Replacement Windshield w/ blue shade band?

[Realm]

I had my windshield replaced about 6 months ago... I told the insurance i wanted OEM from the dealership, no go. Safelite replaced it, had the normal black around the outside along with the bluish tint on the top. After the bill, (even though insurance paid - deductible) it would have been cheaper to get OEM lol (insurance is in with Safelite so they pay less).

In the end I don't care, I'm just going to get the window tint across the front (4 inches) like my original windshield.

*but, I've heard the aftermarket glass is not as strong as the original OEM. I just stay back from other cars now.. I initially got mine crack (front view all the way across) tailing an SUV on the on-ramp.. driving too close.

/rant hehe

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by Realm

*but, I've heard the aftermarket glass is not as strong as the original OEM.

That may be the case with Safelite, but it shouldn't be the case with a reputable manufacturer like Pilkington or APTech because those companies make OEM glass for a variety of car manufacturers. It would make little sense for them to market OEM quality glass to the car makers and sell crap in the aftermarket. Their factory quality control is going to be the same for both.

[mikalem]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

That may be the case with Safelite, but it shouldn't be the case with a reputable manufacturer like Pilkington or APTech because those companies make OEM glass for a variety of car manufacturers. It would make little sense for them to market OEM quality glass to the car makers and sell crap in the aftermarket. Their factory quality control is going to be the same for both.

So, funny thing.... the APTech windshield for our cars is actually made by Safelite's Plant to AGC's specs under agreement in the United States. I work for Safelite and have the AP Tech branded glass on my car, with the blue shade band (which matches the WRB spec here in the States) - other than a slight mis-alignment on the VIN plate you wouldn't really notice -

I will say though, be careful with the rear view mirror mount - the original 2013 mounts were very weak metal and Safelite (and likely other glass shops) will attempt to reuse this piece. I'm off today to find replacement screws to see if I can tighten mine down after it fell off - if that doesn't work it's back to the dealership to see about getting a new one.

Pics if you are curious as to how the replacement process should look like: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...9&postcount=70

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by mikalem

So, funny thing.... the APTech windshield for our cars is actually made by Safelite's Plant to AGC's specs under agreement in the United States.

Well. That's disappointing. Wish I had held out for Pilkington.

(Just kidding. The APTech glass is fine.)

[pepelocuas]

Where you guys are buying the windshield????
Dealer price for P/N SU003G0006 is $347 plus $64 for all mouldings and installation is $95 almost anywhere.
If you have a friend at a Body Shop, price for them is $289 plus $51 for all mouldings.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by pepelocuas

Where you guys are buying the windshield????
Dealer price for P/N SU003G0006 is $347 plus $64 for all mouldings and installation is $95 almost anywhere.
If you have a friend at a Body Shop, price for them is $289 plus $51 for all mouldings.

I went online and searched for "auto glass" in my city. Then I read the reviews of several glass companies and selected one that was very highly rated. I called and got a quote, and as I said above it was $420 all in.

The trick is to read the reviews. There are cheaper places out there, but they used shitty glass and do shitty work.

[torqdork]

I have a little experience to impart.

Aftermarket optics compare favorably to OEM and that's the focus (!) of insurance companies.

The potential conflict between OEM and aftermarket that I've seen based on science show that the rollover protection provided by the OEM windshield is proven while I've yet to see rollover tests of aftermarket glass.

Understand that windshields provide up to 25% of roof structural integrity in a rollover and this can become an important decision factor. Aftermarket glass is tested for optics, not structural integrity, or wasn't the last I knew.

Insurance companies will object to OEM prices. I encountered this when my FJ Cruiser got a chip/crack and the aftermarket glass would have cost $550 installed while the OEM glass was $1,800. I stuck to my guns, referenced everything I wrote above, and they paid without question.

Please, for you and your occupants safety, insist on an OEM windshield. Our cars are far less likely to roll compared to any SUV, but I'd still want the assurance that the replacement glass is up to every task.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by torqdork

The potential conflict between OEM and aftermarket that I've seen based on science show that the rollover protection provided by the OEM windshield is proven while I've yet to see rollover tests of aftermarket glass.

So, in other words, you have seen nothing to indicate that any particular aftermarket glass brand is inferior to OEM.

Meanwhile, the companies that make OEM glass also manufacture aftermarket glass in the same factories under the same quality control system. So as long as you select a reputable brand of glass, there's no reason to believe that it is structurally inferior to OEM. If you were talking about that cheap Chinese glass that gets installed in the $90 place next to the junk yard, you might have a point. But not if you're using a reputable dealer.

I live in a state that does not force insurance companies to replace windshields, so if you file a claim here, it can increase your premium. I have a $500 deductible. If I can get OE equivalent glass from a reputable manufacturer for $420 (which is what I did), I not only save $80 out of pocket, but I also don't have my premium go up at the next policy date. Getting OEM glass installed would be $600 to $700. If I file a claim and insist on OEM, I end up paying more out of pocket to "save" the $100 to $200 the insurance company would pay, which they would get back starting with the next premium.

It's simply just not worth it for some vague, unsupported claim that aftermarket glass is inferior. Show me some actual evidence that Pilkington, Carlite or ApTech (which are all OEM manufacturers as well as aftermarket) makes inferior glass for the secondary market, and I might reconsider.

[DJCarbine]

Safelite guy replaced the glass in my car a few months after ownership due to 2 rocks hitting it a week apart. The replacement was identical to the OEM glass, however they tried to use some crappy universal rubber trim where the glass meets the frame. I was at work luckily, so I grabbed some high strength 3m doublesided tape we use in the factory and had him pull the trim off the old glass and put it on the new glass. Threw him 20 bucks for the effort, as the insurance covered the glass with 0 deductible

Make sure they have or will use factory trim/molding, or don't be as picky as me lol

[Tcoat]

In many cases OEM and aftermarket parts such as windshields, brake rotors, rims, etc. are made side by side in the same place, at the same time and with the same materials. The only difference between the two is a tag that gets thrown on them and where they get shipped to.
It makes no sense at all for someplace to tool up to make crappy knockoff windshields when the plant that makes them OEM is already doing it.
When it comes to glass even the aftermarket has to meet the DOT specs for their product so in reality they are probably made side by side with the OEM.
The big problem is that you never know for sure if this is the case!

[torqdork]

@extrashaky, there is no evidence I'm aware of to show since aftermarket windshield suppliers aren't required to crash test their product. Until that proof is provided, I won't be trusting my or my passengers lives to anything but OEM glass. Maybe they don't test since they can't guarantee installers will follow recommended installation proceedures that would help keep the roof intact.

FTA: “OEM auto glass standards require 100 percent windshield retention in frontal barrier crash tests, while DOT only requires 80 percent!” and that “Some aftermarket parts do not match the tolerance, thickness, and shape of OEM auto glass parts; therefore, they can have a higher rate of leakage, wind noise, imperfect fit, solar performance, and optical distortion”. Note that glass “from an OEM manufacturer” is not OEM glass, it’s just glass from the same company that made the original part (which may have completely different specs).

http://www.carwindshields.info/

The OEM manufacturers may produce aftermarket glass like you say but it's a jump in logic to assume that they're made to the same crashworthiness standard as OEM. That's like saying all Toyota, Scion and Lexus vehicles are rated by IIHS the same since they're made by the same company. An example is HiLux. They all look pretty much the same but are built to at least three standards (maybe more with the China/India ramp up) depending on intended market. US gets the top grade.

I pay the small monthly increase, about $12, to maintain a $0 deductible comprehensive policy on several new cars currently. I make about one windshield claim per year, specify OEM (typically $1,500-$1,800) and my rates have never increased due to those claims. More than pays for itself. Maybe it's a statewide reg there, but if my rates increased I'd look for another insurance carrier.

[Caspeed]

Originally Posted by hmong337

Woke up today to notice a crack along the passenger side windshield

Called around to get quotes and they had windshields with the blue band tint across the top.

Was wondering if anybody who has replaced their windshields has installed one with the blue shade band and how does it look? Are you happy with it?

For whatever reason, the ones with the blue shade band cost quite a bit less than the ones without.

Whenever possible I would recommend getting an OEM windshield. The way windshields are installed in cars now a days (glued in) they actually serve a structural purpose. They add structural rigidity and crash protection. Many/some aftermarket windshields do not meet the same specs regardless of what they tell you when they sell it to you. You can always add a strip of tint.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by torqdork

The OEM manufacturers may produce aftermarket glass like you say but it's a jump in logic to assume that they're made to the same crashworthiness standard as OEM.

It's a bigger jump in logic to assume that they're not, when you have no evidence at all to support such a claim.

Originally Posted by torqdork

That's like saying all Toyota, Scion and Lexus vehicles are rated by IIHS the same since they're made by the same company.

Not really. You're comparing the manufacture of various models of entire vehicles, which have dozens of designs manufactured in numerous plants using thousands of parts supplied by hundreds of companies, to a single part using a very small number of raw materials in a fairly consistent design and manufacturing process that, with respect to the reputable brands, is used to manufacture both OEM and aftermarket glass. That analogy doesn't work at all.

[dnieves]

Originally Posted by Caspeed

Whenever possible I would recommend getting an OEM windshield. The way windshields are installed in cars now a days (glued in) they actually serve a structural purpose. They add structural rigidity and crash protection. Many/some aftermarket windshields do not meet the same specs regardless of what they tell you when they sell it to you. You can always add a strip of tint.

Valid point, I think another concern is the installer. I've read reports of how replacement windshields popping off in accidents because they were not installed correctly.


Aside from that I've seen sloppy installers: smear the black adhesive on the interior pillars, leave gaps that resulted in leaks causing rust, and exterior windows trim/molding not being flush. This was by a shop -what's the expectation for a single guy that works out of van outdoors?