I have accidentally frozen both 2-litre soda jugs dead full of water and 1-litre Nalgene polycarb bottles dead full of water. (Whoops.) Neither of them burst, though I suspect it shortened their service life.

In my vehicles, 2-litre soda bottles 80+% full have withstood years of freeze/thaw cycles. Not a single leak. I set them on their sides so there is some room for expansion as the ice forms on top of the liquid.