NHTSA Complaint #725902 — 2000 BUICK CENTURY

WHILE DRIVING AN ALAMO RENTAL CAR ON JULY 21, 2000, ON I-94 OUTSIDE OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, THE LEFT FRONT WINDOW, DRIVER'S SIDE, LITERALLY EXPLODED IN MY EAR. I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 60 - 65 MPH AND WHAT OCCURRED WAS LITERALLY AN EXPLOSIVE DECOMPRESSION. THE WINDOW GLASS SHATTERED, MOST GOING OUT THE WINDOW BUT SOME FRAGMENTS ENTERING INSIDE THE VEHICLE. I CONTROLLED THE VEHICLE AND STEERED IT ONTO THE SHOULDER WHERE WE STOPPED. BECAUSE OF THE TREMENDOUS SPEEDS OF THE OTHER VEHICLES PASSING BY, I QUICKLY TRIED TO PUSH THE EXCESS GLASS THAT REMAINED IN THE DOOR TO FEEL SAFE IN DRIVING THE REST OF THE DISTANCE TO THE AIRPORT. WE TRIED TO CONTACT THE ALAMO EMERGENCY NUMBER - WHEN MY TRAVELLING COMPANION CONTACTED ALAMO AND TOLD THEM IT WAS AN EMERGENCY, SHE WAS TOLD TO HOLD ON. SHE DID SO BUT WAS DISCONNECTED. WE TRAVELLED TO THE AIPORT BELOW SPEED LIMIT SINCE THE LEFT WINDOW WAS NO LONGER THERE AND THERE WERE FRAGMENTS OF GLASS THAT, AT TIMES, WOULD BLOW INSIDE . WHEN WE REACHED THE ALAMO RENTAL CAR AGENCY, THEY APPEARED TO BE LITTLE CONCERNED - THEY SAID THEY WOULD CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER TO DETERMINE OTHER SIMILAR OCCURRENCES. UNFORTUNATELY, THE MANAGER OF ALAMO TRIED TO CONVINCE ME THAT IT WAS A ROCK THAT HAD STRUCK THE WINDOW AND CAUSED THE PROBLEM. SINCE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND FELT THE SUDDEN DECOMPRESSION AND EXPLOSIVE QUALITY OF WHAT HAPPENED, I BELIEVE HIM TO BE WRONG. THANKFULLY, THE GLASS DID NOT BLIND ME OR PREVENT MY CONTROLLING THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, UNDER DIFFERENT C IRCUMSTANCES THIS EVENT COULD HAVE PROVEN DISASTROUS, NOT ONLY TO ME AND MY PASSENGERS BUT TO OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. I BELIEVE A COMPLETE INVESTIGATION IS WARRANTED.