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 have a Passat with Pilkington, which also has the sound deadener, and I have no distortions
A local one near here put in a brand new Pilkington windshield for $160 installed.
Ask for PPG or Pilkington replacement glass. OEM glass from VW/Audi is $$$ (and has to be ordered), and both PPG & Pilkington are OEM glass manufacturers. Cheaper alternatives are not any less "safe", but don't always fit as well, which can lead to stress cracks.
My experience with the installation I had last year to replace a cracked windshield and the national company mentioned in this thread: --Installer left a noticeably huge gap between windshield and roofline; installed it too low --Installer left a gap in the glue around the edge. Consequently, water leaked into the cabin from the map lights when backing up --After complaining and another attempt, reinstaller used way too much glue and was sloppy, to the point where it smeared on part of the A pillar fabric on both sides
I had a bad experience with a Pilkington windshield in my wife's '06 Honda Pilot. Could be the shop we used but it leaked.
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