I’ve had plenty of rocks bounce off my windshield without apparent damage over the past several months. Two days ago, I had something hit my windshield that was barely perceivable. About ten minutes later, I heard a strange noise that turned out to be the glass cracking. The crack was about six inches long at 8am and had spread to the center of the glass by lunchtime. It looked like it was going to turn back upward and make a “U” shape that touched the edge of the glass at two points. By 7pm, it had turned downward and was headed toward the driver’s line of sight. As the crack spread, I did some quick research at VWVortex regarding replacement options and asked members of a local Facebook group who they trusted with the work. From there, a plan for replacement quickly came together.
I chose a local Auto Glass Now (AGN) shop to install my new windshield. The installers are a father-son team with nearly 45 years of combined experience who came highly recommended. I had a preference for a VW OEM windshield. However, my insurance company wanted me to pay the $185 difference in price between the OEM and OEE windshields even though the car is only seven months old. AGN has a lifetime warranty that covers glass clarity (manufacturer’s defects), leaks, and wind noise (workmanship). With my three greatest concerns addressed, I decided to settle on the aftermarket windshield to save money. The windshield is by Fuyao (FY), which is a supplier of OEM VW/Audi glass with a good reputation for quality.
I arrived at AGN as they opened and was on my way in about 90 minutes. They let me watch and photograph their process. The glass fits so tightly within the window frame that they couldn’t use their usual tools for freeing the sealant without scratching the paint around the window frame. Instead, they used an interesting “floss” method which uses a ratcheting spool that’s attached to the glass via suction cups. See the photos here and below for details. Removing the glass was a lengthy ordeal because of the need to use this slower, but cleaner, method of removal. Once the glass was removed, they cleaned up the mounting surfaces to prepare the frame for new glass. I couldn’t help but be amused by the fact that removal took about 45 minutes and installing the new glass took about 45 seconds after the adhesive bead had been laid.
A few things I noted during their work: 1) I know some VW enthusiasts like to replace their rear-view mirror with an aftermarket unit. I’ve read complaints about the glass cracking during removal. The mirror comes off easily after simply rotating the mount 90-degrees. See an image below for a look at the “key” mount. 2) Fuyao has manufacturing plants in America. However, my glass was still labeled as “Made in China.” I guess the demand for Mk7 glass is still too low to make the parts in America. 3) How many times have you seen a car chase on TV or a movie that ultimately resulted in a shot-up windshield being kicked out by the passenger? Watching the AGN team work today solidified my belief that the glass is IN THERE and not going anywhere. No one is kicking it out; The Terminator is probably the only exception. That was totally real! 😉
The new windshield looks great, with the only difference being the lack of a VW/Audi logo in the lower passenger side. The quick pitting of the original windshield surprised me; so it’s nice to have a windshield that’s free of wear. Time will tell how long it lasts. Wind noise seems no different than before. I’ll be happy if there are no leaks during the next rain. I can’t imagine why there would be a leak because I know AGN’s adhesive bead is thicker than VW’s. Speaking of rain, I also replaced the windshield wipers to make sure that only pristine blades made initial contact with the new glass. All that remains is to receive new black fastening tape for my black EZ Pass transponder and the car will be back to normal. Let’s see if I can make it another 20,000 miles before cracking the glass again. 😉
♫ I Can See Clearly Now…
Scott
I had a Fuyao windscreen installed on my 2009 Toyota Pickup on March 24th and was hit by a rock (and not hard) two months later. It left a huge BB type ding in the driver’s field of view. I paid $329 for this piece of garbage windshield and did so to avoid my insurance company and the potential premium increase in making a claim. Now I just want this piece of garbage from China out of my vehicle. A Toyota OEM windshield is $702 and Safelite wants $1032 to put that in. I will pay the 1032 out of my own pocket because Safeco (my insurance company) won’t pay for OEM glass. I am dropping Safeco as soon as I retire in 8 months. Angry as hell about this but believe the OEM glass is the best solution in the long term.
Sorry to hear about your misfortune, Jay. Perhaps the stone was “just right” with its shape? I’ve had some pretty hard impacts to my Fuyao windshield without chipping, but some chips, too. I guess results vary.
I’ve read Safelite glass has its share of problems, either from quality or installation issues. As for Fuyao, they make a lot of OEM glass, much of it right here in the US. Sometimes they win the bid to put an OEM brand stamp on their glass; sometimes they have to stamp it with “Fuyao” or “FY.”
Regardless, all of the major glassmakers either are making glass for the automakers., have the design specs and competed for a contract, or have the design specs and build to them. OEM glass is not made by the automaker. Thanks for visiting! -Scott
My Fuyao replacement on our Toyota Highlander cracked while killing mosquitos against it from the inside. Unbelievably cheap and fragile safety glass.
Next time, try a paper towel instead of a hammer! 😉 Just kidding. Remarkable difference between your glass and mine. Thanks for visiting! -Scott
How is it holding up one year later?
Everything is still great. The glass has taken a couple of good hits that required chip repair, but no cracks. Some smaller hits left no trace. Thanks for writing! -Scott
Good to hear. I’m hesitant to obwith aftermarket glass and have heard mixed things about Fuyao. Can you identify any differences in your experience between the Fuyao and the original OEM?
I think the Fuyao is more clear. I recall being a tad disappointed with my glass when the car was brand new. I cannot call it “pitting” or waviness. There was just something that wasn’t quite right. I lived with it and adjusted. When the Fuyao was installed, I was immediately impressed by the clarity. To me, it was the way the original glass should have looked. If this glass ever breaks, I hope the next one is Fuyao, too.
Just had a Fuyao installed in my 2016 Tundra by safelite. Installer did an excellent job. The windshield is junk. As soon as I was heading toward the sun there are thousands of imperfections and reflections (going upward from bottom left to upper right on the driver side along with tiny little dot reflections all over the place. It was also noticeably narrower left to right as the moldings on the side now are pretty much lying flat vs. the stock U shape pressed in fit from the factory. I’m going to pay to have this removed and a PGW Toyota put back in. There’s no way this thing is going to last and the imperfections/reflections are going to drive me nuts.
Wow! I’ve noticed that everyone who’s posted about Fuyao quality problems on this VW site has had the glass installed on a Toyota. Strange coincidence. Hopefully, Safelite has a 100% satisfaction guarantee and you are able to get another windshield installed. Good Luck and thanks for visiting! -Scott
I had front side window replace twice in a month. Stared with a hair line crack about $340 a yack They order another FUYAO. Not happy
I had a Fuyao windshield installed on my Mk7 GTI with rain sensor. The windshield fit poorly, with a large gap at the top where the glass meets the roof, there was a poor fit at front corners, and the rain sensor would not line up with the top of the roof such that the sensor cover could not be put on. There was significant distortion along the entire bottom of the glass just above the dots as well. I just had the Fuyao replaced with the OEM Vitro glass and the fit is so much better (and the rain sensor lines up with the top of the roof now so the cover can be put on). I’d definitely avoid Fuyao glass if you have an Mk7 with rain sensor or you are ocd with how the glass fits.
Frank – Good to know your perspective. Until this point, only Toyota owners had posted complaints about their Fuyao glass. As for me, I’m still pleased. It has some pitting, as any windshield with 60,000 miles of highway commuting miles would. It’s also taken some pretty good hits without cracking. I don’t think I’d mind another one, but will work with whatever Auto Glass Now installs if the time comes. Thanks for writing! -Scott
Installing a Fuyao right now on my Mitsubishi Lancer.. As soon as i saw the brand, I was tempted to read google reviews and your website popped up. I hope my experience will be as good as yours. My original 11 year old windscreen developed a crack last week and this is what the insurer is putting on. The original screen was due for replacement anyway.. it had plenty of scratches and wiper blade marks which made the clarity less than ideal.
I’m still quite pleased with my Fuyao windshield. I’ve seen plenty of complaints about them, mostly from Toyota owners. It makes me wonder if the Toyotas have a design flaw. After all, these aftermarket companies are making their glass using the manufacturers’ specs. Good luck with your new windshield. Thanks for visiting! -Scott
Safelite just installed a Fuyao replacement windshield in my GLK350. Great job on their part. They took a couple hours to calibrate the safety systems and everything works fine. Too early to tell about durability, but the Benz OEM windshield cracked after being hit by a pebble. The only difference I see is the absence of Daimler’s signature on the passenger corner.
Nice! I wasn’t aware that Safelite installed anything but their own brand. I guess they branch out for some models. I hope it works out for you! Thanks for writing! -Scott
When I purchased my 2016 Chevrolet Silverado in Jan 2019, the dealership had just replaced the windshield with a Fuyao windshield. They also applied Vizi Shield windshield treatment. After going in for my oil change and a maintenance treatment of the Vizi Shield, I am seeing what resembles over-spray on my windshield. It does not clean off and is awful when the sun is shining. I am curious to know if it could be bad lamination on the windshield or if the Vizi Shield Treatment has something to do with it. When I worked in the glass business, foreign manufactured windshields were notorious for being low quality,
Suzanne – In my opinion, it is impossible to properly diagnose “overspray” or glare concerns on a windshield that’s known to have a glass treatment applied. I don’t know how attached you are to your glass treatment, but you may want to consider removing it to get a better look at your glass. I use Bon Ami (https://amzn.to/2Q1F2Uz) when I feel I need a deep glass cleaning. Sometimes, old material from the wiper blades collects in key spots on the windshield and causes the blades to skip. Bon Ami is great for cleaning such deposits without scratching the glass. It’s also good for cleaning away RainX; so, perhaps it will work on your glass treatment. Only you can decide if you want to give up your glass treatment, even if only temporarily, to diagnose your glass issue. Good Luck! -Scott
We had a FUYAO AS1 M848 DOT – 459 Solar Tint FW3240 installed as a replacement and water got into our wiring harness. I am hearing that the heating wire may be allowing water to enter.
In what vehicle was this done? It’s strange that it didn’t seal. I wonder if the installer made a mistake and then told you that in order to conceal his error. Shops will lie to save their jobs or money, after all. Thanks for visiting!
2013 Toyota Sienna. I’m really not sure. It’s been so frustrating. Thanks for writing.