Oem Glass Vs. Pilkington Replacement

[momtogrif]

Our insurance company will not pay for Lexus glass. They will pay for Original Equipment Equivalent but not OEM. I spoke to the glass guy that works with our Lexus dealership and he said that it costs $1500 to replace the glass with Lexus glass.

Has anyone had top of the line replacement glass and NOT had a problem with it? We have a 2005 ES330 and a 2007 RX350. Thanks!

[Matt2828]

I'm not sure what the difference between Lexus glass and Pilkington glass is, but I know that over here in New Zealand, a lot of OEM glass is made by Pilkington.

Esp for Holdens and Fords and I even think, yep, just checked, Toyota OEM glass is made by Pilkington!

I doubt there is any problem with the Pilkington.

[camlex]

PPG

[cduluk]

You'll most likely have the "waviness" effect with the Pilkington glass. not directly in front of you, only if you look out the right side of the glass (from the drivers seat).

You'll also notice the "tint" is different (oem is a little more green) which won't match your side windows, and also it won't repel water as well.

Had a pilkington windshield put in my old Rx300. Had the glass place replace it 3 times because of the waviness, but none of them were good enough...

But since the ES windshield is much smaller than the Rx's, you might be OK...

Pilkington glass are the rejects that don't pass Lexus inspection for perfection and never make it to the last steps in the Lexus glass process.

[camlex]

I had replaced after market glass (PPG) for my 97 cost was ~$300. it passed all inspection. No "waviness"

Windshield is very important when comes to crash. please use name brand. I heard Pilkington is also makes good glass.

Make sure you buy and installed by good vendor.

Good luck

[kashi125]

Try Safelite (www.safelite.com)

Many dealers actually outsource their glass replacement to these guys. Had my 97 ES300's front windshield replaced through Safelite. It cost ~$200. Quality was top notch, tint on top of the windshield matched the original and I saw no "waviness" problems.

[rlx101]

had a glass on '95 ES replaced for 150$. can't tell the difference from OEM! lol.

[BALOO BELLE]

DO NOT REPLACE THE GLASS UNLESS YOU HAVE TOO!! oem glass cost 1500 for a reason it is the thickest safest glass available. ppg and plinkington are after market and simply DOT safe... ie. maufactured differently (less Cost grade and thickness) all aftermarket are wavy you just have to know what to look for... the waves are from the way the glass is cooled on wire posts like a forklift. hints two verticle waves. aftermarket are not exact replicas but cheap versions. there is so much difference that if you lease a car and replace it with after market they will charge you for it, not take the car, or make you pay to replace w oem

you cant tint aftermarketwindsheilds you will get a orange peel dimple apprearance. the only complaint i really have w my ppg is that it is thinner glass and does not block as much noise. and i made the mistake of tinitng it. you can see the waves if you stand far away and look across the glass. it is really the distortion of the light reflection that you see. i can touch mine and feel the waves as i have had a horrible experience replacing it. I have done much research as i was trying to sue the windsheild company that replaced mine.. long story. there are sealant treatments you can try or the have a clear film tint like material for the outside to prevent and seal any damage.

make sure you send the money and get OEM seals the aftermarket are loud.

if you car is not a show car there is no "everyday" difference in the aftermarket glass if you do have to replace it. but avoid it if you can.

[12LFA]

Ok I was just reading alot of the comments on this Forum and I am going to disagree with about 99% of these comments, mostly because you have no CLUE about glass in general. Pilkington also Previously known as LOF and NSG. For starters Pilkington IS DOT approved if you look at the glass stamp in the corner of your windshield there will be a DOT stamp of 177 which means L-N Safety Glass S.A.DE C.V. Key word in there is SAFETY GLASS. ALL windshields that are made or imported HAVE to be DOT approved meaning that glass meets the Department Of Transportation's requirements. Pilkington is also manufactured in Canada and USA and all Windshields are the same thickness 1/4''. FYI Saftey glass is Laminated glass its a kind of safety glass that is commonly used for automobile windshields. It consists of two layers of glass with a layer of film, called the inter-layer in between them. The glass is designed this way in order to prevent it from shattering into sharp pieces when struck by an object or when the car is in an crash.

The interlayer in the glass is a film of a tough, yet pliable material known as polyvinyl butyral(PVB). In the event that the glass breaks, the two layers are held together by the PVB, allowing the sheet as a whole to bend and absorb the impact. This characteristic is especially important for car windshields since, ideally, the film will keep objects from penetrating through the glass and possibly injuring the car’s occupants. Laminated glass is also used in prisons, jewelry stores, hospitals, and other places where safety or security are paramount. Along with this Pilkington IS the main Manufacturer of 80% of the OEM glass on the market. Pilkington is also the OEM manufacturer of Toyota and Lexus not the OEM rejects as you call it. Its in every single one of our cars. The only reason your OEM glass does not say PILKINGTON is that Toyota/Lexus and every other car company pays a large sum of money to have their OEM stamp on PILKINGTONS glass. One more thing the distortion your talking about is very common. Most windshields are curved glass. SO when the glass is molded the lamination stretches and the glass stretches. Prime example look at a glass coke bottle it is also distorted. WHY? cause its curved glass! You are probably wondering how I know all the vital information well for 1. I am a NGA (national glass association) Certified Master tech and an AGRSS (Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standards) Certified Master Tech. 2. I am factory trained glass tech by Toyota, Lexus, Ford, GM, BMW, Mercedes, and Honda . I have been doing auto glass for 16 years and have owned my own glass company for the past 10 years. SO I hope this helps with the main topic Pilkington vs. OEM... BTW if you do have an issue with Pilkington Glass they are the ONLY company that has a LIFETIME guarantee and Warranty on their glass. So call up the Glass shop that installed your glass and have them replace it with another window..