Rear window cracking sound at cold temperatures

Hi there. New to the forum as I picked up my 2010 GTL last fall and am looking forward to some potential upgrades and fixes after driving it for a few months now.

 

One such issue I noticed is when the temperature is below -10 degrees Celsius (~14 Deg F), and if on a bumpy road, there is a "cracking" sound from the rear that sounds like the rear window is shifting or something. It really shocked me at first since I've never experienced that before in other vehicles. I assume it could be to do with the window gasket or some other installation defect, and that it only occurs when the metal/glass shrinks a bit due to cold temperatures.

 

Has any one else experienced this before, or am I just lucky that way...

 

Thanks for any help!

Maybe it’s this TSB:

 

https://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4674096&postcount=11

 

https://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4456705&postcount=18

 

This post has a link to the document:

https://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5651435&postcount=37

Edited June 12, 2019 by NVAKeith

The 5th gen facebook group lights up every November December timeframe with the post about the rear window cracking noise. I have found it really comes into play in parking lots when the frame comes under torque due to uneven surfaces.

 

Those technical service bulletins NVAKeith listed have blamed the sheet metal that makes up the "luggage tray" for the noise when force is applied to the edges. Think like a dog training clicker.

 

A lot of people have experienced it. It's very annoying. Either there is no fix for it or no one has been arsed to actually rip apart their car and figure out how to do it.

What A_A_Ron said, no ones looked into fixing it, and since its not really a problem and no ones had a broken rear windshield, its been ignored. By the time it gets warm enough for someone to want to investigate it, we forget and move on.

I get it when it's really cold out (10F or below) and the car sits outside overnight, but nothing has broken yet. I think I remember seeing where someone had the rear windshield reinstalled (fresh/more urethane), and that cured it for them, but I wouldn't go as far as saying that's a universal cure-all.

My 2013 2.5i has done this every winter I have driven the car. After four years I am confident in saying there is no real issue - an annoyance only.

 

Even if we knew for certain a new rear window would fix the noise, I do not think it is worth the price of rear window installation and tint if applicable.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

From what I remember, the rear windshield didn't have to be replaced, just removed and reinstalled. That said, I don't know that it bothers me enough to spend money on it either way.

Thanks for all the replies. Unfortunate to know that there isn't a definitive fix, but glad to hear that I'm not alone, and that the issue shouldn't get any worse. If I end up trying any repairs, I'll share my findings.

If i recall right, it's actually not the rear window itself cracking, but rather ice shifting/cracking that has form in the small channel just above the trunk opening and just below the rear window. Try opening the trunk and checking there before setting off one day, and see if clearing any of it out remedies or reduces the crack noise.

and also remove the ice from the front window as well...