NHTSA Complaint #10557532 — 2013 MERCEDES GLK350

HELLO, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A SAFETY CONCERN AND INCIDENT REGARDING THE SUNROOF OF A NEWLY PURCHASED MERCEDES BENZ 2013 GLK 350 4 MATIC. AS I WAS MAKING MY DRIVE BACK TO VA ON I 85 HEADED TOWARDS COMPERS/ GAFFNEY, NC AT APPROXIMATELY 4:23 PM ON 27 DEC 13, I HEARD A VERY LOUD POP AND SHATTERED GLASS SOUND ON MY RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE. I CAREFULLY MOVED OVER TO THE FAR RIGHT LANE TO SLOW DOWN AND CONDUCTED A QUICK ASSESSMENT OF THE ISSUE. NOTHING SEEMED OUT OF PLACE FROM WHAT I COULD TELL ON THE INSIDE. I HEARD WIND LIKE NOISES FROM ABOVE AND LOOKED UP AND THERE IT WAS. MY SUNROOF HAD SHATTERED. I COULD SEE WHAT APPEARED TO BE LIKE TINY PINHOLES. MY SHADE WAS COVERED SO NO GLASS ENTERED THE CAR. I TOOK PICTURES AT THE NEAREST REST STOP APPROXIMATELY 4.5 MILES UP. I IMMEDIATELY PHONED MERCEDES BENZ ROADSIDE ABOUT THE ISSUE. THE MB ROADSIDE AGENT INFORMED ME TO CHECK TO SEE IF IT WAS DRIVABLE AND TO CALL MB SERVICE OF ALEXANDRIA, VA TO TAKE IT IN SINCE I WAS HEADED BACK. I CONTACTED MY ADVISOR AT MB OF ALEXANDRIA VA ON THE ISSUE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR WILL BE DRIVABLE AND TO TAKE IT INTO THEM FIRST THING ON SATURDAY, 09:00, 28 DECEMBER 2013. I STILL HAD APPROXIMATELY 6 HOURS REMAINING OF TRAVEL TIME. AS FAR AS I COULD TELL, THERE WERE NO OTHER ISSUES WITH THE SUNROOF AS IT REMAINED IN TACT FOR THE REMAINDER OF MY TRIP. SO NOW, AS OF SATURDAY, 28 DECEMBER 2013, THE SUV IS AT MB OF ALEXANDRIA. THE SAFETY CONCERN IS THAT THE GLK 350 2013 4 MATIC SUNROOF CAN SHATTER AND CREATE A LOUD POPPING SOUND AS IF A TIRE HAD BLOWN FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHILE DRIVING ON THE HWY AT A SPEED OF 70 MPH WHICH WAS MY APPROXIMATE SPEED ON I-85. MY QUICK THINKING AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT. I RECOMMEND NHTSA TO CONDUCT AN ASSESSMENT REGARDING SUNROOFS SHATTERING ON THE HWY FOR THE MB GLK 350 4 MATIC 2013 MODEL. THANK YOU *TR