Unhappy with replacement windshield

I just had my glass replaced two weeks ago. I have a specialty insurance company that only insures educators and those who work in education. On other auto claims they have been outstanding. After I booked the appointment with Safelite I was talking to friend of mine and he asked if it was a factory replacement. I told him I assumed out would be and he told me to call and check. He had just had the windshield replaced on his SLS and he assumed it would be OEM as well. A week after the install he was driving and the windshield just split all the way across without anything hitting it. He went straight back to the installation company and told them he had never seen that with a factory MB windshield, just the aftermarket glass. That's when they told him it wasn't a factory windshield because his insurance didn't cover OEM. Those are all from China and while not everything made there is of poor quality, windshields are most certainly not made to factory OEM glass standards. He called his insurance company and they said he'd have to pay the difference for the factory windshield. The windshield placed warrantied the first windshield and the installation and he paid the difference for the OEM windshield. I immediately called my insurance company and they said they don't pay for OEM windshield glass and that I'd have to pay the difference. I called Safelite back and told them to order OEM glass. It moved my appointment a few days but it was worth it. So much better than any aftermarket glass. I could pay a higher rate each month but for what I had to pay out of pocket I'd have to break a windshield every year to get my money back. And in 40 years of vehicle ownership this is only the 3rd windshield I've ever had to replace. 🤞

when I had a 17gts it came defective from the factory with issue as they described with the laminate in the glass.. what started as blemish on passenger side under hood cowl not seen eventually spread to become unsafe to drive.. I did not change it at first as I have never had luck with windshield replacement with wind noise etc afterwards.. needless to say they had to put two diff windshields in during three attempts . like I feared it was done at dealership by an outside source.. it sounded like the air conditioner was on high while driving all the time.. when brought back a second time they said they made an adjustment still no good.. finally went with service manager and as soon as we drove out of parking lot he was embarrassed to let carrot of shop like that,. after closer inspection the rubber gasket that seats the window on the top was not installed properly and was higher then it should causing the wind noise.. left car took few days because the window tech who came in too fix cracked the windshield upon trying to fix the seal.. glass installation is always dicey and I have come to understanding that it will never be as good as new .. but we don't have to settle for less than how the car came or with level of product it came with...

jusdattip said:

I just picked up my 2015 Macan Turbo from Safelite installing a new windshield. The original on the car had a small chip which turned into a large crack before my repair appointment.

I’m not happy with the new glass. The old one had a tinted strip across the top, and a purple tint when viewed at certain angles. The replacement has Saint Gobain markings, looks legit, but it’s totally clear. No tint at the top, no purple look.

Are there different versions of glass? My car is well optioned, PDLS+, LKA/LCA, rain sensor etc so safelite confirmed I’d need OEM replacement, but it’s not the same.. what should I do?

Click to expand...

ALL: The OP's message above asks the forum, "...what should I do?".


NOBODY has offered a solution.


Many of the replies describe where forum members had their windshield replacement performed. That information was not requested.


At a minimum, the OP needs to:




Resolution will be achieved by action the OP takes.


Good luck!

Owners of any vehicle requiring glass replacement should be aware of the differences in automobile glass, when faced with a replacement situation, and be prepared to discuss it with your insurance and installer.

There are generally two categories of glass:
1. OEM glass - Made by the companies that manufacture glass for specific vehicles and used at assembly and for replacement. May or may not have the automakers logo on it. May also be referred to as "OEM manufacturer".

2. OEE manufacturer glass - Made by other companies that supply aftermarket glass for repairs. Usually is a much cheaper alternative to OEM glass and referred to as "aftermarket glass". This type of glass may what you would get as a "default" solution if you are not specific.

You usually want OEM, or at the very least OEM manufacturer glass, for peace of mind of fit and finish. Some insurance companies will balk at this request, but if you make your case that this is a high end automobile with sophisticated interdependent systems, many will pay it, or most will allow you to pay the difference allocated for the windshield. Also, your glass installer usually has leverage when dealing with insurance and can often greatly influence what is installed.
Obviously the installer's skill is the other big part of the equation.

Knowledge is power my friends!

[email protected]>@W said:

ALL: The OP's message above asks the forum, "...what should I do?".


NOBODY has offered a solution.


Many of the replies describe where forum members had their windshield replacement performed. That information was not requested.


At a minimum, the OP needs to:

1. Contact Safelite to discuss the situation​

​

2. Contact his insurance carrier to discuss the situation​

​

3. Contact a Porsche dealer to discuss the situation​

Resolution will be achieved by action the OP takes.


Good luck!

Click to expand...

Thank you for this post!
1. I first reached out to my insurance company. Their glass coverage is administered by a 3rd party company, and they were unable to help. The agent told me to contact safelite.


2. I just emailed safelite customer service, and awaiting a reply from them.

3. I did initially contact my local Porsche dealership. The service advisor said they don’t install glass, and only to make an appointment for camera/rain sensor recalibration after I follow the replacement via insurance. He didn’t offer me to bring the car there for a glass tech to come install the correct glass.

I will reach out to the dealer again tomorrow to discuss. They are usually pretty good, however I was unaware of so many glass types and didn’t know to ask about that. I relied on insurance and safelite to go off of my Macan’s VIN in order to put the correct part on.

We shall see what happens next.