cracked windshield

[mrnix]

Yesterday, I was putting a piece of PVC pipe in my car through the ski hole. as I was putting it up on the dash, it bumped my windshield, and to my great surprise, it spiderwebbed the windshield. It took very little force to cause this crack, and now apparently I need a new windshield.

the car's at the dealer this morning to have the ball joint looked at, and they're going to give me a quote on a new windshield. Any concerns going aftermarket vs OEM?

[ArmedAviator]

Be careful with the aftermarket. Cheap Chinese glass can have "waves" in the glass and not look as clear. It can also glare more, and may not work with the rain sensor.

Only after purchasing my car did I realize that I have cheap Chinese glass on my M37....Luckily I see no waves, but I don't believe it is as "clear" as it can be - I definitely believe it glares too much at night. My rain sensor was installed incorrectly and needed new gel. Luckily was a cheap fix I did myself.

Even though the price is extreme, I'd make sure I get an American-made piece of glass if I ever need it, if not from Infiniti themselves. PPG is a good brand.

Whatever you do, do NOT use SafeLite. They do terrible quality work and use only cheap glass. I'm pretty sure that's who did mine and I still am finding things that need to be put back into place properly around the edges.

[Ilya]

Most insurance covers glass, no?

[Mjkkb2]

not oem. it's usually more than double the comparable aftermarket glass, so they don't want to cover it.

[Mjkkb2]

I think SafeLite could be a hit and miss. I had some great work done by them, and some terrible also. I never though about the quality of the glass itself, but I’d believe they get the most inexpensive part available.

[mrnix]

The dealer has a recommended company. Quoted me $545 for aftermarket glass, $1300 for OEM. I would expect (hope?) since the Infiniti dealer is recommending the company, they would use quality glass. Insurance covers, subject to my $500 deductible and then I would have to go through their network to an "approved" company, who would probably be someone like Safelite. Leaning toward the aftermarket from dealer, but I have a call out to another recommended glass tech.

[Ilya]

That sucks...I'm lucky I guess to have never needed this in the 13 years I've been a licensed driver.

[mrnix]

That sucks...I'm lucky I guess to have never needed this in the 13 years I've been a licensed driver.

I haven't needed it in over 13 years. Late 90s in my old Cavalier was the last time I needed a windshield repair. Knock on wood (not on glass!) that I won't need one again soon. Headed on a 700 mile road trip to Texas next Saturday, so I need the car ready to go.

[biggie]

Insurance has always covered mine with my $100 deductible, but I also make them do OEM after my S13's was done once with aftermarket and cracked in less than 2 weeks. My S13 has HUD and has the special film in the windshield for that, it's well over $1k for the windshield.

[Mjkkb2]

You can go with insurance and choose your own preferred installer. It is illegal in most if not all states for insurance to dictate a repair facility. They will most likely no pay for the OEM glass, since most coverage contracts are written that an automobile will be repaired with OEM or equivalent parts. Equivalent being the key term here. Read your policy documents to be sure. I think one can make a case for oem part but it's up to the insurance and their goodwill.

I get my glass damaged every few years between my two cars. Which is why I have a separate glass coverage with $50 deductible - it pays for itself.

[mrnix]

You can go with insurance and choose your own preferred installer. It is illegal in most if not all states for insurance to dictate a repair facility. They will most likely no pay for the OEM glass, since most coverage contracts are written that an automobile will be repaired with OEM or equivalent parts. Equivalent being the key term here. Read your policy documents to be sure. I think one can make a case for oem part but it's up to the insurance and their goodwill.

I get my glass damaged every few years between my two cars. Which is why I have a separate glass coverage with $50 deductible - it pays for itself.

as it stands, I have a $500 deductible, which is right around the cost of the aftermarket glass, recommended by the dealer. So my insurance claim would likely go like this:
File claim
Request OEM glass
Denied, told to go to Safelite for "equivalent"
Pay $500, insurance covers $50, if that.
Insurance goes up.

Or
Pay it myself.

[Mjkkb2]

no argument there....they will recover the $50 and then some in the first 6-month premium...

[dmclone]

I apparently got ripped off by safelite because my windshield was over $800.

[InfinitiAce]

My dealer told me that he would have his glass guy replace mine for $450. He never even offered an OEW glass. Quality glass is just as good as OEM. Just make sure that your rain sensing wipers work after the work is done. If they do not put the gel on correctly, they wont work and you wont find out until the next storm.

[dmclone]

I wonder if it makes a difference if you have the adaptive cruise control?

[mrnix]

My dealer told me that he would have his glass guy replace mine for $450. He never even offered an OEW glass. Quality glass is just as good as OEM. Just make sure that your rain sensing wipers work after the work is done. If they do not put the gel on correctly, they wont work and you wont find out until the next storm.

Dealer is doing it for $500, and assured they would confirm the rain sensor works afterward.

[mrnix]

got the car back now, and all seems good. Now unfortunately, the wife's Murano needs some work to get it back in shape.

[nuck]

I replaced the original glass in my GS350 at 90k miles with Chinese glass. No "waves" or anything like that but it appears to have pitted as much in one year as OEM did in eight. If you don't have highway road grit as a concern (we sand our roads in the winter here which) I might suggests the aftermarket stuff is okay. I wouldn't do it again on my Lexus but I have no lane departure so domestic is glass is only a couple hundred dollars more than AM. I put a w/s in my SLK55 through insurance and just assumed it would be OEM or close, but same Chinese stuff, different glass shop. I am told the quality control of the Chinese glass is inconsistent and the hardness leads to pitting. Not sure about that but waves might be a result. I would just want to see the Chinese w/s before I let them install it. AM glass did not affect rain sensor function.

[mrnix]

it's already in. how would I tell where the new windshield came from?

[mikedamageinc]

Look in the corners for the manufacturer mark