On the Q8 the expensive damage rarely sits in the bodywork but in the glass and the electronics behind it: replacing a windscreen here has become a calibration job.
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In brief
The Q8 is the coupé version of the large SUV platform: a big, steeply raked windscreen, plenty of glass all round and a densely populated windscreen area. Behind that glass sit the lane recognition camera, the rain sensor, the radar for the adaptive cruise control and the head-up display. A stone chip that on an older car meant a fifteen-minute repair is here a windscreen replacement with compulsory recalibration of the driver assistance systems.
That changes the arithmetic when you claim. Glass damage is covered under both third-party, fire and theft and comprehensive, but the conditions almost always distinguish between repairing and replacing: on a repair the excess is usually waived, on a replacement it is not. So have a chip assessed as soon as possible; once the crack runs into the camera's field of view or spreads, repair is no longer an option.
Watch the headlights and the sensors in the bumpers too. Matrix modules, parking sensors and radar units sit in the places that are hit first in a light collision, and they cannot be repaired separately. Exactly what falls under glass cover and what under ordinary own-damage cover is set out in your conditions; see also comprehensive or third-party, fire and theft.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Compulsory
Third-party liability
Damage you cause to others.
Required by law
As long as the registration is in your name
Suspend the registration when not in use
Third-party liability plus
Third-party, fire and theft
Causes beyond your control.
Fire and storm
Theft
Windscreen damage
Comprehensive cover
Comprehensive
Including damage you cause yourself.
Own fault
Vandalism
Replacement-as-new period
What is covered
Situation
Third-party liability
Third-party, fire and theft
Comprehensive
Damage to the other party
Yes
Yes
Yes
Theft
No
Yes
Yes
Fire and storm
No
Yes
Yes
Damage you cause yourself
No
No
Yes
Wear and mechanical defects
No
No
No
Driving without a valid licence
No
No
No
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Calibration belongs to the repair, not after it
After the windscreen is replaced, the camera and the sensors have to be realigned, statically on an alignment rig or dynamically during a test drive. If that is not done, lane assist and the emergency braking system work unreliably. Have the calibration stated on the invoice and keep that document. If a collision later occurs in which the systems did not work, that record is the evidence that the repair was carried out properly.
Repair or replacement determines your excess
Virtually every policy has a more favourable arrangement for glass repair than for glass replacement: filling a chip with resin usually means the excess is waived, whereas on a replacement you pay it. Whether repair is possible depends on the position and size of the damage. If the chip lies in the driver's or the camera's field of view, the manufacturer prescribes replacement and you do not have that choice.
Sensors and lighting are not small items
Parking sensors, the radar unit behind the badge, the cameras of the surround-view system and the matrix headlights are replaced as complete modules. A light collision in a car park can therefore produce a substantial claim. Always report damage of this kind, even if the car still drives: a misaligned radar causes faults that only show up later and are then hard to link to the incident.
What falls outside the cover
Not covered are scratches and dull patches in the glass from wear or from misusing the wipers, damage to window film or tinted layers not applied at the factory, and electronic faults with no identifiable external cause. Software and update problems come under the warranty, not under the policy. Loss of value after a properly carried out glass repair is not paid for either.
What does your premium depend on?
The model's repair costs. Insurers look at the average repair cost per claim. A lot of electronics at the front pushes that up.
Presence of driver assistance systems. Systems that have to be calibrated after a windscreen replacement push up the average glass claims cost.
Glass cover chosen. Whether glass damage falls under third-party, fire and theft or only under comprehensive, and subject to what excess.
Repair inside or outside the network. Repair through an approved repairer often means a reduced or waived excess.
List price including options. Lighting, glass and assistance packages increase the interest to be insured.
Annual mileage and type of road. A high motorway mileage increases the chance of stone chips and with it the frequency of glass claims.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your wishes.
We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
No. Glass damage is treated as a non-fault claim by virtually all insurers and does not count towards the no-claims step. On a replacement the excess usually applies. On a repair it is normally waived. Always report the damage, even if you are unsure: having a small chip filled is considerably cheaper than the replacement that becomes necessary afterwards.
Does the insurer pay for calibrating the camera?
Yes, calibration is a necessary part of a proper windscreen replacement and should appear in the repair estimate. Have the repairer state it separately on the invoice, noting whether it was carried out statically or dynamically. If a repairer does not carry out the calibration, the repair is incomplete and you can point that out to the insurer.
May I choose my own repairer?
You may, but the conditions usually attach a consequence to it: repair within the insurer's network often means a reduced or waived excess, outside it the full amount. On a car with many driver assistance systems, whether the repairer can carry out marque-specific calibration matters more than the difference in excess.
Is damage to the headlights insured separately?
No, headlights do not fall under glass cover but under ordinary own-damage cover. Isolated damage without a collision, for example a stone chip in the lens, is therefore only covered under comprehensive. Because modern modules are replaced as a whole, it is worth having even apparently limited damage assessed before you decide not to report it.
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
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