Back Glass Replacement in Sanford, NC

Why back glass breaks the way it does

The windshield is laminated: two layers of glass with a plastic layer between them, which is why a stone leaves a chip. Back glass on most cars is tempered: a single layer of heat-treated glass that, when it fails, breaks all at once into small, blunt pieces. That is a safety feature, but it means back glass cannot be repaired. A stone, a branch, a ladder in a truck bed, a break-in, or even a hard frost on a weak spot ends with the whole pane on the seat.

Whatever the cause, North Carolina requires safety glass in the rear window too: G.S. 20-135 makes it unlawful to drive an NC-registered vehicle without safety glass wherever glass is used in doors, windows and windshields.

What is built into back glass

• Defroster lines. The thin lines printed on the inside of the glass are the heater grid, connected at each side by tabs. The new glass comes with its own grid, and the tabs are reconnected.
• An antenna. On many cars the radio antenna is printed into the back glass alongside the defroster lines.
• A rear wiper. SUVs, hatchbacks and vans often have a wiper fitted through a hole in the glass.
• Liftgate mounting. On many SUVs the back glass sits in the liftgate, sometimes on its own hinges.
• Sliding panels. Many pickups have a sliding rear window, which is replaced as a complete unit made for that cab.
• Privacy tint. Factory tint is in the glass itself and is matched by the part number.

Those differences are why Impex orders glass using VIN-based verification: two trucks of the same model can have different rear windows, and the VIN settles which one yours needs.

How the job goes

1. Clear the broken glass. Loose glass is removed from the opening, the rear seat, the cargo area and the trim, and the area is vacuumed.
2. Remove what is left of the old pane. Pieces still bonded or held in the frame are taken out and the old adhesive trimmed back.
3. Prepare the frame. The opening is cleaned and primed for the new adhesive, or the slider’s mounting is prepared on a truck.
4. Fit the new glass. The new back glass is set in place, and the defroster tabs, antenna and rear wiper are reconnected.
5. Check it. The defroster, wiper and any slider are checked before the technician leaves.

Impex says to avoid using the rear defroster for 24 hours after back glass is replaced, and the technician will tell you whether the usual first-day care for bonded glass, no car wash and no slammed doors or liftgate, applies to your car.

Back glass replacement in Sanford after a break-in

If the back glass was broken to get into the car, report it to the police first if anything was taken, because your insurer may ask for the report number, and photograph the damage. Cover the opening with heavy plastic taped to the body if rain is coming. Leave the small glass for the technician rather than vacuuming it into the seat fabric. Then call, and the replacement can be done where the car is parked.

Until the new glass is in

An open rear window is more than a draft. Rain soaks the cargo area and the rear seat, the car cannot be secured, and road dust and noise come straight in. If you have to move the car before the visit, drive it as little as possible with the opening covered, and do not stack anything against the plastic. Keep children and pets out of the back seat until the glass has been cleared, because tempered glass breaks into small pieces that settle into seat seams and carpet.

When you call, say whether the car is in a garage, a driveway or a public car park, and whether rain is forecast. A car that is open to the weather is a reason to plan the visit sooner. The technician needs room to stand behind the car and to open the liftgate or tailgate fully, on a dry, fairly level spot.

Insurance for a rear window

A broken rear window is normally a comprehensive claim in North Carolina: the NC Department of Insurance lists breakage of glass among comprehensive losses, paid less any deductible. Under G.S. 58-3-180 you choose who repairs your vehicle, and the insurer pays the same amount whichever shop you choose. Impex works with all major insurance providers. See the glass claims page.

Other glass and where we go

For door and quarter windows see side window replacement, and for the whole car see auto glass repair in Sanford, NC. If the windshield took a hit too, windshield replacement in Sanford, NC covers it. Back glass is done by mobile service in Sanford and the towns around it: Broadway, NC, Lillington, Pittsboro and Siler City and Southern Pines and Carthage.

Questions people ask