help me find auto glass replace mechanic for highlander for toyota

I have 2008 model of Toyota highlander. My kids got locked inside, and so security guards had to break the front passenger door window.
Most of the auto shops that i contacted do not work on glass-part of the cars. The authorized dealer is of course ready to rip me off my money:-(.
Does anyone know of good mechanic/shop who is reliable, cheap and does quality work. The motor is, most likely, fine. its only glass and (may be) the regulator that needs to be replaced.
I live in Houston, TX.
Thanks!

have you tried calling safelite auto glass repair [safelite.com]? they come to you and it's a national company so you will get reliable and quality work...not sure about cheap though.

Thank you Serra. I just (literally just) now called them and finalized the deal with them. They will come and fix the car at my house. My neighbors recommended their name. I am glad you mentioned it too, so it gives me more confidence in them.
And yes, they are charging me about 150 bucks less than authorized dealers, seriously!!

Whoa! Before you finalize anything have you shopped around? You could save another $100 or more by shopping around.

Go to Google Maps and put in: auto+glass+(your zip code)

Call as many of them as you're willing to. Look especially for the smaller companies and make sure whoever you go with warranties their work.

And, next time (hopefully there will never be a next time) this might happen, call a locksmith instead. They have ways to get into your car that doesn't require you to break your glass, which costs much more than a locksmith's service. They often use a tool called an air wedge [lockpickersmall.com] which is a bladder that they work between the top of your door and the drip rail of your vehicle. They, then, pump up this bladder enough to create a gap so they can get a tool in to unlock your door.

To find a reputable locksmith, do not simply Google "locksmith". Phony locksmiths manipulate the search results to get their name at the top of the list. They promise they can be there in 20 minutes and they'll do the job for $20 or the likes. When they finally show up two hours later, they tell you it's going to be $350 for them to do the job. Many people, emotionally drained, simply give in and pay the money. Don't get taken like this. Instead, go to Yelp and look for locksmiths with multiple reviews. Or, better yet, develop a relationship with a locksmith you know and trust before you're in an emergency situation.

Brian, my kds were in car, locked and sweating. If I would have waited for a LO ksmith, either I would have gone to jail for killing my kids or my kids would have died. This company is charging. E less than 350 bucks that too without givIng me any emotional trauma.
Thanks for ur reply, but this is best I got after calling up all related stores in my area. Also security guards did try to open doors the way u exposing. They had all tools. But my car was too badly stuck....

Sorry, I replied through my husband's Id. This is nitij. And sorry for wrong grammar- damn iPhone....,

Quote from serra : have you tried calling safelite auto glass repair [safelite.com]? they come to you and it's a national company so you will get reliable and quality work...not sure about cheap though.

Safelite in neither cheap or reliable. Their house brand of glass is way inferior to Carlite, PPG or Pilkington.

See if you can find one in a junkyard, even if it's http://www.car-part.com or eBay There is no reason to buy new glass for this.

found this another place A&A auto glass bodyshop through groupon. good revews.

http://consumerist.com/2012/05/do...doing.html

About Safelite:
So I have used Safelite through USAA's program. So far in the 2 out of three times I have used them they have cut through the GPS receiver's antenna wire (then patched it with a little black goop and tucked it away) and managed to get the black goopy adheisive/sealant all over the white roof, and all over the headliner, and broken the hood on my FJ Cruiser (ripped the plastic front part off, not using the hood release lever). So not too surprising.

Had problems with them too. Keept getting water inside the car after installation, they claimed it was because of a collision i had. I pointed out that there was no previous problems until they installed the windshield. After three unsuccessful attempts of them taking a look at the windshield i traced the source of water myself and found it was coming in from the top passenger side. When i brought it in and showed them where it was coming from, a dab of resin stopped the problem. They still would not admit they screwed up.


Safelite is awful. USAA has tricked me into using them twice; never again. The first time, they just left a note claiming they'd fixed it when in fact no repair was done. I had to call their Safelite's regional office and complain to a surly supervisor to get the work done. The second time, on a different vehicle, they repaired the chip but it continued to crack despite their "industry leading epoxy".
I guess there was a third time, also. We bought a used car from another USAA member who had the windshield replaced by Safelite. The wind noise at 40+mph is almost unbearable.
USAA doesn't seem to do a good job policing some of their "preferred providers" (Enterprise, I'm looking at you, too). YMMV, of course...

Also by using safelight you likely paid about twice what you should have (or your insurance did).
I called them when my BF's window was broken by thieves, I talked them down to about $280 bucks which sounded reasonable (what do I know about how much glass costs, I assumed it was expensive) but the more I thought about it I wondered why they were so eager to make a deal on the price.
So, I called around and found a local little guy installer and he was able to do it for $175. When I called Safelight they basically made up a bunch of BS about the other guy claiming we were going to get scammed, etc (I had checked his online reviews). Safelight is the only scammer.

Also:
http://safelite-auto-glass.pissed...56791.html
http://www.ripoffreport.com/car-p...-77d2c.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/auto-...-1fd76.htm

Safelite uses crappy made in China glass

Thanks, this is very helpful. Luckily, i found this local Auto shop not too far from my place. They are charging $169. Tomorrow my husband is gonba get it fixed. Hope they do good job!

Safelite is dependable and reputable. Have dealt with them many times over the years without a hitch.
I would recommend getting glass coverage with your insurance since it is a minimal addition.
If your driving your children around in a car that only has liability, I suggest you re-evaluate that decision.

Quote from Rockalittle : Safelite is dependable and reputable. Have dealt with them many times over the years without a hitch. I would recommend getting glass coverage with your insurance since it is a minimal addition. If your driving your children around in a car that only has liability, I suggest you re-evaluate that decision.

Hey, can you elaborate what you are trying to say. I'm looking into my insurance to see I want to file the claim. Thanks!

Quote from kaslee : Hey, can you elaborate what you are trying to say. I'm looking into my insurance to see I want to file the claim. Thanks!

Many of the higher coverage insurances have glass repair cover. It often entitles you to a once-a-year claim, you don't have to pay a deductible, just go to the dealership and they'll fix it. It's usually used to fix broken windshields from flying rocks. Google is your friend.
http://bit.ly/J35nCX
Here's an example link you'd find, your husband as a long-time slickdealer should know these things to help you like using google to search:
http://hartfordauto.thehartford.c...ance.shtml
Some cheaper places, however, will charge you a deductible:
http://www.geico.com/claims/claim...ims-guide/

Also, if you just file a regular insurance claim, it will likely count as an incident and will make your premiums go up. If you don't have comprehensive insurance, you don't have glass coverage.


I agree with zzyzzx. Safelite uses shitty glass. If you're filing through insurance, you have the right to decide who fixes your car, and what parts are used. Don't you think it's a little fishy that Safelite is so much cheaper? Where do you think the savings come from? They use shittier glass, hit-or-miss technicians that may or may not know what they are doing, etc. To add to the above links:
http://trenches.agrrmag.com/on-no...eighborly/
Your best bet is to call around to some local junkyards and see if they have any Highlanders with a window. Or find a mechanic that deals with local junkyards. Replacing a door window is simple compared to a windshield, the security guard did the right thing by breaking that instead of any of the cargo windows. All the mechanic has to do is remove the door panels, vaccuum up the glass in the door, put in the new glass, and align the runners that the glass is on. This will be cheap as well, but the difference is that a mechanic is less likely to break stuff inside your door panel because they know what they're doing, and most importantly you'll get the high-quality glass that Toyotas come with from the factory.