NHTSA Complaint #10427622 — 2006 FORD ESCAPE

I DROVE 7 MILES TO WORK. IT WAS A LITTLE FOGGY/DEWEY OUT SO I TURNED ON MY REAR DEFROST. THE TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE LOW 60'S, SO COOL, BUT NOT COLD BY ANY MEANS. I PARKED MY CAR AND ROLLED THE WINDOWS (ALL 4) DOWN @ 3 INCHES. WHEN I PARKED MY CAR @ 8:00AM IT WAS FINE. BY 9:10AM, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE BACK WINDSHIELD OF MY CAR WAS "BROKEN". WHEN I WENT TO CHECK MY CAR, THE BACK WINDSHIELD HAD COMPLETELY BLOWN OUT. THERE WAS BARELY ANY GLASS ON THE INSIDE OF THE CAR AS IT HAD ALL BLOWN OUT 3-4 FEET INTO THE PARKING LOT. I DID HAVE THE LOCAL POLICE RESPOND JUST IN CASE AND THE OFFICER SHRUGGED AND QUESTIONED/STATED "FREAK ACCIDENT". I'VE FOUND NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING ON THESE VEHICLES, YET NO PUBLIC AWARENESS HAS BEEN MADE. I AM JUST GLAD THAT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING LIKE WITH SOME REPORTS I'VE READ. MY INSURANCE WOULD COVER A "RECYCLED" REAR WINDSHIELD/WIPER AND I AM TERRIFIED TO USE THE REAR DEFROST ON THE NEW ONE KNOWING THAT IT CAME FROM THE SAME YEAR AND MAKE OF VEHICLE FOR FEAR IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. *TT