The structural roof support located behind the rear doors or rear passenger compartment. On a standard sedan or coupe, it connects the roof to the rear quarter panel and frames the rear window. It provides rollover protection and structural rigidity to the back half of the vehicle's cabin.
We need to pull the headliner down slightly to access the curtain airbag module near the C-pillar.
A thick C-pillar design often creates a significant blind spot for the driver, requiring careful mirror placement or blind-spot monitoring systems.
Do not mix it up with
- D-pillar: The C-pillar is the rear-most pillar on a sedan, while the D-pillar is the rear-most on a station wagon or SUV.
Related terms
B-pillar
The vertical structural roof support located behind a vehicle's front doors.
D-pillar
This structural roof support is the rearmost vertical post on station wagons, SUVs, and vans.
Unibody
A unibody is a vehicle construction method where the floor pan and body shell are welded into a single load-bearing structure.
Quarter glass
A small side window found on vehicles between the main door glass and the front or rear pillars.