Heads up: Hundreds of sunroofs spontaneously exploding

“It’s not clear whether NHTSA is doing something right or doing something wrong. We’re just not sure what they’re doing,” – Jason Levine, Executive Director, The Center for Auto Safety

“It’s happening enough that you could point to this as a manufacturer and say, you know we’ve got an issue here, it seems to be happening occasionally, let’s make this consumer whole. Let’s pay for the replacement here,” – Jason Levine, Executive Director, The Center for Auto Safety

Feb 18,2020
by Greg Fox
ORLANDO, Fla. —
A Central Florida man says he nearly crashed when the sunroof above his head violently shattered while he was on the road.
“We heard a loud bang, and it sounded like a gunshot that went off,” said Justin Rinson, whose sunroof exploded.
Rinson said he was driving on the Florida Turnpike when the sunroof exploded.
Rinson is far from alone. Drivers across the country have their own frightening stories of sunroofs mysteriously exploding.
“This sort of incident is inherently dangerous and deserves to be investigated,” said Consumer Reports reporter Jeff Plungis.
Plungis pored through years of government complaints and found that between 1995 and 2017, 859 complaints of exploding sunroofs were made with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The reports cover 35 auto brands and at least 208 models. Seventy-one percent of those incidents have happened since 2011, with the growing popularity of larger panoramic sunroofs.
he NHTSA has been investigating the claims since 2013 and could force manufacturers to follow standards in how they make and install glass roofs.
“NHTSA’s investigation into exploding sunroofs is still open. NHTSA encourages the public to report any safety concerns to the agency,” NHTSA spokesman Derrell Lyles said in a statement.
Click here to read the full story on NBC WESH 2