealer, who couldn't give me a spec sheet because it was a promotional launch model car, and on the systems the spec wouldn't come up but only "launch pack" would come up. So there would be no way for me to tell my insurer what toys it had. I did tell them about the adaptive cc when reporting the chipped window and advised how that giving the complexity of the replacement I would prefer the job done directly with a dealer which they refused.

[Crasher]

It is daft when a simple screen repair can be such a nightmare, cars are becoming too complicated and it is only going to get worse. Imagine slightly nicking the wire when doing the screen on a self driving car with all the screen mounted sensors these will need but not noticing or worse, covering it up and then two, three, more years later it causes a fault which kills someone, scary stuff.... I don't want to work on these systems, the liability aspects are terrifying and I don't get paid enough to risk prison for manslaughter...