Windshield OE vs Aftermarket?

[bimrunner]

My original glass cracked while I had the defroster on. Not sure if connected or not but pretty suspicious in any case. Was driving along and started snowing. Was a pretty rapid drop in outside temp, but still. Never heard anything, the crack just appeared near the bottom, easily visible, saw it immediately. Replaced it with a good quality third party glass. i thought maybe the OEM glass wasn't all it was "cracked up" to be and personally think it is over rated. Just my 2 cents. That was 2 and a half years ago and replacement is still good.

Mine just did the same. Nice rainbow crack in front of the driver side originating and going back to the edge. Defroster caused it about 4K out of warranty period. Lol

 

[shadow247]

Mine just did the same. Nice rainbow crack in front of the driver side originating and going back to the edge. Defroster caused it about 4K out of warranty period. Lol

Can you follow the crack does it go to the edge? Windshields are weakest at the edge, and when they get a pit or chip here, they can easily crack across the entire viewing area when the temp changes quickly.

I do collision repair and have to carefully inspect every windshield that comes in and mark any damage. I have seen more than a few cases where a windshield is perfectly fine, but after taking the swing from 70 degress to 150 degrees in our paint booth, a crack forms starting from the edge. You can usually spot a chip or crack that originated on the edge.


Back to the topic of replacement...

Safelite is really hit or miss with their installers. Some are real pro's, while others are hacks. The important thing is to be there and supervise the install. If the paint around the windshield frame is scratched anywhere the glue does not touch, it WILL rust and cause possible leaks. This is the number one mistake made in windshield installation. A crack is the paint on the windshield frame can lead to disaster a few years down the road.

As far as quality of the windshield goes, there's only a few out there. PPG is one of the most respected brands, so see if you can find someone who sells those.

I recently sold my Mazda 3. I had 2 non-OEM windshields installed that were not PPG. Both had a swirl-like defect in the passenger view. It was totally un-noticeable unless you were sitting in just the right angle, or knew it was there, then you couldn't stop noticing it.

Bottom line is its really about the install, because that is the part that is most commonly screwed up. I personally will never pay OEM glass prices because I have a direct glass vendor that comes to my shop everyday. You could also call your insurance company and see who they have on their list. You could get a better deal going through insurance even if it is under your deductible, as most insurance companies have a negotiated price with companies like Safelite, that is quite lower than the retail price.

 

[Davemon]

Safelite

They are hit or miss for me. The glass they use (mine was labeled Pilkington) isn't bad, but the install was definitely not great. Had a small whistle at speeds over 75mph that drove me crazy. Luckily, had another rock jump up and smash that one (I'm on my 3rd replacement windshield now. Went to a real glass shop and got some OEM glass. They tell me it's made by PGW, and it seems fine after about 3 months. Was crystal clear after install. It honestly looked like there was no windshield at all. For the record, I don't have wiper heaters. And I have full glass coverage through my insurance, so never paid a dime for any of my 3 replacements.

 

[desertred]

My original glass cracked while I had the defroster on. Not sure if connected or not but pretty suspicious in any case. Was driving along and started snowing. Was a pretty rapid drop in outside temp, but still. Never heard anything, the crack just appeared near the bottom, easily visible, saw it immediately. Replaced it with a good quality third party glass. i thought maybe the OEM glass wasn't all it was "cracked up" to be and personally think it is over rated. Just my 2 cents. That was 2 and a half years ago and replacement is still good.

Same story, same scenario caused a 27 inch crack along the bottom of my windshield 2-3 winters ago. All but about 10 inches of the crack are below the "blacked" out portion of the windshield, so doesn't intrude upon visibility. The crack starts and ends at the base of the windshield, so it shouldn't extend any further. I have yet to replace the windshield. When the pitting get bad enough that sunlight or headlights cause an issue, as [MENTION=51186]philsey[/MENTION] states, I'll replace the windshield.

 

[bimrunner]

Can you follow the crack does it go to the edge? Windshields are weakest at the edge, and when they get a pit or chip here, they can easily crack across the entire viewing area when the temp changes quickly.

I do collision repair and have to carefully inspect every windshield that comes in and mark any damage. I have seen more than a few cases where a windshield is perfectly fine, but after taking the swing from 70 degress to 150 degrees in our paint booth, a crack forms starting from the edge. You can usually spot a chip or crack that originated on the edge.


Back to the topic of replacement...

Safelite is really hit or miss with their installers. Some are real pro's, while others are hacks. The important thing is to be there and supervise the install. If the paint around the windshield frame is scratched anywhere the glue does not touch, it WILL rust and cause possible leaks. This is the number one mistake made in windshield installation. A crack is the paint on the windshield frame can lead to disaster a few years down the road.

As far as quality of the windshield goes, there's only a few out there. PPG is one of the most respected brands, so see if you can find someone who sells those.

I recently sold my Mazda 3. I had 2 non-OEM windshields installed that were not PPG. Both had a swirl-like defect in the passenger view. It was totally un-noticeable unless you were sitting in just the right angle, or knew it was there, then you couldn't stop noticing it.

Bottom line is its really about the install, because that is the part that is most commonly screwed up. I personally will never pay OEM glass prices because I have a direct glass vendor that comes to my shop everyday. You could also call your insurance company and see who they have on their list. You could get a better deal going through insurance even if it is under your deductible, as most insurance companies have a negotiated price with companies like Safelite, that is quite lower than the retail price.

I couldn't find a chip at the edge but I didn't spend a lot of time looking. Just planning to have it replaced.

 

[Orbital Debris]

The OE windshield also has a small heater strip running up the drivers side in addition to the heaters under the park position. I would be interested to see if an aftermarket has that as well.

 

[Knight-Errant]

I cracked my windshield 5 weeks after my 4runner purchase and had to replace it. I used Toyota glass because it retains the heated windshield elements. If you go with an aftermarket windshield you may lose this option.

Insurance (Geico) pretty much covered the Toyota glass; I paid $50 out of pocket which made me happy when I saw what it would cost out of pocket.

I had a local shop do the work; I did my research online and they seemed very reputable and were recommend by the local Lexus and BMW dealerships.

It took a 1.5 weeks to have the glass shipped over, which wasn't that much of a wait.

 

[e60ral]

^ same experience with GEICO, I've never had to pay more than a $50 deductible for windshields, the insurance for it is so cheap i don't know why anyone would mess with it

 

[TheLast13]

Does the OE or aftermarket glass have UV protection in it?

I know a lot of the JDM Toyota's have UV protection in them factory.

 

[Knight-Errant]

Does the OE or aftermarket glass have UV protection in it?

I know a lot of the JDM Toyota's have UV protection in them factory.

I was under the impression that UV protection is in all factory glass these days.

 

[Randyman...]

Same experience with Safelite. Was not thrilled with their install. Seemed to use a less than stellar tech on my install. Fit n' finish was not quite up to my liking...

Went to Binswanger next time, and was much happier for the same price. I pre-confirmed a seasoned tech would be performing the installation - and all went extremely well.

Binswanger installed a "Pilkington Solar" with heated wiper park area, which I assume is UV treated (or a very sneaky name to make you think it is UV treated!).

Just got a small stone chip/crack in that one last week (after more than a year). I'll likely forego getting it filled, and replace it again once that crack makes a bee-line towards the driver's side. It's all pitted up anyway (91K on my '13 T4R! ) - so I don't mind some replacement glass about now...

OT: $1k windshield install - HA! That seems like insurance companies getting their grubby fingers inserted in the "I want Factory/OEM Glass" mix. Just keep in mind that cost makes its way back to us laymen (even if you only pay $50 "out of pocket" - the artificially exorbitant cost is being handed down the chain to us in the end user pool - it ALWAYS is!!!).

Back On Topic! :whipping2

 

[bfly0317]

I know this is an old thread, but I have some insight. I was told that I was getting original, but it did not have the Toyota logo, so it was after market. I could tell a huge difference in glare. I made them order from the manufacturer and redo it. I also felt that there was more distortion.

 

[sroodtuo]

After haggling with the insurance company for a week, the bottom line was that OEM glass would cost me ~$700 out of pocket with my $100 deductible. The shop I chose has ordered aftermarket glass from Pilkington. We'll see...

 

[krravi]

After haggling with the insurance company for a week, the bottom line was that OEM glass would cost me ~$700 out of pocket with my $100 deductible. The shop I chose has ordered aftermarket glass from Pilkington. We'll see...

You can get the OEM Toyota windshield for 360 + 60 shipped

Just find a local installer to do a good job of it. I am in the same boat and am waiting for warmer weather. I heard that the glue they use for the windshield has two types, one for winter and one for summer. Good installers choose the appropriate glue based on weather. I think it is all about how it cures so no water gets in and corrodes your A pillar.

As for the OEM glass, it is most probably made by ASAHI glass of Japan. They are a giant in that field just like Corning glass here. The variety of windshield glass they make is mind boggling. I wish I could get them here.

Our products

And most importantly, I am waiting for all the road construction along my regular drive route to finish. My luck, the moment I install a new Windshield, Boom.. new road construction starts like magic. I mean the roads that were pending for years suddenly come alive with construction crews. So I have been postponing it. Silly you say? Maybe, but I would rather have my Windshield crack after a while rather than immediately after installing a new one.

So if you need new roads built around your area? Let me know. Just pay for the glass and I will gladly drive around and you will get a new road!

As for better prices for Toyota OEM glass, here it is. They gone up now since I checked last time.But still better price than the dealer.

56101-35160 Genuine Toyota Glass Sub-Assembly, Wind

 

[Dynamo]

I had to have my windshield replaced after only 2 months of owning it. I went with aftermarket to save money thinking I may end up having to replace windshields more often than I had hoped. The glass place installed a Fuyao windshield. No complaints about the glass but I wasn't happy with the aftermarket moldings they used as they do not fit as nice as OEM. I'm thinking next time I have to have it replaced I will go with aftermarket glass again but buy OEM molding to be installed with it.

 

[Birchwhitehd]

I have a 2021 4runner I bought new…. 5,000 miles I caught a stone from someone’s tire put a chip center of the windshield, looked like it was shot with a BB gun, $250 deductible on glass I had local glass company install a new factory Toyota windshield & factory did trim also
Took 2 months to get a factory windshield from Toyota…..$1295.00 including the recalibration of the windshield safety sense camera ($295.00)
Safelite did the install

 

[2021nightshade4x4]

So let’s get down to brass tacks.

Can anyone come forward and share a personal experience of an aftermarket windshield performing better than OEM? (it shouldn’t be hard, OEM sucks)

More specifically, does aftermarket glass have any greater resistance to rock chips cracking ALL the way across the entire windshield?

Dodge Safeguard has impressed me.
Land Rover acoustic/climate glass has impressed me.
Toyota glass has not.


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[Too Stroked]

So let’s get down to brass tacks.

Can anyone come forward and share a personal experience of an aftermarket windshield performing better than OEM? (it shouldn’t be hard, OEM sucks)

More specifically, does aftermarket glass have any greater resistance to rock chips cracking ALL the way across the entire windshield?

Dodge Safeguard has impressed me.
Land Rover acoustic/climate glass has impressed me.
Toyota glass has not.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Maybe I can offer some insight as I used to work for a Toyota dealership in Parts / Service. We did what most dealerships do and brought in external folks to do all glass replacement work - except for the sensor calibrations. They usually installed their own aftermarket glass, but sometimes - on customer orders - installed Toyota OEM glass.

So, was the OEM better than aftermarket or the other way around? The best evidence I can offer was a 3rd gen Tacoma that came in for numerous electrical problems. Our best Tech got the job and almost immediately found water down the driver side A-Pillar and a totally corroded main harness and connectors. More investigation turned up a poorly installed aftermarket windshield with more waves in it that the Pacific Ocean. (The poor installation magnified the problems caused by the waves in the glass.) The result? Almost $5,000 to tear the cab totally apart and replace the entire main harness and windshield. Which problem was worse? You tell me.

Funny end to the story. The customer's insurance company had to pay for all of the work. They had to use an OEM harness since there is no aftermarket one available. That said, they insisted on another aftermarket windshield - which was just as wavy as the one they pulled out. Words fail me.

 

[2021nightshade4x4]

Maybe I can offer some insight as I used to work for a Toyota dealership in Parts / Service. We did what most dealerships do and brought in external folks to do all glass replacement work - except for the sensor calibrations. They usually installed their own aftermarket glass, but sometimes - on customer orders - installed Toyota OEM glass.

So, was the OEM better than aftermarket or the other way around? The best evidence I can offer was a 3rd gen Tacoma that came in for numerous electrical problems. Our best Tech got the job and almost immediately found water down the driver side A-Pillar and a totally corroded main harness and connectors. More investigation turned up a poorly installed aftermarket windshield with more waves in it that the Pacific Ocean. (The poor installation magnified the problems caused by the waves in the glass.) The result? Almost $5,000 to tear the cab totally apart and replace the entire main harness and windshield. Which problem was worse? You tell me.

Funny end to the story. The customer's insurance company had to pay for all of the work. They had to use an OEM harness since there is no aftermarket one available. That said, they insisted on another aftermarket windshield - which was just as wavy as the one they pulled out. Words fail me.

I can’t one up that story! But I can say I’m grateful Toyota parts had glass in stock for my replacement. I’ve needed one so far in 15k miles.

I voiced the above concern because I see a noticeably higher amount of windshield threads (and rust threads, etc.) on Toyota spaces vs other forums. And I consider myself to be among the world’s least observant people.

This is a non issue for me at the moment but, let’s say, I find rock chips are literally causing my windshield to fold in half every 10k miles on average, then I may be tempted to test and rule out aftermarket glass too.


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[CutthroatSlam]

Probably looking at our 4th windshield replacement on our 2014 SR5 with 285k miles. Waiting for spring for the next replacement. Just par for the course.