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Auto Mechanic Broke My Windshield

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Liberties_Light

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Wisconsin

So I took my car in for an oil change, and to repair my flat tire. The tire repair was beyond their mechanical mastery, and naturally it's impossible to find a tire for my car. I pick my car up, and while on the way home I notice there's four big cracks near the bottom of the windshield. I immediately noticed it once I had to start using my windshield wipers. Before I dropped it off I had to use the wipers as well and noticed nothing. They claim they didn't do it but clearly it had to have happened while the car was in their custody. What can I do about this? Can they just get away with it? If there's no legal case then perhaps they'd fix it if I threatened to file reports with various organizations, and agencies along with giving them bad reviews all over the internet.
 


Kiawah

Senior Member
Hard to imagine that changing oil and looking at your tire would have done anything out of the ordinary to crack your windshield. Why would you not have noticed a crack immediately when you went to get in your car?

Do you have more details on the tire problem, and why they can't fix it? Did you hit a curb/pothole and slice the sidewall? Why no replacement tire? Was the car towed to their station for repair?
 

swalsh411

Senior Member
If you start posting all over the place that they cracked your windshield you could very reasonably expect to get slapped with a defamation lawsuit and then you will be back here asking what to do about it.
 

Liberties_Light

Junior Member
Hard to imagine that changing oil and looking at your tire would have done anything out of the ordinary to crack your windshield. Why would you not have noticed a crack immediately when you went to get in your car?

Do you have more details on the tire problem, and why they can't fix it? Did you hit a curb/pothole and slice the sidewall? Why no replacement tire? Was the car towed to their station for repair?
I didn't notice the crack because it was so low on the windshield.

I drove the car there. It has a spare tire installed. Tire was beyond repair. They're too lazy to get a replacement tire.
 

Liberties_Light

Junior Member
If you start posting all over the place that they cracked your windshield you could very reasonably expect to get slapped with a defamation lawsuit and then you will be back here asking what to do about it.
I don't care about a defamation lawsuit. I'm judgement proof thanks to my income, and assets being within the exemptions of my state.
 

justalayman

Senior Member
as another poster stated; I have a hard time trying to find how they could have broken your windshield when changing your oil. If you can, you would have a lot more strength in your claim.
 

Jendor

Member
Wisconsin... you get snow, so I can only assume you likely get dreaded "rock chips". My speculation is that you likely had pitting or a microscopic chipping. Also, where you can't seem to get the tire replaced, must be a pretty old car that likely had a preexisting issue. The ambient temperature and differences.. ie. going from inside of mechanics garage where they changed oil to back outside when you used the wipers is what likely made it crack from an already pre-existing issue.

Use your insurance, pay your deductible, and get a new windshield if the crack bothers you so much.

If I read your review on the internet - I would automatically assume you were some whiny person trying pin a problem on the mechanic. I was expecting the thread to say a shop item or piece of equipment fell on the windshield causing it to crack without a reasonable doubt.

I am *not* a legal expert, but it is my opinion that you're not going to hear answers you want. People are vulnerable to cracked windshields, especially when living in a northern state. Don't like it? Move where there is no snow, graveled roads, etc.
 

ecmst12

Senior Member
Plus you didn't report the crack until AFTER you'd left the shop. Anything could have happened after you left the shop. And your lack of income makes you less credible, not more - you are trying to get them to pay for something they're not responsible for, because you can't afford to fix it yourself.
 

OHRoadwarrior

Senior Member
Likely if you look, it started below the part of the window visible from inside the vehicle. When it was put into a warm area, the expansion and vibration caused it to crack dramatically. Absent proof to the contrary, you have no way to establish it as their fault.
 

Liberties_Light

Junior Member
Your answer is fine but the tone in which you state it makes you sound like a whiny mechanic.

Wisconsin... you get snow, so I can only assume you likely get dreaded "rock chips". My speculation is that you likely had pitting or a microscopic chipping. Also, where you can't seem to get the tire replaced, must be a pretty old car that likely had a preexisting issue. The ambient temperature and differences.. ie. going from inside of mechanics garage where they changed oil to back outside when you used the wipers is what likely made it crack from an already pre-existing issue.

Use your insurance, pay your deductible, and get a new windshield if the crack bothers you so much.

If I read your review on the internet - I would automatically assume you were some whiny person trying pin a problem on the mechanic. I was expecting the thread to say a shop item or piece of equipment fell on the windshield causing it to crack without a reasonable doubt.

I am *not* a legal expert, but it is my opinion that you're not going to hear answers you want. People are vulnerable to cracked windshields, especially when living in a northern state. Don't like it? Move where there is no snow, graveled roads, etc.
 

Liberties_Light

Junior Member
Actually my insurance would cover it but I can't stand that I have to screw around with another thing. It just drives me crazy that I took my car somewhere to be fixed, and end up with another problem.

Plus you didn't report the crack until AFTER you'd left the shop. Anything could have happened after you left the shop. And your lack of income makes you less credible, not more - you are trying to get them to pay for something they're not responsible for, because you can't afford to fix it yourself.
 

OHRoadwarrior

Senior Member
OHRoadwarrior on ignore from previous post. I can't see a thing he's saying. He's talking to thin air.
I don't care about a defamation lawsuit. I'm judgement proof thanks to my income, and assets being within the exemptions of my state.
I again say "They wonder why we think the younger generation is full of morons".;)
 

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