smack

I had to remove tint from every window, including those that see into the cargo area, in order to pass inspection. I'm in Baltimore too, and don't get me wrong: I love it here. But it's not exactly the kind of place where you want people on the sidewalk or in a back alley to be able to peek into the back of your car. Thanks for the info, Paul. Looks like it may not be quite as bad as I thought. That price was for the actual panel glass and not the triangle glass on the back door.

I've got a 2004 IS-300 that had the passenger side rear quarter panel smashed. (Thank you, Maryland, for making me take all the tint out, enticing anyone with any random junk that might be in the back.) Safelite says there is only one replacement rear panel glass in the entire country (!) and that just the part itself will cost $350. Now, maybe this is legit. It's not a common car. But I can't help but be reminded of when I had to replace the rear windshield wiper. Every place told me they couldn't get the part, that I had to go the dealer. Since the dealer wouldn't respond to me, I finally went to Advance Auto Parts, picked up a wiper that was the right size, and it snapped on perfectly (as the clerk was telling me they didn't carry the part and couldn't order it). Is there any possibility this panel could be much more readily available (and cheaper) than the official dealer information, and if so is there any way for me to find out rather than simply taking Safelite's word for it? Once I get this replaced, will it really then be impossible to replace ever again because the whole country will be out of stock?