A rock hit my windshield and cracked it a couple days ago, the crack is about 3 feet long. I've never had a windshield replaced and was wondering your opinions on whether or not to have an Acura windshield installed or to get an aftermarket one. Either way, how much did you pay and were you happy with it?

 

i would recommend getting the acura windshield ... reason being is that i believe it is coated in some substance that helps the soundwaves in the car travel a certain way to make your music sound the best it can!

 

With the car being so new, I would go OEM. If it was 6 years old or something, hello after market.

 

If you can swing it, definitely go OEM. Your insurance should have glass coverage to replace the windshield with a deductible. A 3G TL OEM windshield costs > $800 MSRP. Due to this, your insurance company will most likely only cover the cost of an OEM replacement windshield. My auto insurance company (Progressive) actually has this stipulation that they'll replace the windshield with an OEM one if the car is relatively new. Hopefully, your insurance will do the same for you.

 

Also, since the crack in the windshield is so large, windshield repair unfortunately isn't a viable option.

 

I contacted my insurance company, Geico, who said this falls under comprehensive. Since my comprehensive deductible is $1000 I probably won't be submitting a claim. I'll just bite the bullet and pay out of pocket whether I decide to go OEM or aftermarket. I found out I can lower my comprehensive deductible to $50 for another $37 every 6 months. I wonder what they would say if i lowered the deductible then submitted a claim a month later. This sucks! My whole life I've never had a cracked windshield or got a flat tire...after owning the 4G TL for 6 months I've experienced both. Bad luck!

 

You should call Geico and see if you can add glass coverage to your policy. Normally the cost increase for glass if minimal, and it allows you to replace any damaged/broken glass for a much lower deductible.

Also, for what it is worth, I have never seen a difference in aftermarket vs. OEM windshields. I suppose there are some flaky ones out there, but if you go with a reputable brand you will not have any issues at all with aftermarket glass.

 

rvalentino,
unlike you I have had several nicked windshields and even one driver's side window cracked. This is becoming more common since manufacturers have started adopting thinner windshields in recent years: this is done primarily to reduce weight, but does lead to an increase in cracks and nicks. Regarding replacement, I have seen some non-oem replacements introducing waves around the curvature that result in deformations of objects seen through the glass. However, the most important issue is not so much the origin of the replacement but rather the climatic conditions at time of replacement: temperature and humidity greatly affect the adhesive compound used (I have seen replaced windshiedls leaking water in heavy rain). Also important is the expertise of the installer and the cleanliness of the installation facility: many dealers, for example, will call a specialist who comes with his own van and, in good weather, replaces the glass outside in the parking lot. This is because in a busy facility all service bays are often occupied. The trouble with this is that atmospheric dust and grit may get trapped into the adhesive, making for a less than perfect mating of the two surfaces. So, you may want to ask you dealer's service manager what routine they follow for replacements.

 

The cost of an Acura winshield here in california was about 625 Installed that was the price the company was charging the insurance, I still had to pay the 500 dollar deduct. An aftermarket is about 350, the only difference is it will not have the Acura Logo

 

I would definitely go for the OEM one.... the OEM windshield is made out of 3 layers according to Acura's website... (something like this.. can't exactly remember how many layers....)

beside....I replaced my old car's rear windshield few years ago... I brought my Odyssey to Honda...but my insurance company didn't replace the rear windshield with an OEM one...and u can definitely see the windshield's curvature is not exactly the same as the OEM...and this causes a problem when I was rear ended and had the tailgate replaced....

Anyhow....feel sorry for you.....but you are probably not the worst....I just took my car back from the body shop yesterday.......rear ended by some one and cost CAN$4700 to fix the bumper and both tailpipe....