When you call about broken glass, the first question is always which window. That sounds simple until it is the small pane behind the back door, or the glass beside the third row, or the little triangle by the mirror. Glass makers have a name for every one, and the name decides which part is ordered. Here is the plain version, front to back.
The windshield
The front glass. It is laminated, two sheets of glass with a clear plastic layer between them, which is why a stone leaves a chip or a crack instead of shattering it. On newer vehicles the windshield often carries a camera bracket behind the mirror, a rain sensor, an acoustic layer or a heated area where the wipers rest, so two windshields for the same model can be different parts.
Door glass
The main window in each door, the one that rolls up and down. The glass trade says front door glass and rear door glass, and left and right are named from the driver’s seat: in the US the driver’s side is the left. On most vehicles door glass is tempered and breaks into small pieces, but some newer vehicles use laminated glass in the front doors. Frameless doors on coupes and some sedans have no metal frame around the top of the glass. See door glass replacement in Raleigh for what that job involves.
Vent glass
A small fixed pane in a door, next to the main door glass. On some vehicles it is a triangle at the front of the front door, near the mirror; on many others it is a narrow pane at the back of the rear door, which lets the main glass roll all the way down past the wheel arch. Vent glass does not move on most modern vehicles, although older cars had vent windows that swung open.
Quarter glass
A small fixed window in the body, behind the rear door, or behind the front door on a two-door car. It does not roll down. On a sedan it is often a small triangle; on a hatchback or SUV it can be a larger pane that wraps toward the back. Quarter glass can be held in by trim, set in a molded frame, or bonded to the body with adhesive, and the same model can use more than one version. The page on quarter glass replacement in Raleigh explains how it is ordered and fitted.
Body side glass
The long panes beside the cargo area or third row on SUVs, wagons and vans, sometimes also called cargo glass. On some minivans they pop out a little at the back for air. They are often darker than the front doors from the factory, and North Carolina’s tint law, G.S. 20-127, lists multipurpose vehicles such as minivans and pickups among its exceptions behind the driver.
Know which window? Get it quoted
Three short steps: the glass, your vehicle and how to reach you. If you are not sure of the name, describe where it is and add a photo.
Back glass, or the back windshield
The rear window. The trade usually says back glass; most drivers say back windshield or rear windshield. On a sedan it sits under the trunk line, on an SUV or hatchback it is in the lift gate, on a pickup it is the back of the cab, fixed or with a sliding center panel, and on many vans there is one in each rear door. Most back glass is tempered and carries the defroster grid, and some carries antenna lines. The page on back windshield replacement in Raleigh covers that job.
What to tell the person quoting
| Tell them | Why |
|---|---|
| Year, make and model | The starting point for every part |
| The VIN | Identifies the exact build, so the right version of the glass is ordered |
| Which window, using the names above, and which side | Front or rear, driver’s or passenger’s |
| Tint, heating or antenna lines you can see | Some versions differ only in these |
| A photo | Settles any doubt about which pane it is |
The VIN is on the dash at the base of the windshield, readable from outside, and on the driver’s door frame. Impex Auto Glass uses VIN-based verification to order glass, which is how the technician arrives with the part your vehicle was built with. If you run several work vehicles, the fleet auto glass in Raleigh page explains how a list of VINs speeds things up.
Whatever the window is called, call Impex Auto Glass and describe it. We will take it from there.
Questions drivers ask
What is the small window behind the back door called?
Usually the quarter glass, if it is in the body. If it is part of the rear door itself, beside the main glass, it is usually called vent glass.
Is the back glass the same as the back windshield?
Yes. Back glass, rear glass, back windshield and rear windshield all mean the rear window.
Which side is the left side of a car?
The glass trade names sides from the driver’s seat. In the US the left side is the driver’s side.
Get a quote
Send the quote form or call, and Impex Auto Glass will set a time for your glass.