NHTSA Complaint #10594715 — 2013 NISSAN ALTIMA

ON MAY 26, 2014 APPROX 9:30AM WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED IN EASTERN PA. IN MY 2013 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 SL, WE HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE AN EXTREMELY LOUD GUN SHOT TYPE SOUND RIGHT ABOVE THE CAR ROOF. AFTER SLOWING DOWN AND VISIBLY SHAKEN INCLUDING MY 2 OCCUPANTS WE SLOWLY PULLING BACK THE SUNROOF LINER THAT WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME. IT WAS NOTICED THE ENTIRE SUNROOF HAD BLOWN OUT OF THE CAR ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND TRUNK AREA. THE REMAINING GLASS WAS BULGED OUTWARD LIKE THE GLASS WAS PUSHED OUTWARD FROM INSIDE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION WHATSOEVER OF IMPACT FROM OUTSIDE THE CAR. THE ROOF, TRUNK AND REAR SPOILER WERE COVERED IN SMALL SHARDS OF GLASS WITH MANY NOTICEABLE DEEP SCRATCHES FROM THE GLASS IMPACT. WE STOPPED AT THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP IN WILKES BARRE, PA AND SHOWED THE DEALERSHIP THE PROBLEM WE JUST ENCOUNTERED. THE DEALERSHIP CLEANED AND COVERED THE DAMAGED SUNROOF AND ADVISED US TO DRIVE SLOWLY HOME UNTIL YOU COULD CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THEY COULD GIVE ME NO REASON WHY THIS HAPPENED OR HAD NEVER HEARD OR SEEN THIS PROBLEM. I NOTIFIED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHEN I GOT HOME AND BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. I WAS ADVISED FROM MY DEALERSHIP AFTER THEY CLAIMED THEY CONTACTED NISSAN MOTORS AND THE LOCAL NISSAN AREA REP. THAT THEY COULD NOT GIVE ME ANY REASON WHY THIS WOULD HAPPEN. THEY TOLD ME THEY USUALLY DON'T COVER GLASS BREAKAGE BUT CALLED IT A GOOD WILL GESTURE AND WOULD REPLACE THE SMASHED SUNROOF AT NO CHARGE BUT REFUSED TO FIX THE DAMAGED PAINT THAT WAS CAUSED FROM THE GLASS HITTING THE ROOF, TRUNK AND SPOILER SURFACE. *TR