Are all windshields manufactured to the same government standards?
In fact, there are no government standards for windshield manufacture. There are simply two standards: OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) windshields and auto glass and after-market. The same companies that manufacture the windshields that automobile makers install in new cars at the factory manufacture OEM windshields. The specifications are detailed and strict. As an original equipment manufacturer, the glassmakers have access to those specifications. Other after-market manufacturers can only attempt to back-engineer the specifications from a sample of the glass and they don’t really make a very strenuous attempt. The reason for this is simply money. The goal of after-market, non-OEM manufacturers is to provide a low-cost, high-profit product. OEM windshields and auto glass just make sense.
