Today I was driving home from work and the highway, going about 60mph, and then the driver side window just shattered. I couldn't understand how it happened. Can something hit it at enough of an angle to still shatter it? There weren't many cars on the road, no one to my front left (some one about to pass on my left only). Any idea what happened? Defective glass? Something else? I'm more confused than anything else here and am a little worried about the other pieces of glass now.

Any insight on the situation would be greatly appreciated!

 

Gunshot? Or other projectile.

 

I thought along those lines too. But I don't think so. I did best to look at the car that was passing, but by the time I look over after the glass exploded everywhere he was ahead of my car. It didn't look like their window was down though to shoot or throw anything.

A gun would problem have gone through and made more damage else were right? I haven't found anything else yet. What about a BB gun? The BB may have gotten lost somewhere in the mess of glass. It is a theory, a wild one but a theory.

My money is still on the perfect piece of flying debris, or defective glass, or both. Crazy day.

 

There are some sick $&@&'ers around, could have been BB target practice. I knew a guy who was busted for shooting arrows at moving trains!

 

What if the window motor was pushing the window up too hard, really hard?
I believe there was a person targeting vehicles in Columbus OH a while back. Wouldn't be the first time someone took aim at cars. I know I used to go out into the woods and shoot at just about anything with my BB gun. I think I even got shot at with a BB gun while I was out for a run one day. I heard what sounded like a faint puff of air and the sound of a very small object whipping through the weeds next to me.
Then again, it could be a flaw in the manufacturing process or a chip in the window caused it to fail. Apparently this has happened with older Mini sun roofs as well.

 

Its rare but a rock could have flown into the glass at such and angle and speed. The side glass are not that expensive and insurance should cover it. Last time had the front glass done , asked how many front side glass they did on MINIs and they told me they done a few. It was mostly for break ins.

 

I was out riding on my bicycle early one Sunday and a very small pebble was launched from my front wheel and it hit the passenger window of a minivan that was passing me on my left side. The window shattered. It was very surprising but does happen.

 

I was thinking the same thing! Some extra normal force on the edge of the window, creating a little flex and strain in the glass, then a bump in the road shocks it and makes it shatter? Maybe!

I really hope it wasn't that, but there are some awful people out there for sure. I tried to check the pickup truck that was passing me but his window looked like it was up, as far as I could tell while trying to figure out what the hell just happened to my window.

I agree, defect is possible, but would be tough to know. Unless the right side shatters soon too! Yeah I think the sunroofs and hatch windows of some older MINIs had this phenomenon.


I can believe it, but man, it must really take a nice hard sharp rock at just the right impact to do it. Yeah, fixing it won't be the hardest part, shops can get the glass, but my insurance doesn't have a $0 deductible for glass, so I would have to cover it until it reaches my deductible.

That's incredible! That must have been shocking for everyone. You must have kicked up quite the little rock and some decent speed there! Good to know that it is at least possible, and that I may not have to worry about the other side exploding randomly. Thanks!