2007 STS Rear Window Shattered

[mdgetel]

I went into my garage this morning to find the rear window on my 2007 STS completely spidered. There is no indication at all of vandalism, or some sort of accident (e.g., something falling on it). I've been living here 15+ years, have always had a vehicle parked in the garage, and nothing like this has ever happened before.

Can anyone shed any light on what may have happened? I've heard of spontaneous combustion, but spontaneous Cadillac STS rear window shattering?

[Boombottz]

Drastic temp change? If it already had a crack or chip you didn't notice. I had a entertainment center glass shatter inside the home when the local proving ground was using some extreme ordnance. How air tight is your garage? Sudden pressure change, i.e. closing door etc. Just some ideas.

[45wheelgun]

I had that happen to me on my Trailblazer. I was in the yard at the time. My window shattered and fell into a pile in the drive way. Scared the hell out of me. Spooky really as there was no one else around. GM replaced it under warranty. They said the curved glass will shatter if was maunfactured perfectly and stressed "just right". Not sure that I bought their story, but they paid for it...

Call the dealer, call the Cadillac CS number, tell them your story, it can't hurt.

[c5 rv]

Welcome. Sorry this is the subject of your first post. Do a search in the STS forum and you'll find a number of threads on this problem. You are not the first, nor, unfortunately, the last.

[dhemrick]

C5 rv is correct. This is unfortunately a common problem on current model STSs.

The rear window in my STS-V shattered spontaneously one night while I was driving in a cold rain after a relatively warm day. It was very loud and sounded like a gun shot.

In conversations with the dealer, he said that they had replaced a number of them in the 05 model year, but mine was the first 06 and I have never heard of an 07 with this problem. He said the problem was with the different expansion rates between the glass and the rubber seal around the window. The outsource company who makes the gasket mis-stated the expansion rate of their seal so when installed with a piece of glass with a different expansion rate it creates this problem.

Mine was fixed under warranty, and the dealer even had my window retinted back the way it was.

I assume that you are still under warranty. Talk to your dealer. They should be well aware of the problem.

[mdgetel]

Thanks to everyone for the comments.

I just got off the phone with the head of the service department at my dealer. He did some research today, and found a service bulletin from Cadillac regarding a problem with rear windows shattering on the '05, '06 and '07 STS. He said something about a molding being too rigid, and replacement windows being a bit more flexible.

I'm certainly no expert and don't really know, but given the circumstances in my case, my best guess is that it is something along the lines of when a cool-to-warmer temperature change occurs, the window glass tries to expand or bend slightly, but the molding around it is too rigid to accommodate that, and the glass is too inflexible, and shatters. I drove from an outside temperature near freezing into a garage where the temp was probably around 50, and while I've done that many times before without incident and the conditions did not seem unusual or extreme, I guess something about the conditions was at just the wrong point.

Anyway, for anyone else who may have this happen, be advised that Cadillac has recognized that there is a problem, and does have a service bulletin out to dealers on the situation.

[AllWheelEric]

This is a significant safety issue. Please report this incident to NHTSA. Here is a link: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

[dhemrick]

I agree AllWheelEric. I was aware of this problem before it happened to me so I remained calm, but even so for a split second I thought I had been hit or shot at.

It's all speculation, or course, but as loud as it sounds from inside the car, I can see someone with an infirm heart being scared into a heart attack or someone being startled enough to cause an accident by this problem. You might even think someone was shooting at you. It is VERY loud inside the car. My ears were ringing.

I am truly surprised that an 07 model car experienced the problem. They've known about this since the 05 models were out.

[rb92gt]

This is definitely a huge problem, and is cadillac's fault. If you open your trunk you will notice the black molding attached to the bottom of the window and it is a solid molding, no room for give. I was told by cadillac that this was the reason for the window shattering... of course I do not really know the reason. Imagine if you had a car seat in back seat with baby in it and window shatters! Other problem is when car is towed or driven to dealer for window replacement, the shattered glass swirls around on the decklid and ruins the paint... to add insult to injury.

[G-man]

Our dealership has had numerous STS rear window issues. Warranty will cover it.

[mdgetel]

Thanks for the link, AllWheelEric. I submitted a report.

It is indeed a safety issue. I was lucky that it happened when my car was parked at home in the garage. It could have been much worse.

It is disturbing that this rear window problem is now in its third model year, and that Cadillac apparently has done nothing to fix it.

[lbwd]

Originally Posted by dhemrick

The rear window in my STS-V shattered spontaneously one night while I was driving in a cold rain after a relatively warm day. It was very loud and sounded like a gun shot.

Yikes! I probably would have responded and hit whatever was behind me with 7 rounds.

[Superjim]

Originally Posted by lbwd

Yikes! I probably would have responded and hit whatever was behind me with 7 rounds.

You must have a 1911.

Jim from Texas

[lbwd]

Originally Posted by Superjim

You must have a 1911.

Jim from Texas

Good guess.
Was speaking of my Desert Eagle though.