Recent reports indicate that the rear windows of Tesla’s mid-sized SUV, the “Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD),” are shattering. It is presumed that extreme cold weather, with perceived temperatures reaching as low as -26 degrees Celsius, is influencing this phenomenon.
On Dec. 20, multiple community platforms, including the “Tesla Official Club” on Naver Cafe, shared that owners of the Tesla Model Y RWD are experiencing sudden shattering of the car’s rear window during a cold wave, with pictures circulating as evidence.
The images show the corners of the vehicle’s rear window shattered as if struck by a strong impact. Similarly, in another owner’s photo, the starting point of the shattering can also be seen at the corner.
However, the owners unanimously state that the glass shattered spontaneously without any accidents or external impacts. They believe it is due to a self-shattering phenomenon of the tempered glass. Furthermore, these owners claim that the vehicles experiencing this phenomenon all have Chinese-made glass. The self-shattering phenomenon refers to the breaking of tempered glass without any external impact due to high temperatures or extreme cold.
The Model Y RWD, released in Korea last July, equipped with Chinese-made lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries and produced at the Shanghai factory in China, has gained attention as a cost-effective Chinese Tesla model.
Tesla introduced the China-produced Model Y RWD in Korea last July. By using Chinese LFP batteries, it managed to lower the price by more than 10 million won compared to the American-made Model Y, meeting the requirements for full subsidy support and gaining popularity. In fact, the Model Y achieved the highest single model sales among imported cars in September (4,206 units), followed by sales of 2,814 units in October and 3,542 units in November.