Quarter Glass

A guide to quarter glass

This glass is easily forgotten, but is used almost as much as the retractable side windows. Used to help see the surrounding area, quarter glass is made with the same tempered or laminated glass as the side windows and rear windshield, designed to shatter into tiny glass balls to prevent harm. Just like any pane of auto glass, it is important to recognize when you need to repair or replace your quarter glass.

What is quarter glass?

This side window, also known as a valence window, is the last window on the side of a vehicle. It is behind the doors and above the rear wheel. A quarter glass is never in the rear door. Quarter glass windows are either stationary or retractable, depending on the window next to which they are mounted.

Does my vehicle have quarter glass?

Most vehicles with windows in the doors have a quarter glass pane. On minivans, which have an extra roof pillar, venting quarter glass is fairly popular, to allow more ventilation in the additional row of seats. Older minivans are fitted with manual tilt mechanisms, where the passenger had to unfasten the latches to tilt out the window. However, modern minivans have added power controls to operate the tilting mechanism electronically, for convenience. Quarter glass should not be mistaken for opera glass, which could be found in the rear pillar of older cars.