NHTSA Complaint #10564029 — 2010 SCION TC

ON 11/14/13 I WAS TRAVELING NORTH ON INTERSTATE 75 IN TROY, MICHIGAN AT A RATE OF 68 MPH WHEN AT APPROXIMATELY 8:15 A.M. I HEARD A LOUD SHATTERING NOISE. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY. I LOOKED AROUND MY VEHICLE TO FIND EACH OF MY SIDE, REAR, AND FRONT WINDOWS INTACT. I THEN PULLED BACK THE SUNROOF COVER, ONLY TO HAVE SHARDS OF GLASS FALL ON ME. I DISCOVERED A LARGE WHOLE IN THE CENTER OF MY SUNROOF WINDOW. I EXITED THE CAR TO EXAMINE THE DAMAGE FROM THE OUTSIDE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I DISCOVERED THAT DESPITE HAVING THE SUNROOF IN THE FULLY CLOSED POSITION THE WIND DEFLECTOR SHIELD HAD POPPED UP AND THE ARMS THAT ATTACHED THE GLASS TO THE SLIDING TRACK HAD BROKEN OFF. ADDITIONALLY, THE GLASS WAS BOWED OUTWARDS, WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE BROKEN GLASS UNDERNEATH THE WIND DEFLECTOR SHIELD INSTEAD OF INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FRACTURING PATTERN AND BREAK LOCATIONS WERE INDICATIVE OF A STRUCTURAL PRESSURE BREAK AND NOT AN IMPACT BREAK. TOYOTA DENIED ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE SCION TC AND INSISTED THAT THE BREAK HAD TO HAVE OCCURRED FROM AN IMPACT. THE WEATHER THAT DAY WAS CLEAR AND 33 F AT THE TIME OF THE BREAK WITH CLEAR SKIES. I WAS ON AN OPEN ROAD WITH NO NEARBY OVERPASSES. *TR