Mercedes Class Action Claims Sunroofs Spontaneously Shatter

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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