We recently returned from Auto Glass Week, a conference for small and medium sized glass shops around the country looking to hone up on the latest technology, tools and safety standards for our industry.
The most discussed topic was how the Advanced Driving Assist Systems (ADAS) on new vehicles are affecting windshield replacement, as auto makers are increasingly embedding technology in cars that pave the way toward full automation.
Many of our customers know their cars have special features, but they’re not sure what features they have, making it difficult to identify the correct windshield for replacement. A new car may have 10 or more different windshield part numbers.
Below are some of the features we currently see on the market:
Eyesight: Subaru offers this feature on many new vehicles for only about $700. My sister has this feature on her 2015 Impreza, and essentially it allows her to “drive” most of her commute without touching the gas or brakes.
Lane Departure Warning: Common on many new Toyota, Honda, and Ford vehicles this feature alerts you when you’re veering out of your lane.
Lane Keeping Assist: Similar to Lane Departure Warning, but has the added benefit of correcting your steering if you veer out of your lane
Collision Avoidance / Forward Collision Alert : BMW, Audi, Honda, Toyota, and many other car makers have some version of these features available on their newer models. Like Subaru’s Eyesight feature, these systems detect an imminent crash and either alert the driver or automatically apply the braking system to prevent a collision.
Mercedes calls its suite of driving safety features “Intelligent Drive”, which is essentially a combination of many of the features listed above, among others.
While these ADAS features have different names, they all include cameras that may require calibration after a windshield replacement, a service that can add several hundred dollars to the repair. If you are using your comprehensive insurance to pay for the windshield replacement, your insurer will cover the cost of the calibration.
The new features above come on top of common features we have already been seeing for years that our customers are often not aware they have:
Heated wiper park/ heated windshield: This de-icing feature is common on Subarus and vehicles with a “winter package,” like heated seats. In most cases the heating element is only at the bottom of the windshield where the wipers sit, enabling you to use the wipers in snowy and icy conditions. On some luxury vehicles (Land Rover, Jaguar, Mercedes) highest end models have a fine heating filament running throughout the interlayer of the windshield, but this is not a common feature.
Rain Sensor and Condensation Sensor: Most BMWs and Mercedes vehicles have been coming equipped with a rain sensor for many years. This feature turns the wipers on/off automatically, as well as increases or decreases the speed of the wipers, depending on need. Sadly, this feature has not been very useful in California for the last few years!
Heads Up Display: On vehicles with this feature, the speedometer and other vital driving info are projected onto the windshield, only inches below a driver’s line of vision. While windshields with this feature may look identical to those without, they are manufactured in a completely different way. A handful of car models came equipped with this feature many years ago, but it is making a comeback, even on more popular vehicles like the Toyota Prius.