NHTSA Complaint #10667155 — 2013 FORD F-150

USING THE FACTORY REMOTE, I STARTED THE 2013 FORD F150 FOR FIRST TIME OF THE DAY 12/18/14 AND ENTERED VEHICLE 5 MINUTES LATER. PUT KEY IN COLUMN IGNITION. DID NOT TOUCH ANY CONTROLS. WITH THE TRANSMISSION STILL IN PARK, A VERY LOUD NOISE OCCURRED. ONE SECTION OF THE REAR WINDOW / BACKLITE HAD SHATTERED TOP TO BOTTOM, EDGE TO EDGE. THE OUTDOOR TEMPERATURE WAS 24F, THE HEAT SETTING WAS 67F. VEHICLE WAS BACKED INTO DRIVEWAY WITH GARAGE BEHIND. NOTHING COULD HAVE HIT THE WINDOW FROM THE OUTSIDE AND THE VEHICLE HADN'T MOVED, YET THE GLASS PRACTICALLY EXPLODED. THERE ARE DOZENS OF VERY SIMILAR EXPERIENCES SHARED ON SEVERAL INTERNET FORUMS INVOLVING YEARS 2010 FORWARD OF THE SAME MODEL TRUCK -- SAME GENERATION. FORD HAS NOT CREATED A TSB AND THERE ISN'T A RECALL, AND FORD HAS MADE NO INDICATION THAT THEY WILL DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEY REFERRED ME BACK TO A DEALER TO DOCUMENT THE DAMAGE. LOCAL FORD DEALER TOLD ME AFTERWARD THAT THE REAR WINDOW DEFROST TURNS ON AUTOMATICALLY WITH THE REMOTE START FEATURE. NOW DRIVER VISIBILITY IS OBSCURED AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT. REPORTEDLY FIRES HAVE OCCURRED WITH THIS SITUATION. I WON'T BE USING THE REAR DEFROST UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES -- EVEN IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS, IN THE WINTER. IT SEEMS MOST OWNERS HAVE BEEN DENIED WARRANTY CLAIMS BECAUSE FORD STATED THE DAMAGE WAS TO GLASS, WHICH ISN'T COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE GLASS ISN'T THE PROBLEM, ITS THE EVIDENCE. FORD SAID IT IS UP TO THE DEALER TO DETERMINE IF THE DAMAGE IS DUE TO A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT TO GET REPLACEMENT UNDER WARRANTY. THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THEY SUBMIT A WARRANTY CLAIM WITH PHOTOS TO FORD WHICH WILL EITHER APPROVE OR DENY THE CLAIM. THE DEALER QUOTED $800.00 INSTALLED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE BACKLITE ASSEMBLY. THE TWO DIFFERENT STORIES ARE TROUBLING. I'M ALREADY PREPARING MYSELF FOR THE RUN-AROUND. *TR