Windshield Pilkington or OEM Volkswagen

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.

got the windshield replaced today at safelite and everything went well...go with VW - its really not much more expensive. ensure that the camera/rain sensor details show up with the glass version. this glass comes equip with the glass-side hardware pre-installed that allows for the interior camera housing and trim to fasten/lock into it.

Hello, I just had the windshield on my 2006 W12 replaced and it has the IR/A stamp.

Hi all, I finally had the IR windshield fitted. As expected, so far so good. What engaged my curiosity is that the bottom right corner windshield data shows IR/A, rather than only IR.

Thanks. The one with the purple windshield is less sunny inside. I rarely need to use my sun visors.

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 replaced the windshield on my 2004. It cast $816 (parts $612, labor $150, tax $53).

The OEM windshields are very weak and prone to rock chips. My 07 3.6 4motion wagon got several chips within the first year of owning it. my 08 3.6 4motion wagon also got a chip within the first month of owning it. My BMW 328i have been hit harder (i.e. going faster speeds) and never had a chip. the shop that patched both of my wagons up said they work on many vw's with chips. They say VW uses a thinner glass to lower the weight, thus causing it to chip easier.

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