Stupid Windshield Replacement Question...

[The Extreme]

OK, I feel like a dunce asking this...

But 4000 miles into having my car, a small rock got kicked up by wind or some other driver... not sure from where. But I do know that it smaked into my windshield and I now have a 3/4" or so little "star" in my winshield now. After only 4000 miles! Such is life in Arizona. That, too, means that the "star" will not stay small for long.

My question: I want to be sure that I get an OEM windshield, because it has the running horse sun block pattern at the top of it. My question: do you think it's as simple as asking the windshield installer to get an OEM windshield? Or do I need to go Ford and have them replace it?

Stupid question, I know. But I figured I should ask just in case anyone had already been nailed...

thanks much,

The Extreme

 

[speedytang]

When you call for the replacement tell them OEM and you will get the factory(Carlite) W/S. To be honest I have not seen a 3rd Party W/S for the '05+ cars yet.

 

[LIZARDKING]

I work PT in my cousins windshield shop. Like everything else windshield replacement is a big scam.

If you pay cash for your windshield that will be the best price. Nearly all glass including your oem windshield is made oversees and imported.

I understand your desire to have the oem glass with the running horse logo, but because of the trademark thing that glass will cost you 50% or more than a generic replacement. If your paying for it, whats not to say that 4 months from now you will get another chip? We have installed new windshields and had the customer back in tears less than an hour later with yet another rock chip.

If insurance is paying for the windshield there is a fixed price list that they will pay, each company has thier own price list. There is a huge markup, make the shop eat the deductable or at least pay no more than $100 of it. In that case go with the oem replacement.

I will see what the glass costs and post later today.

Most windshields cost us less than $100, only a few cost more than $150. Cost to install (cutout tools, urathane, misc supplies) average about $10 a job, $40 for labor, $25 for overhead. On average a single windshield replacement costs us about $125-150 to break even. Everything above that is profit.

 

[LIZARDKING]

Ouch, the only glass currently offered is oem. Our cost on the glass is $198. Im guessing you will pay $300-325 for the windshield.

Shop around, glass suppliers charge different prices for the same glass, alot of it depends on how good a customer the glass shop is. We go through alot of glass and always pay cash so we get good prices. In some cases 15% less than what other shops in the area pay for the same glass.

 

[The Extreme]

Looks like I will just have to be specific on my request and go with a supplier of my choosing.

I have full glass coverage, so here's hoping.

Thanks a ton for all your guys' info and suggestions I'll be sure to report on what happens!

The Extreme

 

[RottenRonny]

Consider getting the chip repaired. I had a rock hit mine last week. I got a chip with a Star type cracks about an inch and half across. It cost me 30 bucks and the cracks are completly gone, and all you can see is the tiniest mark, of where the stone impacted. you would not see it, unless you are really looking for it.

 

[larrydiesbach]

Hey,

If your in Arizona just go to Auto Glass and Windshield Replacement, Windshield Quote, Auto Glass Quotes, Auto Glass Repair, Windshield Repair, FixMyWindshield and you can look at prices online. A glass shop can get you a replacement windshield , that is OEM just tell them you want a CARLITE windshield... and you will get exactly what you have now.

Larry Diesbach
Bachman Auto Glass LLC
877 939 6946
Member of FixMyWindshield.com

 

[69mach1-409]

I had the same thing happen after 2 weeks of owning my baby.. she had less then 1000 miles on her too.

I called around for pricing sense my deductable on this thing was like $500. Ford wanted $600 for the OEM, acouple glass places had generic ones for $350, and another local place could replace it with an OEM for $450. I ended up getting it 'fixed' by a glass guy. He came to my house, cleaned the crack out, and filled it with some type of epoxy. Looks fine now.

 

[NotQuik]

my wifes 08 fusion just had this happen as well and we got it a couple months ago....has a nice 18" crack but started out at about 6-8"...she's making a claim today so we'll see what happens.

 

[BlackRod]

I had almost the same thing happen to me. Mine was about 15,000 miles into it. I had FIVE breaks in my glass. I got an OEM glass without the running horse installed for a little over $200. That's in California though.

 

[Mark25]

I just had my replaced...very small chip in my line of vision...drove me nuts because the rest of the windshield was perfectly clear. Anyway, I requested OEM Carlite and had my insurance company cover it (I rarely ever make a claim)...I ended up paying $100...the insurance company paid the rest.
One thing...be sure to tell your installer to center the top of the windshield properly (i.e. even space on either side of the pillars) so that the wraparound weatherstripping doesn't warp...I've seen a lot of Stangs like that...even ones that are sitting on the lot straight from the factory. I didn't notice it, until the urethane had really set up... the installer can make a small adjustment in the first couple of minutes of putting the windshield in.

Here's a pic of what can happen...at the top of my passenger side (driver side was fine)...you can see that the corner is not exactly square and that's because the installer squeezed the passenger side of the windshield further to the left when standing in front of the car.
Again, a lot of stangs have this and most owners don't notice it...but being the perfectionist I am I noticed it. Out of about new 30 stangs on a dealer's lot, I noticed that about 10 had this problem.