It isn't any different than another car. Today, the radiator tanks are made of plastic. As a result, they crack. As far as a cause for the problem, my guess is that there was a coolant leak causing the level to get low resulting in it overheating. Also, that radiator cap is pressurized. It is designed to release pressure at a certain point. If it doesn't, it could allow too much pressure to build up in the system. That could have caused the radiator to crack too.
Regardless, this is a common type on all cars today. When you get it back, make sure the engine temp stays in the safe range. If it starts heating up, you may have a stuck thermostat. Just shut it down before it gets too hot.
Let me know if you have other questions, and thanks for using 2carpros. Com.
Joe
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Thursday, February 11th, 2010 AT 10:46 PM