95Sinned420

So I got a rock chip that developed into a crack overnight, unfortunately it's also right in driver line of sight. My insurance is GEICO and I'm in California...naturally they said they'll only replace with like kind and quality, and to go with OEM I would have to go out of pocket the difference.
I spoke to a shop that I've used in the past and they said they'll try to fight for an OEM replacement. I read through some threads here, seems to be a mix on success on having insurance cover with an OEM windshield. I'm not trying to take it to the dealer to do it, I just want an MB windshield due to concerns with quality.
I've had Pilkington, Saint Gobain/Sekurit, which were the OE suppliers for Benz, for my W212 and W204. I was satisfied with the results with those, but those were also very basic glass. The W222 comes with heating and IR coating, which I would want to be the same. I noticed the one on my car currently says PGW, I don't have experience with PGW.
GEICO uses Safelite and when I spoke with the Safelite rep, he said they will only replace with aftermarket. I asked if they can use OEM and they said they'll put in a request, but GEICO will 99% deny it if its a car that is older than a year. I asked about paying the difference and the guy said they don't do that...hence why I contacted another glass company.
Anyways, long story short, what are your experiences with aftermarket glass? I don't know the difference I have to pay yet, so I don't know if it's worth it or not. I saw old threads that said dealer charged 4k$ for replacement, parts and labor, some threads said around $2k.But those are dealer prices with dealer labor. I looked at the windshield prices alone and it varies widely from $1200-2200 depending on location and all the dealers are "local pickup only". Unfortunately all the dealers in my area are the $2k range for glass only. I plan to call GEICO again on Monday and then work with the shop.

BenzV12

I was told to replace the windshield nothing but OEM no matter what . The reason is that aftermarket windshields can cause eye problems in long term use besides could wreak havoc if the car comes with various sensors , radars and other tech equipment . Being S Class, you know we have many gadgetry and unless certified by Mercedes-Benz I would not go for aftermarket glass .

ygmn

Safelite glass is fine.

not like MB makes their own glass they have some specifications and dimensions they want and get it from the cheapest supplier they can.
Then sell you on a bunch of BS on why you have to use theirs and then mark it up to NASA prices and it becomes a huge profit generator.

The dealer will get the local glass business or Safelite to come install glass... rare to find a dealer who has a tech who will do windshields in house.

dmatre

I have a Safelight windshield in now.

I can’t tell the difference.

You have to give them the VIN, and they supply the correct windshield for your car options (2-pane, IR rejecting, with sensor ports for all required sensors, two locations mid windshield for toll transponders, etc). They calibrate all required sensors after installation.

Being a picky SOB, I was pretty concerned going in, but would not hesitate to use them again. All Drivers Assist functions work correctly, including emergency braking (which was stress tested in a highway incident earlier this week).

95Sinned420

Yeah, my car has the Driver Assistance Plus package whatever, there's two cameras for the lane keep assist. I notice the square cutouts by the mirror and center bottom of windshield for toll tags etc. It's also optioned with heated windshield and washer fluid. No HUD, No Night View assist.
Forgot to mention, my current glass is OEM with MB logo and "Carl Benz" signature on passenger side, but it also says PGW under the MB logo.