Melting / warped rear windows!

D King

Had the top down in my 2022 OBX, with the windows laid in the trunk. Sunny day, 82 degrees. Went into the store for about an hour, and the plastic windows were hot when I returned. I covered them afterwards.

On installing them later, the rear window is now rippled and distorted! Can’t see clearly through it.

Did I break some cardinal rule about soft tops? Should a plastic window warp like this in direct sunlight?

Can you please post some pictures. Curious to see

TK1215

Can you please post some pictures. Curious to see

Added to the original post, thanks.

D King

Had the top down in my 2022 OBX, with the windows laid in the trunk. Sunny day, 82 degrees. Went into the store for about an hour, and the plastic windows were hot when I returned. I covered them afterwards.

On installing them later, the rear window is now rippled and distorted! Can’t see clearly through it.

Did I break some cardinal rule about soft tops? Should a plastic window warp like this in direct sunlight?

Crazy. Now did you have them stacked on top of each other? It is hard to clearly see because of the angle the photos were shot from. It almost looks like a magnifying glass was used on them. I wonder if laying them flat made a difference. I know that they have waves in them but the ripples and cloudiness should not be happening.

TK1215

Crazy. Now did you have them stacked on top of each other? It is hard to clearly see because of the angle the photos were shot from. It almost looks like a magnifying glass was used on them. I wonder if laying them flat made a difference. I know that they have waves in them but the ripples and cloudiness should not be happening.

They were stacked on top of each other in the trunk.

Bronco customers should not be the first ones testing these rigs in hot or cold environments, but it seems to be the case.

When you say trunk, do you mean the rear cargo area of the bronco, or inside the trunk of another vehicle?

I think I would take that in and try to get the dealership to warranty it

ried

Bronco customers should not be the first ones testing these rigs in hot or cold environments, but it seems to be the case.

Not true. They were tested in extreme environmental chambers. Hot and cold.

Those photos look like a heat gun was taken to them. If direct sunlight were the cause, everyone’s windows would be doing this since most vehicles are outside and many in hotter areas. If they were in the trunk of another vehicle, remember, vehicle interiors in direct sunlight can get pretty hot (between 130-150 degrees Fahrenheit on a hot day) and the surface areas of parts of the interior get even hotter. This to me still looks like a direct heat source melted it, such as a heat gun. Not trying to doubt the OP, but feel like some info may be missing from the original post since this would be much more widespread if they were just sitting in the open rear cargo area on an 80 degree day

thgdfathr

When you say trunk, do you mean the rear cargo area of the bronco, or inside the trunk of another vehicle?

They were laid flat in the rear cargo area of the Bronco.

thgdfathr

Those photos look like a heat gun was taken to them. If direct sunlight were the cause, everyone’s windows would be doing this since most vehicles are outside and many in hotter areas. If they were in the trunk of another vehicle, remember, vehicle interiors in direct sunlight can get pretty hot (between 130-150 degrees Fahrenheit on a hot day) and the surface areas of parts of the interior get even hotter. This to me still looks like a direct heat source melted it, such as a heat gun. Not trying to doubt the OP, but feel like some info may be missing from the original post since this would be much more widespread if they were just sitting in the open rear cargo area on an 80 degree day

Yeah, you caught me. I waited 11 months for a new build, spent $60K, and decided to take a heat gun to my rear windows. Posted here for all the delicious karma points.

D King

Yeah, you caught me. I waited 11 months for a new build, spent $60K, and decided to take a heat gun to my rear windows. Posted here for all the delicious karma points.

Relax dude, wasn’t a personal attack. People on this forum have literally suggested taking a heat gun to the windows to solve the bacon wave issue. Forgive me if I assumed someone would be dumb enough to try it. Still not sure how windows just sitting in sunlight would bubble like that, so for now I’m still skeptical on this being the case. Have a great day anyways tho and hope it gets fixed for you.

As Bronco owners, we have the option of having our soft tops ripple and pucker like washboards or having our hard tops honeycomb and delaminate before our eyes. I think we deserve a third option. :P

is it possible that when you had them stacked, sunlight hit the top one which may have been curved just enough to act like a magnifying glass to cause the one below it to get too hot causing it to deform. May need to ensure a towel is used overtop so others don't experience this issue. Either way I would just take it to the dealer and get it covered under warranty, it was not due to negligence on your part and you don't owe any explanation for how it deformed.

H47Av8r

is it possible that when you had them stacked, sunlight hit the top one which may have been curved just enough to act like a magnifying glass to cause the one below it to get too hot causing it to deform. May need to ensure a towel is used overtop so others don't experience this issue. Either way I would just take it to the dealer and get it covered under warranty, it was not due to negligence on your part and you don't owe any explanation for how it deformed.

That’s what I was thinking.

This is really strange, but a good outcome after all. Parked at the beach with the windows up, in the 90-degree heat for six hours. I came back and my windows look fine now! I can’t explain it: you could feel the physical ripples before, and it was like privacy glass looking through the back. It just returned to shape (see the pics).

I do think that stacking them in the cargo area contributed to it. The top one (rear window) was really hot when I picked it up. Will definitely be covering them in the future, and I recommend the same to all.

This lesson in thermodynamics is brought to you by the Ford Motor Company and the Summer climate of Coastal Virginia!

H47Av8r

is it possible that when you had them stacked, sunlight hit the top one which may have been curved just enough to act like a magnifying glass to cause the one below it to get too hot causing it to deform. May need to ensure a towel is used overtop so others don't experience this issue. Either way I would just take it to the dealer and get it covered under warranty, it was not due to negligence on your part and you don't owe any explanation for how it deformed.

absolutely possible and makes perfect sense.

Just a note of experience for whomever is interested.
Don’t stack your windows “side curtains “ directly on each other without “Microfiber” towels laid between them. Most auto parts stores have them.