Should I go with Safelite?

radarwhiz · #1 11-26-2012, 01:15 PM

Just wondering if anyone has had experience with them for windshield replacement. Are they able to get a bronzed one and is their work good?

1986nate · #2 11-26-2012, 01:33 PM

It'll end up being the Chinese replacements. And hopefully you get a good tech who can salvage and reinstall the molding on the new one.

rvnmaniac · #3 11-26-2012, 01:44 PM

Here is my story, driver's side passenger window, cracked to hell, don't know how and of course no one is gonna fest up. Anyway Safelite couldn't find the window initially so i went with Gerber Collision and glass. After about 5 days Safelite said they found a window for me but noticed that i canceled their order. Since i was still waiting on Gerber i said let's go for it since you have the window. Well they ordered the wrong one, drivers side main window. Gerber just replaced the window last Saturday, bronze. Came to the house no problem. Window wouldn't go up all the way because of glass in the track. Once he finally took care of the we were good to go...

Lookin4SVX · #4 11-26-2012, 01:47 PM

Had them do the windshield on my Impreza.
They messed it up, the gasket on the bottom popped out.
They had to fix it a second time, after that it was fine.

radarwhiz · #5 11-26-2012, 02:01 PM

Closest Safelite is too far. I'm going to try Guardian Auto Glass right here in town. The can get the windshield but not the moulding. I'll see in the morning if installer thinks he reuse it.

Conn SVX · #6 11-26-2012, 02:35 PM

I had them repair a windshield 2 times on my wife's car. The 1st repair was unnoticeable , the 2nd repair almost looked as bad repaired as chipped. When I called and complained they told me that it is a structural repair and that is all it is. Good thing it was not in my line of site.

bheinen74 · #7 11-26-2012, 11:18 PM

Every replacement job i have seen from SafeLite, they gouged into the paint of the roofline, and they rust in short time.
EVERY single one from them.
I will not buy a car that safelite has replaced windshield on, you can usually tell, the trim around the window is usually peeled away, and you see the gouges in paint.

EdWindows · #8 11-26-2012, 11:48 PM

I went to Safelite about a month ago and asked if they had any windshields. They told me they would call me back in a couple of days after calling around nearby states to see if they had them.
They never called me back, and I could really use a windshield.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1986nate

It'll end up being the Chinese replacements. And hopefully you get a good tech who can salvage and reinstall the molding on the new one.

How cheap are the Chinese replacements? $1000 for an OEM one is too damn expensive.

1986nate · #9 11-27-2012, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdWindows

I went to Safelite about a month ago and asked if they had any windshields. They told me they would call me back in a couple of days after calling around nearby states to see if they had them.
They never called me back, and I could really use a windshield.

How cheap are the Chinese replacements? $1000 for an OEM one is too damn expensive.

OEM is actually $1200+ and they only have green tint without the titanium oxide coating.
The Chinese are somewhere around $300, do not come with molding that you cannot buy separately from Subaru and do not have the titanium oxide coating. However, they are available in all 3 tint colors.

EdWindows · #10 11-27-2012, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1986nate

OEM is actually $1200+ and they only have green tint without the titanium oxide coating.
The Chinese are somewhere around $300, do not come with molding that you cannot buy separately from Subaru and do not have the titanium oxide coating. However, they are available in all 3 tint colors.

What does the titanium oxide coating do?

icingdeath88 · #11 11-27-2012, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdWindows

What does the titanium oxide coating do?

Organic chemist here. TiO2 is a good UV absorbing material, of the UV-B and C regions = < 300nm. The coating reduces the amount of UV light that gets into the car, which is good for many reasons. The majority of cars don't have it and it isn't missed though. It also blocks EZ-pass type of things (not radar detectors, as far as I know). Here's the absorption spectrum of TiO2:

The LS and LSi/L models I think were the only ones that got the TiO2 coating, the L ones didn't, and I think none of the 97s got it either, but I'm not sure exactly. Nate will know for sure.

1986nate · #12 11-27-2012, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by icingdeath88

Organic chemist here. TiO2 is a good UV absorbing material, of the UV-B and C regions = < 300nm. The coating reduces the amount of UV light that gets into the car, which is good for many reasons. The majority of cars don't have it and it isn't missed though. It also blocks EZ-pass type of things (not radar detectors, as far as I know). Here's the absorption spectrum of TiO2:

The LS and LSi/L models I think were the only ones that got the TiO2 coating, the L ones didn't, and I think none of the 97s got it either, but I'm not sure exactly. Nate will know for sure.

The 97's still received it. The only tint without the coating is green windshields found strictly on 94-95 L models and perhaps 96-97 L's as well but I am doubtful.(haven't seen one in person) Bronze and Blue tint all had the coating.

svxcess · #13 11-27-2012, 03:23 PM

I was always under the impression that the top models (LS-L and LSi) had the titanium coating on the windshield, and the lesser models didn't.

When I had 2 different windshields installed in both my son's and my pearlies, the glass shop used the VIN to obtain the correct replacement.

.

EdWindows · #14 11-27-2012, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by icingdeath88

Organic chemist here. TiO2 is a good UV absorbing material, of the UV-B and C regions = < 300nm. The coating reduces the amount of UV light that gets into the car, which is good for many reasons.

Hmm, interesting. Probably why my dashboard isn't all cracked like other 20 year old cars.
Is it possible to get the coating applied, or does it have to be done during the glass making process?

PS: That picture doesn't work. It says "403 access forbidden."

1986nate · #15 11-28-2012, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdWindows

Hmm, interesting. Probably why my dashboard isn't all cracked like other 20 year old cars.
Is it possible to get the coating applied, or does it have to be done during the glass making process?

PS: That picture doesn't work. It says "403 access forbidden."

It goes inbetween layers of the glass. Coincidentally, not sure if there's anyone else who has noticed but the SVX windshields are actually only safety glass on the inside layer. The outside layer still shatters into shards like normal pane glass. Something I was shocked and surprised by.