Rear windshield shattered

[spancha]

My '96 Camry was parked outside my home - I went out this afternoon at about 3.30 and found the rear windshield completely shattered - the glass is broken along bothe the edges on the sides - some glass is outside but most of it has fallen inside. There is no other sign of damage - except for the two big holes along the sides. The rest of it is brittle - a slight touch brings more pieces down. Could this happen due to heat? It has been somewhat warm - probably about 80 degrees in the middle of the day - but the car is usually parked in the same spot, and we have had hotter days than this!

[alphalanos]

wait i just reread it. you said there are two holes near the edges? thats odd. maybe defroster malfunction?

[spancha]

Originally Posted by alphalanos

wait i just reread it. you said there are two holes near the edges? thats odd. maybe defroster malfunction?

I haven't used the defroster at all for quite a while - maybe even a couple of months. How do I check for that kind of thing?

[Brian R.]

What makes you think it wasn't vandalized?

[spancha]

Originally Posted by Brian R.

What makes you think it wasn't vandalized?

That was my first thought - but -
1. The way it was broken - two breaks along the two sides - why would somebody choose to break it along both the edges?
2. The way the glass lay about - many small pieces on the ground on both sides, almost as if it had exploded out, and the bigger chunks had fallen in
3. The fact that this is a very safe neighborhood - the parking spot is just outside my home - we have never heard of things like this happening around here

[alphalanos]

yeah i first thought vandalism but the way its described i dont think so. could you take a pic?

[Neinta]

Temperature shouldn't be an issue. My 96 is parked outside all the time in temperatures between 90 and 100+. When I forget to roll down my windows it gets really hot but I've never heard of it exploding a window out. Cars aren't air tight so the pressure should be able to equilize.

[spancha]

Originally Posted by Neinta

Temperature shouldn't be an issue. My 96 is parked outside all the time in temperatures between 90 and 100+. When I forget to roll down my windows it gets really hot but I've never heard of it exploding a window out. Cars aren't air tight so the pressure should be able to equilize.

Here's a picture - what could have caused this?
[img] http://files.automotiveforums.com/ga.../350907car.jpg [/img]

[Brian R.]

Two hits with a baseball bat?

[Mike Gerber]

Or 2 firecrackers taped to the window. It was over the 4th of July weekend.

Mike