ON 11-05-2020 I WAS DRIVING MY NEW LEXUS (3200 MILES ON IT) ABOUT 55 MPH ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY IN LIGHT TRAFFIC. IT WAS A SUNNY AFTERNOON AND 84 DEGREES. ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS A VERY LOUD EXPLOSION SOUND FROM ABOVE OUR HEADS AND THEN THE SOUND OF GLASS FLYING OFF FROM THE VEHICLE ONTO THE ROADWAY BEHIND US. THERE WAS NO ROAD DEBRIS, FLYING ROCKS OR CEMENT TRUCKS NEARBY THAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED A ROCK TO FLY UP AND BREAK THE GLASS ON THE SUNROOF. I THOUGHT WE HAD BEEN SHOT AT. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER OFF THE HIGHWAY AND GOT OUT TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE. THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED THE SUN ROOF HAD EXPLODED. IT EXPLODED UPWARD AS THE SHARDS OF GLASS INDICATED. THE INTERIOR SUN VISOR PORTION HAD BEEN CLOSED WHEN THIS EXPLOSION TOOK PLACE OTHERWISE MY SELF AND MY PASSENGER WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY CUT BY FLYING SHARDS OF GLASS. IT WAS AT THIS POINT I TOOK THE PICTURES THAT I AM ATTACHING TO THIS REPORT. WE IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE LEXUS DEALER AND BROUGHT THE CAR TO THEM ON THE NEXT DAY. AFTER 1 WEEK THEY SAID THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY FLYING DEBRIS BUT DID NOT EXPLAIN HOW THEY CAME TO THIS CONCLUSION. THEY ALSO SAID THIS WASN'T UNDER WARRANTY AND WE HAVE TO PAY $1700 TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. TO DATE, 11/24/2020 WE STILL DO NOT HAVE OUR VEHICLE BACK FROM THE LEXUS DEALER. WE HAVE FILED A CLAIM WITH OUR INSURANCE COMPANY, STATE FARM. I DISAGREE WITH THIS EXPLANATION AND HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF DOCUMENTED CASES SUCH AS MINE THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO NHTSA WHERE THE SUN ROOF EXPLODES OUTWARD FOR NO REASON. I HOPE THE NHTSA WILL INVESTIGATE THESE ACCIDENTS AND REQUIRE MANUFACTURERS TO USE BETTER, SAFER GLASS IN THE SUNROOFS. THESE SUNROOFS ARE BECOMING VERY COMMON. WITHOUT OVERSIGHT AND SAFER MATERIALS THERE WILL BE MANY MORE ACCIDENTS AND PEOPLE WILL BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR WORSE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THESE SUNROOF ACCIDENTS AND HELP MAKE VEHICLES SAFER.
NHTSA ODI 11376160