OEM windshield replacement in Raleigh

Raleigh Windshield Auto Glass is the Raleigh windshield service of Impex Auto Glass. Impex fits OEM and high-quality aftermarket glass, and its technicians can recommend which suits your vehicle. We do not promise one kind of glass on every job, because the right answer depends on the car, what is mounted to the glass and what you and your insurer want.

What OEM and aftermarket mean

OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer. An OEM windshield is made to the vehicle maker’s specification, usually by the glass company that supplied the windshield your car was built with, and it normally carries the vehicle maker’s mark in the corner. It is, as near as anyone can get, the same part that left the factory.

Aftermarket glass is made by another manufacturer to fit the same opening and do the same job. It will not carry the vehicle maker’s mark. Whatever its maker, a windshield on an NC-registered car has to be safety glass under G.S. 20-135, and a good aftermarket windshield is hard to tell apart from the original once fitted. The word covers a wide range, which is why Impex speaks of high-quality aftermarket glass rather than aftermarket glass in general.

	OEM windshield	Aftermarket windshield
Made by	Usually the original supplier, to the vehicle maker’s specification	Another glass manufacturer, to fit the same opening
Markings	Normally the vehicle maker’s mark	The glass maker’s own mark
Fit and mounts	Matches the original	Made to match; quality varies by maker
Price and timing	Ask: it varies by vehicle	Ask: it varies by vehicle
Typical choice	Newer cars, cars with cameras at the glass, owners who ask for it	Many everyday replacements

Where the difference can show

On a plain windshield with nothing mounted to it, a good aftermarket glass and an OEM glass do the same job, and most drivers would never know which they have. The differences, where they exist, tend to show in a few places:

• Fit. How exactly the glass follows the curve of the opening and how evenly the gap sits under the trim.
• Optical quality. How clear and free of distortion the glass is, especially at the top where a camera may look through it.
• Mounts and brackets. The camera bracket, rain sensor pad and mirror button have to sit exactly where the car expects them.
• Bands and coatings. The shade band across the top, acoustic layers and heated areas differ from car to car.
• Markings. Some owners simply want the vehicle maker’s mark on the glass, for resale or for peace of mind.

Cars with a camera behind the glass

This is where the choice deserves the most thought. Many cars now have a forward-facing camera mounted at the top of the windshield. I-CAR lists what such a camera controls: lane departure warning, collision braking and adaptive cruise control. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that forward collision warning with automatic braking cut rear-end crashes in half in its research, so these are systems worth getting right.

The camera looks out through the glass in front of it. That is why the clarity of the glass in that area, and the exact position of the bracket, matter more on these cars than on an older car with nothing at the glass. It is also why I-CAR lists removing the windshield as one of the events that may require the camera to be aimed again, whatever glass goes in. Requirements vary by year, make and model, and I-CAR’s own guidance is to look up the vehicle maker’s requirements for each car.

So on a car with a camera, two things go together: glass that suits the camera, and a calibration afterward when the vehicle maker calls for one. Impex performs ADAS calibration on site after windshield replacement, with static and dynamic calibration in one visit, and says calibration takes between 30 minutes and 2 hours.

How the glass is chosen for your car

1. The VIN. Impex uses VIN-based verification so the windshield ordered is the one your vehicle was built with: the right sensors, brackets, bands and heated areas.
2. What is available. For some cars both OEM and aftermarket glass are easy to get; for others one is the clear choice.
3. What is at the glass. A camera, a head-up display or a rain sensor narrows the field.
4. Your preference. If you want OEM glass, say so when you ask for the quote, and ask what it changes in price and timing.
5. Your policy. If you are claiming, ask your insurer what kind of glass the policy pays for on your vehicle.

OEM glass and your insurance

Whether an insurer pays for OEM or aftermarket glass is set by your own policy, not by a North Carolina rule, so ask your insurer before the glass is ordered. What NC law does settle is who does the work. Under G.S. 58-3-180 a policy covering damage to a motor vehicle must let you select the repair service, and the insurer must pay the same amount whichever you choose. If an insurer recommends a shop, it must tell you that you are under no obligation to use it.

Glass breakage falls under comprehensive coverage, less your deductible, and North Carolina has no zero-deductible glass law. Impex works with all major insurance providers and can deal with the claim for you.

Questions to ask any shop about the glass

• Is the windshield checked against my VIN before it is ordered?
• Is it OEM or aftermarket, and who makes it?
• Does my car need camera calibration after the replacement, and is it part of the job?
• What is included in the price? Impex says its quotes are fully inclusive, with no delivery, fuel or disposal fees.
• How long before I can drive, and what should I avoid for the first day?

The installation matters as much as the glass

An OEM windshield set badly is worse than an aftermarket one set well. The Auto Glass Safety Council says windshields are part of the vehicle’s passenger restraint system and must be installed properly for the airbags to deploy safely, and that the windshield aids in keeping occupants in the car. The glass is held by a bead of urethane adhesive, and the car should not be driven until that adhesive has bonded. The AGSC says that minimum drive-away time varies with the adhesive and the weather, so there is no single figure. Impex’s guidance is about an hour for the replacement plus a short cure, with most drivers back on the road within two hours, and no car wash or door slamming for 24 hours.

What to check when the job is done

Whichever glass goes in, a few checks before the technician leaves tell you the job was done properly. None of them needs any tools.

• The mark in the lower corner of the glass matches what you were quoted: the vehicle maker’s mark for OEM, the glass maker’s own for aftermarket.
• The trim and cowl panel sit flat and even all the way round, with no gaps or lifted edges.
• The rear-view mirror, rain sensor and camera cover are back in place and the mirror holds its position.
• Any warning light about the camera or lane assist has gone out, or you have been told how the calibration was completed.
• You know when you can drive, and what to avoid for the first 24 hours: the car wash and slammed doors.

If something does not look right afterward, a whistle at speed, a water mark inside after rain or a lane assist warning, call Impex and describe it.

OEM windshield replacement across north-east Raleigh

We replace windshields at the car in Mordecai, Brentwood, Millbrook, Wake Crossroads, Hedingham and Midtown, along Capital Blvd and around the north and east of the Beltline. Not sure the windshield needs replacing at all? Read windshield repair vs replacement in Raleigh first. For a fresh chip, see rock chip repair in Raleigh NC, and for pickups, truck windshield replacement in Raleigh. How the visit itself runs is on windshield replacement near me.

Questions drivers ask