So I am driving down the interstate last night at about 70mph when I heard a Big BOOM !I turned to look to the back seat to see that the rear window had blewn out and pieces where flying everywhere. My daughter was sitting by the window and it scared the crap out of her. Unfornunately she did get a cut on her face from it. Anyway I stop to buy some plastic because of course it is pouring out, and I seal up the window and continue on my trip. I went to the dealership this morning and they tell me that they have seen this happen one other time and it has to do with a temperature change. Anyway the truck is at the dealership getting a new window and the rear door and bed are getting a new coat of paint. (The glass went down the side of the door and put about a dozen good size nicks all down the side of the truck) What sucks is we where going to take the truck on it's first trip next weekend and it looks like it will still be at the dealership. Anyway I just wanted to share this story. I did take a couple of pictures that I will post later.

 

When it broke was there any pieces larger than a dime? If so it was not properly tempered.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Does_glass_explode_in_fire

http://www.desiredcreations.com/Misc_SpontGlass.htm

 

That's crazy. I've never heard of that happening before.

 

That is a weird one. Odd that it would explode and also odd that the pieces would cause any damage.

 

Those little pieces are sharp as hell, I used to install rear side windows in the Bvans and a guy was on the inside pulling a rope as you are hammering with a rubber mallett to help seat the seal on the truck, if you were good and could hit it just right you could get them in all the way and the guy inside had to work less. Sometimes though and it was especially the dark windows, when you give them the first hit to set them and get the rope start they would explode, well your arm that you are holding the window in with falls in and gets a lot of little sharp cuts even with the arm guard and if the guy inside was trained improperly like keep you mouth shut when doing this, I seen a guy get a mouth full of glass and a chest full of cuts and glass embedded in his sack cuz it was hot and summer and he thought he could attract some of the cougars we had working there I guess or he was queer, but it was funny, good thing he didn't swallow any glass. He was at first aid having the nurse take glass from his bag for a few hours LOL.
You are supposed to dress properly where safety glasses and gloves, long sleeves are good but summer....also keep your head up high cuz if it breaks your face gets no glass.
There were chips in the doors at the back and on the floor after the glass broke but those vans got interiors anyway so it didnt matter, they were lucky to get all the glass cleaned out.

 

Update:
So I went by the dealer to make sure that they kept the truck inside like they said they where going to and I ran into the Safelitte guy. He was in the parking lot working on another car's windshield. So I stopped and asked him about my window, he said he had heard about it and that he had never heard of a window that just blew out. He tols me that it is almost impossible for that to happen. He proceeded to tell me that he has seen accidents before where a car was passing another car and a rock bounced off the one car and then hit the car beside it smashing the window on the other car. That was exactly my situation and I didn't even tell him that. So after talking to him I am thinking that, that is what happened to my window. All I am waiting on now is how the dealership is going to deal with this. When I went in there this morning I was sure it was a warranty issue with the glass so I kept asking the service guy what he thought, he told me he had heard of something like this happening before and it had to do with temperature change and pressure in the cab. I asked him whether it was going to be a warranty item or if I needed to call my insurance company. He told me he would talk to the service manager on Monday and let me know but not to call the insurance company yet. We will see what Monday brings.

 

I had the driver's window in my Nissan Xterra blow out like that. It was one of those freaky weather days where it's hotter than heck one minute and the quiet cold and rainy the next. I was across the yard and all I heard was smash. I looked all over for anything that could have hit it, but nothing. It sucks, but at least your daughter didn't hurt.

Oh, not that you won't check, but make sure you give the window a good look over once they've replaced it. The replacement window the dealer put in my Nissan never did fit right in the track after that.

 

Yeah the Safelitte guy told me to insist on OEM replacement. He said they usually try to put an aftermarket window in there and they don't fit right. So I will make sure on Monday that they put in an OEM replacemnet. Not sure how to tell the difference but if it doesn't have the same markings as the other side then I will know something is up.

 

I have had a rock hit a side window flying down the highway. It does just what you descibed, scares the excrement out of you! My guess would be that is what happened. Hopefully, the dealer does it under warranty thinking it was a faulty window, or else you will be hitting up insurance and paying a deductable I am sure.

 

Yeah I am not holding my breath on the warranty thing but at the same time I am waiting for them to call me and tell me what they are going to do.