2019 A5 Sportback Cracked Windshield

[Gregory_Tolson]

I currently have an appointment setup tomorrow at Safelite to have my cracked windshield replaced. I unfortunately found out my insurance company has a $100 deductible that coveres aftermarket glass. If I want OEM I have to pay the extra difference which would cost me the deductible plus $450. I also would have to wait roughly 5-10 extra days for them to acquire the OEM glass.

Curious if anyone thinks it’s highly worth going OEM vs aftermarket? Safelite and my insurance company assured me the glass is OEE which is built to the standard of OEM and they will be doing all the necessary sensor calibrations and that the only difference is the Audi logo not being on the winshield.

Do I pay $100 for aftermarket or cough up $550 to get OEM glass?

[AccordingToAlex]

There's another thread going on right now to see if we have acoustic glass or not so it might not hurt to wait until there's a definite answer for that.

[AccordingToAlex]

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=974030

TL;DR I wouldn't jump the gun

[Smac770]

So long as they're on the hook to do whatever necessary to make sure all the sensor systems are functioning correctly, .... It'll be interesting to see if they can pull that off without OE glass.

[SHCKR]

I currently have an appointment setup tomorrow at Safelite to have my cracked windshield replaced. I unfortunately found out my insurance company has a $100 deductible that coveres aftermarket glass. If I want OEM I have to pay the extra difference which would cost me the deductible plus $450. I also would have to wait roughly 5-10 extra days for them to acquire the OEM glass.

Curious if anyone thinks it’s highly worth going OEM vs aftermarket? Safelite and my insurance company assured me the glass is OEE which is built to the standard of OEM and they will be doing all the necessary sensor calibrations and that the only difference is the Audi logo not being on the winshield.

Do I pay $100 for aftermarket or cough up $550 to get OEM glass?

I'm on my 3rd or 4th windshield. The last one was replaced with non OEM, and they couldn't get my cameras to calibrate, as the light was being disturbed when passing through the glass. They had to then order an OEM one and that fixed it. I would recommend you stay away from non OEM, and get better insurance (mine was zero deductible all times with OEM)

[Gregory_Tolson]

I'm on my 3rd or 4th windshield. The last one was replaced with non OEM, and they couldn't get my cameras to calibrate, as the light was being disturbed when passing through the glass. They had to then order an OEM one and that fixed it. I would recommend you stay away from non OEM, and get better insurance (mine was zero deductible all times with OEM)

You’ve had more than 3 windshields?? My 2014 ford fusion, purchased since new, never got a crack after 130,000 miles. I attributed it to the profile of the car, are Audi sedan windshields more upright? My wife’s jeeps always seem to have 1 or 2 cracked windshields during her ownership. I always attributed it to it being more straight up and down.

[SHCKR]

You’ve had more than 3 windshields?? My 2014 ford fusion, purchased since new, never got a crack after 130,000 miles. I attributed it to the profile of the car, are Audi sedan windshields more upright? My wife’s jeeps always seem to have 1 or 2 cracked windshields during her ownership. I always attributed it to it being more straight up and down.

Try living in Colorado...

[Gregory_Tolson]

Try living in Colorado...

Talking with an Audi dealership on their opinion they mentioned the exact same issues you brought up, that the sensors can’t be calibrated and that Safelite will just tell me I have to go to an Audi dealership to get it accomplished.

[SHCKR]

Talking with an Audi dealership on their opinion they mentioned the exact same issues you brought up, that the sensors can’t be calibrated and that Safelite will just tell me I have to go to an Audi dealership to get it accomplished.

Safelite is who did mine, and on this last one, they ordered an aftermarket one who knows where, but then got an OEM one from the dealership, and installed it and calibrated everything themselves.

[RS4Jay]

Save yourself a LOT of headaches and take it to an Audi dealer and have OEM glass installed. I went through 3 windshield installs and 2 sensor brackets on my previous A5 trying to use aftermarket before selling the car. Never, ever again.

[Gregory_Tolson]

Save yourself a LOT of headaches and take it to an Audi dealer and have OEM glass installed. I went through 3 windshield installs and 2 sensor brackets on my previous A5 trying to use aftermarket before selling the car. Never, ever again.

Talking to the dealer they mentioned they send it to a windshield replacement shop down the road and they themselves don’t physically replace at the dealer.

I decided to cough up the $550 to get OEM installed at Safelite, hoping it was just my poor luck.

[Smac770]

The only time I've ever had a windshield crack was during the few years living in Denver, CO. Not sure if the sun level just made cracks more likely from the heating/cooling, or if it was just the rocks everywhere. At least the nuts hail storms never broke any of the windows.

[SHCKR]

The only time I've ever had a windshield crack was during the few years living in Denver, CO. Not sure if the sun level just made cracks more likely from the heating/cooling, or if it was just the rocks everywhere. At least the nuts hail storms never broke any of the windows.

It's the rocks. I was on 25 today and had a whooping 25 minutes non stop of what felt like a sandblaster

[Smac770]

It's the rocks. I was on 25 today and had a whooping 25 minutes non stop of what felt like a sandblaster

I guess the gravel for the snow is better than the salt (assuming it's still that way, it has been 22 years). You'll still be able to take your suspension apart when the day comes.

[Gregory_Tolson]

Just my luck, Safelite went forward with replacing the windshield on my car with OEM glass which I coughed up $551 (insurance covered the remaining balance) for but they ended up breaking my hood latch inside the footwell. They told me they will cover the cost of the replacement at the dealership.

Funny enough I had this same problem on my Ford Fusion, I owned before this car, like a year or 2 ago. Anyone have this issue? It appears the plastic arm broke, I can’t imagine the tension of the metal wire causing this plastic to snap just 21,000 miles in.

[RickNY]

It appears the plastic arm broke, I can’t imagine the tension of the metal wire causing this plastic to snap just 21,000 miles in.

I could see it breaking if they tried to pop the hood while the car doesnt let you (for example, when the car is running and the doors are closed -- the hood release locks so you cant pull it)

[B6_Dolphin]

So on a similar subject, my Audi dealer is offering this package called "Smart Glass" on my soon-to-be-picked-up new '23 RS5 Coupe.

Here's the deets and pricing:

- Smart Glass ($1,208) - Smart Glass is a sealant applied to your windshield designed to make the windshield more resistant to chipping and cracking. In the case a chip or crack does occur, this coverage offers up to $5,000 in windshield repair or replacements, including sensor recalibration.

I'm in WA state, and while the stones & grit are not as bad as CO, they use sand vs salt in the winter, which hangs around on the roads until May.

Would you get it, based on having HUD, cameras, etc.?

[Zombie5150]

I reluctantly bought a similar package. I didn’t want it but the wife did so I paid the $1,200. My package was both an interior protectant and windshield sealant/insurance. Even though I took delivery in September I just had the stuff applied last week. I learned the windshield warranty isn’t valid unless the sealant is applied first. Personally, I think it’s probably a waste of money but I guess we’ll see. The windshield certainly looks more clear and is more slick. Hard to believe any sort of sealant will help with rock hits but supposedly it fills in ultra small discrepancies in the glass making it harder to chip and/or crack. I’m not sure I’m buying it as I think it’s a gimmick but I guess time will tell. If your insurance company provides windshield repair I’d probably suggest that route.

[Smac770]

If it makes it so the windshield isn't covered in those micro pits that make it light up like a christmas tree in the sunlight after 10 years, at least there's that.

[AFANM12]

As someone who has dealt with cracked windshields before, I understand the dilemma of choosing between aftermarket or OEM glass. In my experience with Denver windshield repair, I have found that the quality of the glass matters more than the logo on it. Aftermarket glass can be just as good as OEM if it meets the same standards and is installed properly. That being said, it ultimately comes down to personal preference and budget.

If you are satisfied with the assurance from Safelite and your insurance company that the OEE glass is built to OEM standards and will be properly calibrated, then it may not be worth the extra $450 for the Audi logo. However, if having the OEM glass is important to you, then it may be worth the wait and extra cost.

In either case, I highly recommend choosing a reputable and experienced Denver windshield repair company like Dr Rock Chip at coloradochip.com to ensure that the glass is installed properly and meets safety standards. Good luck with your decision and I hope your windshield is back to its original state soon!