2010 FORD F-150 Visibility Problems

The contact owns a 2010 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. After a visual inspection of the exterior of the vehicle, the contact became aware that the rear passenger’s side window had shattered. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 120,000.

The contact owns a 2010 Ford F-150. The contact stated two minutes after starting the vehicle and activating the defroster, there was an abnormally loud sound. The contact turned around and noticed that the rear passenger’s side panel window was shattered. The contact stated that no one was injured. The contact stated that neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD F-150. WHILE PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW SHATTERED WHEN THE DEFROSTER WAS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

THE REAR WINDOW DRIVER SIDE SPIDER WEBBED. IT WAS 55 DEGREES OUT AND I OPENED MY WINDOWS. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME. THE OTHER TIME WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WINDOW IN 11/2013. I BELIEVE FORD NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS.IT HAS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEFROSTER. *TR

WHEN DRIVING HOME I HEARD A LOUD POPPING SOUND, AS IF A ROCK HAD CHIPPED MY WINDSHIELD. I PULLED OVER AND FOUND NO DAMAGE ON THE FRONT WINDSHIELD BUT NOTICED MY REAR WINDOW HAD SHATTERED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. NOTHING HIT THE WINDOW IT JUST SHATTERED. I TOOK IT IN TO A FORD DEALER THE NEXT DAY AND THEY TOLD ME THE REPAIR WOULD BE ROUGHLY $700. THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT AND COULD OFFER NO EXPLANATION. LATER I LOOKED AT THE FORUMS AND FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE. IF THIS IS SO COMMON, WHY DOES FORD NOT COVER THE COSTS OF REPAIR? I AM HAPPY MY CHILDREN WERE NOT IN THE BACK SEAT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *TR

I TURNED ON THE REAR DEFROSTER TO CLEAR MY BACK WINDOW OF FROST AND DROVE TO WORK. 5 MIN LATER, AS I PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT, I HEARD A LOUD NOISE. THE BACK GLASS SHATTERED ON THE INSIDE. SMALL PIECES OF GLASS ARE FALLING INTO THE VEHICLE. FORD WILL NOT COVER THE REPLACEMENT. FORD IS NOT DENYING THAT IT HAPPENS. THEY JUST ARE NOT ADMITTING THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP ACTUALLY TOLD ME THAT, ?WHEN THE TEMPERATURE GETS COLD OUTSIDE AND THEN THE DEFROSTER IS TURNED ON, IT CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE GLASS.? WOW! I THOUGHT THAT IS WHAT THE DEFROSTER WAS FOR??!!??!!!! THEY HAD NO RESPONSE WHEN I BROUGHT THAT TO THEIR ATTENTION. THEY TOLD ME TO CALL FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE. I DID, BUT THEY SAID SINCE THERE IS NO RECALL AT THIS TIME, THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO HELP. *TR

I REMOTELY STARTED MY F150 TO WARM UP THE VEHICLE ON A MORNING THAT THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 37F. WHILE INSIDE THE VEHICLE I HEARD A LOAD BANG THAT SOUNDED LIKE GLASS BREAKING. OBSERVED THAT REAR PASSENGER WINDOW SHATTERED APPROX. THREE MINUTES AFTER REAR DEFROSTER SWITCH WAS TURNED ON . INSPECTED GLASS BOTH INSIDE AND OUT AND OBSERVED THAT THE GLASS WAS INTACT BUT THE WHOLE PASSENGER SIDE BACK GLASS WHAT SHATTERED AS WITH SAFETY GLASS WOULD. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST DEALER AND THEY HAD SEEN THE PROBLEM BEFORE BUT THERE ADVISED IT WOULD NOT BE UNDER WARRANTY OR POLICY. DEALER GAVE ME LOCAL CSR TO CONTACT TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE AND ASK FOR POLICY. GLASS ESTIMATE WAS AROUND $621 FOR PARTS AND 3 HRS OF LABOR. DECLINED REPAIR UNTIL SPEAKING WITH CSR TO ASK FOR CONSIDERATION UNDER POLICY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE...

INITIATED REAR WINDOW DEFROST; ABNORMALLY LOUD "POP" FROM EXPLODING PASSENGER SIDE REAR-WINDOW GLASS. *TR

STARTED VEHICLE AND ACTIVATED REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER-OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE 31 DEGREES F. APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES LATER WHILE STOPPED AT IDLE, HEARD A LOUD POP AND DISCOVERED PASSENGER SIDE OF THREE PART REAR BACK WINDOW WAS SHATTERED. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS DOCUMENTED CASES OF THIS SAME PROBLEM ESPECIALLY WITH 2010 MODELS. POSES A SAFETY HAZARD TO VEHICLE OCCUPANTS. SOME CONTACTS HAVE REPORTED SMOKE\OVER HEATING. *TR

STARTED THE TRUCK WITH AUTO START TO LET IT WARM UP (OUT TEMP APPROX. 38* PLUS WIND CHILL), TURNED ON DEFROSTER IN BOTH FRONT AND REAR. WITH IN 60 SECONDS THERE WAS A LOUD BANG LIKE A GUN SHOT AND SMOKE COMING FROM REAR RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE BACK WINDOW. WHEN I GOT OUT OF TRUCK TO CHECK IT OUT THERE WAS A SMALL FLAME AT BASE OF PASSENGER SIDE BACK GLASS AND PLASTIC WAS MELTING. THE INSIDE BACK SEAT WAS WARM TO TOUCH, I WAS UNABLE TO GET SEAT FORWARD TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY INSIDE DAMAGE. THERE IS MELTED PLASTIC DOWN OUTSIDE CAB OF TRUCK. I WENT ON LINE TO (HTTP://WWW.CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/FORD/F-150/REAR-WINDOW-DEFOGGER-PROBLEMS.PHP) AND FOUND THAT THIS SITE HAD OTHERS THAT EXPERIENCED THIS SAME THING. EVEN AFTER THE TRUCK WAS OFF, THE BACK GLASS REMAINED HOT FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES. THE GLASS IS SHATTERED AND IS HELD IN PLACE BY...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD F-150. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE REAR WINDOW SHATTERED AFTER THE REAR DEFROSTER WAS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,451.

WHILE LEAVING HOUSE, I TURNED ON THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER. ABOUT 5 BLOCKS FROM HOME, I HEARD A LOUD POP, LOOKED IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR AND SAW THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE OF REAR WINDOW COMPLETED SHATTERED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME 3/29/2014. IT WAS LATE AFTERNOON, RAINING AND ABOUT 45F. I HAD MY REAR DEFROSTER ON FOR ABOUT 10 MINS WHEN THE REAR WINDOW EXPLODED. IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT SO THE FIRST THING I DID WAS TEST MY BRAKES TO MAKE SURE I COULD STOP, THEN SCANNED THE DASH AND NO WEIRD LIGHTS. IT WAS WHEN I LOOKED IN MY REAR VIEW SECONDS LATER THAT I SAW MY PASSENGER SIDE REAR WINDOW (SLIDING REAR WINDOW WITH 3 SECTIONS) WAS SHATTERED. *TR

DRIVING ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY, SMOOTH WITH SOME NOW. TURNED REAR WINDOW DEFROST ON. WITHIN 5-10 MINUTES THERE WAS A LOUD BAND(SOUNDED LIKE A SHOTGUN BLAST). THE RIGHT REAR WINDOW SHATTERED INTO A THOUSANDS PIECES. THE GLASS STARTED TO FALL OUT IN PIECES A FEW DAYS LATER. MY GRANDSON, SITTING DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE WINDOW, LOST HIS HEARING FOR ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES. HE ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT HIS EAR HURTING

I STARTED MY 2010 F150 SUPER CREW THIS MORNING TO LET IT WARM UP, IT WAS APPROX. 45 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND THE WINDOWS WERE FOGGED. I TURNED ON MY REAR DEFROSTER FOR MY POWER SLIDING REAR WINDOW, WHEN I RE-ENTERED THE TRUCK ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER STARTING THE TRUCK, I WAS SITTING THERE FOR A MINUTE AND I HEARD A LOUD POP SOUND, I LOOKED BACK TO SEE THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY REAR 3-PIECE WINDOW SHATTERED AND THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE INSIDE OF THE REAR GLASS AT THE BOTTOM WHERE THE HEATER ELEMENT WAS, THERE WAS NO FIRE JUST A SMALL AMOUNT OF SMOKE. THERE HAD BEEN NO IMPACT TO THE GLASS AND IT HAS BECOME APPARENT TO ME THAT THIS WAS A MALFUNCTION OF THE REAR DEFROSTER ELEMENT OVERHEATING THE GLASS. I GOT OUT TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE AND FOUND SMALL "SLIVER" TYPE SHARDS OF GLASS...

WHILE I WAS DRIVING I TURNED MY REAR DEFROSTER ON AND ABOUT 5 MIN LATER I HEARD A LOAD BANG, LOOKED AROUND TO SEE WHAT IT WAS AND SAW THE PASSENGER PORTION OF THE REAR WINDOW WAS COMPLETELY SHATTERED. THERE WAS NO IMPACT ON THE WINDOW ARE CLUE TO WHY IT SHATTERED. SO I LOOKED ONLINE AND FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE 2010 F150 TRUCKS WITH POWER REAR SLIDERS. MY DAUGHTER'S CAR SEAT IS DIRECTLY UNDER THAT WINDOW! FORD DENIED ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THIS ISSUE AND INSISTED THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE AND WOULDN'T COVER REPAIRS. I THEN LEARNED THAT FORD HAS CHANGED THE WIRING DESIGN FOR THIS WINDOW, A DESIGN THAT KEEPS ELECTRICAL SURGES FROM OVER HEATING THE DEFROSTER. MY CONCERN IS THAT A SHATTERING WINDOW POSES A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND FORD SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR FAILURE TO KEEP THEIR CUSTOMERS AND MORE...

TURNED ON THE REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER AND AFTER ABOUT 2 MINUTES THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE REAR WINDOW EXPLODED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW OF THE CREW CAB SHATTERED ONCE THE DEFROSTER WAS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO ASSIST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 18,000.

STARTED TRUCK AT 0700 AM, OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 50 DEGREES. THE REAR WINDOW WAS FOGGY SO I TURNED ON THE REAR DEFROSTER. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES OF DRIVING ALONG A ROAD WITH NO TRAFFIC I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION THAT SOUNDED LIKE A LARGE ROCK HAD LANDED ON THE ROOF OF MY TRUCK. I PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED MY ROOF AND ALL EXTERIOR PANELS OF THE VEHICLE AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY DAMAGE THAT COULD HAVE JUSTIFIED THE NOISE. I COULD NOT FIND ANY "ROCKS" IN OR AROUND MY VEHICLE...NO PEDESTRIANS WERE IN SITE. RETURNED TO CAB AND AS I WAS PULLING BACK ONTO THE ROADWAY I NOTICED THAT MY REAR WINDOW (RIGHT PANEL) WAS SHATTERED. TOOK VEHICLE TO FORD DEALERSHIP THAT EVENING AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT A WARRANTABLE REPAIR. THE GLASS REMAINED INTACT AND THERE WERE NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF A PROJECTILE HITTING THE GLASS (I HAVE...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. SHE DISCONNECTED THE FUSE IN ORDER TO STOP THEM FROM WORKING; HOWEVER, THEY REMAINED ON, AS A RESULT SHE DECIDED TO REMOVE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT SHE WAS UNABLE TO SPEAK WITH A REPRESENTATIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 19,655.