See the World From a Tesla Model X, Pay a Really Big Windshield Replacement Bill
Tesla Model X owners might want to double check their insurance coverage before hitting those rural highways in search of ecologically sensitive adventure.
Now that the electric SUV is rolling out of Fremont in bigger numbers, owners are starting to experience the normal headaches that come with vehicle ownership. One nagging issue owners are discovering is the cost of replacing the acres and acres of glass that make up the vehicle’s panoramic windshield. (Which happens to be the biggest in the industry.)
Not surprisingly, big glass equals a big repair bill when the Model X encounters wayward pebbles. One St. Paul man took to the Tesla Motors online forum after his vehicle suffered a windshield crack during a Grand Canyon road trip with his family.
The replacement cost? Just shy of $2,300, before tax. “Ouch,” was the general response from forum dwellers.
Depending on where an owner lives, and what coverage their insurance provider offers, that crack could be a very costly one. Some states require mandatory coverage for windshield damage. One forum poster living in Toronto, Canada said his policy covers windshield repair, but the high cost of the replacement is still less than the minimum deductible quoted for a Tesla ($5,000).
No help there.
Of course, there are many who’ll say the owners made their Model X bed, and should lie in it. Hardware comes with a cost, no one needs an electric SUV, etc, etc. Think it all you like, but that isn’t the point here. Who really thinks about their windshield (and what it might cost to replace) when purchasing a vehicle?
[Source: Elektrek]
More by Steph Willems
Comments
Join the conversation
I was put out when the dealer told me my BMW 650 windshield (with HUD) would cost $1600 to replace. Not shocked, but annoyed, and pissed at the cement truck that bounced a gravel rock into my glass. I called one of those windshield repair places and they came to my work and replaced it for $850. The after-market windshield's HUD image is not as sharp as the factory glass, though.
When the new Chevy and GMC C/K pickups debuted in 1988, there was sticker shock over the glued-in front and rear glass (something like $1,000 for a front windshield, IIRC), but that price dropped after a while, as aftermarket windshields hit the market. I expect that the aftermarket will respond here as well. Glass coverage on insurance policies for these will be expensive until aftermarket glass becomes available - and insurance companies don't like to pay for OEM parts if an aftermarket alternative exists.
Yes, it is ridiculous, but then again, $400 to get yourself a computer chipped key programmed to your ECU ($200 part and $200 labor) by the dealer is just as ridiculous. And consumers still pay for it.
I have a non-constitution inquiry, if permitted. It is a windshield question..... When did the one piece windshield come into being standard in autos? Most likely different years for different models. I am unable to find it on the web. And any information on the old grilles of autos say in the 20' 30' and 40s. of the different models and years that they changed. Thanks