Mercedes Benz Class Action Alleges Panoramic Sunroofs Shatter

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A class action lawsuit claims that Mercedes Benz panoramic sunroofs are defective and randomly shatter, and that the car maker knows of the defect but actively avoids alerting consumers.

Plaintiff Giorgio Enea claims that in July 2015, he leased a new 2015 GLA250 Mercedes Benz that was equipped with a large sunroof.

The sunroof was advertised as being “panoramic” because it was larger than the average sunroof.  According to Enea, the sunroof randomly shattered while he was driving his vehicle on June 27, 2017, getting glass inside the car, as well as in his eyes and hair.

The plaintiff says he contacted Mercedes Benz for compensation. Allegedly, the company offered to cover his vehicle’s repairs only if he signed a liability release. He states that he refused to do so, and as a result, had to pay more than $2,000 out of pocket.

The Mercedes Benz shattering sunroof class action lawsuit claims that because Mercedes panoramic sunroofs are larger than a normal sunroof means they “pose unique engineering challenges” to be installed and used safely. Allegedly, the Mercedes panoramic sunroofs are defective in such a way that renders the vehicles unsafe and unfit for use.

The Mercedes sunroof class action lawsuit notes that the defective sunroofs are dangerous to drivers and passengers for a number of reasons. First, the plaintiff claims that as the glass spontaneously explodes, drivers and passengers can be hit with flying glass. Secondly, Enea says that the shock of having the sunroof shatter loudly and break throughout the car poses a serious distraction to drivers, putting them at increased risk of being involved in a collision.

Enea claims that Mercedes Benz refuses to compensate drivers for the defective sunroofs and knowingly neglects to warn consumers of the dangers and defects of the sunroofs. The plaintiff notes that through advertising, Mercedes Benz conveys to consumers that their vehicles are “luxury, top-of-the line cars, built to the highest standard, and were safe for their intended use.”

He goes on to state that this marketing is intentionally deceptive, and Mercedes Benz knew or should have known that the sunroofs are unsafe. To establish this claim, he cites the fact that panoramic sunroofs have a well-known record of being unsafe.

The Mercedes panoramic sunroof class action lawsuit notes that such panoramic sunroofs have been subject to recall in the past, when they were used by a number of other car manufacturers. Nissan, Hyundai, and Ford were among the manufacturers accused of installing defective panoramic sunroofs in their vehicles.

Enea seeks to have two Classes of California consumers certified as part of the Mercedes Benz shattering sunroof class action lawsuit — one group of consumers who have spent money “in connection with either the diagnosis or [the] repair” of their sunroof, and one group of consumers who “have not had the sunroof fully repaired.” He seeks damages for himself and similarly affected consumers.

The plaintiff is represented by Joshua H. Haffner and Graham Lambert of Haffner Law PC.

The Mercedes Benz Shattering Panoramic Sunroof Class Action Lawsuit is Giorgio Enea v. Mercedes-Benz USA, in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Alameda.