Debug modes generally are "safe modes" where logs are created during the process to figure possible stuff out.
Regardless I doubt it's an "nVidia only thing" and more likely that the GPU simply wasn't tested for OpenGL applications or it was and somehow was damaged afterwards.
But... you're getting an Advanced RMA so I call that a win/win ... do make pictures of the card and box (pref a movie) for your own security though for the shipping stuff.
I've had a mobo company (MSI) claim that I sent them back a physically damaged board and they claiming the box was perfectly intact and wanted to charge me € 130,- for replacing the mobo .. if I didn't have close-up pics AND a movie where I packed that stuff in an intact state (they showed me a picture of a broken off sound connectors as well as 3 snapped off VRMs along with the heatsink) I would've had to pay that since I sent back everything I got with it originally, box and all.
Turned out it was a "mistaken identity" case according to them as I discovered from the pictures they sent me that the serial numbers didn't match from my pics, video and RMA form...
Now such occurrences are of course rare but I'd rather cover my ass and not use it than needing it and not having it.
Now let us know when you receive the new card and if it screws up again or actually works.