Why did my entire back glass shatter?
Asked by eleonard1995 Dec 08, 2015 at 12:02 PM about the 2005 Jeep Liberty Sport 4WD
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
Yesterday I very lightly backed into a piece protruding from a dumpster. I
didn't feel any type of jerk or bump but only knew because of the terrible
sound that followed. My ENTIRE rear glass window had shattered and the
rubber parts were hanging off. When I examined my car there was a less than
inch size scratch where the window fit in the car (bottom of window). I was
wondering if there is any reason why this tiny bump would cause such a
disastrous result?
5 Answers
When I sized up the picture, now I can see the 1" scratch (dent?) Was that there before you backed in to the dumpster? If not, then The slight push on the frame for the glass may have tweaked the entire window frame and cause glass to break. It's safety glass. It is made to shatter in to small marbles instead of jagged edges
I agree with fordnut. Glass is not flexible there for if it flexes to much it will break or in this case shatter I've seen this happen a lot when I worked for an auto body shop in CT
eleonard1995 answered 8 years ago
Thanks for your input. Fordnut: the dent is from the dumpster, thats the only place where it made contact with the car. I was thinking maybe the sharpness of the place my car hit more or less cut into the glass, in turn buckling the entire pane.
And I think you are right on. Just as 8630064X4FORD said, the glass will not flex. The edge, as opposed to a flat surface, pushing on it. Call your insurance. You might get a replacement for little to no deductible.
Sharp points place a lot of pressure on glass and it shatters into small bits for safety.
