Windshield glass replacement
 

Did a search and pretty much decided to go to a dealer to get my windshield replaced do to rock chips. I'll make sure they get own glass and what not but just wanted to ask. Has anyone had any bad experiences with glass replacement at a Nissan dealer? All the negative experiences I read about in my search where about safelite.

The dealers usually sub that out to a local glass shop.

But IF there's anything I can suggest is that you pay the extra and make sure it oem glass and NOT a lower cost non oem glass.

yah, but at least at your dealer they have access to the a-pillar finisher in case they break it during the process. :eekdance:

I disagree. It is good to get the OE glass sure, but depending on your insurance it is likely not covered. In my case I could of paid my deductible and the insurance would pick up the rest if getting OE glass.

Instead I searched around locally for a shop I would trust with the task. I have OEE glass which is Original Equipment Equivalent. The glass the shop I went to used Pilkington glass which is OE glass for other car manufacturers and since I paid out of pocket it was considerably less than going the OE route. Some companies that you will get subbed out to such as Safelite will use sub par glass. Safelite I believe makes their own. Stick with OE or OEE glass and you will be fine. Just do your research and find a shop you can trust.

Thanks for the reply, I'll call my local dealer and ask if they farm out the repair

This is what I did, and it came out just fine.

99% chance they do. I saved $600 by going to one of the guys my insurance recommended instead of the dealership.

Pilkington is OE enough, I forgot the other glass manufacturer.

And Safelite uses OE quality. I believe they get it from the other manufacturer.


The 2 majors sell windshields to every car company. They put labels on 60% and sell it to car companies, and sell the other 40% as just their own factory brand

I would avoid Safelite, but you should be fine with any other major glass shop/chain. I wouldn't expect most dealerships to have the tools and/or expertise to deal with windshield work. Cutting tools around paint/cabin plus really unforgiving adhesive make for some risky work best left to those who do it every day.

Insurance typically covers it, but you'll want to just compare the cost with your deductible. Good shop front office employees will basically do this for you before you're even giving them any money.

That said, replacing a windshield only for rock chips is usually not as cost effective. Chips can be filled to an extent to keep them from spidering out (usually like a $50/chip procedure), but you could replace your windshield and tomorrow get a new chip and be sad. Unless your chips are large and/or impeding your vision, it's usually best to just live with them. That's just my thoughts, though. :) Chips don't usually affect the integrity of the windshield, but cracks do.

(It was many years ago, but I've done a summer stint at a windshield repair/replacement [Harmon] shop in my past.)

Eh. I had Safelite (through USAA) replace a windshield on my Pathfinder and they did a great job. Didn't even have to go anywhere, they replaced it in my driveway.

OK, this is a new one to me..... what is the difference between OE glass and aftermarket other than price??

It started as a rock chip, now it's a crack about 8 inches long that goes all the way to the edge.

Here's the part number Nissan gave me based off my vin
G2700-1ea1a
I'm assuming that's the oem one I need.

Likely nothing. I have not had to replace any glass in my Z yet, but I had a cracked windshield on my Altima that I had replaced earlier this year. The company I used was Quackt Glass, and they came out and installed an "aftermarket" windshield made by Carlex, which happens to be the same manufacturer name etched into every other window on my Altima already.

Pilkington offers a good product. At the body shop where I work we have 2 full time glass guys with each 25+ years exp. I don't trust mobile installation with the technician in a hurry wanting to knock out the days install list. It really just depends on the tech and willingness to take his time and do a good job. I know that Pilkington is making some of the glass for BMW these days. A cheaper glass will often have a wavy look to it, so do a close inspection upon pickup.

I had my glass replaced by Safelite, but argued with my insurance company to cover OEM Nissan glass, and they did. All I did was ask to speak with a manager when I was on the phone with my insurance (Progressive). Initially Safelite came to my driveway, but after breaking my B pillar cover, the guy stopped and suggested I take it to their Safelite location where they have more tools at their disposal before he broke anything else. They had a new pillar from Nissan waiting for me the next day and did a great job. They also knocked $25 off my deductible, so it only cost me $75. It may have been because I brought doughnuts for their shop. (It's my $5 trick to get great service from any auto shop)

OE - Original equipment glass is the glass the car manufacturer has contracted to supply them with their automotive glass.

OEE - Original equipment equivalent glass has to go through the same tests and follows the same regulations. Many times it is OE glass for other car manufacturers. Pilkington for instance.

Aftermarket glass - cheap glass that doesn't go through the same tests or follow the same regulatons. You can see waviness in the glass due to its quality. Also it is more likely to pit and crater at a faster rate.

You already know this, but yup, that's cause to get it replaced. :)

Non-OEM replaced after hail damage got chipped the first week of getting the car back. :mad:

OEM Nissan glass aren't made by Nissan anyway. They just put a Nissan logo on it. I replaced mine with an aftermarket glass. I see absolutely no difference between the two. In fact, my wipers work better on my aftermarket glass, strange.

Whaaa...... I've had aftermarket glass installed in more than one car and didn't notice any "waviness" in any of those.. This may be a particular manufacturers issue, but certainly not all of them. I think the more likely to pit issue is also subjective......If your glass is getting "cratered" you need to take a different route to where your going on a regular basis.
I should have worded things differently.

My original query should have been stated this way.. "are there factors that are common with ALL aftermarket glass that would cause me to avoid putting it in any of my vehicles"

I was just giving the general definitions of each. Certianly the quality of one company to another will likely differ. For assurance it is best to stick with OE or OEE. True aftermarket glass that is not rated as OEE is a very gray area.

In my previous Z I had Safelight do my windshield and they broke one of the a pillars I was pretty mad. But they covered it and had it installed in no time.

I replaced my factory windshield to a no name aftermarket brand couple years back for only $230 in my driveway. There is not a single difference as far as I can tell. The quality of the aftermarket windshield seems identical and it's 100% flawless.

I honestly think there is no difference between OEM and aftermarket when it comes to glass.

Safelite has put windshields and other replacement glass in almost all the vehicles I've owned, from ancient Hondas (broken driver's side fixed glass) to sand blasted windshields on Camaros. Never had an issue, never saw a difference in quality. Just my :twocents:

I was supposed to pick up my car today but needless to say that didn't go well. Long story short when I picked it up there was glue/adhesive coming out the seams (drivers and passengers side), the gaskets/trim pieces didn't line up like they used to, and they chipped the paint on the lower A-Pillars (both sides near the bottom close to the hood). Obviously I'm pretty upset about the whole thing and they are going to call me tomorrow about it. My question is when it eventually gets fixed what should I look for? I have a feeling it's going to be a crappy fix job either way now. Not really sure what I should do. I'm also not sure what they are going to say about the chipped paint. I'm assuming getting them repainted is the best option. Open to any suggestions, thanks

The A Pillars pop off and can be replaced.

I'm assuming those need to get painted at a body shop?

I'd assume they come painted. When my windshield was replaced they took them off so they wouldn't get scratched.

Thanks for the info, I'll call the dealer and look into this

Can anyone confirm these come painted?

a pillars are pre-painted. check courtesyparts/nissanpartszone

I had a big rock hit the windshield on my G35 a few years ago. I called my insurance company and they said, sure, we'll get someone right out and replace it in the parking lot where you work. Great service ! Or so I thought. The instant I got in the car to drive home I thought I was loaded. The glass was not the same quality and in fact was a bit wavy around the curved edges. Passengers noticed it also. I don't remember who did the install or who the glass was made by, but I would not again allow them to replace the glass with other than OEM.

That was why I went to a dealership. To make sure I got Nissan glass... But, it's not like I made out much better either. Looks like a high schooler did the work. After driving her I feel like there's wind noise that wasn't there before. But, I have no way of really checking that...