NOTHING HIT IT--it JUST EXPLODED all on it's own. The only thing I can think of is that "maybe" something was wrong with my defogger since it had been on (for the 1st time)for about 10 minutes before the rear-window exploded. I am shocked and angry at that FORD refuses to even look at my car to help me find "the cause" of this, sight unseen they tell me "there is NO problem" when I KNOW THERE IS. Both the dealership and the Ford Rep. has told me that I need to tell my insurance company that I don't how my window was broken (which is A LIE) because FORD NEVER covers the replacement of "glass" under warrenty. Out of total disgust and helplessness I have done some investigating on NHTSA boards and have found that there have been several others who were lucky enough to WITNESS the glass in their 1999 Ford Trucks EXPLODE all on their own, and they, like me, KNOW that vandalism, damage or accident was NOT at fault. I also have been told that Ford admits to 4 such occurances on 1998 models but the Ford Rep. tells me "that information" is NOT available to the public. It appears, as long as they keep other cases secret, and refuse to find out THE CAUSE of any others will the same problem, they can INSIST they are not responsible to the consumer for their safety OR the repairs. I feel sick, angry and ripped-off by Ford. I'd really appreciate responses if anyone else has heard of this occuring, or if anyone knows how to go beyond the local rep (she refuses to tell me how to proceed, insisting "she's where the buck stops"), surely their customer service & techical support isn't THIS BAD, is it?? I simply CAN NOT lie to my insurance company about this, it's not only dishonest, it wouldn't solve the problem that caused my glass to explode in the first place.

Kim

 

What were the weather conditions and circumstances that caused this event?
I'm kinda interested, cause only 10 days old, our Explorer had probs with the ABS system..with a truck with only 2 k miles on it!!!
Please post conditions that caused this breakage and we'll see if anything happens with this truck!!!

 

I have not had the window prob but an abs one ford replaced every thing in the abs system with about 2k not a prob since now have 16k

99 V8 Eddie B.

 

I had the same thing happen to me on my '99 EB. It was caused by the factory neglecting to install the retainer on the lift strut. When it worked loose it caused the window to explode. Hope this helps. Feel free to contact me with any questions.

 

The glass on our Mercury Villager did the same thing.The glass guy said he has seen it a few times before. Tried to explain how tempered glass is flakey like that. He has dropped some with no damage and has had some break in his hands. If the glass has any stress on it sooner or later it is going to give. your defroster could have just helped it along by heating up one portion hotter than the surrounding area causeing the stressed out area to finally fail. There is some guy that posts every now and then that is a physicist. Maybe he could expliain why tempered glass is so finiky

 

It's not just a Ford thing, I know of at least 3 Chevy/GMC windows in the extended cab that blew out with no warning.

 

Thank you all for responding.

The weather conditions were very mild (I live in Florida), it happened at night when it was in the mid 60's (f).

I went as long as I could without my car, hoping to finally get someone at Ford to care enough to at least check it out, and be HONEST. But finally this week I HAD to have a car, and ended up "lying" to the insurance company about the nature of the broken window, and basically had no choice but to make the insurance company (which is really "consumers"), pay for what FORD should have paid for, and at this point, that's my beef. I understand that cars aren't always perfect, but the dealership REFUSED to even look at my new Explorer--the glass--the lift on the window OR the defogger. I know that the world is full of crazies, opportunists, and yes, even liars, but I'M NOT LYING!! Truthfully, how would anyone even be able to dream up a story as goofy as "My Rear Window just EXPLODED" if it hadn't REALLY HAPPENED. So here am, with a new truck, and only 4 months after purchase I've had to pay $500 to cover the deductable for this $800 repair--A REPAIR that should have been covered by FORD for "defects". And to add to that, to this very moment I don't know that it won't happen AGAIN, because of course, the repair office refused to check for problems because they INSIST (publically) and I quote: "the main ford office DECLINES repairs of glass, because glass is considered damages, and Ford's warrenty does not cover damages". When I say, "but the glass is damaged because something defective within the vehicle or glass caused it to EXPLODE", then once again I get another repeat (in a sarcastic tone of voice) that "Ford does not cover the replacement of glass because broken glass is considered damages, yada yada...It's so frustrating!! I don't know if it's just because I got a Ford Rep who felt she had to stand behind "the decision" of the service department I called--OR--if this is just the way Ford does business. It was dishonest, unfair, and unethical...especially now that I KNOW from reading the NHTSA boards, that Ford DOES in fact KNOW of other Ford's experiencing "exploding rear windows".

I don't know what I can do from this point, but I can't tell you how ripped-off I feel. (Or then again, maybe that shows). I'm sorry, I am just very disgusted with this whole experience.

Kim

 

hey, here's a few tips.... try calling Ford Customer service in dearborn or get their address off the 'net..I'm sure if you yelled loud enough, you'll get action...Quality is JOB #1? Not if the back windows explode or the ABS goes on the fritz

Also, call DATELINE/NBC in NYC, I'm sure if they like investigating exploding CHEVY pick-ups, exploding window glass is another safety issue.

 

If you (or anyone else) ever shut the back door without the window being latched shut it could cause this to happen. Sometimes the window breaks when you shut the door... sometimes later. I think that info is in the owners manual but don't quote me on that. Safety glass responds to stress differently than regular glass.

 

I have a 99 F-250 Super Duty and the rear window blew out on me also. Ford claimed no responsibility at all and that it must have been vandalism. Since the cost of the glass was less than my deductable, it came out of my pocket.

As for Ford's Customer Assistance Center - All they do is refer your question/complaint to your dealership. Since you already know their answer, CAC won't help at all. Been There / Done that.

 

MY REAR WINDOW IN MY 1997 EXPEDITION JUST EXPLODED LAST WEEK. I DROVE IT FOR ABOUT TEN MILES THEN PARKED IT BY MY SHOP. I WAS IN MY SHOP WHEN ABOUT 4 MINUTES LATER THE REAR WINDOW EXPLODED. IT WAS PARKED WITH THE REAR TO THE SHOP SO NO ONE COULD HAVE SHOT IT OUT. ALSO THE FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW WAS OPEN ABOUT 1" AND IT WAS 12 DEGREES OUT. MY DEALER SAID THEY DO THAT, TO BAD.
I HAVE POSTED A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSB

 

HHmmmm very interesting.....but you know if it had happened to me they would have had to take me out of the dealership in handcuffs.... I had problems with getting my Preferred Customer free inspection/emmission service (PA has a new more expensive emmissions testing) when it was in my contract that this service would be provided free of charge for 5 years... well it only took a few loud words in front of other customers to my original sales person when the service manager came over and offered me a card stating that all maintance service is provided free of labor /service charges..
all I'll ever pay for is parts...I literally watched 3 customers walk out the showroom door and so did they and I let them know I wasn't leaving....

 

I've seen this happen on several occasions. a good number of vehicles in transit on car carriers or on trains have this happen. I would talk to your insurance company. I am sure they are aware of this sort of problem and would be willing to wave the deductable. Sometimes they go back after the auto company to be re-imbursed. I had a 78 Ford Van that just burst into flames sitting in my driveway 2 weeks after I bought it. Ford denied any responsibility(for liability reasons) but re-imbursed (settled out of court)the insurance company after they paid and then sued. That way, they don't have to claim responsibility.

 

I'm new to the site and was reading through the threads. I've seen this several times. It often happens shortly after the electric defroster get turned on. What happens is the heater elements that are printed/painted on the rear glass are easily scratched by objects that are loaded into the cargo area. As the window is shut the object slides up the window and scratches several of the traces. I think that at this point uneven heating of the glass causes expansion stress and the glass shatters. I thought perhaps that by breaking some of the traces a huge amount of heating would ocour in a small area but application of ohm's law in a parallel resistive circut shows that current draw would go down. I'll show the math on that if anyone is interested. So unless you could prove that the traces were damaged by the dealer you would be out of luck.

 

Hi,

Another Ford Exploder, lol. first tires, now this.

I read you message and I had an actual life threatening Taurus mechanical failure due to a recall. Ford Corp and the local dealers just blew me off, week after week, letter after letter, about 6 weeks. Then I wrote a letter to the Attorney General. I hit the mother load! Suddenly, I got 3 calls in one day from my local Ford dealer BEGGING me to bring my car in because my VIN (which they denied up to now) was under recall. I never witnessed anything like it before in my life!! I managed to get my puny little name on some attorney generals list of complaints and suddenly "I AM SOMEBODY"!!! So this is how it work!! OMG !!

My advice is to write your attorney general, then watch Ford kiss your ##### while they screw thousands of others who did not complain to the attorney general. Its not just Ford, its big corporations in general.

Good luck and let us hear the results.

Mark mchapman@planetkc.com