Jasondon

Hi all, quick question.
2013 fully loaded ES, radar cruise etc.
I live in an area where they gravel the roads in winter, so replacing your windshield is very common, and no insurance.
OEM replacement is 800+. A proper aftermarket is less than half.
Do I run the risk of my radar cruise etc not working if I don't have the dealer do it?

Anyone else gone aftermarket and had any issues?

Any input appreciated.

355F1

bc6152

There are numerous threads on windshield replacement and aftermarket vs. OEM. Many have had your same questions... Do a search and you'll find valuable info...

Kijug

Heh...I'll give you an answer next week. I have a 2014 UL fully loaded w/ PCS, LDA, etc., and am taking it in to Lexus to replace my cracked windshield.

jfelbab

For the $400, I definitely would go with OEM. This is a safety issue. The windshield glass in you car provides a major portion of the rollover protection and it also is the backing plate for the passenger side air bag. If your vehicle is leased, be aware that most leases require the use of OEM glass or you'll be charged a rather large penalty when the lease is up.

lesz

A cost of $800 for an OEM windshield replacement is actually much lower than what I've seen others report here. Typically, people have reported prices in the $1500 to $2000 range for a replacement OEM windshield.

Also, if you search for other similar threads about replacement windshields for the ES, you will find numerous people who have posted saying that they got a non-OEM windshield replacement and subsequently had problems with things like the radar cruise control, rain sensing wipers, etc.

Other posts in this thread have added other good reasons for spending a little more to get an OEM windshield replacement.

mcomer

You might look into the overlay product(s) that help protect glass against chips and cracks.
Similar to the 3M and other brands that are applied to the front painted parts of the
car but shaped for the glass. I first read of this in Car & Driver when they did a Top
Speed runoff between ultra expensive cars. Since they needed to return the cars in
good shape they had the overlays products put on everything, paint and glass that
might get damaged. I recall a sidebar article regarding the glass treatment that mentioned
that it had a minor but noticeable visual effect. Check out C&D website for the article from
about five (5) years ago.

Jasondon

Thank you for the replies.
This had been discussed in other threads more than I realized, so thanks for chiming in.

danj

Spinoff input for ya. We just had our windshield replaced by a recommended aftermarket/indy shop in Baton Rouge. Price was reasonable, but after replacement we had some issues (blind spot yellow lights not working, front & rear prox sensors seemingly not working, etc...). We took it to local Lexus dealer and they were able to immediately fix the yellow blind spot lights and they found the prox sensors working when they walked in front of and behind the car. They believe the multiple issues we had were possibly related to disconnecting/reconnecting the battery. Figured I would post, in case others run into similar problems. We decided we will probably have the next windshield done at Lexus....

Kijug

OK, here my update and recent experience. I got my 60K service plus replaced the windshield. Since I have LDA, there was an extra charge. Here is the breakdown:
1) 60K maintenance ($456) I accept that for a 60K at a Lexus dealer
2) Tire alignment ($160) OK for a Lexus dealer
3) Windshield OEM part only ($1060) I expected this from other posts
4) Labor to change out windshield, they sent the car to a third party shop ($280) Wow that's cheap
5) Label to calibrate the LDA after windshield replacement ($523)

So to replace a windshield with Lexus OEM glass seems to be about $1400. Throw in $500 to align the LDA...which I think was kind of high. The rest of the charges are in line with expectations.

Two things:
First, the glass is super-duper clear, I really cannot "see it" and driving now is weird. It's one thing to get a new car and you expect change, its another to drive your car for years and POOF sudden change.

Second, and this one is funny. They gave me an NX200t loaner. My ES has RS wipers and I really enjoy them. So I'm driving back to the dealer today and there was a little rain here and there. So the windshield got wet...oh yea, I need to turn on the wipers...OK, no problem. A few minutes later, no more rain...but the wipers are still going.... DING! ...oh yea...I have to turn the wipers off! LOL! Talk about being lazy. Like I said, I like the RS wipers and they work really well.

Take care!

dmusik

Sharing this in case other users find it useful:

2013 ES 300h
Rain sensing wipers
Headed wiper area
Moisture sensor for climate control

Rock chip and cracked windshield. I have $1000 deductible, so not even thinking about involving insurance. Lexus dealer usually charges an arm and two legs so not pursuing that option either. Research showed that Pilkington is an OEM supplier for Lexus.

Starting with Yelp, found a few mobile auto glass repair providers in my Los Angeles neighborhood. They all asked about rain sensor, wiper heater and LDA but not about moisture sensor. Safelite's website doesn't ask about it either, they charge about $400.

$650 all in for Pilkington (but no moisture sensor) from place A which has great Yelp score
$550 cash no receipt for Pilkington place B, which has glowing Yelp score
Place C could not get a price even after several days from Pilkington but their excellent Yelp reviews made me want to let them have a shot.

A few other places were in the $250-350 range for non-Pilkington products.

Glad I called place D! Not mobile, but that's OK with me. Stellar Yelp reviews and talked to a customer in the waiting lounge who has been using that place many times during many years - he completely vouched for them. I took photos of the body around the windshield in case they scratched it. Got a little concerned that they didn't put any protection on the fenders. They placed a towel or something on the roof and put tools there. Not ideal, but OK I guess. They left quite a few smudges on the glass.

$315 for the Pilkington windshield and $40 for installation. Installation looks OK and has lifetime warranty. I'll update after the first rain and when I have a chance to fully test the rain sensing wipers and auto climate control, but I have no reason to believe they're not working.

Score 1 for doing your research and shopping around!

lesz

I preface this by saying that it has been over 20 years since the last time that I needed a windshield replacement. So, I have no recent experience with what the current market situation is with replacement windshields. But I have read numerous posts here from people who have had windshields replaced on their ES vehicles and on other Lexus models.

Typically, people are reporting that an OEM replacement windshield on a car with features such as rain sensing wipers, LDA, etc. costs somewhere around $1500 or more. Some who have reported paying a few hundred dollars less have also reported problems with some of the windshield-related electronics. Even from those who have gone with non-OEM options, I don't recall seeing prices anywhere close to the $355 total cost that you are reporting.

I could be missing something, but I have a hard time believing that you would be getting OEM quality glass and that all of the electronics-related features still work properly for a price that is barely 25% of what others are reporting. Perhaps, someone can explain what I'm missing, but, until then, I'll be skeptical.

jfelbab

I hope this was part of the research done:

https://www.edmunds.com/car-maintena...right-way.html

dmusik

lexsc4

Had my '17 ES350 windshield replaced 3 months ago with OEM Lexus windshield. Total insurance cost $1300, my deductible is only $50. this is in the SF bay area.