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MERCEDES-BENZ SUNROOF CLASS ACTION UPDATE:
- This case was dismissed Nov. 1, 2021.
A vehicle owner who claims the sunroof in his car cracked and exploded has filed a class action lawsuit against Mercedes-Benz and others.
Plaintiff Bruce Pickens says he is the owner of a 2015 ML 350 Mercedes-Benz and purchased the vehicle from Napleton Autowerks of Indiana Inc. in Schererville, Ind. Napleton Autowerks is also named as a defendant in the class action lawsuit, as are Daimler AG and Saint-Gobain Sekurit.
He says that on March 3, 2020, his sister, Jawanna Tallie, was driving his car about 55 mph on Interstate 98 in Illinois when the sunroof exploded unexpectedly.
Pickens explains that while Tallie was driving, she heard a big boom as loud as a gunshot. Tallie claims she pulled over to check the car for damage to the exterior of the vehicle.
After not finding any damage to the exterior of the car, she re-entered the vehicle and closed the door, at which point glass from the sunroof began to fall on her. She claims the sunroof had caved in.
The plaintiff notes many vehicle owners have had the same problem with their sunroofs on the Mercedes-Benz vehicles. He says multiple Mercedes-Benz have complained that their sunroofs had exploded, shattered and/or cracked without warning.
“This is a serious safety concern, as the shattering of the sunroofs often occurs while the car is being driven, and shards of glass fall on and around the occupants,” the Mercedes-Benz class action lawsuit goes on to state.
In addition, Pickens maintains the explosion or shattering makes a loud and startling noise, which has the propensity to distract drivers while they are operating the vehicle.
The defendants did not warn customers about the alleged defect, and instead continued to sell and lease their vehicles without disclosing this defect to drivers, according to Pickens.
Mercedes-Benz has reportedly received other complaints from vehicle owners, but instead of recalling the vehicle, they have offered drivers $250 to $500 as a “good faith” gesture in return for not pursuing legal actions against the defendants.
Pickens notes the installment or replacement of the sunroof is expensive and could cost as much as $2,000.
Also, the plaintiff states that according to research, the unexpected shattering of the sunroof in Mercedes-Benz vehicles has occurred in different makes and models.
He says he relied on Mercedes-Benz’s representations in purchasing his vehicle and would not have bought it if the facts regarding the true safety of the vehicle had been disclosed.
Pickens explains the defendants did not adequately warn against the negative effects and risks associated with Mercedes-Benz vehicles and did not provide any warnings regarding the potential shattering of the sunroof.
The Mercedes-Benz class action lawsuit goes on to say the “Defendants omitted, concealed, and inadequately provided critical safety information regarding the use of Mercedes-Benz in order to induce its purchase and use.”
In addition, the plaintiff argues the defendant engaged in and continued to engage in conduct likely to mislead consumers; this conduct was fraudulent, unfair and unlawful, Pickens said. He claims Mercedes-Benz knew or should have known about the shattering of the sunroofs.
Despite clear knowledge that the Mercedes-Benz’s sunroof had a significant chance of shattering unexpectedly, the defendant continued to market and sell without warning customers or healthcare providers of the significant risks of unexpected sunroof explosions, Pickens goes on to state.
This is not the first class action lawsuit filed against Mercedes-Benz related to defective sunroofs.
In April 2018, a class action lawsuit was filed against the car manufacturing company by a vehicle owner who claimed the sunroof in his new 2015 GLA250 Mercedes-Benz randomly shattered while he was driving. The plaintiff claimed glass got inside the car as well as in his hair and eyes.
Common questions of law and fact in this Mercedes-Benz class action lawsuit include: 1) Whether the sunroofs are defective because they are prone to spontaneous explosion, and 2) Whether the defendants breached expressed warranties in the connection with their refusal to provide coverage to repair the sunroofs.
There are three prospective Classes in the Mercedes-Benz class action lawsuit:
- Class 1: All Illinois residents who purchased or leased a Mercedes-Benz vehicle in Illinois and who have incurred actual expenses in connection with either the diagnosis or repair of the vehicle’s sunroof;
- Class 2: All Illinois residents who currently own or lease a Mercedes-Benz vehicle in Illinois and who have not had the sunroof fully repaired;
- Class 3: All persons in the United States of America who purchased one or more of defendants’ vehicles anytime between 2010 and the present.
Do you own a Mercedes-Benz vehicle? Has the sunroof unexpectedly exploded? Leave a message in the comments section below.
The plaintiff is represented by Maudia Washington of Washington Law Offices.
The Mercedes-Benz Defective Sunroof Class Action Lawsuit is Bruce Pickens v. Daimler AG, et al. Case No. 1:20-cv-03470, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
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40 thoughts onMercedes Class Action Claims Sunroofs Spontaneously Shatter
This just happened to me on Sunday. Driving down the interstate with my daughter and heard like a pop sound. We were like what the heck was that? Then noticed some chunks of glass on our laps, sun coming through as well as the wind. Thank goodness I had the shade closed! Pulled over to find a big hole and shattered glass on the sunroof. Sitting at the dealership now waiting for them to look at it. They’ve already tried to tell me something must have hit it. Absolutely not, I would have most definitely seen something coming at us. I have a 2021 GLS450. They are telling me they’ve never seen this ever happen. Unacceptable is right!! Come on Mercedes! You know there’s been an issue with this!!! Do what is right!
My GLE 350 panoramic sunroof spontaneously exploded late at night while driving 75 miles an hour – very traumatic
No help at all from Mercedes
Very expensive to replace it
This happened to me yesterday, Saturday March 5, 2022 while I was driving my wife’s 2018 GLS 450. My son and I were in the car driving and we heard a loud explosion, like a gunshot. My 9 year old son was terrified. When I pulled off the freeway to look over the vehicle, the panoramic glass behind the actual sunroof was bowing up and out, as if it had been hit from inside. When I got back I to the car and closed the door, the glass fell inward and onto the shade. This is absolutely unacceptable and Mercedes needs to be held responsible for this.
On Friday, February 18, 2022 driving down the road, my sunroof exploded and the entire glass fell into the car all in my hair and cutting a passengers hand. The car is at the Mercedes dealership and they are refusing to cover the damage.
On Feb 18, 2021 while driving through Houston, my sunroof exploded on my 2021 Mercedes GLC. It sounded like a gunshot! After checking it out, we proceeded to Selma TX to the dealer. It is still there as we wait until they dealer can speak with Mercedes. My car only has 6000 miles on it so I don’t know what happened.
My C63AMG sunroof just exploding going down the road not any traffic by me or nothing. Scared me to death. Glass all over me in my clothes cutting me and Scratching my paint on my car to the metal. This is horrible.
My husband was driving our 2019 C300 on the interstate at 60 MPH when our sun roof just exploded. We at first thought all 4 tires had blown up but the ride was smooth so we thought someone must have shot our windows out until we looked up and saw that the sun roof had exploded. It was a terrifying incident.
Mine exploded on Labor Day for no apparent reason. Same story that everyone else has been given and even worse covid has created a part shortage and will not be here for 6 months. I was around no one on the road. It just exploded on its own. Arkansas
Mine exploded on Labor Day for no apparent reason. Same story that everyone else has been given and even worse covid has created a part shortage and will not be here for 6 months. I was around no one on the road. It just exploded on its own.
On October 25, 2021, I was driving to work on Highway 295 in New Jersey. I drive a 2019 Mercedes C300. I was driving on a flat road and it was a nice day. All of sudden I heard an explosion, which sounded like a bomb went off and then glass from my sunroof exploded on me. I was driving about 60 miles an hour and was so grateful that I did not crash my car.
My car and I were filled with glass all over. Being in complete shock and rage I drove the car to Mercedes. Once I got to Mercedes, the service manager did not care that my car was filled with glass and glass had fallen on me. He preceded to tell me that this is not their problem and that something must of hit the sunroof. I told him nothing hit my car it just exploded and this must be a defect. He then basically told me I was wrong. Now my back hurts from glass hitting.