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As Ford attempts to dodge a shattering sunroof class action, plaintiffs in the case argue that the company is legally obligated to face their claims.
According to plaintiffs Jacob and Jessica Beaty, Ford sold Escape SUVs with panoramic sunroofs as early as 2007 despite allegedly knowing that the vehicles’ sunroofs could shatter without warning.
In the plaintiffs’ argument to U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton, they insisted that the court should deny Ford’s recent bid for summary judgement.
To support their argument, the plaintiffs claimed that they possess evidence which proves that Ford knew about the defect plaguing their panoramic sunroofs but failed to warn consumers.
Instead, the company allegedly deceived consumers into paying a higher price for the defective feature. This reportedly resulted in countless consumers paying for panoramic sunroofs or paying a premium price for the features which they would not have done if they were aware of the defects.
“By concealing its knowledge of the [panoramic sunroof] defect from NHTSA regulators and the public at large, Ford is able to sell vehicles with luxury upgrade [panoramic sunroofs] at prices normally charged for non-defective vehicles,” the plaintiffs argued in their Ford class action brief.
“Ford thus profited, and continues to profit, at the expense of plaintiffs and other customers, who received defective vehicles worth less than the non-defective vehicles for which they had bargained.”
The Beatys claim that, due to this deception, the auto company should not escape the Ford class action lawsuit against them – including claims under the Washington Consumer Protection Act.
The Beatys aim to represent “proposed class of all persons in Washington who purchased or leased a Ford vehicle with a Ford factory-installed [panoramic sunroof] manufactured by either Webasto or Inalfa with fully tempered glass panels.”
Eligible vehicles reportedly include 2007–2014 Ford Edge, 2013–2017 Ford Escape, 2011–2017 Ford Explorer, 2007–2015 Lincoln MKX, 2010–2017 Lincoln MKT and 2009–2016 Lincoln MKS vehicles.
The Beatys allegedly experienced the defect in their own 2013 Ford Escape. In their Ford class action, the couple detailed their experience of driving down the interstate and suddenly having their sunroof shatter. Their daughter was reportedly in the car at the time. As a result of the shattering, Jessica and her daughter were allegedly left with scratches on their hands and faces.
According to the Ford class action, the defect stems from a design flaw. The panoramic sunroofs are reportedly made from large, thin, curved panels which are fasted to the vehicle frames. Unfortunately, the design of these panels allegedly causes environmental stresses such as vehicle movement to be absorbed into the glass – making it prone to spontaneous shattering.
Since the Beatys filed their Ford class action, several motions have resulted in changes to their claims. In January 2018, several breach of warranty claims were trimmed from the class action.
Do you own or lease a Ford vehicle equipped with a panoramic sunroof that shattered unexpectedly? Share you experiences in the comment section below.
The Beatys and the proposed Class are represented by Beth E. Terrell, Amanda M. Steiner and Benjamin M. Drachler of Terrell Marshall Law Group PLLC, Gregory F. Coleman, Mark E. Silvey, Adam A. Edwards and Lisa A. White of Greg Coleman Law PC and Paul J. Hanly Jr., Mitchell M. Breit and Eric S. Johnson of Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC.
The Ford Sunroof Class Action Lawsuit is Beaty, et al. v. Ford Motor Co., Case No. 3:17-cv-05201, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
UPDATE: On Feb. 11, 2020, a federal judge dismissed a class action lawsuit filed against Ford by a customer who claimed that the panoramic glass sunroof in her Ford Escape spontaneously shattered while driving on the freeway.
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34 thoughts onFord Drivers Say Company Should Face Shattering Sunroof Class Action
Had the same happen on freeway going 70 in our 2019 F250. At first we thought it was shot at due to the sound, 1st We thought it exploded but we figured someone threw something off the overpass. Like a rock. All before we had time to check into this issue. Now we totally know it exploded.
These stories sounds all too real, we just had this happen to our 2019 Ford Edge SEL. We were Driving on a highway snd heard a loud pop, minutes later the sunroof shattered into 1 million pieces and flew off the car. We were lucky we had the fabric liner closed or else we could have been seriously injured. Ford should be ashamed as well as the dealers who continue to sell these cars. This is dangerous!!
My wife was driving home in our 2020 Ford Edge ST when she heard a loud explosion. When she pulled off the shoulder and got out of the vehicle, she seen the glass had shattered on the panoramic sun roof. When we contacted Ford they said it is not covered under our warranty. The vehicle only has 7000 miles on it. The dealer we purchased it from was not helpful either. It is ridiculous that you buy a new vehicle and the manufacturer will not stand behind what they build but they will stand behind taking your money.
I purschased a brand new 2020 Ford Escape last January, 9 days after taking off the lot the sunroof exploded onto my son and I, hands and head had cuts. It took 7 months for Ford to replace the sunroof. I returned it for a new car and I lost out big time. Ending up with another escape no roof, and paying over $6000 sticker price for a lesser model. I just wanted out of the sunroof car. I’m disappointed in Ford and myself for rebuying that brand. They should not be selling them, obviously defective
My 2020 Ford Explorer’s dual panel sunroof exploded as I was driving the other day. Ford is refusing to replace it, and says they are not at fault. It spontaneously exploded. This is definitely a defect in the sunroof.
Yesterday we were driving on the interstate and we heard a loud explosion. We thought the tire blew. We immediately stopped and realized the sunroof had exploded. We purchased this 2020 King Ranch Expedition in November. At dealership right now. Only thing the manager can do is submit a claim through Ford. Doesn’t sound like they will cover. So disappointed in Ford.
My 2019 Expedition Max sunroof shattered. Driving down a Wyoming Hwy. I heard a loud pop, thought someone had shot the car. Looked up to find a shattered front sunroof. I am in the beginning stages of repair. Took it to our local Ford dealership to have them tell me they couldn’t even look at it for two weeks. Insurance claims it’s a manufacture flaw. This is going to get interesting!
While driving to San Francisco my 2017 Escape – Titanium blew out my second panoramic window. Had the sunshade closed so no glass got into the car. Thought I had blown a tire because of the loud noise
We rented a 2020 Ford Expedition. We were driving down a MT highway at 5am in the dark, no one around us. All the sudden a gunshot rang out. Oh wait…that wasn’t a gun. That was our panoramic sunroof! We got out to inspect it because small bits of glass rained down into the rear passenger seats. We had to limp the car 2 hours to the nearest dealer in Bozeman, MT where they patched it with cardboard and tape. We took pictures of the sunroof which clearly show the roof had exploded outwards/upwards. The dealer we rented it from in WI accused us of having a rock go through the sunroof. That’s interesting because when the car got back to WI, the glass had been removed by the dealer in MT so there’s no way for them to know that. It doesn’t matter because there was no rock. This was a spontaneous explosion. We’ve received a bill for the damages to the car and we had no part in what happened to it. This is very frustrating.
I own a 2020 Ford Expedition and this just happened to me. It sounded like a shotgun went off in my car. I immediately pulled off the road and I could here it still cracking. Stepped up on the running board to examine the panoramic sunroof, and it was all cracked. Fortunately I had the headliner closed otherwise I would have had glass all over me.