Aftermarket windshield?

[Quattro Pete]

Wife's 2015 Q5 needs a new windshield due to a sizeable crack. I have a $50 deductible on my insurance, but it won't cover OEM glass. If I wanted OEM glass, it'd cost me $600 extra out of pocket.

We are not planning to keep this vehicle much longer, so I'm thinking just going with the cheaper aftermarket glass, although on Audi forum people are saying that's a bad idea - possibly the rain sensing feature may not work properly and there is higher potential for water leaks, although the company I'll be using for the glass replacement does offer lifetime warranty.

So I'm a bit torn, but I'm still kind of leaning toward just using aftermarket glass as we will most likely be selling this car in the near future. Thoughts?

 

[benjamming]

Is the aftermarket warranty transferrable?

 

[Vercingetorix]

It’s not only the glass. They can also mess up your paint installing the glass. I know from experience , dealer only for me.

 

[skyactiv]

It’s not only the glass. They can also mess up your paint installing the glass. I know from experience , dealer only for me.

Most dealers farm out glass work and just because the work is done at a dealer, it doesn't mean they'll use OEM glass.

 

[Vercingetorix]

Most dealers farm out glass work and just because the work is done at a dealer, it doesn't mean they'll use OEM glass.

You must be using the wrong dealers.

 

[skyactiv]

On a 2015 Audi Q5, I'd go aftermarket. Address the concerns with the glass company before they come out.

 

[skyactiv]

You must be using the wrong dealers.

I use to work at a dealer as a Honda Mechanic. You'd be surprised if you knew how dealers work.

 

[kschachn]

All experience can be local I know, but I had a Fuyao windshield installed in my old Sienna and it was at least as good as the original. Made in the USA and virtually no distortion down in the corners. It has been four years now and no problems.

I did take out the old one myself since the pinch weld was rusting. I cleaned that up and epoxy primered the weld prior to having a company install a new one.

 

[Vercingetorix]

I use to work at a dealer as a Honda Mechanic. You'd be surprised if you knew how dealers work.

You must have worked at the wrong dealer as well.

 

[skyactiv]

You must have worked at the wrong dealer as well.

I did and thank god as it made me go on to bigger and better things.

 

[John105]

Wife's 2015 Q5 needs a new windshield due to a sizeable crack. I have a $50 deductible on my insurance, but it won't cover OEM glass. If I wanted OEM glass, it'd cost me $600 extra out of pocket.

We are not planning to keep this vehicle much longer, so I'm thinking just going with the cheaper aftermarket glass, although on Audi forum people are saying that's a bad idea - possibly the rain sensing feature may not work properly and there is higher potential for water leaks, although the company I'll be using for the glass replacement does offer lifetime warranty.

So I'm a bit torn, but I'm still kind of leaning toward just using aftermarket glass as we will most likely be selling this car in the near future. Thoughts?

What co. is this....that lizard gave me the same BS on my BMW. It took 40 minutes to finally wear that rep down and they covered it.

I don't know today on my 2007 if I have that kind of time. But if my car were brand new, why not? I want factory glass with the mfg logo. It's not the same. It's like you break your Oakley or Maui Jim lenses, and they get replaced by generic.

My point was I pay for comp. What do I care what it costs beyond my deductible? I'm not your partner trying to lower your costs.

btw there are 3 grades and OEM is the middle.

My 335i 2007:

factory OE: Saint Gobain Sekurit with a BMW logo
OEM: Saint Gobain Sekurit without a BMW logo
Aftermarket: Safelite and others

Newer cars did have Chinese Fuyao OE with the BMW logo etc....

 

[Quattro Pete]

It’s not only the glass. They can also mess up your paint installing the glass. I know from experience , dealer only for me.

There is just one Audi dealer in my area, and they don't do glass replacement. They farm it out to a local glass repair company, and that is the company that I'll be using for this job. This company does have a lot of very positive reviews on Google, although I know that doesn't mean a whole lot.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

A lot of the "aftermarket" glass you'd get from a reputable installer is the same as the OE glass from the dealer but without the olympic rings logo. When you get a chance, take a look at the corner of your windshield, where it has the Audi logo, and it will also have another company's name and DOT number. It's possible the new windshield will have those same markings but without the Audi logo. It will be just as good as the original windshield that was installed from the factory.

In other cases, the new windshield will come from an OE supplier but not the same one who made your factory windshield. These will also be just as good as the factory windshield.

The only time you'll face a problem is with certain suppliers that are not an OE supplier to anyone. These are often called OEE windshields, such as XinYi (XYG). Safelite used to make their own windshields, and these were the low-quality OEE type as well, but they stopped making their own glass as windshields have gotten more complicated with teh sensors and stuff you mention. Safelite now uses mostly Fuyao (FYG), which is much better than the glass they used to make themselves.

The most important thing is the quality of the installation.

And as others have said, even dealers don't do their own windshield installation. Glass installation is usually farmed out to a local installer, but the dealer will supply the glass for customers who must have that OEM logo and are willing to pay for it.

All experience can be local I know, but I had a Fuyao windshield installed in my old Sienna and it was at least as good as the original. Made in the USA and virtually no distortion down in the corners. It has been four years now and no problems.

I did take out the old one myself since the pinch weld was rusting. I cleaned that up and epoxy primered the weld prior to having a company install a new one.

This. Also, Fuyao is an OE supplier now. I've gotten Fuyao windshields installed on 2 different cars, and both looked and felt identical to OE.

 

[CKN]

I use to work at a dealer as a Honda Mechanic. You'd be surprised if you knew how dealers work.

How wold have the dealer you worked for handled a windshield replacement?

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Also, Fuyao is an OE supplier now. I've gotten Fuyao windshields installed on 2 different cars, and both looked and felt identical to OE.

The Fuyao glass Safelite installed on my neighbor's Forester last year was perfect.

But that was a 10 year old Subaru. No idea if a more recent Audi has higher-quality OE glass with special tinting or acoustic dampening or anything, nor do I have any idea if Fuyao offers those features in their replacement windshields.

 

[PontiacHO]

For nothing but future safety concerns go with factory glass.

EDIT - Add - Some manufacturers issued TSBs regarding aftermarket windshields and the deployment of air bags. Weaker/thinner windshield can effect the air bag shape if the windshield is not strong enough to support the deployed shape. Maybe this is 20 year old stuff but it was a thing at one time…

 

[JTK]

A shop that does good work will know which aftermarkets to use. To me, it's more about the care taken with the removal and installation, than than who's name is on the glass. I've seen some horrible boo boo cover up attempts by the big chain places.

 

[dfarr67]

It’s not only the glass. They can also mess up your paint installing the glass. I know from experience , dealer only for me.

I don't know any dealer that does their own glass.

 

[dfarr67]

Around here- if you include glass coverage in insurance, for the cost you could have a brand new windshield installed every three years. In NWT glass coverage isn't available.

 

[Vil_Riker]

Call a couple of Audi dealers in the area and see who they farm their work out. That's what I did when the windshield on my A6 needed a replacement.