My son has got a 2010 sc f150 with power sliding rear window. Called from school today and looked like a burnt spot on back window and glass shattered. Has anyone had this happen? Knows what it could be ? Short in defroster? Or power window? It has also been running his battery down? Any help would be much appreciated

 

My first guess if the glass is shattered is that it had some kind of impact. I don't see how the defroster could have caused this.

 

This is actually pretty common on these trucks with the rear window defroster. It happens with both the sliding rear window and the straight rear window. For some reason the defroster gets the glass way to hot. Then the window usually shatters when you close the door while getting in or out of the truck. I'm not sure if Ford ever issued a TSB on this issue or not.

 

Yeah just got off the F150 forum and there is a thread 58 pages long on there. Insurance is going to cover it but with it happening this much Ford ought to do something about it. I'm just going to get them to leave defroster unplugged when the glass company replaces it so hopefully doesn't happen again.

 

Well, I guess I learned something today!

 

That's what I did when I bought my '11 a few months ago. I read that this does happen a lot and not just on the 150 forum. My heated mirrors still work fine though. Don't expect Ford to do anything. I'm still getting letters saying my F350 will experience the Death Wobble and it's normal.

 

On my 2012 Lariat SCREW, I had my rear window replaced because the rear defroster contacts did not complete the circuit, preventing the defroster/heated mirrors from working, so I had the rear window replaced.

Does anyone know if the newer window design (ie the window that was put into my 2012) is less likely to shatter ?

 

dh not sure about the replacement window. If it is a O.E. meaning Ford Carlite window then yeah, it most likely will shatter again. From what I understand all of the 09-14 trucks with the rear defroster are prone to have this issue. Although I am willing to be even the 04-08 trucks have this issue as well. But if the rear window in an aftermarket replacement window, meaning that it was made by a manufacturer other then Carlite then you may be ok. However I would suggest checking with the glass company that installed the window to be certain.

 

This happened to me this week. Started up the truck via remote start.....got in 10mins later and noticed the shattered glass on the rear driver side. I'm betting something with the rear defrost.
Went through insurance to get it fixed. The auto glass guy explained it is common with this generation F150 and said we didn't use OEM to replace so it won't happen again.

 

A Ford dealership replaced my (a 2012) rear window under warranty in 2015, so still wondering if the new window was of a better design - I assume its OEM.

 

It's sad that in 2016 and with trucks now costing 50% of what we used to pay for houses that we still have these kinds of problems. Why hasn't somebody come up with a different way to heat the glass? We have rain sensing wipers, automatic parking assist, active cruise control, etc. But we're still using heating elements to defrost glass? C'mon Ford...

 

It's an easy way to find out for certain. Just look at the window along the bottom edge there should be an etched label on the glass. The label can't be removed. If it says Ford Carlite with the Ford oval above Carlite it is an O.E. window. If the window lists any other glass manufacturer name (i.e. PGW, Libby Owens, and so on) then it's an aftermarket window. However considering that the window was replaced under warranty I'd bet that it is O.E..

 

its a bad design and ford wont cover it at all. Even hardly under 3/36 warranty. i had 500miles over 36k and they said NO!!! And dont bother getting any help from the customer service people from ford on here. They r just trying to shmooze you over. wait till they blow out on your infant in a rear facing car seat!!!