The glass I chose was Pilkington. Don\u2019t use Safelite unless they offer Sekurit or Pilkington. There is a difference in quality. I know Pilkington uses a laminate that reduces sound. They also had an option for a tint strip at the top but didn\u2019t choose it. I had Safelite glass on my 04.5 Jetta GLI which I replaced with an OEM VW windshield and noticed an immediate reduction in wind and road noise and it is much more resistant to rock chips.
Your best bet is going to a local independent shop that specializes in euro cars. Ask them to find you a Sekurit or Pilkington part.
I'm going to put this the best way I can....... I am a glass guy, and yes, I own a '16 GTI. I can tell you first hand that the glass in our cars is not perfect. However, I will also tell you that it is very difficult to keep curved glass free of distortion...With regards to the aftermarket, I would recommend Sekurit and Pilkington for our VWs, as they provide VW with a lot of OE product. So, the guidelines for production should be identical.
I had Safelite do replacements on my car as well as my husband's car. Of course the insurance wouldn't cover OEM (had eSurance at the time) but I heard that the aftermarket glass that Safelite uses on these cars (Pilkington I think but spelling could be wrong) is an OEM supplier for a lot of German brands. It's been a few years now and both cars aren't showing any issues with the replacement glass. We both have '11 Golf TDIs. FWIW, the replacement glass on our cars also had the tint strip along the top and mirror area in the same place as the OEM glass, you really can't tell the difference unless you look at the manufacturer's stamp.
I just had to replace the windshield in my STI today actually. The installer used a windshield from Pilkington who is also the OE supplier for Subaru. The Pilkington windshield has the exact same sun deflector dot pattern at the top, between the rear view mirror and the roof and has the integrated heater lines for the wiper defroster. The only difference is that the replacement has the Pilkington logo instead of the Subaru logo.
Pilkington makes a good product, too...it matches the acoustic and heat-blocking characteristics of the OEM. No optical distortions and decent chip resistance.
VW uses the highest quality glass manufacturers out there, Sekurit, Splintex, Soliver, and Pilkington. These companies make the finest glass out there.
I had a Pilkington windshield installed a few weeks ago. I agree, the fitment isn't the greatest. On the OEM and Guardian I had. I could fit my sunshade between the glass and dash, no such luck on the Pilkington.
I had a pilkington windshield on my jetta MKIV and it had to be replaced because I hosed the car off in the sun and the windshield broke.
The glass, made by Pilkington, was touching the front of the IP making noise. I called the glass company fearing the worst, but they said they told me not to worry and they would call Citizens and demand OEM glass.
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