Anybody heard of this?

[Lawro]

Just has a call from my mate who has a Astra VXR...

He was travelling up the motorway at 70mph and heard a huge bang, turns out the Glass from the mirror just exploded and has taken the whole side of his car off.. He said it has huge deep scratches all the way down the door and quarter panel!

How could this have happened!? He said he didn't hit anything and the mirror casing its self is un-marked just the glass part exploded...

I can't understand it, but he is very upset as he has only had the car a week!

[G-man]

Never heard of that one. I could understand if he'd hit something but it's a mystery to me!

[Gazze-G]

Maybe he got shot at...? Joking.

Never heard of that, possibly a dodgy bounce from a stone off one of the wheels?

[Dab vxr]

Maybe a faulty loom/heating element. Possibly heating the glass to shattering point?

[chrissyb]

O dear freak accident it sounds like!!

A few of my mates rear windows have popped before for no good reason!!

[A6UGH]

Maybe the "heated Door Mirror" over heated causing the glass to shatter, added to the fact he was moving meant that the glass caused such damage! Not sure just an idea

[Lawro]

Maybe a faulty loom/heating element. Possibly heating the glass to shattering point?

Thats what I am thinking mate... He is gutted! Only had the car a week, found out 3 of the 19" wheels are buckled (Although Unmarked), Gearbox is whining and now this. He is not happy and paid top bucks for it too as it was a 1 owner jobbie with very low milage.

[Michaelh]

Thats what I am thinking mate... He is gutted! Only had the car a week, found out 3 of the 19" wheels are buckled (Although Unmarked), Gearbox is whining and now this. He is not happy and paid top bucks for it too as it was a 1 owner jobbie with very low milage.

id be taking it back and asking for my money, id be devestated.

[Gnasher]

Bullsh**

Aimed at anyone in particular - or do you have forum tourettes?

Are the mirrors made of toughened glass. I have known of instances (shower doors, server rack doors, car windows - Mk4 astra estates are common) where toughened glass can simply shatter with no warning.

A mate at work was carrying a door to a server cabinet up the stairs and whilst it didn't do it without being tapped against anything, when he caught it on the railing, the thing just shattered. All he had left was 2 handfulls of smoked glass and a confused look on his face!!

[Lawro]

I am not sure to be honest, I have been searching and found a few threads on different forums/car's where mirrors have exploded due to excessive heat or the heated mirrors malfunctioning and staying on all the time causing them to shatter so it is possible.

He is going to call the garage tomorrow as he is really worried and I am gutted for him. I told him to do the pedel test to see if it brings up any fault codes. Its just strange as the mirror casing is immaculate but the side of his car is as if somebody has got a load of ball bearings and launched them at the side of his car.

[neil h]

Maybe the "heated Door Mirror" over heated causing the glass to shatter, added to the fact he was moving meant that the glass caused such damage! Not sure just an idea

It's entirely possible, the original smart cars were recalled cus they hadn't factored in the expansion of the glass when the rear window heater was on for a while. Consequently if you left the heater on to long the glass would shatter.

[Lawro]

So nobody got any other ideas?

I think he is talking it back to the garage tomorrow to see what they can do. Do you think given all the issues he has had within a week he has grounds to state the car is "Unfit for Purpose?"

[worky]

The other option would be potentially the glass vibrating at frequency that caused it to explode, so unlikely though compared to the other options. i.e. perhaps if the glass wasn't fixed properly to the mirror maybe a broken bracket.

Is he sure that the mirror wasn't broken and cheaply fixed with a mirror film over it?

[Lawro]

The other option would be potentially the glass vibrating at frequency that caused it to explode, so unlikely though compared to the other options. i.e. perhaps if the glass wasn't fixed properly to the mirror maybe a broken bracket.

Is he sure that the mirror wasn't broken and cheaply fixed with a mirror film over it?

He said the mirror was fine beforehand, I have seen the casing and it is unmarked, the Bracket that holds the mirror into the casing is still there along with the clips etc.

Nothing has come up with the pedel test, although I didn't think it would.

I guess it will remain a mystery. He is going to go back to the garage today to see what they can do, I just don't know whether he will have grounds to refuse the car as "Unfit for Purpose"

He has had it a week and found out 3 of the wheels are buckled, the gearbox is whining and now this with the mirror. He is worried if it is a malfunction with the electronics causing the mirror to overheat that it could cause other issues.

[nige87]

Hmm i havnt got a clue but i would be trying to take it back.

As you just said something electrical could be at fault causing more problems perhaps and could be expensive?

Fell gutted for him though