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exploding rear window glass!

58K views 25 replies 21 participants last post by  Cat  
#1 ·
Sitting on the deck looking at beautiful Lake Michigan on a gorgeous Memorial Day and we hear a strange sound. My 2016 Equinox rear window exploded! Air temp is 63F, wind is calm and the sun is out. Glass still in the window seems pushed out from the inside and all corners are cracked and the center of the window is laying on the carpet inside. Will attach pictures soon.
 
#2 ·
I had a Hyundai Excel explode a back hatch side window in the early 90's. I'd just washed it and pulled it in the garage to dry it when it shattered. Not 100% sure the boom system didn't have anything to do with it 😎, but called the dealer and they didn't even have me bring it in and just sent me straight to a glass shop. They covered it under warranty without any questions. Hopefully, GM will do the same for you...
 
#5 ·
There are several reasons this can happen. From Wikipedia:

Spontaneous glass breakage is a phenomenon by which toughened glass (or tempered) may spontaneously break without any apparent reason. The most common causes are:

Minor damage during installation such as nicked or chipped edges later developing into larger breaks normally radiating from point of defect.
Binding of the glass in the frame, causing stresses to develop as the glass expands and contracts due to thermal changes or deflects due to wind
Internal defects within the glass such as nickel sulfide inclusions
Thermal stresses in the glass
Inadequate glass thickness to resist wind load
I've seen people complaining of this on a several automotive message boards. Quite a few were on the Escape message board I'm on. If you are under warranty still, bring it to the dealership. Hopefully they will help you out...
 
#6 ·
Blew a sunroof panel glass out once in a Porsche. Sprayed cold water on it while washing the car in the sun. 8 million little bits of glass all over the inside of the car. My fault and I was sick about it. Insurance covered it (with deductible by me). Expensive lesson.

Sorry for your misfortune....and you didn't do anything to cause it!!
 
#9 ·
This happened to me with my 2015 Equinox on 6-5. My car was in the driveway and I got in, shut the driver side door and heard a pop and looked up to see the back window shatter into pieces. The dealership said that this never happens and was not responsible. Ironic thing is, there is a recall for some 2015 Silverado and Sierra truck back heated windows. Sounds like this could be the same issue now with the Equinox.
 

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#12 ·
RobtRoma said:
This is very much an issue that all manufacturers have. I would pursue it with the GM reps that frequent this site to see if they can help.
Frequent ? I can't remember the last time that any GM rep has posted on the Forum.
 
#16 ·
TerryG said:
Sitting on the deck looking at beautiful Lake Michigan on a gorgeous Memorial Day and we hear a strange sound. My 2016 Equinox rear window exploded! Air temp is 63F, wind is calm and the sun is out. Glass still in the window seems pushed out from the inside and all corners are cracked and the center of the window is laying on the carpet inside. Will attach pictures soon.
This is exactly what happened to our 2017 Equinox rear window exploded. SUV had been sitting in our driveway for 2 days, temperature was 38F. The vehicle rear glass had the four corners broken like a horse shoe and the middle of the window was blown out. Took Equinox to dealer with less then 3000 kms and less then 4 months. Dealership says that it is not under warranty. Had SuV repaired and no complete satisfaction from General Motors customer service. I strongly believe that this is a vendor defect and should be covered by General Motors Warranty . Throughout my career I have witnessed the spontaneous breakage of cars/trucks/vans during the manufacturing process . This is definitely a safety and warranty problem. January 29, 2017, still not resolved.
 
#18 ·
Identical Problem on 8-6-17



This must be a manufacturing defect! Identical problem: 2017 Equinox Premier, 7 mos. old, no pre-existing chips/cracks, recently parked in driveway, 83-degrees, sunny, no wind and rear window explodes!!! Same "horse shoe - shaped" blowouts at corners, glass bulging out in center with the rest of the window "pebbled" (although barely intact). Waiting for dealership to open to see what they say. Fingers crossed!
 
#21 ·
It's happened to me, while my 2010 Equinox was parked in my driveway. The rear hatch window spontaneously shattered. No apparent cause, no other damage except shattered glass nuggets (not really shards, not really sharp) all over. It's never happened to me before, but I see by this forum thread that it can happen, and that puts my mind to ease for an explanation.

Unfortunately, a high $200's repair. It will be the 2nd repair (the 1st on my dime) for the car, now 8 years old. Fortunately, there are glass repair vendors in this small burg in NW Georgia.

Fortunately, it happened between rain showers so the interior stayed dry. Unfortunately, it happened on late Saturday on the Memorial Day weekend so NOBODY is answering their phones.

I moved the red scooter (1st generation Miata) out of the garage and had just enough room to put the Nox inside, cause Alberto is on the way.
 
#22 ·
I own a 2016 Equinox and have had my back window shatter twice in the last week.😠 Both times while it was sitting in my driveway. The weather has not been hot, there has been some sun. Looks like I’m on the hook for paying for another window. Have contacted my dealership to see what they say. May send an email to GM. Not a happy camper.
 
#23 ·
Never happened to me but I saw it happen on a CRV once while waiting in line at the Costco gas pumps. Heard a pop and sound of glass hitting concrete, looked over and the liftgate glass of the CRV was shattered on the ground. five minutes later the owner roles up with his cart, mad as **** thinking someone vandalized his suv. He was still mad when I told him nobody was around. I have seen this happen on Ford Escapes as well, one of the reasons I stayed away from them.
 
#25 ·
Most folks don't realize that front glass and any fixed (non movable) side / rear glass is part of the body structure and provides rigidity to the body in crashes also. That also stresses the glass making it more prone for random thermal breaking. Glass is bonded to frame unlike years ago when it just was held in by a rubber gasket or stuck on with flexible butyl rubber.
 
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