Windshield replacement (should I get OEM glass?, how to determine a good shop) (2025 Update)

Here's my experience with windshields, 'old style' and new style.

A gasket (moldable yet firm goo) is layed around the perimeter of the windshield deck. The new windshield is layed on top of this gasket and also rests against alignment clips. Then the chrome (or colored) molding is pressed on to hide the channel.

You're ready to drive off.

About six months ago, I had a windshield replaced on my truck. A rubber gasket (it's grooved on the ID of the gasket) is wrapped around the windshield, which forms a rubber 'ring' around the windshield, then the windshield with this rubber gasket ring is pressed into the winshield channel.

Ready to drive RIGHT NOW.

No 'adhesives' involved in either of those two methods.

I paid $80 for a brand-new windshield, OEM quality and then paid $70 for installation.

Forgot to mention: the first windshield I got from a junkyard, no chips, etc for $40 and a friend who is a body man, installed it for me in 30 minutes. (no cost except beer).

"Nope...there isn't enough difference to worry about. Mules is mules, Erastus

"Elle" wrote in news:g%c8f.2697$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net:

OEM Honda glass is like OEM Honda radiators: Overpriced for what you get.

An OEM '97 Accord windshield is less than $300. An aftermarket will be less than half that.

Quality issues with aftermarket glass usually involve distortion (see item #2).

The only real quality issues you'll have with any windshield are:

1) Pinchweld paint nicks, which will rust. And they WILL nick the paint, too. Get the installer to allow you to inspect the pinchweld BEFORE the new glass goes in, and get him to primer the nicks with his glass primer. If the glass shop won't let you do this, go find one that will. 2) Distortions in the glass. Have the glass shop support the windshield at the same angle it will be in when installed, pointing out the shop's windows. Then go squat down where you will be when in the driver's seat. Squirm around and watch the view. Does anything appear distorted as you move around? Then DON'T let them install that glass! Get them to bring in a new one. A good glass shop will have no objection to you doing this. Of course, greater priority will be given to distortions directly in your line of vision. Don't reject glass just because the upper passenger-side corner has distortion. 3) Nicks in the glass edges. Run your fingernail all around the edges on both faces. The tiniest nick will eventually turn into a crack. If your fingernail hangs up at any point, reject the glass. 4) Trim. Probably the very best thing for you to do is remove the wipers, A-pillar trim and leaf grate yourself. It will prevent them from breaking it and then gluing it up with urethane so you don't notice. 5) Make certain they've put the new glass in STRAIGHT. If they're in a hurry they can put it in slightly rotated, and you'll have weird wind noises and maybe even water leaks. I've just gone through this with a guy with a 2003 CR-V. Boy did the glass shop screw that one up. 6) As far as drive time after installation, less than an hour is NORMAL. Modern urethane glass adhesive cures VERY quickly. Don't worry about it. 7) MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL!!!!!!! STAY WAY FROM DUMP TRUCKS! I call them windshield-crackers. If you are even 100 yards behind a dump truck, drop back 1,000 yards, or pass it. Stay at LEAST two lanes away. Every time one of those things goes over the slightest bump, a cascade of gravel will sift out of the tailgate seams and break your windshield! They make dumpers tarp their loads, but they do NOTHING about the tailgate seams. Dumb, if you ask me. And generally, don't tailgate. If you're close to another vehicle, the chances of gravel getting kicked onto your windshield are much greater.

Just my 2¢, of course.

I'm not finding that - Chapter and verse, please?

A good indication of whether all patches are unapproved is whether there are Novus dealers listed in the "glass replacement or repair" section of the local phone book; they won't thrive if what they do is illegal. Apparently the technique has also changed recently, because the last time I had a star crack repaired they said the maximum size was one that could be covered by a quarter. Now I'm told they can repair it if the crack can be covered by a dollar bill. Maybe the next time it will be if they can be covered by a $100 bill ;-)

Our last crack was too big, and we got a good price and good service on replacement from Safelite. YMMV.

Mike

Mike

I think blind luck has a lot to do with it. A Dodge we had went through 4 windshields in barely half a year. The original was smashed by a vandal. Maybe a month later a big rock terminated the new one. Not a week later a storm broke a big limb from a tree and smashed #3. Within a couple months #4 picked up a couple of star cracks that grew into each other (that could be related to windshield quality). The next windshield lasted until we got rid of the car... maybe a year or two.

I recall many years ago there was a car commercial (Buick?) that featured two cars running into a steel ball or similar suspended by a string. The Brand X car had a smashed windshield while Wonder Car didn't. They were touting a "specially toughened area in front of the driver" - which made me wonder if there was a reason the rest of the windshield was more vulnerable. Since then I learned that tempering makes glass much more resistant to impact but much more vulnerable to temperature changes. So... there may well be differences, but I couldn't tell you what is best..

Mike

"Elle" wrote

Everyone knows rocks are attracted to shiny new glass. Just like birds are attracted to freshly washed hoods.

My experience with non-OEM glass is that it is as tough (or breakable) as OEM glass. There can be differences in quality however. I have seen non-OEM glass with a not well formed outer surface. As a consequence the windshield wiper misses one or more low spots in the glass. If it were me I would insist on OEM glass from the dealer.

As I mentioned in a previous post, the dealers in this little country town outsource all the glasswork. A dealer windshield IS an aftermarket piece. Never any problems, according to the Buick shop foreman.

Thanks, Mike. I'd still like to know where it is the CA code, though.

>

I have had very good luck with aftermarket glass installed by local shops. No reason to pay Honda $$$$$ prices for it.

John

Had a brand new VW once...got a star break on the way home....too big for repair...so new windshield. Original was OEM (obvisously); replacement not.

Had a new Toyota with scratches in the driver's side of the windshield at time of purchase....finally got the dealer to accept the defect and they replaced it. (Actually dealer had some local glass outfit do the replacement - not OEM by the way; replacement job was done right there in the dealer's service bay!).

Had more than couple of replacements on Honda Accord in 5 years....none were OEM and, per others on this group, less $.

Moral of this story.....auto glass has to meet Federal safety standards, and any reputable glass outfit knows that....save the $ and believe other posts on this group about non-OEM windshields. (Even my original Honda windshield had some distortions...)

(Disclaimer: I haven't been a Californian for many a year....) When I have had cracks repaired they were effectively invisible. I could get

*real* close and make out hairlines, but otherwise they couldn't be seen.

Now I'm an Arizonan and as long as huge chunks of the car don't fall in the path of a patrolman, most such things are usually ignored. (A few months ago my son was attacked on the freeway by a rolling something that looked like a brake drum and lodged above his spoiler - true story!) I am cynical enough to think the complaints are saved until the patrolman wants to pull the car over, though.

Mike

The most important factor, by far, is how well the windshield is glued in place since there's far more variation with this than with the quality of the glass. If the windshield doesn't stay in place in a crash, not only will unbelted occupants be at greater risk of injury but also belted occupants can suffer since airbags, especially the passenger one, depend on the windshield to hold them in place.

A good installation requires taht the glass and window opening be very clean, gloves worn during installation to prevent skin oil from contaminating the surfaces, and the proper primer and urethane adhesive (made with different cure rates for different temperatures) be used. The current preferred practice is to remove all the old urethane from the window opening. Also the car should not be driven until at least twice the cure time has passed. When I replaced my own windshield, the adhesive required anywhere from 2-6 hours to cure. My windshield never leaked, unlike most of those done on company cars by a local chain of glass shops that advertised heavily and offered insurance deductible rebates and free restaurant dinners.

I believe federal regulations only require that a certain high percentage of the windshield remain in place and unpierced. It doesn't mandate the use of adhesive, and I had a VW Golf (Rabbit in U.S.) with the windshield held in place with a gasket, but on the left and right sides were metal strips with alligator teeth to dig into the gasket and make it hold the glass much more securely. The alligator strips also made installation much more difficult, and I'm sure some unscrupulous glass shops left them out. These strips, being made of heavily galvanized steel, probably also prevented the opening from rusting, a major problem with my rear hatch window. I believe car makers switched to adhesives in order to save time (glue can cure as the car travels down the production line) and to allow a more flush perimeter around the glass.

I just read through about 20 posts on this subject. I will say you guys are really knowledgeable on this subject. I make widshields for a living and you guys are on the mark. First OEM and AGR glass (aftermarket) all have to meet the same regulations. Since we have no idea where the window will up California or Canada where I live. The real differences bettween OEM and AGR glass is fit, appearance and reflective distortion. Fit includes size,bend and depth. Appearance is paint defects,edge defects. material inbetween the plys. Depth is harder to explain but suffice to say if you ever had a winshield wiper miss part of the windshild you know what I am talking about.Optic qualities mean you should be able to look out the windshild without out thinking you are in a fun house. OEM Windshields have standards that have to be met in this regard.AGR is a lot more relaxed and have a look at the window you are installing. As one guy I work with says Its on the passenger side where the dog sticks his nose anyway. Tougher glass? All glass made in North America meets the same standards. Look at some older imports and you will see what I mean. Just about all Japanese cars are produced here now anyway with all there components and glass. Most Agr glass is spun off of regular OEM runs then the logo removed and the manufacturers put on. Discontinued models will have a separate run with a goal of meeting OEM quality but not the urgency. But then the longer(years) you run a part the better you get at it. We have a pick up truck we do. For 20 years we were one of the OEM suppliers. ALso spinning off AGR from this. Now it is a strictly AGR part. But with improvements in technology in that time. Better furnaces,cutting and edging equipment, better paints and painting equipment. The quality of this part is far superior to the original. Here is a good story. Late model camaro or firebird. The instalation angle is really laid back. Big mother of a windshield for a small car. Anyone under 5'6" (mostly women) had a terrible time with the optics. GM would replace the windows 3 or 4 times before one would suit the buyer. This is dragging on. Any questions?

Thanks guys. I guess I'll ask my shop manager at my yard. I know we have to replace cracked windows on buses, but not sure what law(s) or reg(s) cover that. But that's commercial, dunno if it applies to personal vehicles.

commercial use is WAY more strict. in california, commercial drivers arent allowed traffic school any more to get a point off their record, even if theyre driving their own personal vehicle. its THAT strict...