# Windshield replacement **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** windshields, safety\ **Created:** [September 9, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/windshield-replacement/19350 "2008-09-09T16:56:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nfauteux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/278dde/32.png) [@nfauteux](https://community.cartalk.com/u/nfauteux)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/windshield-replacement/19350/1 "2008-09-09T16:56:42Z")
I have a 1999 Sienna. The windshield was scratched several years back and I would like to replace it using aftermarket glass. One complany I called had several grades and suggested I go with their best, which is 5.6 mm thick. I have not been able to locate any information online to tell me what the standard is and I want to make sure whatever I purchase will be safe in a crash. Any advice? ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 5:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/windshield-replacement/19350/2 "2008-09-09T17:00:52Z")
ALL glass if aftermarket…Toyota does NOT make their own glass. They buy it from a vendor just like you’re going to. I’d be very leery of getting any glass that is NOT the exact same size as the OEM glass. I’d also be leery of a company that sells that glass. A glass that’s any thicker or thinner then OEM glass may not fit properly…or the trim pieces may not fit properly. ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/windshield-replacement/19350/3 "2008-09-09T17:59:34Z")
Agreed. You want an exact replacement, the same thickness as the original. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/windshield-replacement/19350/4 "2008-09-09T18:04:03Z")
All auto glass must meet the minimum standards of the Department Of Transportation. If you look you’ll see a DOT designation mark on all the glass on the vehicle. So ask the if the windshield meets the minimum DOT requirements. If it doesn’t, don’t install it. Tester ---
**Author:** ![meaneyedcatz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meaneyedcatz/32/692_2.png) [@meaneyedcatz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meaneyedcatz)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 12:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/windshield-replacement/19350/5 "2008-09-10T00:47:02Z")
If the van has wipers that turn on automatically when it rains, be sure to get o.e./o.e thickness. The sensor for the wipers measures refraction and if the glass is thinner then the auto wipers will not operate correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Cal\_Learner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cal_learner/32/387_2.png) [@Cal\_Learner](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cal_Learner)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 3:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/windshield-replacement/19350/6 "2008-09-10T15:00:13Z")
I realize that you’re asking about glass thickness, but there is another consideration. A windshield was recently replaced on one of our cars when the factory windshield broke as it was being reinstalled at a body shop after resealing around the glass. The body shop naturally installed the least expensive replacement glass they could find (new piece, but not OEM), and it turns out to be optically distorted throughout. It’s not severe, but it can be an annoyance.