Kia Class Action Says Panoramic Sunroofs Spontaneously Shatter

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A New York man is taking Kia Motors America to task for allegedly failing to address a defect that causes its panoramic sunroofs to shatter.

Plaintiff Sean Leong says the panoramic sunroofs on some Kia vehicles are at risk for spontaneously shattering, raining down shards of glass on the vehicle’s occupants.

Leong claims that even though Kia admits it has been “a leader in such incidents,” the company fails to warn drivers about the danger and continues to sell and lease such vehicles without disclosing it.

Leong says Kia has known about this problem for years. He quotes more than a dozen written complaints submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration by Kia owners and lessees describing how the panoramic sunroofs in their Kia vehicles spontaneously and catastrophically shattered.

Some complaints were filed as early as July 2010.

Drivers report the falling glass cut them and their passengers as well as damaged the interior of the car.

Some report passengers in the vehicle were injured when sunroof hardware came loose and fell on them. Some say their Kia dealerships refused to cover the cost of repair, to the tune of $1,200 or more.

Yet despite knowing about the defect, Kia never issued a recall – even while other car manufacturers like Volkswagen, Hyundai and Audi recalled their own vehicles due to similar problems.

Kia allegedly claimed its sunroofs shatter only because of impacts with objects on the road, the lawsuit states.

Leong says the panoramic sunroof in his own 2012 Kia Optima shattered in November 2014. Neither his dealership nor Kia Motors America was willing to pay for his repairs, so he filed a claim with his insurance company.

Leong attributes the rash of shattering sunroofs to trends in manufacturing that make automotive glass weaker. Stricter emissions standards have compelled manufacturers to use glass that is thinner and therefore weaker, he says.

He also claims manufacturers have been degrading the strength of automotive window panes by enlarging the areas of ceramic enamel that form the black bands along the outer edge of automotive glass panes.

Testing by the Korean Automobile Testing & Research Institute confirmed that the enamel used on the tempered glass in Kia vehicles makes the glass weaker than even ordinary unstrengthened glass, Leong claims.

According to this Kia class action lawsuit, the vehicles at issue are the 2011 to 2015 Sorento, Optima and Sportage, and the 2014 to 2015 Soul and Cadenza. Leong refers to these models as the “Class Vehicles.”

Leong seeks to represent a nationwide Class of “[a]ll persons who purchased or leased a Class Vehicle in the United States.” He is also proposing a subclass consisting of Class Members who purchased or leased their vehicle within New York.

He is asking for a court order requiring Kia to adequately disclose and repair the sunroof defect. He also seeks an award of damages, restitution, court costs and attorneys’ fees.

Leong is represented by attorneys Stephen J. Fearon, Jr. of Squitieri & Fearon LLP and Gregory F. Coleman, Lisa A. White, Mark E. Silvey and Adam E. Edwards of Greg Coleman Law PC.

The Kia Shattering Panoramic Sunroof Class Action Lawsuit is Leong v. Kia Motors America Inc., et al., Case No. 9:16-cv-04953, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.