NHTSA Complaint #10316239 — 2008 FORD EDGE

MY FAMILY AND I WERE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY WHEN THE PANORAMIC MOONROOF ON MY 2008 FORD EDGE SHATTERED. WE WERE NOT NEAR AN UNDERPASS OR CLOSE TO ANOTHER VEHICLE. IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY ANY FOREIGN OBJECT. WE HEARD A LOUD POP, WHICH MY HUSBAND THOUGHT WAS A GUN SHOT. HE FELT THE SHADE AND COULD FEEL PIECES OF GLASS WEIGHING THE SHADE DOWN. HE PULLED OVER TO INSPECT THE ROOF. THE ENTIRE GLASS WAS SHATTERED, BUT STICKING TOGETHER FOR THE MOST PART. THE EDGES WERE CRUMBLING AS WERE PARTS THROUGHOUT IN THE CENTER. AS WE DROVE HOME MORE PIECES OF GLASS STARTED CRUMBLING OFF. FORTUNATELY THE SHADE WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME OR THE PIECES OF GLASS WOULD HAVE LANDED ON MY HUSBAND WHILE DRIVING AND ON MY INFANT SON AND ME IN THE BACK SEAT. WE WERE ALSO FORTUNATE THAT IT WAS NOT RAINING AT THAT MOMENT (ALTHOUGH IT DID LATER THAT EVENING). THE DEALERSHIP HAD CLOSED FOR THE WEEKEND, SO I WAITED UNTIL FIRST THING MONDAY MORNING AND TOOK THE CAR IN. I HAVE THE STANDARD BUMPER-TO-BUMPER WARRANTY, AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND A MAINTENANCE PACKAGE ON THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, FORD CLAIMS THAT THE ROOF IS NOT COVERED BY ANY OF THOSE BECAUSE IT IS GLASS. I FIND IT HIGHLY UNUSUAL THAT THE GLASS USED FOR A ROOF WOULD NOT BE MADE OF DURABLE GLASS SIMILAR TO A WINDSHIELD, GIVEN THE LIKELIHOOD OF A ROCK HITTING IT OR FALLING HAIL. HAD THE SHADE BEEN OPEN OR HAD THE WEATHER CONDITIONS BEEN BAD, THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. I HAVE ALSO LEARNED THAT SEVERAL SUNROOFS ON THE FORD ESCAPE HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH SHATTERING WITHOUT PROVOCATION AS WELL. MY DEALERSHIP OFFERED TO PAY A PORTION OF THE $1300 REPLACEMENT COST GIVEN THAT FORD REFUSED TO COVER ANY OF THE COSTS AND GIVEN ITS DESIRE TO MAINTAIN GOOD CUSTOMER RELATIONS. HOWEVER, FORD HAS YET TO BE ABLE TO LOCATE OR MANUFACTURE A REPLACEMENT GLASS (APPROXIMATELY TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AFTER THE INCIDENT). *TR