Mysterious spontaneous Window Explosion - Toyota Yaris Forums

dposner · 08-17-2007, 12:54 PM

My duaghter was driving our 2007 Yaris on US 80 east towards sacramento on a clear hot day with the windows up and the AC on when for no apparent reason the right rear passenger side window (the part that rolls up) "exploded". We found no obvious evidence of a projectile nor did she see or hear anything prior to the window exploding.

Has anyone heard of anything like this or have a conjecture what might have happened?

Thanks!

nqd · 08-17-2007, 12:59 PM

that happened to me on a bus once....the window near my seat busted....later on found out it ...someone shot bb's into it

but it could have been a rock of some sort....

BailOut · 08-17-2007, 01:29 PM

It was probably a rock kicked up by another vehicle. The rock doesn't have to enter the vehicle in order to cause the destruction of a window.

Thirty-Nine · 08-17-2007, 01:32 PM

Exact same thing happened to my wife in her 1994 VW Jetta. She was passing a semi on the interstate, and the passenger's side window just exploded.

duck · 08-17-2007, 02:04 PM

i believe tempered glass can explode with a temperature change such as in this case but it's more probable that a rock or something hit it.
one time i shattered a spare car window by throwing little piece from a broken spark plug at it.

yesterday i heard about a few glass ikea desks suddenly shattering for no good reason.

i guess as insurance often says... it was an act of god

dposner · 08-17-2007, 02:06 PM

Thanks. I guess I'll buy the rock theory. It just seems odd to have a side window break this way. I'll just chalk it up to bad luck!

*kimona* · 08-17-2007, 02:35 PM

The front passenger window on my Camry mysteriously exploded in our driveway not long ago.

It was a wickedly hot day. We opened the door and got something out of the glovebox, then closed the door, and the window exploded into thousands of tiny pieces.

Yaris Revenge · 08-17-2007, 03:28 PM

Sure.... a rock.... that's what it was.

*Yaris Revenge nonchalantly stows away his sniper rifle*

~YR

sherryberry · 08-17-2007, 03:45 PM

whoa i have yet to have an exploding window happen to me. and i hope it never happens. i haven't even had any real cracks on a window yet.

kurokoma-kun · 08-17-2007, 04:14 PM

Temperature change can do it--knew someone whose sliding glass door blew up in the middle of the night.

Very scary--your dauhgter ok, dposner?

Pavel Olavich · 08-17-2007, 04:38 PM

It's Sun Spots, man.

Sun. Spots.

blacksan · 08-17-2007, 08:07 PM

I have seen this occur several times during temperature extremes (hot & cold) over the last 25 years of my career. It can be attributed to defects, projectiles and just plain stress (body flexing) of materials in my experience. I have seen it occur more on newer vehicles then older models. The one common denominator in my experience has been heavy AC, or heat application to the drivers compartment.

drifto · 08-17-2007, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yaris Revenge

Sure.... a rock.... that's what it was.

*Yaris Revenge nonchalantly stows away his sniper rifle*

~YR

lol

yes it happened to me once after hitting a huge pothole while driving an old pontiac. the glass hit the actuator in the door panel and exploded while i was driving. felt like i was in a scene from the french connection

Kaotic Lazagna · 08-18-2007, 02:55 AM

my friend's Corolla S's rear window exploded due to the a/c being on and (she forgot) the rear defroster on at the same time during mid-day.

but your case is the side window? may be a rock like what the other members said.

dposner · 08-18-2007, 08:13 PM

Thank you for all the creative thinking. Some more information. Actually two of my daughters were in the front of the car (and they're both fine -- thank you.) They are completely sure they were not passing or being passed. So I guess a rock would have had to come from the front and curved into the window but in order to completely smash the window it would have had to be reasonably large (not a pebble) and so I find it hard to believe they wouldn't have noticed it. The combination of temperature (Really hot with AC on) + some compression effect (like the camry owner reported) now seems more likely to me. (I guess I don't want to believe YR implied theory!) Toyotas are amazingly air tight. Maybe I can get MythBusters to test some of these theories.

swng · 08-19-2007, 02:50 AM

Sorry to learn about the incident! Could it be due to some imperfection in the manufacturing or installation of the windows? I don't have a clue! Hope warranty (if not, then insurance) can help.

DjT · 08-19-2007, 11:03 AM

My glass shattered once because some dude tried to break into my car.

HTM Yaris · 08-19-2007, 06:06 PM

Just a theory , no offennse . Maybe they were where they were not supposed to be and your daughters concocted that story . Maybe one of them took off their seatbelt and the metal part hit the window . If their story is true then there would be glass fragments all the way back to the rear window , which indicates the car was actually moving . If the glass fragments were in the floorboard and seats , it would indicate the car was at a standstill .

My son tried the same story with me .......
Again no offense , just sharing my experiences .

08-17-2007, 12:54 PM	#1
dposner Drives: 2007 Yaris Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Napa California Posts: 3	Mysterious spontaneous Window Explosion My duaghter was driving our 2007 Yaris on US 80 east towards sacramento on a clear hot day with the windows up and the AC on when for no apparent reason the right rear passenger side window (the part that rolls up) "exploded". We found no obvious evidence of a projectile nor did she see or hear anything prior to the window exploding. Has anyone heard of anything like this or have a conjecture what might have happened? Thanks!

08-17-2007, 12:59 PM	#2
nqd Drives: 07 Yaris LB Absolute RED Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 884	that happened to me on a bus once....the window near my seat busted....later on found out it ...someone shot bb's into it but it could have been a rock of some sort.... __________________ v

08-17-2007, 01:29 PM	#3
BailOut Steals terrorist's lunch View User's Garage Drives: 2007 Yaris Liftback Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Reno, Nevada, USA Posts: 1,299	It was probably a rock kicked up by another vehicle. The rock doesn't have to enter the vehicle in order to cause the destruction of a window. __________________ - Brian Share the Road I often carry 2 carpool passengers and mountain bikes or snowboards/skis over a 4,500 foot elevation difference. Click the graphic above to see my detailed mileage logs.

08-17-2007, 01:32 PM	#4
Thirty-Nine Small cars are a big deal View User's Garage Drives: 2007 Yaris Liftback Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 3,144	Exact same thing happened to my wife in her 1994 VW Jetta. She was passing a semi on the interstate, and the passenger's side window just exploded. __________________ Subcompact Culture: The Small car blog

08-17-2007, 03:28 PM	#8
Yaris Revenge GIGA...DRILL...BREAKER!!! Drives: Lagann. ;P Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: My own little world. Posts: 717	Sure.... a rock.... that's what it was. Yaris Revenge nonchalantly stows away his sniper rifle ~YR __________________ Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

08-17-2007, 02:04 PM	#5
duck Drives: 2007 Silver Sedan Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: NYC Posts: 75	i believe tempered glass can explode with a temperature change such as in this case but it's more probable that a rock or something hit it. one time i shattered a spare car window by throwing little piece from a broken spark plug at it. yesterday i heard about a few glass ikea desks suddenly shattering for no good reason. i guess as insurance often says... it was an act of god

08-17-2007, 02:06 PM	#6
dposner Drives: 2007 Yaris Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Napa California Posts: 3	Thanks. I guess I'll buy the rock theory. It just seems odd to have a side window break this way. I'll just chalk it up to bad luck!

08-17-2007, 02:35 PM	#7
kimona Super Moderator Drives: 2014 White VITZ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Huntington Bch, CA Posts: 4,938	The front passenger window on my Camry mysteriously exploded in our driveway not long ago. It was a wickedly hot day. We opened the door and got something out of the glovebox, then closed the door, and the window exploded into thousands of tiny pieces.

08-17-2007, 03:45 PM	#9
sherryberry Drives: 07 Blazing Blue Yaris Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 1,305	whoa i have yet to have an exploding window happen to me. and i hope it never happens. i haven't even had any real cracks on a window yet. __________________ Don't Milk the Cat! -Said by me during a game of Cranium.

08-17-2007, 04:14 PM	#10
kurokoma-kun Drives: 2007 Yaris HB Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: my own little world Posts: 1,256	Temperature change can do it--knew someone whose sliding glass door blew up in the middle of the night. Very scary--your dauhgter ok, dposner? __________________ my yaris, kurokoma-kun

08-17-2007, 04:38 PM	#11
Pavel Olavich Banned Drives: 2007 Yaris LB Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Orange County, Calif Posts: 284	It's Sun Spots, man. Sun. Spots.

08-17-2007, 08:07 PM	#12
blacksan Drives: 07 Bayou Blue Liftback Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,121	I have seen this occur several times during temperature extremes (hot & cold) over the last 25 years of my career. It can be attributed to defects, projectiles and just plain stress (body flexing) of materials in my experience. I have seen it occur more on newer vehicles then older models. The one common denominator in my experience has been heavy AC, or heat application to the drivers compartment. Last edited by blacksan; 08-18-2007 at 08:06 AM. Reason: I can't add. :(

08-18-2007, 02:55 AM	#14
Kaotic Lazagna View User's Garage Drives: '14 GT86, '08 Vitz Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Central Valley, CA Posts: 9,873	my friend's Corolla S's rear window exploded due to the a/c being on and (she forgot) the rear defroster on at the same time during mid-day. but your case is the side window? may be a rock like what the other members said.

08-18-2007, 08:13 PM	#15
dposner Drives: 2007 Yaris Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Napa California Posts: 3	Thank you for all the creative thinking. Some more information. Actually two of my daughters were in the front of the car (and they're both fine -- thank you.) They are completely sure they were not passing or being passed. So I guess a rock would have had to come from the front and curved into the window but in order to completely smash the window it would have had to be reasonably large (not a pebble) and so I find it hard to believe they wouldn't have noticed it. The combination of temperature (Really hot with AC on) + some compression effect (like the camry owner reported) now seems more likely to me. (I guess I don't want to believe YR implied theory!) Toyotas are amazingly air tight. Maybe I can get MythBusters to test some of these theories.

08-19-2007, 02:50 AM	#16
swng Drives: 06 3-dr auto RS Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: BC Posts: 1,051	Sorry to learn about the incident! Could it be due to some imperfection in the manufacturing or installation of the windows? I don't have a clue! Hope warranty (if not, then insurance) can help.

08-19-2007, 11:03 AM	#17
DjT :) Drives: 2007 5DR Yaris HB RS Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Posts: 40	My glass shattered once because some dude tried to break into my car.

08-19-2007, 06:06 PM	#18
HTM Yaris resident senior View User's Garage Drives: 07 Yaris Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: south Carolina Posts: 814	Just a theory , no offennse . Maybe they were where they were not supposed to be and your daughters concocted that story . Maybe one of them took off their seatbelt and the metal part hit the window . If their story is true then there would be glass fragments all the way back to the rear window , which indicates the car was actually moving . If the glass fragments were in the floorboard and seats , it would indicate the car was at a standstill . My son tried the same story with me ....... Again no offense , just sharing my experiences . __________________

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