Caddy CTS - back glass shatters after tinting??!!!

Hey Guys -

I'm new to the forum, but I'm curious to see if anyone has had this happen before.

I've been tinting since 1983 (professionally since about '90) and I just had something happen to me that never has before. I just had a customer return with his back glass shattered on a '03 Cadillac CTS the day after I tinted it. The job went smooth, no problems. The next day I get a call saying that his back glass is shattered; he brings it back and, sure enough, it's shattered. Anyone ever had this happen? I'm thinking it was a problem with the glass that may have been aggrevated by tinting. It shattered later that night (finished the job around 2:00 in the afternoon); it was kinda chilly out and raining, but nothing outrageous.

I've been doing internet searches, and it looks like a good many folks have had problems with Caddys and exploding back windows (with/without tint). I guess I'll replace it for the customer (if I was in his place it'd be hard to convince me the tint didn't have something to do with it, though this is a first). Now I'm afraid to touch a CTS.

Anybody got any thoughts/comments?...

i've done plenty with no problems at all.

As posted earlier, only a 92 Cougar. But according to the dealership it had a stress crack in the corner already and was warrantied

Yeah, I've never had anything like this before either. I guess I'll pay to have it replaced. If I have another one shatter it's no more CTSs for me!...

Maybe someone smashed it or shot at it (bb gun)? Could be a coincidence...

i would not even think about paying for that back glass. i havent been tinting as long as u but i have never had that happen. i dont think its possible for TEMPERED glass to shatter from tint. something eles did it. how do u know that the customer wasnt cuttin the grass or something and a flying rock could have done it. people get windows replaced all the time. i have done many caddys and that was never an issue...on any car at that. he has insurance, its his fault. let him pay for it. as long as it didnt happen in you shop...its not your problem. if he has a problem with that...call the cops....trust me, im sure its worth all the bullcrap compared to the price of that back glass.

I think I'm on snappys side here...that has got to be one of the flattest bg's out there...no way tint would bust that back window out. I work for ed Morse Caddy here in Tampa...maybe I'll meander over tomorrow, and see's what I can find out for Ya.

i do the dealer and never had a problem in the past 3 years

i wouldn't pay for it either. tint doesn't do that shiat with cars. i could see if the window was hotter than hell and you sprayed cold water on it but from nothing at all

Gotta agree Blade !!!

Good luck in convincing the customer that' it's not your fault ( personally I agree with the others..not your fault ) . Put yourself in the shoes of the customer not knowing about cars..would you believe you ? You might have to take one on the chin if you can't convince him otherwise ..just remember..do whatever takes the least money out of your pocket in the long run (see the big picture in the last part of the post)

I used to work for Caddy, and had a run of Cateras (which the CTS replaced) that would shatter within a week of tinting them,had about 8 or so that it happened to, it was a defect in the install of the glass from the factory, but with that being said, the car is an 03, I think it would have happened long before now.
But since it is a tempered window, and the film is holding it together, you can LOOK at the window and see where the break started from, (where the stress was relieved) all the cateras that we had to replace the BG on, we looked at the glass, they all started from the same general area on the top, and when the glass was removed and urethane scraped out, there was a hi spot (bulge) in the pinchweld which would not allow the glass to sit flush, and when adding tint, the glass got hotter, and they'd pop Been there, seen it......... I'd go look at the window before it gets replaced


Good Luck

if it left the shop unbroken i would send him n his way
if you buy a new car n drive it off the dealership lot n crash r they gonna give u a new car no

Park any cold window under a overhead heater and see what happens with or without film. Spontainious glass breakage

thats good to know any way that has never happened to me,no way it,s the tint..if the window had shattered at the shop,that's a different story,but not at the dudes home,to many possibilities

man all the dealers i do have overhead heaters ...and all the cars a parked out side i never seen one brake yet and some are directly under them

If the temp was zero/ish and you drove the car into a 80 degree garage with hot air blowing on the window .... big gamble...

i tinted a 05 cts aprox a month ago..as far as i know the back window is still in one piece lol
When i got the car it was below zero..and brought it into my heated garage.
Maybe it was pure coincidence that it shattered the day after you tinted it

how did you you take off the old cell phone ant. just throwing out idea's