The exploding sunroof epidemic

[kevman]

So... who's had a sunroof explode? How did it happen? How was it dealt with? Were you out of pocket or did the manufacture help you out?

We just had the sunroof on our 2014 Subaru Crosstrek explode yesterday. The kicker? It was just replaced 4 months ago after it exploded in December. At this pace we're replacing sunroofs more often than getting the oil changed. Subaru's answer? "You're on your own." At $1,200/sunroof I've never had a more expensive vehicle to operate.

[CaptainCrunch]

Clearly your sun roof is a re-incarnated drummer from spinal tap

[Dion]

Consumer Reports Investigates why Sunroofs are Exploding

Glass in cars must meet minimum standards drawn up by the American National Standards Institute and SAE International, the society of automotive engineers. But those provisions haven’t been revised since 1996—long before supersized sunroofs became mainstream.

Tempered glass is nearly always used in sunroofs because it meets the existing standard. It’s the same kind of glass used in side and rear windows and is generally strong. Tempered glass, experts say, is sufficient when sunroofs are small and flat but not for those that are large and curved.

One problem is that modern designs are more three-dimensional and often involve bending glass to the curvature of the roof, notes Rob Vandal, senior director of research and development with Guardian Glass, a major American automotive glass supplier. That makes them more susceptible to impacts, even from very small objects, Vandal says, because they present a more vertical surface for an offending object to strike.

Russ Corsi, who worked nearly 32 years for Pittsburgh-based PPG, a global supplier of auto glass, says larger sunroofs are also more prone to weakening over time as the pane absorbs impacts from bumps in the road, twists and turns of the car’s frame, and “thermal shock”—the expanding and contracting from sudden temperature changes.

If sunroofs are “just breaking [on their own],” Corsi says, “it’s likely to be a manufacturing flaw,” noting “the larger the piece of glass, the smaller the margin of error.”

For example, Corsi says one quality-control issue involves the beveled edge that surrounds the perimeter of roof glass. A chip at that edge can make the glass vulnerable to failure, which, with tempered glass, means an explosion.

Corsi says one way to prevent exploding sunroofs might be to use a hybrid glass that has characteristics of both tempered and laminated glass.

Further complicating the safety equation are the pressures every automaker feels to reduce costs and to keep vehicles lighter for better gas mileage. Automakers generally use the thinnest glass they can—about half a centimeter thick.

Instead of calling for a specific type of glass, regulators could add performance requirements that windshields already must withstand.

https://www.consumerreports.org/car-...nger-overhead/

[Northendzone]

thanks for posting that information dion.

i have not had this happen - i have an explorer with a typical sun/moonroof and my wife has an edge with a glass top on it.

i have to admit, i had heard of this happeneing, but really did not thin about it. it remains a feature i would want in every vehicle i own as i love having it.

[bc-chris]

double post

[bc-chris]

from Dion's post...

Russ Corsi, who worked nearly 32 years for Pittsburgh-based PPG, a global supplier of auto glass, says larger sunroofs are also more prone to weakening over time as the pane absorbs impacts from bumps in the road, twists and turns of the car’s frame, and “thermal shock”—the expanding and contracting from sudden temperature changes.

If sunroofs are “just breaking [on their own],” Corsi says, “it’s likely to be a manufacturing flaw,” noting “the larger the piece of glass, the smaller the margin of error.”

For example, Corsi says one quality-control issue involves the beveled edge that surrounds the perimeter of roof glass. A chip at that edge can make the glass vulnerable to failure, which, with tempered glass, means an explosion.

Corsi says one way to prevent exploding sunroofs might be to use a hybrid glass that has characteristics of both tempered and laminated glass.

Further complicating the safety equation are the pressures every automaker feels to reduce costs and to keep vehicles lighter for better gas mileage. Automakers generally use the thinnest glass they can—about half a centimeter thick.

Instead of calling for a specific type of glass, regulators could add performance requirements that windshields already must withstand.

i wonder if this Corsi guy has some stats to back up what he is saying??? and they don't even have to be advanced stats?



sorry to hear about your sun roofs kevman - that would suck

[Burninator]

Gf's parents Nissan Muranos sunroof broke when they were driving down a highway. Scared the hell out of them. Nissan replaced it for them (the vehicle was still under warranty).

[Lubicon]

Friends had theirs shatter on their Chev Tahoe about 8 years ago. Dealership wasn't going to do anything (still under warranty) so they escalated to GMC and after some arguing the issue was resolved.

[Locke]

This is a real thing?

My sunroof just opens when I press the button, but its just a Jeep...

[REDVAN]

What's a sunroof?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

What's a sunroof?

They dont put them in Vans.

Vans are supposed to be as windowless as possible. For.....reasons.....presumably.

[Canehdianman]

a buddy had his sunroof in an F150 shatter.

I never get a sunroof anymore. Seems more hassle that it's worth.

[cKy]

When my wife was doing auto insurance and we were looking at new cars, she absolutely put her foot down on those moon roofs and big sunroofs. She dealt with enough of them breaking (and having 2 small children in the car with us) to convince me it is a bad idea.

I'd speak to your insurance company, some have a window replacement clause..

[pylon]

If you put clear tinting film on the inside, at least when it shatters, it will stay in one giant spider webbed piece. Only caveat on that, you’ve eliminated a potential escape portal in a roll over. Double caveat, if the car didn’t have a sunroof, you wouldn’t have the escape portal in the first place.

The roof will still need to be replaced if it shatters with the film on the inside, however you won’t have a lap full of glass. I’ve seen some customers who’ve experienced shattered roofs so this.

[burn_this_city]

Isn't small glass fragments better than a weighty slab of glass fragments falling on you?

[puckedoff]

How common is this? I've never heard of it. I've had and still have sunroofs and think they are great. Am I wrong? Should I be living in fear instead?

[afc wimbledon]

They used to leak like sieves, now they explode, progress.

[iggy_oi]

I had this happen to me about 2 years ago while driving. Luckily the cover was closed so no glass came crashing down on me. I had never heard of this before and had no idea what had happened, it just sounded like a bunch of rocks had been dropped on the roof of my car.

The guy at the glass shop said the most important thing to do when this happens is to make sure you don’t try to operate the sunroof at all with the glass shattered. He said people usually try to slide it back so glass doesn’t go flying everywhere but all they end up doing is getting glass caught in the gears and adding a few thousand dollars to the repair.

[kevman]

Originally Posted by puckedoff

How common is this? I've never heard of it. I've had and still have sunroofs and think they are great. Am I wrong? Should I be living in fear instead?

I didn't think it was that common. Until it happened to us. Twice.



Subaru blames the ski box. Way to market a sporty vehicle to outdoor enthusiasts but then say you can't use a ski box.

[speede5]

When does it shatter? Just randomly while driving?

I shattered the rear window on my minivan once while closing it. Someone at a glass shop told me it happens occasionally because of the volume of air being comprssed into the interior of the vehicle when you close the bigger hatch. Maybe that same effect is happening and weakening the sunroofs. Cars are sealed so tight these days.