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Rear window frame broken...WTH? (Pics)

Mine has a crack in the bottom left corner (no leaks), have never used the defrost. I bought an extended warranty, wonder if that would be covered like they covered my cracked dash.
 
It's a common problem with all years it seems. My frame is broken on the passenger side corner and when it finally started to leak I just filled it in with black aquarium silicone and it is fine now.
 
I know this is an older thread. But I wanted to post this in a relevant area for people to find it when they do their internet searches.

My '02's frame has been cracking for awhile. But since it's garaged every evening I guess that helped slow down the spread of the cracks. And I've been trying a few things to try to keep the frame as intact and water tight as possible. But I assume that the cold weather yesterday finally caused it to break apart entirely. So after reading several peoples comments about Safelite and their warranty and after doing some of my own research I decided to get a replacement from them.

When I spoke to Safelite on the phone I was assured that their warranty would cover any encapsulated frame failure that these windows are experiencing. But when I was actually getting the new one I was told their "Lifetime" warranty does not cover this. And the person who was telling me this was on the phone with his contact who, as he explained it, is in charge of the actual shops. Maybe a district manager (my guess). But since it's user removable, any damage that occurs to it. Frame cracks etc. are considered "wear and tear" and not covered. So keep this in mind when considering Safelite!

Also: While they are less expensive than the dealerships, I did in fact get a GM part. At least according fact that a GM logo is on it. Which tells me that I can expect the same problem to happen down the road.
 
Thanks for the note. What a rip off. My 2011 has a major crack, but no side effects like leaking etc. My 2008 AVY broke the defroster contacts so no choice but to change. My 2011 warranty is up in June, so I guess I'll ask for a replacement. For the most part, Chevy did a great job on the Avy, but the window thing is bad design.
 
My 02 was cracked, i asked the dealer if it was common he said yes and replaced it without hesitation. This was 2010 , well past the warantee.
 
My co-worker has an 07, and his cracked pretty bad, messed up the defroster as well. He tried to solder it back, with no luck.  He was going to try to buy or make a conductive epoxy to repair it though, not sure if he ever followed through.
Amazingly, my 03 DD, and 03 parts truck windows are both fully intact!  Not to rub it in....
 
I am now a crack victim  :9:

150k miles and it finally decides to break.

0410141753_zpsf84be760.jpg
 
I agree, it just couldn't keep up with the hot/cold demand here. This is the top 10 COLDEST winters ever recorded and snow fall records as well. We went weeks with -10* to -25*F temps. I think it broke one day when I was driving because I heard a loud snap noise like broken plastic. I looked down at my dash to see if it cracked and nothing. Never thought to check the rear window frame. Oh well.  :E:
 
blu_fuz said:
I agree, it just couldn't keep up with the hot/cold demand here. This is the top 10 COLDEST winters ever recorded and snow fall records as well. We went weeks with -10* to -25*F temps. I think it broke one day when I was driving because I heard a loud snap noise like broken plastic. I looked down at my dash to see if it cracked and nothing. Never thought to check the rear window frame. Oh well.  :E:

My 03 spent 2 winters in Summit County, Colorado. -25?f low and 0?f high was about as cold as I ever experienced up there. 25?f to 45?f was the daytime norm between December/early March.

Here in Southern California, I've been lucky to hit -10?f on a few occasions in the local mountains. More typically, it is the long Spring, Summer, and Fall temps that tend to be in the 85?f an occasional 107?f.

I heard the pop too, but we had a lot of dirt truck haulers throwing rocks so much that I did not make the connection.

I used JB Weld and never had any leak issues. We'll, we never get much rain out here too.

I checked my 2010 all the time and never observed any hint of this during 34 months of ownership.

I have been checking the 2013 very often and nothing yet. I hope it stays that way. ???
 
I haven't checked mine lately but we have been getting temp swings like crazy.... It was 65 here Friday and dropped to low 30's Friday night then 60's again
 
zr2s10 said:
My co-worker has an 07, and his cracked pretty bad, messed up the defroster as well. He tried to solder it back, with no luck.  He was going to try to buy or make a conductive epoxy to repair it though, not sure if he ever followed through.
Amazingly, my 03 DD, and 03 parts truck windows are both fully intact!  Not to rub it in....
Shoulda kept my mouth shut, lol.  :beating: Took mine out to put a sticker on the outside, and the frame has a crack now!  BUT, it does not leak at all, and the defroster still works.  I suppose I got lucky!  Although, I think they really should've made this "frame" out of rubber.  Or at least a more flexible plastic.
 
My 2011 got a crack in the exact same spot as OP within first 15 months. Dealer replaced it under warranty, but my old one had a very dark tint (limo over factory tint). After replacing, I decided I didn't like the tint so dark - rear visibility is bad enough already, and it felt kind of claustrophobic. 30% over factory is perfect...
 
If mine cracks i'm pulling the glass out and busting it and getting it replaced under my glass coverage on my insurance. I'll just vacuum up the glass and sprinkle a few pieces in the truck as though i missed a couple lol
 
Like dave chapelle, spinkle a little crack on him. lol

Mine is cracked and has been for a couple years. Really bothered me at first but then the dash cracked and I forgot about the window... :laugh:
 
For those that want to replace theirs out of warranty, here's a source on ebay that has new tinted rear glass with defroster for $245.00 and free shipping. Cheapest I've ever seen it... Dealer wants 2 to 3 times that..




http://www.ebay.com/itm/181574152356?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
 
Every one of my Av's had cracked them and after a freak occasion (I had put a foam insert in there on one of my trips down the drag strip). I think I figured out the problem, the Av's have no split between bed and cab and SUV's have a complete enclosure around them. There is no where for any "Flex"for the Av's upon accelerate, therefore since there is no split for the torque on the body, The glass frame is the weak point. I watched the foam flex on that one time I ran it. (y)
#7
 
I think they fit in the frame pretty well so I don't think they crack because of it flexing or racking. My guess of why they fail is that the plastic around the glass is too tight and when the glass expands it pushes the plastic past it's breaking point and splits. That plastic on mine looks like it has fiber in it, maybe that was suppose to help.

With all the pictures posted it looks like the most common spot to crack is one of the lower corners, that's where mine cracked and it's right where the seal is against it from the back so I never park facing forwad on a down hill if it going rain or water will find it's way in.. If it cracked on top it would be fine and some black silicone would be fine on it.
 
When I bought my used 2004 EXT a couple of years ago, the rear window was a clear version, as was often the case with the Cadillac's.

Someone down the line had applied some cheap tint to the glass.

The frame was split in the usual lower passenger side corner.

I stumbled across a "new" factory tinted rear window on eBay for a hundred bucks that came from a glass shop in California.

The seller indicated this window came out of a new 2006 Avalanche that the shop had done some custom work on way back in the day and the window had been stored on a shelf in the shop all of this time.

It was clear they would never use this part after so long and they were just clearing out a bunch of old inventory.

When I got the window, it was packed in an old box from a pickup truck rear slider window that was marked with 2006 Chevy Avalanche on the outside of the box.

It did appear, at least, that this rear window had been stored in this dusty box for a very long time.

This rear window, although a bit dusty, had no wear, scratches or cracks in the frame.

So we can assume, with what we know, that simple age had little to do with the cracking of the frames.

And whatever swings of temperature in this unknown shop had no effect either.

This window has now been installed in my EXT over the past two summers, one of those experienced record-breaking heat for our area.

I have also used the rear window defogger several times.

So far, I have not seen any frame cracking at all, but would not be surprised if a crack appeared in the next couple of years.

I took my original clear window and removed the cheap tint and stored it away in case I feel like a change or something gets broken down the road. 
 
I think its all about expansion and contraction glass vs composite. Who knows why it finally fails, but it does. I was driving in a straight line when mine snapped so it wasn't flexing.
 
I just ordered a new dark tint rear window off ebay for $223 and free shipping.. Could not pass it up..

He said he has one more if anyone is interested.. link in my post above..
 
I just recently purchased a 2004 2500 series 4x4 avy and the driver side lower corner was cracked bad. Took all the cargo panels out and cleaned everything because there was a bunch of red dirt everywhere and all of the drains were plugged. when i went to removed the horizontal midgate crossbar i noticed the driver side was not double latched. Like a car door having a double latch the crossbar has the same thing. Well after cleaning everything and putting the crossbar back together i could not no matter how hard i tried i could not get the driver side to double latch. So i adjusted the latching mechanism and now it double latches. Don't know if this caused the crack in the window casing or not but i am sure it did not help. I now have a new gm midgate window in it so time will tell. So for any of you who have a cracked or leaking window check your crossbar to make sure it is double latched. It is easy to check, remove the 3 cargo bed covers, lower midgate, remove midgate window. Now with the crossbar still in grab crossbar on one end firmly with both hands and try to twist it up and down. If it moves it is not latched properly, if it doesn't move you are good. Then go to other side and do the same test. HTH
 
2013

Frame cracked and separated at the bottom middle

No leak or wind noise

At the dealer for a failed sensor on the windshield washer fluid and pointed it out to them without concern

They replaced it under warranty
 
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