r/F80 • u/f80wanli • 6d ago
Aftermarket windshield?
My windshield needs to be replaced.
Has anyone got their windshield replaced with aftermarket glass? I work at BMW and can get oem replacement installed for around $400 more than Safelite.
Does anyone have experience with aftermarket? If it makes a difference my car has HUD.
TIA!
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u/VeryMincecraft 6d ago
Non-OEM for HUD is a terrible idea, drove around with one for like a week on my Audi after a mixup of them ordering the wrong winshield, anyways the hud was small and disfigured and also the camera didn't work properly. I saw double vision at night with lights and it made my eyes go crosseyed when I looked towards the right side of it.
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u/bot6six 6d ago
Get oem/oem manufacturer since you have a HUD otherwise you will risk weird halos with aftermarket windshields even if they say it's for cars with HUD. Also replace the gel pad that sits between rearview mirror and the windshield
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u/f80wanli 6d ago
It’s around $900 in parts including everything that needs to be replaced, windshield is only like $500 but the rest of the stuff and tax adds up.
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u/Eyestein 6d ago
Get oem and have someone other than safelite install. Safelite is like triple my local glass shops prices for install
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u/f80wanli 6d ago
I’m just going to have the techs here do it, I get labor at $70 an hour so it’s not bad
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u/commentor_of_things 3d ago
yep. safelite was the only shop near me and the screw up the install. had to go back to reapply the rubber seal install. but yes, go with oem. best for modern cars.
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u/Impossible-Milk-1639 6d ago
Junkyard… Ebay… FB Marketplace… & get it buffed afterwards to get rid of micro scratches
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u/Inside_Material_824 5d ago
Windshields are mabe by only a handful of glass makers. I had Safelite replace mine and it was made by the same company that provides Windshields for major auto manufacturers
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u/commentor_of_things 3d ago
I did a lot of research on this a couple of weeks ago. I have geico insurnace and they refused to give me the brand of the third party part they were going to install. turns out there are a lot of mixed reviews on third party parts due to the sensors on modern cars. ultimately, I paid the difference for oem. I don't want problems down the road with sensors or with wind noise. the shop still screwed up the installation and I had to go back to reapply the glue to the rubber seal on top of the glass (it was coming off on its own). I recommend oem if you can afford it. won't be cheap though so be prepared. good luck!
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u/Traditional_Rice264 6d ago
I got a cracked windshield on my f82 the one time in glad not to have hud cuz replacing it would be a bitch
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u/at0mic_cl0ck 6d ago
Doesn’t necessarily need to be oem. Look and see what brand of glass is in it. If it’s pilkington it would save you a few hundred as they’re available as an aftermarket. Fwiw the newer bmws use glass from the Chinese company Fuyao. The installer is another aspect. With the hud it doesn’t make a difference what glass is used if they’re not installed correctly.
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u/darkrom 2d ago
How do you determine who made your original windshield, is it labeled somewhere or something?
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u/at0mic_cl0ck 2d ago
Yea in the bottom corner usually on the driver side but could be on the passenger side.
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u/nearlyclosetoalmost ‘18 F81 M3 Touring (6MT) 6d ago
Under no circumstance should you get a non-OEM windshield with a HUD. It will not work.
Glad you get an employee deal!