Ford Motor Company recently issued a position statement on non-OEM glass, stating that the “quality, performance and safety of aftermarket replacement windshield and side glass may not meet Ford Motor Company’s exacting specifications, and can result in key safety features not functioning properly and reduced customer satisfaction in the performance of their vehicle.”
The full statement reads as follows:
Ford Motor Company vehicles contain many state-of-the-art features that provide occupant safety and enhance the driving experience. Windshield and side glass play an integral role in the performance and functionality of these features. During repairs that involve glass removal and replacement, it is critical that the vehicle be restored to proper operating condition.
The original glass used on Ford Motor Company vehicles is designed and built to provide optimum fit, function, safety and structural integrity. or these reasons, Ford Motor Company does not approve the use of aftermarket windshield or side replacement glass. Only by using Ford Original Equipment Carlite replacement glass can you be assured of
the fit, function, safety and structural integrity of the repair.
- Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as lane-keeping, pre-collision assist with automatic braking, evasive steering assist and auto high-beam headlamps use images from a camera mounted to the windshield. Windshields equipped with cameras have integrated camera brackets that allow for precise attachment and positioning of the camera and are designed to have optical quality that is compatible with the camera. Aftermarket windshields cannot duplicate the precise location of the camera attachment brackets and often contain distortion that adversely affects the cameras operation, which can result in improper ADAS system operation.
- Head up display (HUD) uses digital light projection technology to display driving information such as speed, driver assist features and navigation onto the windshield. HUD windshields are specifically designed and manufactured to eliminate secondary HUD images. Aftermarket glass often does not meet the same stringent specifications as genuine Ford glass and can result in poor quality HUD performance.
- SoundScreen acoustic windshield and side glass are engineered with acoustic dampening technology within the glass layers to reduce road, wind and other exterior noise to maintain the quiet interior ride of the vehicle. Aftermarket glass often does not include this technology and will result in increased road, wind and other exterior noise and can cause voice recognition performance issues with the SYNC voice-activated commands feature.
During windshield and side glass replacement and performing collision repairs requiring repair to the front and/or rear window channels, it is important to utilize Ford OEM repair procedures to ensure complete proper repairs are performed. HUD windshields, windshield glass equipped with a camera bracket and windshield glass equipped with adhesive moldings must be replaced anytime the original glass is removed from the vehicle. Calibrations associated with windshield replacements must be completed in order for the advanced driver-assistance systems to function correctly. Failure to follow the Ford OEM repair procedures may result in improper repairs and key vehicle safety systems not functioning correctly.
