Five problems related to side/rear glass have been reported for the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
I initially noticed a problem closing the rear window and also noticed the hinge connecting the window to the vehicle on the passenger side appeared to be cracked or broken. Even though I rarely use the window, eventually the hinge completely broke and the passenger side of the window pulled completely away from the vehicle. The window is raised up so there is a large space between the window and the vehicle on the passenger side. The glass could easily become fully detached from the vehicle and fall off, possibly while the car is being driven. It seems, based on the number of complaints I have seen, that the hinge is defective but gm will not admit this and, therefore, will not pay for the repair.
Passenger side, glued-on hinge to hatchback glass failed. Hinge separated from glass causing glass to fall toward child, standing near rear of vehicle. Glass is a large, heavy panel and should be secured with more reliable material. Search of internet (to find proper fix to problem) found hundreds of similar incidents and little satisfaction from dealership. My dealership refused to assist with any glass related issues. Cost $900 to repair.
The back liftgate window on my 2003 Chevrolet Suburban unexpectedly exploded while the car was sitting in my driveway. The car had been parked for a couple hours and was sitting in the shade on a nice warm but not hot day. I was about 40 feet away when it happened and hear the loud noise. Nobody was near the car and no known object hit the glass to cause it to break. Glass pieces were thrown ~10 feet from the car and some glass was also inside the car. The frame of the window was still latched but was bent outward. The hydraulic lifts were extended. The car was still under its warranty period but the dealer would not accept it as a warranty claim because he couldn't verify that something didn't hit the window. I suspect there may be a design flaw or installation flaw that placed too much stress on the window. A new window was ordered and installed at the dealer.
While parked in a parking garage with the rear hatch open (retrieving items from the back) the rear window exploded without any sort of contact or apparent cause. Owner was injured by exploding glass.
Rear window blew out unexpectedly while consumer went to lock the vehicle. Consumer contacted manufacturer since the window could have injured the back passengers.