While driving on the Interstate yesterday my wife and I heard what sounded like something hitting the car. It was really loud, like the sound when a windshield breaks after being hit by a large rock (been there and done that 4 times). I even thought it could be a bullet. We did not see anything coming toward the car, nor was there anything on the road. However, could not find any damage to the oustide of the car. There were no cars or trucks in the immediate area, nor was there any ice on or under the car. Car was driving normally before and after the incident. This has got me really puzzled. Hope someone can give me an idea what it could be?

 

Could it have come ffrom the underbody? I have had things bounce underneath the car that were pretty loud, so maybe that is what happened to you?

 

Happened to me one time in a previous car - a real loud CRAAACK that scared the living whee out of me. Stopped but couldn't find anything, so kept going. Eventually found a nice golf-ball sized dimple on the rear part of the roof - and yes, we had been passing a golf course at the time...

 

There's a possibility something came off the botton of the car, but not quite sure what to look for. One of my neighbors suggested it could have been a piece of tire, but that would been more of a "wap" then a "crack".

 

Did someone yell, "Fore!"?

 

could have been something (rock, etc) hitting any other window as well.

 

Odd you mention that. Just a day or so before we were to turn the RL over to the Lexus dealer, my wife and I were driving alng, just like you, on a clear bright day with nothing (visible) in the road and no one close by. Suddenly there was a *whap* on the right side of the car and we both jumped.

I thought I had a blowout, so I switched to the TPMS display to check, but all tires showed good pressure. The car drove fine, so we kept going to our destination. When we stopped and I looked, I found a 2" long slice in the paint on the lower sill below the passenger-side door. The paint was just peeled back along the cut, and sticking up like someone had used a potato peeler on it. There was a depression below the cut, but I think that part is plastic (?), so I didn't bother with it.

Anyway, it's now the Lexus dealer's "problem".

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Same thing happened to me once and I couldn't find it.

Sure enough a couple days later I saw the tell tale marks of what looked like a rock hitting the windshield low, near the hood.

It almost looked like dust around a mark on the glass. Once you wiped it, there was nothing visible.

My guess it was just a rock hitting the glass.

 

Funny this came up. Had a similar experience on Saturday in my TSX. In my case it was definitely under the car and it bounced around a bit. It had a softer sound to it than what you're describing. I was thinking a piece of wood. It's been unseasonably warm here (Pittsburgh, PA) so I was able to get under the care and poke around later. I couldn't find any indication of damage whatsoever. I'm crossing my fingers that everything is fine.

I had been on a fairly open stretch of highway and did not see anything on the road preceding the incident.

 

can we all say "road debris"?

 

Sometimes if the stereo is cranked way up while listening to XM, a glitch in the signal or possibly the electronics will cause a similar sound. The noise will be a popping across the front of the car at windshield level and sound like a large object hitting the windshield. It scares the devil out of me everytime it happens, and always, my first thought is that I've broken another windshield.

Bluemule
'05RL with somewhere over 105,000 miles. Delivery June or July , 05 (geez, I forget!)