Honda Sunroof Class Action Lawsuit Overview:
- Who: Honda is facing a class action lawsuit over an alleged manufacturing defect in its vehicles’ sunroofs.
- What: Vehicle owners allege the sunroofs spontaneously explode, showering drivers and passengers in glass and posing a major danger on the roads.
- Where: U.S.
Honda knowingly sells vehicles with sunroofs and moonroofs that randomly and suddenly explode, showering drivers and passengers with broken glass, a new class action lawsuit alleges.
Mary Tappana, Darryl Roberts, and Dustin Fulcomer filed the lawsuit against the automaker, alleging violations of state consumer protection laws, breach of warranty, unjust enrichment and fraudulent concealment, arguing the company has long known about the manufacturing defect that affects 2015- 2020 Honda and Acura vehicles, but has refused to do anything about it.
All three bought Honda vehicles with sunroofs, and all three had those sunroofs “suddenly, and without warning” explode.
“The explosion caused Ms. Tappana to become distracted and put her and others on the road at risk of a collision. She was unable to immediately pull over, as she was driving on a busy highway. She drove two miles to the nearest exit before she was able to stop and assess the damage,” the claims reads, stating the experience was similar for Roberts and Fulcomer.
“The sunroof defect creates serious danger for vehicle occupants and others on the road,” the lawsuit states.
“Drivers of class vehicles have reported sunroof explosions causing shards of glass to fly through their vehicles, sometimes while driving at high speeds. The loud explosion and flying glass distract drivers and create a hazard to the people in the Class Vehicles and those around them.”
Honda refused to fix the defect or reimburse any of the drivers for the shattered sunroofs, despite knowing about the defect since 1995, and all three had to pay out of pocket to replace their sunroofs, the drivers say.
According to the claim, Honda’s representatives have often suggested to consumers that their sunroofs were damaged by a flying object such as a rock or gravel. “In fact, the sunroof defect manifests even when the glass is not exposed to an airborne object. The sunroofs explode as a result of the defect present in the Honda and Acura vehicles at the point of sale,” the claim reads.
The group wants to represent anyone in the U.S. who has purchased or leased one of the vehicles, and also Missouri, Washington, and Florida subclasses. They seek certification of the Class, damages, interest, injunctive relief, legal fees and costs, and a jury trial.
Honda isn’t the only automaker facing legal action over exploding sunroofs; in Canada, Hyundai is facing a class action lawsuit that accuses it of failing to warn drivers about a defect that causes sunroofs in some of its vehicles to spontaneously shatter.
Do you own a vehicle with a sunroof? Let us know if you’ve ever had any issues with it in the comments section!
The drivers are represented by Adam Polk, Jordan Elias, and Simon S. Grille of Girard Sharp LLP; Matthew Schelkopf and Joseph B. Kenney of Sauder Schelkopf LLC; Benjamin F. Johns of Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP; and Steven G. Calamusa of Gordon & Partners, PA.
The Honda Sunroof Class Action Lawsuit is Tappana, et al., v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Case No. 2:21-cv-09046 in the U.S. District Court Central District of California.
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September 23, 2025 | Legal News
152 thoughts onHonda Knowingly Sells Vehicles With Sunroofs That Spontaneously Explode, Class Action Alleges
I was driving my 2022 Honda CRV when the moonroof exploded. No other cars were around. Honda claims there must of been a small crack before that caused it which I disagreed.
I recently purchased a 2025 Honda Ridgeline (Black Edition). On the third of driving it on a highway outside of town, I was surprised by a loud explosion-like sound. I immediately pulled over to see what had transpired. Initially I thought that one of my tires had blown. After walking around my car that theory proved to be wrong. Yet when I looked up, I saw that my sunroof was shattered. Since I had the cover drawn, none of the shards fell on me or the interior of the car. I immediately drove to the dealership where I purchased the car three days earlier to report the incident and to begin the repair process. The Service Manager said that he doubted that Honda would assume responsibility for the repairs and suggested that I contact my insurance company. The incident happened on Friday (July 18) and as of this afternoon (July 21) Honda Corporate has yet to reply to the service repair inquiry. If this is a systemic problem with Honda’s glass, they should assume responsibility and pay for repairs in a timely manner. If not, then this should be elevated to the court system for resolution.
My wife was in her 6 month old 2025 Honda Accord Hybrid sport with the moonroof. She was sitting at a red light with no vehicles around her when she heard a loud explosion over her head and glass fly on her windshield. She then heard cracking glass above her head. The moonroof had suddenly exploded. Honda claimed its heat related. The mechanic told me he has the same car and the same thing happened to him. Honda is refusing to fix the issue and told me I had to go through my insurance. There is clearly an issue with Honda and the glass they are using.
This happened to me in our 2013 Honda Crosstour on June 10, 2025. I was driving down the road and it sounded like a huge explosion on the roof of my car. There were no bridges or trees around and I could not imagine what had happened. I decided to keep driving as I was close to home. It did sound like there were small rocks rolling around on the top and and I wondered if a large bird had crashed into the car. When I got home there was just a big hole in the sunroof and lots of small glass pieces inside. Fortunately, the interior sunroof cover was closed and the glass didn’t rain in on me. Honda wanted $1300 for the glass alone. We found a sunroof on eBay and are having someone else put it in. But am hoping this doesn’t happen again!