While traveling a few months ago, had something kick up from a truck in front of me into my windshield, and it put a small bullseye, a scosche smaller than a dime, right below my driver's windshield wiper.

I meant to get it fixed, and kept putting it off. Today while out of town, it started cracking all the way to the bottom, and about 4 inches up vertically. I stopped by a glass place in the town I was visiting, and they informed me that the crack is not on the exterior of the glass (checked with a razor blade), and that there's not much he can do in the way of fixing it.

My local dealership is a smaller shop, and outsources their glass work to a local business. Unfortunately, I've dealt with the local glass business, and I'm not going to be letting them touch another vehicle of mine.

How do larger dealerships do windshield repairs - in-house or contract it out to other businesses like my local dealer?

I'm also wanting a Ford OEM windshield unless someone can convince me that there's a better, stronger and quieter aftermarket windshield for my F150?

 

Safelite.

 

Unfortunately I’ve had several poor dealings with the safelite in my area - they too will not touch another one of my vehicles.

 

I have never seen a dealership do glass work and I’ve lived in some big cities. Not to say they don’t do it but in my experience, it’s all farmed out to third parties.

on the OEM glass issue, I did research this and the opinions vary regarding the quality of OEM vs non OEM and all glass is made by companies like Carlex anyway. OEM may have a better tint strip across the top or some minor but proprietary difference but it’s hard to justify paying more to have the OEM stamp on glass.

 

If you don't like the glass repair companies in your town, you have 2 options. DIY or go to another town.

 

years ago I had a windshield replaced by triumph. they came to my house too.

 

Safelite was always a good $100+ more expensive then the local shop.

If you dont want to use a national chain with a lifetime warranty and dont want to use a local shop (probably also offers a lifetime warranty) then i dont know how in the world you will trust a dealer?

As far as OEM vs aftermarket glass...i went aftermarket and the only difference was there was no "FORD" at the top center part of the windshield, just make sure its got the same "sound proof or sound blocking" thing as the Ford windshield does.

 

Ford auto glass is done by Carlite. Replacement glass can be by Carlex. They are the same SoundScreen Acoustic glass, same company.

Many insurance companies have a provider network. In addition, this is a comprehensive claim, and some policies have a reduced, or zero, deductible for glass. And it will not impact your rates.

 

Go to your local car body shop business, they have vast experience replacing "glass" of all kinds. Give him your VIN# so he can see exactly what type of windshield is needed, then get 2 quotes from him...A Ford OEM windshield and an off brand, then make your decision. My insurance company provides an original Ford OEM parts replacement in the policy so I'm not having to deal with/or settle for off-brand parts.
Took my new 2020 F150 Lariat Supercrew 5.0 on a trip and with less than 2000 miles on it, took a rock thrown by an oncoming truck on a 2 lane road,dead center eye level driver side that starred out about 2". My insurance covered the OEM windshield replacement cost of $784.00, no questions asked.

 

No idea what state you are in, but check the laws there. In Florida the law is that glass is covered by the insurance companies with no deductible or impact to your rates. You can choose OEM or aftermarket for replacement, but as said above most dealers farm the work out to third parties. Just had the windshield on my wife's Lincoln Nautilus replaced and they scratched the dash up removing the old windshield - the dealership replaced the dash no questions asked. So depending on how you look at it, it was not a good experience, but the dealer made good on the issue for us.