Safelite Windshield quality?

[HoosierJeeper]

Need a windshield in the Liberty and LR3...is the Safelite branded windshield good quality? I had one installed in my Durango about 10-11 years ago, it seemed wavy like an 1800s house window. Was that just a one off or are they all like that? I'll pay for Pilkington if need be ($350 vs $229), but also don't want to throw money away!

Thanks!

 

[RTexasF]

When I had a windshield replaced by a local shop they brought it to my attention that they had three "grades" of glass. The cheapest would be for a dealer replacing a broken one on a used (or new) car.....cheap, and looked it.

The mid grade, which I chose, was far better than the cheapo optically but still reasonable in cost.

OEM, the highest quality was just that...same as original. It was quite expensive.

Mind you this was out of pocket, my insurance deductible alone was higher than the OEM price.
Ask the vendors about it.

 

[Audios]

I had the same when I used them once about 10 years ago. Maybe its changed by now but I doubt it. We had a customer who had Safelight put new glass in his 88 M5, I know I know. Surprisingly the seal has shrunk considerably and is allowing water in at the upper corners. Safelight wont help since its been over a year, and the guys actually too cheap to get the right seals for the windshield from BMW, roughly 1200$ plus install, and maybe glass if the safelight cracks taking it out. It seems like alot I told him, but its a lot cheaper than a rust repair under the carpeting and up under the kick panels! Im sure its worked for plenty of people, but you get what you pay for.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Safelite stopped making their own windshields a couple years ago. Now they mostly get their glass from XYG (Xinyi) and FYG (Fuyao). The Fuyao/FYG windshields are good quality. The XYG/Xinyi glass sucks.

Fuyao is an OE supplier. I have seen Fuyao OEM Hyundai windshields

Of course, there is nothing wrong with Pilkington, either

 

[CT Rob]

OEM for me thank you

 

[NO2]

PPG is a good substitute for OEM glass. They are slightly more expensive than the standard stuff, but a lot less than OEM. We stopped using Safelite our large van and truck windshields had chromatic aberrations.

 

[doitmyself]

Following up on slacktide_bitog's comments, the auto glass industry has turned upside down over the past five years like you wouldn't believe. The Chinese have stepped up their game exponentially, with Fuyao establishing the world's largest factory in Ohio. Having lurked on one or two professional auto glass forums, those guys claim that even companies like Pilkington and PPG are now out sourcing some of their product to Asian manufactures. No guarantees anymore based on brand name. (Similar to MOOG, Timken, etc.) Vehicles with cameras/sensors for assisted braking, lane detection, etc. require special calibration after windshield replacement. Some vehicles can have over a dozen different windshield variations for a single model.

I don't know if things have changed, but a few years ago on the auto glass forums Safelight was held in very low regard. Complaints revolved around the company's emphasis on profit vs. quality to the point of disgruntled employees and inferior products. I.E., a mobile guy given too many jobs in a day to do them with care. Again, now that they don't make their own glass, maybe things have changed.

The outcome is only as good as the person doing the work. Finding a shop with competent installers is like picking a surgeon for a major surgery. It is nearly impossible to critique them. I recently learned this by experience. I had to return to the shop and have some work redone due to the carelessness of the installer - damaged paint (rust). This, after spending considerable time comparing shops. The dealers I called didn't even do glass work. They call in a mobile guy, let him do the work, and then increase the invoice to reflect "dealer expertise". My bias is that leaving the vehicle at the shop is better than a mobile install. The shop has a more controlled environment and the installers are not on a time schedule like the mobile guy. I also prefer a small independent shop where I can talk with the installer to express my concerns. But, many independent shops are getting sucked up by chains, just like what happened to parts stores. Still, I had problems with my last install.....sigh.

Be prepared to pay substantially more for glass labeled by the auto manufacturer....$300 - $500 more in my instance.

 

[JTK]

It's not so much the quality of the glass I'd worry about with SL. Like said above, It's the quality of the removal and replacement. I've seen some horrid SL installs where they broke trim pieces, clips, fasteners, etc and used black silicone sealer to repair. I'm sure there's great SL installers out there, but I'm weary of chain places for this.

 

[Cujet]

I put a safelite windshield in my Honda S2000. The OEM windshield was badly chipped and annoying. The safelite replacement was never cleaned after install. I tried everything to clean it without results. It was poor quality and annoying. And good god was it loud in the rain.

 

[PimTac]

I had a Safelite replacement windshield installed in the early 00's and even back then noticed a lot of wavy effects and such in the glass. Since it didn't affect my driving view I let it ride but the passenger side had a visible wave.

Today with modern cars using cameras and such for auto braking and lane keeping etc., these kind of defects can be unacceptable.

I recently had the windshield replaced on the CX5 due to a rock strike. The replacement is a AGC Lamisafe from Japan. It is a OEM windshield as well. No visible defects or variations. Good thing insurance covered it.

 

[Hall]

Originally Posted by slacktide_bitog
Now they mostly get their glass from XYG (Xinyi) and FYG (Fuyao). The Fuyao/FYG windshields are good quality. The XYG/Xinyi glass sucks.

Fuyao is an OE supplier. I have seen Fuyao OEM Hyundai windshields

Fuyao has one of their plants here and I know people who work there. At this facility, they produce OE windshields for companies ranging from Honda to BMW (and many others). They also produce aftermarket glass. From a manufacturing standpoint, the processes are identical so there's not even a cost-savings to them (Fuyao) to make one "cheaper" than the other. Same raw materials, same equipment, and so on....

 

[Nick1994]

Satellite makes their own windshields?

The worst windshields I've experienced are Pilkington installed by Safelite. They pit really easily and we had a really wavy one on my grandparent's Trailblazer. Had to have Safelite come out and replace it again, with some brand that had 3 letters for its name.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted by Nick1994
Satellite makes their own windshields?

At least at one time they used to. I heard something about closing factories and going more to suppliers rather than in-house.

 

[atikovi]

I'd be more concerned with the installer than the glass. Many of these guys are required to perform on daily quota basis and are pretty rushed. You think they will be careful with the molding and trim and other aspects of the install? When paying out of pocket I haven't had any issues with the cheapest Chinese windshields. If insurance is involved, OEM is best but not likely to be fully covered.

 

[mclasser]

Originally Posted by atikovi
I'd be more concerned with the installer than the glass. Many of these guys are required to perform on daily quota basis and are pretty rushed. You think they will be careful with the molding and trim and other aspects of the install? When paying out of pocket I haven't had any issues with the cheapest Chinese windshields. If insurance is involved, OEM is best but not likely to be fully covered.

Yes, I'd also be more wary of Safelite's installers. My only experience with Safelite is through my insurance co. sending them out to fill a windshield chip. The guy was rushing and left the chip basically looking the same as before. I definitely wouldn't want him putting in my windshield.

As far as the glass itself -- I've had good experiences with the major brands, like PPG & Pilkington. I'm impressed by my Hyundai's factory Fuyao windshield; it's survived some pretty decent rock hits. Not sure how much of their OE quality translates to their aftermarket line, though.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted by mclasser
Yes, I'd also be more wary of Safelite's installers. My only experience with Safelite is through my insurance co. sending them out to fill a windshield chip. The guy was rushing and left the chip basically looking the same as before. I definitely wouldn't want him putting in my windshield.


Same here and I think he made it worse since he pushed on it too hard. Which is what he told me he did. But it hasn't gotten any worse and that was several years ago. So at least it has held up ok. But won't use them again for any chip repairs. Plus it's out of my site since it's in the middle of the windshield, far right side.

 

[atikovi]

I've taught myself windshield replacement over the last 15 years and have over $2,000 invested in tools and equipment. It might take me 2 or 3 times as long to do a job, but not being in a rush, I know it's done right. Probably have 20 replacements under my belt now.

 

[zzyzzx]

is the Safelite branded windshield good quality?

 

[CleverUserName]

I worked at a Safelite warehouse about 20 years ago. I was there for a few years then left because I got a job at a union warehouse which was owned by a Viracon subsiduary called Glass Depot. Viracon was an American auto glass manufacturer founded by the inventor of laminated auto glass and the original brand Shat-R-Proof (I think it was called that back in the '50s). Viracon stopped making Auto glass shortly after I left due to the flooding of cheap glass made in Mexico after NAFTA. Viracon was also a union manufacturing facility which made it difficult to compete with other foreign manufacturers who don't have environmental restrictions. low pay or labor laws.

Now back then Safelite glass was HORRIBLE. It was distorted (Wavy) and very brittle. I've seen windshields just crack on their own because there were under internal stress as part of their questionable manufacturing process. There also were many defects inside the glass where the vinyl sheet was; dead bugs, candy wrappers, dust, hair, fingernails, etc...It also had poor fitment which would cause internal leaks or wind noise

Safelite installers were paid by the job or piecework. There was a financial reward for not doing a good job. Some installers made $400-500 in a day which was a lot of money 20 years ago but they also did very poor quality work. Usually they wouldn't apply zinc primer to the pinchweld which would cause internal rust. This wouldn't be discovered for years after an install because that area is hidden. The installers also would frequently break trim mouldings during their hasty removal process and they would cover it up by using a universal rubber trim moulding and glue it onto the windshield. This universal moulding was used a band-aid and did not fit very well which would allow moisture and air to travel into the pnchweld and cause hidden rust to develop.

It appears things may now be different with regards to the quality of Safelite glass, however the installers may be just as bad. Based on what I saw working there I would never recommend Safelite to anyone.

There are still good glass installers out there who take pride in their work. if you are near the Sacramento, CA area i can refer you to a couple who I know.

 

[Rumble]

Just had a fixed back window installed by Safelite in my 92 Chevy pickup to replace the original sliding back glass. Once I got the truck home, I put it in my garage and carport while I was finishing up some work on the interior and installing a new stereo system. As I moved the truck outside to reinstall the carpet a few days later, it started to rain, so I had to wait for the rain to stop. When I got back in the truck, there was a puddle of water on the carpet. It turns out, there was around 1/2"+ of missing sealant on the frame. Man, was I p*ssed off. So I take it back, and they give me this crap about old truck probably had bad hinges and I slammed the door causing the sealant to go out. So this P*ssed me off even more. My hinges are excellent, and I told the guy, "did you have any problems shutting the doors on the truck anytime you worked on it"? Anyway, they re-sealed the missing sealant, and I guess it will hold.