| Shattered glass
window
Question :
I bought a new Toyota Vios, and it is
still under warranty. I parked the car in a
semi-closed garage and on the right side,
was parked another car. About 8pm that
day, I found the right side glass window
shattered into small pieces. The car was
under the sun in the afternoon that day.
I took the car and the broken glass to
the Toyota Service Centre, and related the incident to
the chief foreman. I told him that I suspected the glass broke because of a manufacturing fault. He took photographs of
the car and said he would send a report
to the glass manufacturer.
I replaced the side window at my own
cost, as I had no proof (the cause of the
broken glass) for me to claim under the
warranty clause. What could be the likely
cause of the broken glass?
Answer : The bad news is that you may not get a claim under
warranty but out of goodwill only. The side and rear glass of all cars are
made from tempered glass, and if you know how tempered glass is made, you
will know that in effect the glass is under tension at all times and all it
needs is anything to disturb that state such as a knock or even uneven
variation of heat, and it will shatter for no apparent reason.
There is always the possibility that when the glass was fitted to the
door frame, it may not have fitted properly and was very tight, thus causing
stress, but this you would have noticed as the glass would have had
difficulty moving up or down. If the glass had broken anything up to about a
week after delivery, it is more likely than not that the car dealer would
replace it for you under goodwill, but if it is anything after that period,
your chances of getting anything free are slim. |
