Just some general information for anyone who needs to replace their rear fixed roof glass (the big piece). I thought to share this as I had a hard time finding any concrete info online prior to ordering the repair.

I had a large crack in my glass that had spidered to eventually cover about 1/2 the entire glass. The crack was air tight (didn't let water in) but was nonetheless unsightly. Liberty Mutual (my insurance company) contracts with Sunroof Express who then pointed me to a local installer. Once the glass came in it took them two days to swap in the replacement. The entire headliner needs to come down and its about a 10 hour job total. If you don't have GPS or a satellite radio make sure you tell them, because apparently there are two different versions of the glass and while the NAV glass will work with non-NAV cars, if you have the NAV you'll need the version fitted with the nav connector/attachment.

My installer was Dan's Custom Car Factory in North Philly. Dan was a great guy and really thorough. He is a true craftsman having done this for 3 decades, and I would highly recommend him if you are anywhere in eastern PA or South Jersey and need any type of upholstry or glasswork. He also tightened my headliner in a few spots and installed new fabric on the A-pillars as this had begun to sad badly. Going through insurance only cost me my $100 deductible, and Dan said he charged the insurance company $900 for the install. This guy has done hundreds of sunroof installations (fixed and moving) for every type of vehicle imaginable. Sunroof Express didn't disclose to him the price of the actual glass but the going rate seems to be about $1200-$1500.

 

Good info. The glass is the same between versions, that much I know. But I think the antenna support is attached to one with tape and the other not. the wires actually go through the back of the antenna down into sheetmetal. The price of this panel is what made me get $0 deductible full glass coverage. $30/year and it has no impact on my main auto policy. The heated windshield is crazy expensive too and I am not sure if its even available OEM anymore.

 

Thanks for that info. I stressed cracked mine (going through a car wash) and it has been spidering for a couple years now as well. Like you it is sound with no leaks but still i would like it replaced. I guess i need to go ahead and get it done. I just dont want to remove the roof rack!

 

If mine ever breaks I'm throwing a sheet of 3/16" aluminum up there and calling it a day.

 

Thanks for the info. It took a glass pro 2 days to install? yikes! My recently purchased '06 LR3. Has spidered cracks as well. Not sure if it leaks but I'll assume it does because the head liner is letting go here and there.(though not stained). I'm guessing the headliner removal/install was half/three quarters the time involved. I'm going to remove it anyway to address the usual drain issues with the front sunroof. I've pulled the seats and some carpet to to dry and clean. A and B pillar trims are looking sad as well. When I removed the seats and carpet the wiring wells were filled with water, which means the wiring bundles in those wells were in water for who knows how long! Luckily there were no connectors in there but this is a serious design flaw. I suspect the headliner letting go has to do with trapped moisture in the car which would be like a sauna if left in the sun on a hot day. This and some failed clear coat on the roof and hood should be the worst of the body issues. I'm waiting on rebuild kits for the suspension valves. I didn't pay much for this car so I'm calling it my "project"... But this baby needs some love for sure...
Haven't registered it yet, but feel a little funny about making a claim on glass right after doing so...I'd like to talk with someone who's done it themselves. For now at least, I'm in this for the long haul.

 

I’m in the same boat with respect to an LR3 I’m interested in. If you don’t mind me asking how much were you able to get your LR3 for? The one I’m looking at has a cracked fixed glass sun roof, rust stains all over the floor, check engine light, P2718 code, interior needs full detail, exterior paint chipping, 180k miles. I test drove it and it drove fine all things considered. Dealer is asking $6.5k…

 

That is way overpriced in my opinion. First, that's like $2k over book value. The P2718 is hopefully just a solenoid in the transmission. Not terrible, but time consuming and not cheap when you figure in the solenoid, filter & metal pan upgrade, and fluid. As you can see in this thread, the roof glass is expensive and requires headliner removal. I'm not sure I'd buy it, but if I did, I'd be in the $2500-3000 range. Look around on FB marketplace and Craigslist, You can do way better than $6.5k for a basketcase.

 

...but it does not require headliner removal.

 

I totally agree the glass can be more of a pain than it's worth. In MA if you chip a front windshield (which I've done) it's replaced with no deductible. I suspect if I tried to claim a chip in the glass roof, that would have the deductible. Your experience only reinforces one of my two reasons I've yet to order a ND: they are only built for the US markets with glass roofs. This is JLR figuring: Nobody buying a ND is going to actually use the roof, it's a nuisance, so let's just make it glass or offer a roll back top!? Ugh. The other problem JLR has is the 18" steel wheel + KO2s. The new GX will have them for sure, as well as the LC, Wrangler, Broncos, and Grenadier. I think the LR3/4 models allowed 18" rims, yes? But for JLR to keep ND from being able to fit one of the more popular choices for off road types is telling: you're not actually supposed to use ND off road, see, we'll restrict your choices by prohibiting the most common 17 or 18" rim set ups that everyone else is offering!? It's very frustrating, for sure. I love the looks of the LR3, but an older model is going to be replacement part after replacement part.

 

I definitely agree with you. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of options for LR3’s in south FL. It does have new rims and tires so I’m going to offer $4k-$4.5k out the door. I don’t mind the doing the transmission work myself and not touching the roof glass if there’s no leak, which it seems water tight cause I didn’t see any staining on the ceiling.