NHTSA Complaint #10562381 — 2009 HONDA ACCORD

I WAS DRIVING MY 2009 HONDA ACCORD ON THE INTERSTATE I-44 EAST NEAR FORT LEONARD WOOD MISSOURI. NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE IN FRONT OF ME OR AROUND ME. WEATHER WAS CLEAR, TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE MID 50S. NO IMPACT TO THE VEHICLE OCCURRED. THE SUNROOF ON MY VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED AND EXPLODED SENDING GLASS THROUGHOUT THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR. FURTHER, WHILE CLEANING UP THE GLASS MANY OF THE PIECES WERE SHARP AND GLASS SPLINTERS WERE PREVALENT. THERE WERE NUMEROUS NICKS AND CUTS ON MY HANDS AND MY SON'S HANDS FROM CLEANING UP THE GLASS WHICH WAS EVERYWHERE. IF ANYONE HAD BEEN IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR (PARTICULARLY A CHILD), THEY COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT. MY SON WITNESSED THIS AS WELL - HE WAS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. AGAIN, BOTH OF US CAN CONFIRM THAT THERE WERE NO VEHICLES IN FRONT OR TO THE SIDE OF US AND NOTHING HAPPENED (SUCH AS A ROCK FROM A VEHICLE IN FRONT) THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE SUNROOF TO SHATTER. FURTHER, THE FACT THAT IT SHATTERED THE WAY IT DID WITH SHARP GLASS AND SPLINTERING THROUGHOUT THE CAR IS PROBLEMATIC. I HAVE TRIED TO ADDRESS THIS MATTER WITH HONDA TO NO AVAIL. I CONSIDER THIS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. A SUNROOF SHOULD NEVER EXPLODE IN THIS MATTER ABSENT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. MORE IMPORTANTLY, HAD THOSE SMALL, SHARP SHARDS OF GLASS AND SPLINTERS HIT SOMEONE'S EYES IN THE BACKSEAT OF THE CAR, IT COULD HAVE RESULTED A VERY SERIOUS INJURY. BASED UPON SEARCHES ON THE INTERNET, OTHER HONDA OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME OCCURRENCE. *TR