WHILE DRIVING WITH MY WIFE AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH AFTER MAKING A RIGHT TURN IN THE LANE CLOSET TO THE CURB AT NIGHT WE HEARD A VERY LOUD BANG THAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT. I PULLED OVER ABOUT TWO BLOCKS AWAY AND NOTICED MY PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR WAS DESTROYED AND THE COVER WAS MISSING AS WELL AS THE MIRROR. THE MIRROR WAS ROTATED INWARDS TOWARD THE PASSENGER WINDOW. WE CALLED THE HIGHWAY PATROL AND RETURNED TO WHERE WE HEARD THE EXPLOSION. ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATE THE SHERIFFS ARRIVED. WE FOUND THE MIRROR AND THE MISSING COVER ON THE SIDEWALK. GLASS FROM THE MIRROR WAS EMBEDDED IN THE PASSENGER WINDOW AND THE MIRROR HAD ROTATED INWARDS. WE WALKED THE STREET AND COULD NOT FIND ANY ROCKS OR ITEMS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN THROWN UP BY THE CAR. THE OUTSIDE OF THE MIRROR CASE HAS LITTLE OR NO DAMAGE, EXCEPT HITTING THE SIDEWALK. IT APPEARED THAT THE MIRROR HAD EXPLODED. I GOOGLED "EXPLODED PASSENGER MIRRORS" ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THIS IS A MORE COMMON PROBLEM THAN EXPECTED MAINLY ON HEATED MIRRORS. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE SITE AS WELL AS THE MIRROR DAMAGE. SINCE I WAS IN THE LAND CLOSEST TO THE CURB IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE THAT ANOTHER CARE SIDESWIPED THE MIRROR. ALSO THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS TO THE MIRROR AND WHERE ITHE COVER HIT THE CAR.
NHTSA ODI 11209002