Yaris Hybrid - rear window shattered

[Yvonne51]

3 minutes ago, Yvonne51 said:

www.toyotaownersforim.com

I came back from a few days away to find the back window on my new Yaris shattered . The outer bit and not all the way through . No evidence of it being hit / no storms / no evidence from close neighbours of noise . Everyone who’s seen it says it looks like it’s ‘ popped ‘ so wondering if been fitted incorrectly . Garage not playing ball - anyone heard of this before ? 

[CPN]

That's not vandalism! That has definitely "popped" due to being stressed in some way. Especially as it has shattered near the edge seals on both sides. If it were me, I would persist as I am guessing that you are still in warranty. Escalate to Toyota GB if you get no joy from the dealer that sold it to you...

[anchorman]

Is it possible someone slammed it in your absence?

[TonyHSD]

We have a similar case with latest Aygo x and other Toyota models. 
Here some examples. 
Good to check in Google search and find more and pint this to the dealer. 
I think it’s similar and should be investigated as self broken window and if proof to be the case replacement under warranty. 

 

[Stopeter44]

3 hours ago, Yvonne51 said:

I came back from a few days away to find the back window on my new Yaris shattered

Some kind of thermic shock ?

[YarisHybrid2016]

That clearly wasn't broken by a brick or other blunt-force instrument. Even if the boot lid had been slammed to break it, it still wouldn't look like that.

Great job getting photos! If the dealer doesn't want to know, find another!!

[FROSTYBALLS]

Split into new topic

[anchorman]

15 hours ago, YarisHybrid2016 said:

That clearly wasn't broken by a brick or other blunt-force instrument. Even if the boot lid had been slammed to break it, it still wouldn't look like that.

Great job getting photos! If the dealer doesn't want to know, find another!!

What would it look like?

[Max_Headroom]

1 hour ago, anchorman said:

 Even if the boot lid had been slammed to break it, it still wouldn't look like that.

I couldn't disagree more if it had been slammed and the air pressure inside was so great it popped it that is exactly what i would have expected to see. 

[Cyker]

Even when I got rear-ended my rear glass was completely unharmed so it's pretty tough; I doubt slamming the boot lid or any kind of pressure would break it like that.

I'm leaning more to the manufacturing flaw; Maybe some microfractures on the edge of the glass that have grown out and weakened it, then thermal expansion and contraction doing the rest (I can imagine someone accidentally dropping the glass, or knocking it on something, in the factory, deciding it was fine, and installing it)

This is all purely out-of-the-donkey supposition tho'!

 

[Rhymes with Paris]

The old Citroen AX had a plastic tailgate bolted to the rear screen, with no frame.

A weak point I thought, I'll have to be careful not to shatter that.

Until my at the time wife slammed it shut while just holding the one side of it, whereas I used to be careful to push it down on both sides to even any stress.

I thought with that twisting it would be sure to shatter it, but no it held up amazingly.

So stronger than I had assumed.

Then again, the Citroens had more air leaks than a colander, unlike the VWs of the time and previously.

I well remember driving a VW camper and a pick up, it was difficult to shut the doors with the windows fully closed,as the sealing prevented release of air pressure while closing the doors.

 

 

 

[anchorman]

2 hours ago, Max_Headroom said:

I couldn't disagree more if it had been slammed and the air pressure inside was so great it popped it that is exactly what i would have expected to see. 

I agree, I didn’t say it.  I think it would look like that too.  That’s twice we’ve agreed on something.  It’ll have to stop 😉

[Auris James]

A photo from inside would be good to rule out stone/ vandalism damage.

Even on toughened glass you can usually see the point of impact.

Yours does look some kind of shock to break away on edges.

My guess a glass defect or thermal/ expansion of frame issues. Seems very little glue/ bond holding it in place.

James.

 

[TonyHSD]

Pressure from inside can easily  break it.
Most if not all cars with frameless side windows, the windows goes automatically down half inch when closing the doors, just to prevent that from happening. 
https://twitter.com/ZacksJerryRig/status/1039934465462611968?lang=en 

[MikeSh]

39 minutes ago, TonyHSD said:

Most if not all cars with frameless side windows, the windows goes automatically down half inch when closing the doors, just to prevent that from happening. 

I'm afraid that's not it, or not all at least. In most cars when the glass goes up it needs to run into a slot in the rubber or felt to get a good seal. On a frameless window that seal is on the roof/A-pillar, not the door, so the window has to be dropped a bit to clear the seal when opening and closing the door. On cars that just press the glass against a rubber strip with no slot they probably don't drop the window - a compromise of cost/complexity against weather and noise resistance.

People underestimate the strength of toughened glass. It's quite hard to break without something sharp, which is why buses and trains provide these in one form or another (and I keep one to hand in each of our cars). Exposed edges are usually vulnerable, as I found out many years ago, so I suspect where those exist in cars, such as side windows, they are given some special treatment.

[TonyHSD]

4 minutes ago, MikeSh said:

I'm afraid that's not it, or not all at least. In most cars when the glass goes up it needs to run into a slot in the rubber or felt to get a good seal. On a frameless window that seal is on the roof/A-pillar, not the door, so the window has to be dropped a bit to clear the seal when opening and closing the door. On cars that just press the glass against a rubber strip with no slot they probably don't drop the window - a compromise of cost/complexity against weather and noise resistance.

People underestimate the strength of toughened glass. It's quite hard to break without something sharp, which is why buses and trains provide these in one form or another (and I keep one to hand in each of our cars). Exposed edges are usually vulnerable, as I found out many years ago, so I suspect where those exist in cars, such as side windows, they are given some special treatment.

You are probably right about the seals. 👍

[YarisHybrid2016]

MikeSh nailed it. The motion of the glass is for sealing. It doesn't do anything for integrity.

The times I've seen people break the glass in the tailgate, the glass shatters and the middle collapses from the motion of it closing (residual air pressure pushes it out). Modern windows are probably laminated so they don't fall apart/send glass everywhere.

[Bernard Foy]

On 9/29/2023 at 8:13 PM, Rhymes with Paris said:

The old Citroen AX had a plastic tailgate bolted to the rear screen, with no frame.

A weak point I thought, I'll have to be careful not to shatter that.

Until my at the time wife slammed it shut while just holding the one side of it, whereas I used to be careful to push it down on both sides to even any stress.

I thought with that twisting it would be sure to shatter it, but no it held up amazingly.

So stronger than I had assumed.

Then again, the Citroens had more air leaks than a colander, unlike the VWs of the time and previously.

I well remember driving a VW camper and a pick up, it was difficult to shut the doors with the windows fully closed,as the sealing prevented release of air pressure while closing the doors.

 

 

 

I seem to remember something about the old VW Beetle floating in water, it was so well sealed??

[Jimota]

That’s what I’d heard as well.  I had a 1966 Beetle which I purchased in 1978 and you had to give the drivers door a really good slam before it would close properly.  It always felt that the door seals were too thick for the frame but if the window was open the door seemed to shut a lot easier.

[GR KAIZEN]

On 9/28/2023 at 1:34 PM, CPN said:

That's not vandalism! That has definitely "popped" due to being stressed in some way. Especially as it has shattered near the edge seals on both sides. If it were me, I would persist as I am guessing that you are still in warranty. Escalate to Toyota GB if you get no joy from the dealer that sold it to you...

 

 

Yes I also agree there and for sure escalate this to Toyota GB as this looks like a production line issue!

In my opinion it could either be rear hatch slightly misaligned (one side massively over torqued ) or most likely bad resin seal that connects the window to the rear hatch and the uneven stress would cause the glass to shatter when you close the rear hatch with any force.

 

Seeing as this has also happed on the Aygo X as well it could be a possibility that its a supplier issue as the non hybrid Yaris and Aygo is built in the same factory in Czech republic.  The Yaris Hybrid in OP post is built in France but I assume both factories use the same supplier as the Hybrid/non Hybrid are virtually identical exterior wise

[Max_Headroom]

2 hours ago, Bernard Foy said:

I seem to remember something about the old VW Beetle floating in water, it was so well sealed??

I believe the problem with them today is the water cannot get out  😉

[Max_Headroom]

2 hours ago, YarisHybrid2016 said:

The times I've seen people break the glass in the tailgate, the glass shatters and the middle collapses

I told Mrs Headroom not to slam the tailgate when we first got a hatchback many years ago she still does it occasionally so i tend to drop my window a couple of inches when she is closing it to be on the safe side. 

[anchorman]

58 minutes ago, Max_Headroom said:

I told Mrs Headroom not to slam the tailgate when we first got a hatchback many years ago she still does it occasionally so i tend to drop my window a couple of inches when she is closing it to be on the safe side. 

I often ask anchorwoman “is it shut?”   I think she’s trying to perfect impact welding which I’m hoping she won’t practice in the Lexus when it comes.  

[Rhymes with Paris]

5 hours ago, Bernard Foy said:

I seem to remember something about the old VW Beetle floating in water, it was so well sealed??

Aye Bernard I remember hearing or reading about that too.

And yes I was referring to the rear engined pick ups and camper vans of the day which were built at the same time as the beetles.

One minibus I had which would be worth a fortune now, had it's heat exchangers gone, which was relatively expensive to fix back then

 

[anchorman]

A mate of mine had an old beetle and in fact was very generous in letting me drive it long before I was 17 😏.  The floor rotted and working in a concrete plant with “free” materials, he filled it up to sill level with concrete.  It cured the rotten floor but did nothing for fuel economy.