windshield replacement?
 

got a rock hit on the bottom of the windshield going to work the other day, leaving work and with texas heat before getting home notice that the crack is now almost all the way up. Think i can get it replaced at a normal windshield place or will i have to go to the stealer? About how much would a replacement cost?
thanks all
Michael

Think your auto (comprehensive) insurance covers that, so call your insurance company. It'll just be your $100 deductible. (Or whatever your deductible is.)

I had it done last year. No need for anything from the dealer. Just make sure that you are getting OEM glass. Make sure to vacuum out the car interior afterwards as there will be some glass chips in the carpet.

Windshield glass (or any glass, for that matter) does not have to be done through the manufacturer. I work for a large insurance company and we normally send our glass claims through Safelite or some other company. Much much cheaper than OEM glass.

All that OEM glass ensures is a perfect fit. If you are using a quality glass dealer, it should fit just as well. Aftermarket windshield glass is manufactured in the same manner as the OEM stuff, and it costs a lot less.

Save yourself some money and go aftermarket.

cool beans. Will look around abit and get a few quotes then. Have a friend had his truck windshield replaced a month ago for i think he said $200 , can't remember. will call him. I am guessing that the radio antenna that is built in is then in the rear glass?
thanks for the info duddes and duddetts
Michael

That's what I want a perfect fit. Aftermarket glass, as you say, "should" fit but it might not. Why should I bother taking that chance?

It wouldn't have saved me a penny. I paid my deductible and would have paid the same deductible if I had gone with aftermarket glass.

Aftermarket glass has absolutely no upside and a risk of problems. Sure, the odds might be low but the pain would be large.

Um, do you have any idea what you're talking about? Your insurance company has a legal right to indemnify you (get things back the way they were before), but that does not mean they have to go OEM. I guarantee you that your insurance company (just like the one I work for) went the cheapest way, which would mean they put on aftermarket glass. Aftermarket materials are guaranteed for perfect fitment, so there is no way that you would ever be able to tell the difference between the two.

It may have cost you your deductible, but you've now got a windshield that was not made by mazda.

I'm not sure that you know what you're talking about. In California, you MUST be informed that non-OEM parts are being used in a repair and you must sign off on that. OEM glass was used on my car.

Now, what insurance company is it that you work for that would break the law and screw their customer to improve their bottom line so that I can be sure to avoid them in the future?

I'll bet you that nobody has an RX-8 with a windshield that was made by Mazda. Mazda will have specced it out and had them produced to their standards. Some will unfortunately have some partially reverse-engineered sub-standard windshield which won't perform to spec but which will help some insurance exec buy a summer home or a yacht.

Be very careful going with the non-OEM glass. The company I had replace mine ordered what was "supposed" to be the correct glass for my '04 w/ Homelink mirror but the mirror mount is incorrect. Now 4 months later, I'm still trying to get everyone on the same page and get the windshield replaced with the factory glass.

I got a replacement at the dealer.

No problems here.

Not to hijack the thread, but my windshield (original) has always had a very slight optical distortion—not bad enough for me to have complained, but if I ever need a replacement, I'll mention it—and hope the replacement's distortion-free.

Who guarantees perfect fit?

There is an organization that certifies third party body parts conform to OEM specs. I forget the name of it, but it was set up by insurance companies, so the certification is bogus. When my wife's car needed a fender replaced, GEICO first specified an aftermarket replacement. The body shop guy saw the brand, and went "Ugh!" I talked to the adjuster, and got her to authorize an OEM part. No big fight or anything; I asked nicely if they'd go for it. If not, I'd pay the difference.

Michael - just talk to the glass shop about the windshield your insurance company specifies. It's not like third party brands are automatically bad. And you can always cover the difference if you think the one they'll specify is not up to snuff.

Ken

I used Diamond Triumph Auto Glass--got the quote and made the appt. online. The windshield is original equipment and cost $330. The work was done at my home. I had a couple of minor problems (loose rearview mirror and twisted rubber trim) but they fixed them prompty. They also gave me a lifetime warranty.

I had my BMW windshield replaced in the spring. Company said OE glass and rubber seal. Showed up with PPG (OE is Sekurit) and some obviously less well-detailed rubber seal. Then put them in misaligned. The windshield had a distortion that has relaxed somewhat in 6 mo., but still makes a car I could drive for 5 hours at a time impossible to do more than about half that without fighting to stay awake and eventually stopping for a long rest.

Unfortunately, the three brand new RX-8s I just test drove are all worse.

don't ask me how many times i have had aftermarket windshield replaced. it is CHEAP and not as sturdy...may be a little lighter and thinner too. the only upside is some companies offer with tinted visor section.

if you want to be really satisfied with your windshield. just hope the person who sets your windshield is a perfectionist. and have them use OEM weatherstrip.

none of the aftermarket glass was really bad. but i waas never happy and believe i needed so many replacements was in partial to non-oem weather strip.

I am a perfectionist. We do windshield replacement in shop only to have a controlled environment. We always use 2 people to set the glass to minimize mishaps. Anyone can get you a shaded windshield. Lastly and most importantly......there are far too many other variables at hand, other than someone thinking it is cheap glass. Major variables are 1)There are many more cars on the road these days to throw up rocks. 2)There is much more road construction going on, all the damn time. I will admit, I do side work. That is at peoples homes. I'll attach some pics of my favs and that will show you how much perfection I deal in. Safelite dosen't get calls for what I do, my cell rings.

I got a PPG which was absolutely fine. I did have to get the rear view mirror reglued the next day. You have to specify Homelink or not because the windshield has a slight groove for the wiring.

+1 Same thing happened to me. If your insurance will cover the replacement there is no reason to save them any money. Get OEM.

I used Glass America (twice) and they did a great job. FTD.