Safelite broke my windshield (glass options)

[Softrockrenegade]

Well the other day a rock put a star crack in my windshield about the size of a dime. Brought it to safelite to fix as a no cost option through insurance. They came out about 5 minutes later saying the fix didn't take and cracked which means I now have to replaced windshield. I refused to let them do the repair amd found a reputable glass shop to do the replacement. Insurance won't cover oem but the glass guy said I can get either pilkington or saint gobain. Any opinions on the difference between the two or should I just bite the bullet and pay the difference for oem vw glass. The glass guy said that the oem guardian windshield is of lesser quality than pilkington.

 

[20IndigoBlue02]

Look at your windshield it will tell you the manufacturer

Whether directly or via DOT number


Sent from my iPhone. There may be horrible grammar and misspelling involved

 

[Softrockrenegade]

Look at your windshield it will tell you the manufacturer

Whether directly or via DOT number


Sent from my iPhone. There may be horrible grammar and misspelling involved

It's a guardian windshield.

 

[20IndigoBlue02]

Guardian is part of safelite


Sent from my iPhone. There may be horrible grammar and misspelling involved

 

[kydsid]

We got the saint gobain when ours was replaced. It is better than OEM as its ir resistant and sound resistant.

 

[Softrockrenegade]

We got the saint gobain when ours was replaced. It is better than OEM as its ir resistant and sound resistant.

Thanks kydsid! I think I'll ask him to go with the SG sekurit as a replacement ! My 89 Mercedes 300sel had this glass and I have to assume its quality.

 

[dzcad90]

Thanks kydsid! I think I'll ask him to go with the SG sekurit as a replacement ! My 89 Mercedes 300sel had this glass and I have to assume its quality.

I'm sure most glass manufacturers have different grades of glass - just like Samsung makes different grades of TV in the same size. However, given the option I probably would have went the same direction.

What was the cost difference between the OE glass and the options you were given?

 

[DieselRacer]

We got the saint gobain when ours was replaced. It is better than OEM as its ir resistant and sound resistant.

yes, ask for this or Pilkington, both are oem Mercedes BMW

 

[powerfool]

I think Safelite is a racket. They give you the whole spiel about how this could break your windshield, and I understand that it is certainly a possibility. However, I bet that they don't try very hard to NOT break your windshield, that way you can buy the more expensive replacement. I took a car there once when I was out of town and the guy wouldn't even do the repair because he didn't have the windshield in stock. It is part of their game, methinks.

 

[tdiatlast]

Good thread. I will soon need a new windshield for my 09 JSW, because of small pits that make it hazardous in direct sunlight. Since it's not broken, I can take my time and source the best windshield.

 

[coowhip]

Sekurit is what was used on my Audi A4 and it had the Audi logo sticker and everything. It's the brand OEM Audi uses, not sure what applies to VW.

 

[20IndigoBlue02]

Sekurit is what was used on my Audi A4 and it had the Audi logo sticker and everything. It's the brand OEM Audi uses, not sure what applies to VW.

Saint Gobain and Sekurit are the same company


Sent from my iPhone. There may be horrible grammar and misspelling involved

 

[eugene89us]

When purchasing my car around 4 months ago, the stock windshield was cracked and the replacement was a part of a purchase agreement. They installed a Pilkington glass. The car has some side-windows made by Pilkington as well, so I initially thought that was OEM. The replacement windshield does not have a VW logo, but it says it is sound-proof on the label. Unsure if the original was also soundproof, but I certainly like the new glass they installed. Will see how that holds up, but I certainly have zero complaints so far.

 

[Mr. Furious]

I've never had any problems with Safelite. They've successfully performed every repair I've asked them to over the years.

They replaced my windshield a couple of weeks ago (there was no attempt to repair because it was a loooooooooooong crack). My car (2013 TDI SEL) came with Pilkington glass, but Safelite installed Saint-Gobain thermal/acoustic glass.

 

[DieselRacer]

When purchasing my car around 4 months ago, the stock windshield was cracked and the replacement was a part of a purchase agreement. They installed a Pilkington glass. The car has some side-windows made by Pilkington as well, so I initially thought that was OEM. The replacement windshield does not have a VW logo, but it says it is sound-proof on the label. Unsure if the original was also soundproof, but I certainly like the new glass they installed. Will see how that holds up, but I certainly have zero complaints so far.

It will not have a logo but it will still be OEM glass...

 

[Abacus]

Not sure about your model, but the Pilkington for the B4 was curved wrong and didn't fit properly as a result.

 

[sanjaun2]

I just had my windshield replaced by safelite. Now my sunshields do not fit properly. I thought I was going crazy since the opening dimension has not changed. I believe the safelite windshield is flatter than stock. OEM had more outward curve to it.

 

[TheUsualSuspect]

A few notes about automotive glass from a glass engineering veteran:

The logo on the glass identifies the glass manufacturer which bent, assembled, tested and certified the glass. This manufacturer may have or may have not fabricated the glass itself. There is an awful lot of cross-industry purchasing which goes on in this industry. It is NOT unusual for say, a Pilkington end-product to contain Guardian glass. Seems odd, but given the plethora of thicknesses and colors available in marketplace, no glass supplier can afford to make ALL varieties and thicknesses...so a commodity market exists for the blanks of raw untempered glass.

Second, there is virtually NOTHING easier to reverse-engineer than a piece of OEM glass. Buy it on the market, scan with laser or CMM, create model of glass, build bending tool and checking fixtures and you're on your way.

Without an OEM to provide firm performance specifications, you've just got the FMVSS 205 glazing safety spec to meet to keep things legal and you see what you can through whatever channels are available to you.

The sound-deadening function is provided through the choice of the PVB plastic laminate used to bind the two sheets of WS glass together. Solar control is usually accomplished through glass coatings, but may be gained through the laminate material too.

I've always been partial to using OEM glass replacements, for the reason that there are usually additional layers of part specifications required to guarantee windshield fit and finish. Some of the reverse-engineering occurs in China and I've received what I consider to be a sub-standard part once as a replacement.

C

 

[PassatSE4me]

Very good info TUS!

 

[dzcad90]

I think Safelite is a racket. They give you the whole spiel about how this could break your windshield, and I understand that it is certainly a possibility. However, I bet that they don't try very hard to NOT break your windshield, that way you can buy the more expensive replacement. I took a car there once when I was out of town and the guy wouldn't even do the repair because he didn't have the windshield in stock. It is part of their game, methinks.

Shortly after I purchased my '09 I had a Hummer throw a rock up and hit my windshield. leaving the typical star shaped crack.

Took it to Safelite and they did the repair, however it looked awful. They do all this advertising "Oh, we can repair your windshield" but about 30 seconds before I left the place they showed me the sign and gave me the spiel about how "Oh these are structural repairs, not cosmetic."

To their credit, the repair did hold for over 4 years, however it just looked terrible and I can tell the resin was starting to deteriorate by the time I sold the car.

Given the option again if I had a chip in the same place, I'd probably just let it ride for a while until the crack was too large to repair and get new glass.

 

[Abacus]

I went to a different glass place and they just did the same repair, and it looks horrible. The place I used to go (for almost twice the price) would repair the crack and you could hardly tell where it'd been. I'm going back there when it happens again.

 

[SoTxBill]

I always use audi glass so the car will run faster.

 

[tdiatlast]

Just to offer the flip side. 2005 Toyota Tundra: Safelite in Pagosa Springs, CO repaired a "star" which appeared directly in front of the driver's vision. The repair is hardly noticeable, and has endured 4 years of No. VA seasonal variation.

YMMV.

 

[Softrockrenegade]

Had the glass replaced today. Installer put in a pilkington acoustic windshield(I believe this is an upgrade). The install came out great other than some urethane which bulged into the dot matrix on the passenger side A piller which they are going to trim back next week after it cures.