Toyota Owners Should Be Aware of Reported Exploding Sunroof Risk

Toyota owners should be aware of reports of an exploding sunroof associated with certain makes and models.

An exploding sunroof can cause significant property damage as well as personal injuries. A mounting number of consumer reports from drivers and passengers claim that the styles of glass used in sunroofs today put people at risk.

Some of these consumers say that the development of new styles, such as the panoramic sunroof, were developed without appropriate testing. This lack of testing means that there is a higher risk of an exploding sunroof impacting drivers and passengers all over the country, especially in certain models like those made by Toyota.

Reports of exploding sunroofs have been on the rise in recent years, causing some regulators to call for further rules within the industry. Multiple auto makers have been named in an exploding sunroof complaint filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) including Hyundai, Kia, Honda, Ford and Toyota vehicles.

Certain models from these various brands have been associated with a spontaneous shattering of the glass panels. Hyundai recalled one of their vehicles in 2012 and later expanded that recall in 2013, as a result of panoramic sunroofs that had allegedly suffered from an error in the manufacturing process.

That error reportedly compromised the tempered glass, making it more likely that it could explode or shatter while a person was driving it.

The NHTSA began tracking consumer complaints about shattered and exploding sunroofs as early as 1995. Consumer complaints about shattered sunroofs have increased in recent years, and, in fact, Consumer Reports recently shared some insights about this phenomenon.

More than 850 reports were on file by the end of 2017, and nearly three-quarters of those reports on exploding sunroofs were filed in the last six years. Consumer Reports indicated that the larger the panel is above the vehicle, the higher the chances are that it will shatter or explode.

Automakers have not yet come to a consensus about how to deal with this issue, and regulators are unclear about the development of sunroof safety standards. The issue has reportedly been under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since 2013, but no significant advancements have occurred recently.

There has reportedly been a greater demand in the marketplace for panoramic sunroofs. In the 2015 model year, there were 30 different models of vehicles that offered a panoramic sunroof and up to 40 percent of buyers opted for this given the option.

In 2010, however, panoramic sunroofs were only available on 12 vehicles. A potential exploding sunroof in a Toyota vehicle poses significant injury and accident risks since there is the chance for a vehicle with a panoramic sunroof to come into contact with more road debris.

Developers of these panoramic sunroof models say that they are simply responding to consumer demand, but the fact that there are no clear regulations or common rules across the development of these models poses a problem according to consumers.

Join a Free Toyota, Honda Panoramic Sunroof Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you own a Honda or Toyota with a panoramic sunroof that shattered, you may be entitled to compensation.

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