On a tight budget I would hate to make that decision. If it were my car or truck I would suck it up and get the OEM windshield based on what was said above. Just like tires, I tend not to go cheap on certain things. However, if you don't plan on keeping your GX for a while I would get the cheaper windshield.

 

I agree with you CdeFabio & Patgilm.

Guess I will argue w/ Progressive that the aftermarket and the OEM are not the same thing.

Thanks for yall replies/ comments/ advice

 

I agree, I always Let Lexus of St. Louis order my windshields and they have someone come to the dealership and install the glass. The aftermarket isn't the same as OEM.

 

That is exactly what I do as well! The company they use for all glass repair is very good. I use them all the time for chip repairs. They do a much better job than the company my insurance company wants me to use.

Khandfw, do your homework before talking to your insurance company. One way to approach it is to look at what features Lexus OEM glass has and make them see if their aftermarket has the same features. I believe the GX uses acoustic glass for noise reduction which I would bet aftermarket glass does not. Just a thought.

 

That would be my recommendation too. Ask around who supplies the OEM glass. You want a quality glass with the same features...and, preferably by the same company that sells to the OEM. When I was in this boat, I found a couple...."Pilkington" was one, if I recall correctly. However, please do the research.....if you are on a budget.

 

Though I have never replaced glass in a Lexus, my prior experience has determined that non-factory glass is below standard quality and not worth the savings.

 

Thanks Gents for the advise and comments; I did my reserach and found the OEM is way higher quality then the aftermarket (obviously) and Issurance company understood my argument (Well I asked the supervisor if they had Allstate's number) .

To add to the fun, while I'm finishing off the claim w/ the Progressive agent my window intercepts a rock and ding. Im in my IS350 w/ a crack halfway across my windshield and asked, while i have you on the phone could you opena new claim... an hour later I get a call back quoting the OEM vs Aftermarket for the IS350

OEM is 1k
Aftermarket is 500
Progressive will cover to 500... Nice, Just nice

 

Wow, talk about bad luck. I hope I don't run into the same issues with State Farm if I ever need a new windshield, especially in the LS. I pay their premiums and deductible for a reason and I would not settle for anything aftermarket unless it was exactly the same quality. Why do they bother insuring a Tier I car if they really don't provide adequate coverage for such a car?

 

State Farm has had no problems replacing my windshield with factory glass in the past.

 

Well as luck would have it, of course with all of this windshield talk I go out today in my LS and a rock hits my windshield and chips it. There was nobody around except for two cars on a three lane highway and the cars were pretty far in front of me. Of course State Farm now has a deductible of $50 for windshield repair when it used to be free if you had it repaired. Let's hope it doesn't crack from the temperature in the next few days before I can get it fixed because I really don't want a new windshield.

 

I have been reading some of the windshield replacement posts and have a few questions regarding my car and its factory features. I’ve found there are 3 different kinds of windshields with many different features. I figured this was a simple process and results all pretty much the same, but after reading posts here, I think this decision can make a bit of difference if the wrong choice is made.

Factory
OEM
Aftermarket

I have to replace a windshield in a 2010 gx 460, which has two dings in it. The car is just recently new to me. I'm not fully familiar with all the features I have yet.


1. Are these pics from my windshield the heated windshield wiper blade feature?

2. Would my model have the rain sensor windshield?

3. I was also told by the dealer in town some Lexus models (but not sure exactly which ones) have a new factory sealant or mounting system which cuts down on road noise and wind noise. This new feature is a must and recommended on certain types of vehicles. Which cars have this and how would I be able to tell?

4. How do you tell if you have lane changing or lane sensors. This was mentioned to me on choices from companies. I don't know if this is the correct feature name or if I have this option.

5. It also seems some are having issues with mounts clicking and tapping driving down the road.

6. It appears I have to ask for Factory or OEM glass if I want the same feel and comfort which I started with when I bought the vehicle. Any thoughts.


I have read Pilkington carries a pretty good replacement. I have called the dealership and heard 1300. I have called glass shops and heard 370s-900s for replacements depending on features. It also seems the Lexus dealers seem to use local shops to cover their window work.

Should I go with the company the dealer uses in hopes I’m getting the best type and fit?

Can Safelite or any of the other replacement companies be trusted to get the job done correctly? Has anyone had any luck with replacement companies?

If the pics I posted are heater wiper blades option my price has just gone up.

The biggest thing I want is my existing features and same Lexus comfort and feel I have always gotten with their cars.

Sorry for the long list of questions. Thanks in advance for any advice or help!

 

I found the heated windshield wiper answer and now know how to use them.

how to turn the heated wipers system on
I'll assume have NAV.. If so click on Climate, on the lower right of that sccreen click on the wiper con and it will show a green or yellow line... it is now on.

located here: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ct-...#ixzz2ZBIuA8V7

 

LDA - (Lane Departure Alert) (If Equipped)
It appears this system is activated on the lower right of the steering wheel below the digital dash menu system. This system alerts the driver if the car is going to veer out of its lane it is in. It senses the lines on the road and warns the driver with a beeping alert.

http://www.japanesesportcars.com/201...lip_27239.html


If I understood correctly the glass shops were telling me this is part of the windshield setup and windshield system. Is this part of the windshield

 

Just wondering what you decided on your windshield---factory glass or not?? We only had our 2013 GX460 a few weeks and had to have windshield replaced and was talked into one that was $600. I think I hear wind noise so I was wondering what info you may have found out.

 

I ended up getting aftermarket glass with heated wiper area and rain sensor. The glass is Pilkington. I got it in for just under $400.

I ended up having a small local shop farm out the window install. This was the lowest price I could find for all features (rain sensor, heated wipers) I wanted. I had pricing ranges from $300s(without heated wipers)-$1400(dealer). The new glass does not have the orange looking defrost wiper warmers in the wiper blade area. Turning on the heated wiper option in the Nav seemed to warm up the wiper area though. I also had some new noise with the new install. It almost sounds like the windshield is moving around when I hit bumps in the road. The wind noise seems like its up from the original Lexus glass sound. All these new sounds and reading the forums before concerned me.

I ended up running the car by Safelite to have them give me an opinion on the installed glass. The heated wipers were not listed as a cost on my bill from above, which made me wonder if it was defrost heating the wiper area or actually a heated wiper option. I wanted to know if I really got the heated wipers and why I was getting the noise I did not previously have. The Safelite guy said the glass was a good brand, checked the model # and verified the heated wipers were installed from his catalog books. He messed with my molding on the front exterior of the windshield and notice it was real loose. He said the molding clamps/brackets were probably broken and I should have the previous installer fix them. Safelite won't work on windshields they didn't install in case of damage while working.

I then took the car by the local Lexus dealer for another opinion and had a body shop rep take a look. He said the same thing about the window moldings. The Lexus dealer farms out the work too. I talked to the rep and he said they could fix the moldings for about $80. I'm probably going to take it back to the dealer when their glass guy is in and have it fixed and done right. I'm hoping the fix will cut down wind noise and the bump creaking I'm hearing.

Outcome TBD....