Reputable Car Glass place in NYC Tri State?

[furnace]

Maybe this is a sign that I just shouldn`t work on my own car. I was replacing my wiper blades with the cheap Trico refills, when I accidently let my wiper arm snap and smack the windwhield. Now I have a big`ol crack (2 six inch cracks radiating at 2 and 3 oclock from the impact point)



1) Can I get a OEM Passat windshield from the dealer?



2) Should I just have the dealer install it, or would it be better to take the OEM windshield to a car glass place that does it all the time? Or a body shop?



3) I read here on Autopia that you can have cracks fixed. You might still see the crack, but the benefit is that you maintain the factory seal on the windshield. Is this the better method?



4) Any recommended shops in the NY/NJ/CT area?



I have a $50 comprehensive deductible so I will be having insurance pay for most of it.



Thanks!

[medic159]

SInce you have coverage just call your insurance company and they can recommend shops in yiour area. Most likely they will come to you. I`ve had Safelite come to my home on three occasions to replace various windshields and I`ve never had a problem.

[furnace]

Update:



I called the dealer for the price of the original VW windshield and it is $227.



My body shop would charge $130 for labor to install.



What do y`all think? I had a comprehensive claim in Sept 2005 so I don`t want to put in another claim so soon...2 more claims and they move me from Tier 1 to Tier 2 (Allstate).

[medic159]

... I had a comprehensive claim in Sept 2005 so I don`t want to put in another claim so soon...2 more claims and they move me from Tier 1 to Tier 2 (Allstate).





Wait a sec... are you sure about that? I`ve never heard about a glass claim affecting status. My insurance company, GEICO, even has a plan where they send someone to your home or office to give a free windshield inspecion and will repair or replace the windshield if need be. We;ve had three windshields replaced on three cars in the last two years and not a single penny rise in premiums.



Now if that is the case and you do need to do all this out of insurance just go to an auto glass shop and they will do everything for you, why pay for an overpriced windshield from the dealer?