[jacquesm]

I've had some windshields replaced by a friend of mine who runs a business in this domain and the typical cost of the windshields is on the order of 100 to 200 bucks depending on make & model, and about $50 worth of materials to put it all in according to factory spec. He can do one in an hour and a bit and it's very good money if you have a steady stream of work. He also said that if he was better at sourcing he could probably increase his margins quite a bit still but they're already more than good enough. Dealers will be happy to rip you off on stuff like this, shopping around is always smart. Except when the company has a monopoly (such as in the case of Tesla).

[SoftTalker]

Those aftermarket windshield replacements (Safe-Lite, etc.) in my experience (have had a few over the years) always end up leaking. Always. If I had insurance coverage that applied I'd insist on a dealer replacement with OEM seals and glass.

[jacquesm]

I've yet to have a problem with any of the ones that were replaced, and they're approved as part of the safety structure of the car if glued in place with the right kind of glue and process. Technically it can't really be the windshield that leaks, usually it is a sign of wrong glue or an inappropriate application of the glue or process. This as well as good prepwork are key to an optimal result.

[SoftTalker]

Yes, I meant that the seal eventually leaks and I get rainwater coming in and running down the inside of the glass or at the corners of the windshield.

[jacquesm]

Crappy operators tend so save on the quality of the adhesive they use, that saves a couple of bucks and looks just the same right after you leave their place of work but it comes back to haunt you in the long run. A 'proper' operator will use the exact same glue as the manufacturer originally used. Another common error is to not properly glean the surfaces the glue will have to bond to both mechanically and from various residue. This can cause the glue simply not to stick at all. The first is greed, the second is usually crappy instruction. The guy I know has worked for manufacturers on mass windshield replacements, so he has done thousands according to manufacturer spec and that makes a big difference in workmanship, but he says that there is no guarantee that a dealer will do a better job, there is the guarantee that if the dealer fucks up you usually get your next replacement for free and some of those window replacement businesses are 'fly by night', the worse the quality the bigger the chance that you will need them to honor their warranty, but also the bigger the chance that they will no longer exist. Insurance companies sometimes work with a bunch of preferred installers. Here in NL besides by friend I've also had reasonably good experiences with Carglass, not all without trouble but they want to stay in business. Over the course of now close to 40 years of driving I've lost a whole stack of windshields, especially near construction zones but the last couple of years have actually been pretty good. I probably shouldn't jinx it though :)

[StillBored]

I have an auto glass place I've been using for 20+ years, on the "wrong" side of town. I don't think I've paid more than $200 for the entire job, and none of them have leaked, or are obviously misaligned or anything. And the glass is seemingly as good as the dealer glass when it comes to getting hammered with rocks/etc.

At those prices, I imaging the glass is as you would expect at wholesale not more than $50 or so if they can send me out the door for $140. But its not even really the price that keeps me returning every few years when invariably someone in my family gets a busted windshield, is the fact that I can call them to verify they have the windshield drive over and wait 15 mins in their waiting room and leave with a new windshield.

[tetote]

Adding my anecdotal info: ford front shield 500$