I figured I would ask here assuming someone has had to replace a windshield at some point. OEM glass is 4x what AM glass cost. Aside from the logo in the lower corner, is there really a difference? I could see spending on a garage queen Porsche keeping it strictly OEM but I will be driving my LR3 into my grave with me. Any advice much appreciated.

 

You do not want to get me started on this one... lol So I will keep it short. OEM, period. (and to clarify a bit, OEM is both LR Badged or you can get Pilkington, which is the same glass less the LR logo)

 

Thanks but not you peaked my interest. Obviusly a bad experience so maybe just a quick "highlight" of why the 4x is worth it?

 

So my windshield was damaged and I avoided having it looked at because it did not seem bad, until it started to crack. After dealing with complete mental midgets at Safelite I was so worn out by the ordeal that I gave in and went cheap glass. They insisted OEM or Pilkington was months away from being available.....

So I ended with with a cheap one and before I left the lot I had to point out the air bubbles in the rain sensor area. They said it would not affect it, but they were SO noticeable against the blackout area. Whatever. So then I noticed the heating lines were really messy on one side. Driver side, looked okay... but passenger side, crossed over and stuff and all uneven. I think this is why the fuse would pop, twice, for just that side when testing. So of course I started looking at the whole thing closer and noticed the entire thing was rather wavy vertically. Basically a crap curve the whole thing. Oh... and the cheap one has zero tint. And it was very, very noticeable. That weird opti-kool coating from Pilkington really works. But I guess I could tolerate it all....

Until I noticed the optic issues. So during the day I was watching a vehicle a couple hundred feet in front of me and one lane over. I thought their rear wheel was about to fall off, it was wobbling so bad. Nope. It was some odd effect from the heating elements. Creating some optical matrixing issue at a distance. I could see it all over the place, especially for objects not straight on. The more to the side, the worse. But then I drove in the evening... Well crap... looked like I was driving in a kaleidoscope! The heating elements clearly are designed different and maybe missing some sorta coating to reduce reflectiveness. But they created this starburst like effect with ALL light sources. The photos do not do justice. It was super annoying!

But as you can read, the main issue appears to be the heating elements. I need a heated windshield, hands down. I drive in too many blizzards. But if you dont have or dont need a heated one, then I bet you won't have these issues. They did deem the windshield defective and my insurance, Erie, thankfully pushed for OEM and they even covered the difference. So I pay zero in the end (I have extra glass coverage on the truck with zero deductible). But of course Safelife messed up the install and so we are waiting for another OEM glass to come in. They put it in way too low.

 

Also, not sure if OEM is 4 times higher in price. The difference between cheap and OEM was $450.

 

Land Rover does not manufacture windshields. They get them from Pilkington and, I think, one other supplier. No point in paying extra to get a windshield from the dealer. As for availability, more than 2 weeks waiting to hear from an auto glass shop about a new windshield for my P38. Other models may also be problematic.

 

Pilkington. Period. It doesn't matter to me if it has the LR Logo or not - I've had both and they're exactly the same. As Dakota clearly shows, - Anything else and you get what you, or your insurance company, pays for.

 

I can confirm that the cheaper replacement windshields have weird picture fracturing, especially at night. It's like looking through hundreds of little octogons. Or for anyone that has used VR, it has a screen-door effect. When mine needs replacement I'll be going with the Pilkington.

 

For a daily driver LR3, aftermarket glass is perfectly fine. The only real differences are the logo, a slightly varying tint shade, and occasionally minor edge distortion. Stick to reputable brands like Pilkington or AGC, and make sure the installation quality is good as that matters far more than OEM vs aftermarket.

 

Timely post for me...

I literally just scheduled a Pilkington for install next Friday on my 06. The installer says he can only get the heated windshield. Does anyone know if the wiring harness is factory installed on models that did not have the heated option? If so, I'll just find the switch, fuse, relay etc. and at least be able to use it if possible.

Thanks for confirmation on Pilkington. Finding the OEM (non-heat) was not happening.