Merged Threads.

 

My 14 month old 2018 JKU now has a cracked windshield. No apparent impact. It started at about 5 inches 5 days ago, it is now about 20 inches. Lateral direction (about 5 inches up from the bottom) from passengers side to center of the glass.

I want an OE windshield with the Jeep Grille at the top center. Safelite has quoted $534 in shop for the replacement (I have a $500 ded on Comp so this is all going to be my expense).

I made a couple other calls and wow what a difference. In each case I have asked for an OE windshield with the Jeep Grille.

Auto Glass quoted: $299 including tax
Discount Glass quoted: $269 plus tax (7%).

Presented with these numbers Safelite had no explanation for the difference other than to question where the others might be getting the glass. They were willing to scrub $45 off the price but that was all.

Anyone else run into this and what did you do?

I am also concerned about the glass, I drove my 2012 JKU for 80,000 miles without a single crack, now within the first 15,000 miles on the 2018 JKU, the windshield shows damage.

Thanks for any help.

Gary

You can buy the jeep windshield stickers on ebay.

http://https://www.ebay.com/itm/JEEP-WRANGLER-Windshield-Replacement-Decals-JK-TJ-Grill-and-Corner-Replica/123564678799?hash=item1cc5075e8f:g:UH0AAOSwtnpXj7N1:rk:1f:0

 

If it's anything like other FCA products, there are multiple windshields depending on your accessories and options and features.

The $500 might match exactly what you have, where as the $300 may be missing some features, or, aren't actually MOPAR glass.

That said, if I were replacing my windshield, I'd want the Gorilla Glass version. Just my 2 cents.

 

that said, if i were replacing my windshield, i'd want the gorilla glass version. Just my 2 cents.

+1

 

Yes. Last time I called around, I had everything from sub $200 quotes to more than $600. Actually, the one place I didn't call was a dealer, but it would be interesting to see what I could get the new Gorilla glass windshield installed for. I suspect it would be at the high end.

I ended up around $225 from a place I've had other windshields replaced at, but they did a pretty shit job this time, and I probably won't be back. This is on top of the fact that the glass has pitted quickly. It wasn't OEM.

 

if I were purchasing a windshield on my dime...aftermarket windshield all day long. They are just as good and still made in the US.

 

My advice is to get the cheapest safety approved glass you can find. The OEM glass with the grill and rockpile logo is a scam. The cheaper bids you are getting may be adding the logo to their plain glass. When you ask for OE, they may be quoting 'OE approved' or 'OE equivalent'.
The actual OEM glass with the printed on logo's is usually pretty close to the first price quote you got.

I paid $159 for front glass installed and added the Jeep grille and rock climb decals that can be had on Ebay for a couple bucks.

Windshield loss is largely dependent on when/where you drive, but using mine as a DD on the interstate in Midwest winters I usually get glass replaced about every other year due to chips/cracks.

If you made it 80k with no cracks, consider yourself lucky.

 

If you really want the grille and jeep logo on the windshield, you can find a sticker kit that you can add later.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

I had an aftermarket windshield installed last year for $180 with tax. Given how easy the stock windshield cracked, I would never install another Mopar windshield at the greatly marked up price.

 

I had glass added to my auto insurance policy, an extra $150/year, no deductible. I get a new windshield every year due to chips that grow into cracks.

 

FYI.. my Comprehensive coverage includes Glass -- check with your company on what is the cost difference for $0.00 deductible vs what ever level of deductible you have or desire .. in my case it was $18 per year to go from 250 to 0.. BTW.. comprehensive covers DEER hits - provided you don't hit anything else - just the DEER.

 

My 2013 JKR has had two windshields installed by Safelite, with the logo. As for price, I don't have a clue, because my Insurance paid 100% of it.

Thread moved.

 

I'd rather have it without the stupid stickers, but around here everyone I contacted wanted $400 regardless.


I emailed a half dozen places and most just replied with their phone number. If they're too stupid to understand that if I wanted to call them, I would have done so, they're too stupid to replace window glass. So I just saved my money and ignored the crack. It's just going to get cracked in a few miles anyway.

 

Have you checked with your insurance? Here in SC, glass claims have no deductible.

 

I paid about $200 for an aftermarket windshield installation. It was a local reputable mobile business that came out to my house, spent about 2 hours and was done. I really didn't care about the logos and seems like the optical quality was the same as OEM. It also has a blue tint gradient strip at the top, which is something I like.

Just make sure lifetime leak repair is included with the install.

 

Quadratec has the Mopar Gorilla Glass windshield with grille logo for $465 plus local install. I've not heard any long-term results on the Gorilla Glass durability, but if it is chip proof from ordinary sized road stones, then it might be a better solution long-term. I'll hold off until they get some road miles on them. Anyone know how long the Gorilla windshields have been on the market?

 

Add their $125 shipping surcharge to that as well for a total to Quadratec of $590.

I'm in the same boat with a crack. This thread got me to call my dealer to get a replacement price, and the guy said he had no idea what I was talking about when I asked for the price of Gorilla glass.

 

The only issue with shopping auto glass too cheap is that it starts to get wavy. Make sure you are getting a quality version or you will not enjoy the view.

 

I had to have my windshield replaced last October before a trip out west. It was replaced at Safelite with whatever my insurance would cover. It was not the OEM windshield nor was it Gorilla Glass. It has horrible parallax towards the outer edges of the windshield. I noticed it about 5 minutes after driving away from Safelite. If I'd have had time I might have turned around and made them replace it again. I have the funny feeling in my gut that my windshield will need to be replaced again this spring due to a hammer falling off of a truck in front of me............

 

How hard is it to install a windshield on a JK? Is this something one can do with the right tools? I’m starting to get little rock chips. No cracks yet but annoying nonetheless.

 

Not especially difficult if you have the right tools and know what you're doing. However, it's easy to screw up if you don't have the experience and turns into an expensive lesson if you do.

Given how cheap the labor is to install the glass, I wouldn't take on the job myself. I'd let a shop do it. That way you get an installation warranty if they screw it up.

And if you just have a couple of chips in the windshield, you may be able to get them repaired without having to pull the windshield and replace it.

 

I've used Safelite for my wife's car and my work truck, they are definitely on the more expensive side, but always had great service and no leaks so..

Not sure I'd pay almost double just to have the Jeep logo on it when you can buy the decals and put them on.

 

Good timing on this thread. I made it almost 3 whole days and just over 100 miles before cracking the windshield on my new to me JK.

I was thinking my wife wasn't all that fond of the new Jeep, (she's on her third Grand Cherokee now) but when I told her the windshield was cracked, she wanted to know if the replacement would have the little Jeep on it. "You gotta have the Jeep on it!"

I just transferred the insurance over from my previous car this morning, I have no idea what sort of coverage I have on glass since it's been so long since I've needed it!

 

Well, more calls and more discussion followed by questions.


Here is what I was told:


Original glass in the wrangler has features that may not be included in aftermarket windshields.


1) thickness of the overall glass
2) sound deadening material
3) decals as come with factory glass


Aftermarket glass is made with discarded factory dies. After a limited amount of factory use, the dies are replaced with new. They are then discarded due to imperfections caused by the glass process. Also, after extended use, the dies tend to pick up material resulting in a thinner glass product after time. The aftermarket picks up the discarded dies and use them to produce their windshields.


One last item. Stress cracks are not unheard of for Wranglers. I asked the dealer to look at mine. What they do is run a ball point pen over the crack. If it catches or sticks along the crack it's impact, if not they might consider it a stress crack and replace it. Under the lights and with readers on, leaning in close, I saw there was, in fact, a starburst along the crack just above the edge of the window. Very clearly an impact point. No free replacement for me.



I still consider my 2018 KJUS to be a "new" car and so I am going to bite the bullet and spend the extra for a MorPar OEM windshield. Of all the issues, sound deadening caught my attention but wasn't solely the decision making feature.


Gary (Roll44)

 

Well, more calls and more discussion followed by questions.


Here is what I was told:


Original glass in the wrangler has features that may not be included in aftermarket windshields.


1) thickness of the overall glass
2) sound deadening material
3) decals as come with factory glass

We had a crack in ours about a year after we bought it. We found a shop who claimed theirs was OEM glass but without the decals. It was also about 1/2 the price of Safelite and a few other places.

We opted for the less expensive glass and I bought the decal set off Amazon for around $15. The replacement glass has been great now for over 5 years. No cracks, no leaks.

 

https://marksmobileglass.com/the-difference-in-oem-and-aftermarket-windshields/

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Snow plow cracked mine last week and I got estimates for replacement from a body shop and a dealer. Both were $410 for the glass + labor for OEM.

 

Friend of mine owns his own auto glass business, he is a one man operation so I am sure he is not getting huge volume discounts. He replaced my OEM on my 18 JK for 280.00 total. Funny thing was I had contacted insurance and my deductible was was 250 so I just paid him instead of dealing with Allstate. Reason I bring it up is I had an estimate from safelight and they wanted over $500.00 for OEM which my insurance would have paid. I had him quote me gorilla glass just to try it and it was only available from the dealer and his cost was $400.00. He was going to put that in for $450.00 but Allstate would not pay for Gorilla glass because they don't approve it as an OEM replacement. So I went with the stock OEM glass. I also had my deductible dropped to zero, that a whole other story but it was only $6.00 more a month. I'm glad they waited till now to tell me that was the current price difference.

 

For all those using their insurance to replace the windshield instead of paying out of pocket, I learned an interesting fact a few weeks ago when my windshield cracked.

I am in Arizona and have State Farm as my carrier. I state this because I don't know if this dilemma is state or carrier dependent. I pay about $110 per year on my policy for fully covered windshield replacement (no deductible) and have replaced many windshields over the years "for fee", or at least no out of pocket.

My agent informed me that the laws were recently changed that allow insurers to hold comprehensive claims against you just as they would hold an at fault accident against you. This then means that they could literally drop you for having your windshield replaced too often, or hitting a deer too often, or any other combination of comprehensive claims. I'm now pondering dropping the auto glass rider of my policy, pocketing the $110/year and just paying out of pocket for windshields going forward.

 

I am also in Arizona with two JKs. We could be going thru almost as fast as we fill up if I claimed every chip/crack when they occurred. My record is 4 hours from the time the windshield was replaced. I am not sure where all these rocks on the highway come from. It is not like we have all the sand and salt from the icy areas. I just looked at switching insurance companies and was turned down due to the frequency of windshield replacements claimed under warranty. My wife heard a commercial on the car radio today that bragged about a lifetime replacement for the JK windshield. Anyone else hear this? It might be cheaper in the long run that continuing to replace windshields under insurance.

 

My wife heard a commercial on the car radio today that bragged about a lifetime replacement for the JK windshield. Anyone else hear this? It might be cheaper in the long run that continuing to replace windshields under insurance.

Are you talking about the Gorilla Glass windshield? They sound more robust but I think they only come with a two year warranty.

Here's the thread: Gorilla Glass Windshield

 

I have around 8 starbursts on my windshield right now and one was given the epoxy treatment. My plan is not to do anything until there is a big crack.

I have never had another vehicle with this happening so often. I believe the reason is that the windshield is nearly perpendicular to the ground. With my cars the steep slant acts to deflect these small rocks.

 

After my third windshield in a year I changed our comprehensive to cover the windshield. Cheaper than paying out of pocket at the rate I’m going.