NHTSA Complaint #10787541 — 2012 HONDA PILOT

ON OCTOBER 31, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 HOURS, I WAS TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 85 NORTHBOUND APPROACHING THE EXIT RAMP TO ARCHDALE, NORTH CAROLINA WHEN A LOUD EXPLOSION SOUND OCCURRED. WHILE I CONTINUE NORTH ON INTERSTATE 85 IN THE SLOW LANE UNTIL I COULD FIND A GOOD AND SAFE AREA TO PULL OVER, I STARTED TO HEAR A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE GLASS HITTING THE ROOF OF MY VEHICLE. THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE SUNROOF AREA BUT I HAVE THE SLIDING SUN VISOR CLOSED SO I COULD NOT SEE WHAT WAS COMING FROM MY SUNROOF UNTIL I LOOKED OUT MY REAR VIEW MIRROR AND NOTICED GLASS WAS FALLING OFF THE REAR OF MY VEHICLE. AFTER APPROXIMATELY DRIVING 150 FEET, I PULLED MY VEHICLE ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER OF I-85 JUST SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 62 EXIT RAMP TO INVESTIGATE THE INCIDENT. WHEN I GOT OUT OF MY VEHICLE, I NOTICED THAT I HAD A LARGE HOLE IN THE MIDDLE OF GLASS SUNROOF WITH MINOR CRACKS SURROUNDING THE LARGE HOLE. DURING MY INVESTIGATION AND BASED ON MY TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE INVESTIGATING CRASHES OR BEING INVOLVED IN A CRASH INVESTIGATIONS WHILE PERFORMING MY DUTIES AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, I NOTICED THAT THE GLASS ON MY SUNROOF WAS PUSHED UP AS IF THE SUNROOF BUCKLED AND EXPLODED. I CAN TESTIFY 100% THAT NOTHING HIT MY VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 85 BECAUSE FOR SOMETHING TO HIT MY VEHICLE DIRECTLY IN THE CENTER OF MY SUNROOF AND PRODUCE A LARGE HOLE, IT WOULD HAVE BROKEN THE SLIDING SUN VISOR THAT I HAD CLOSED. IN ADDITION, I DID NOT SEE ANY ROCKS OR HARD OBJECTS LYING INSIDE THE LARGE HOLE. FURTHERMORE, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE THE EDGES OF THE LARGE HOLE OF MISSING GLASS WAS POSITIONED IN A UPWARD POSITION AND USUALLY WHEN GLASS IS BROKEN, IT CAVES INWARD AND NOT OUTWARD. THEREFORE, AFTER SPENDING APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES LOOKING AT MY SUNROOF THAT EXPLODED, I DROVE IT BACK HOME AND I CONTACTED MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND OBTAINED PHOTOGRAPHS.