NHTSA Complaint #10809487 — 2011 KIA SORENTO

ON SUNDAY DECEMBER 6TH 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 10:00, I WAS TRAVELING IN MY 2011 KIA SORENTO EX. IT IS EQUIPPED WITH 2 PANORAMIC SUNROOFS ONE IN THE FRONT AND ONE IN THE REAR. THE FRONT SUNROOF IS ONLY MECHANICALLY FUNCTIONAL ROOF. WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION AND HAD A FEW SHARDS OF GLASS BLOWING INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THE SUNROOF WAS COMPLETELY CLOSED AND THE SUNSHADE WAS PULLED FORWARD. THIS PREVENTED ME FROM BEING INJURED BY THE GLASS. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE. DAMAGE ASSESSMENT: THE MAJORITY OF THE FRONT SUNROOFS GLASS WAS MISSING FROM THE MIDDLE.THERE WAS AN APPROXIMATE 2 INCH STRIP OF GLASS THAT WAS BUCKLED UPWARD STILL ATTACHED TO THE MOUNTING RAIL ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. ONE THE PASSENGER SIDE THERE WAS A LONGER PIECE STILL ATTACHED. IT WAS TRIANGULAR IN ITS SHAPE COMING TO A POINT THAT WAS APPROXIMATELY 9-10 INCHES MOVING TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE VEHICLE. IT TOO WAS BUCKLE UPWARDS TOWARDS THE SKY. THERE WERE SCRATCHES TO THE REAR PANORAMIC SUNROOF. THE SATELLITE RADIO ANTENNA WAS MISSING. THE REAR SPOILER HAD HUNDREDS OF SCRATCHES ON IT WITH GLASS SHARDS IMPELLED IN IT. THERE WAS MINIMAL GLASS IN THE FRONT INTERIOR AND A FEW SHARDS FOUND IN THE REAR AS WELL. I WAS RETURNING HOME FROM WORK ON THIS MORNING. I WORK AS A FLIGHT PARAMEDIC AND IN MY JOB WE HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY MONITOR THE WEATHER IN OUR AREA OUT TO A 90 MILE CIRCLE FROM OUR BASE. CONDITIONS DURING THE DAY. THE SKY WAS CLEAR AND SUNNY. THE TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE MID 50'S. WINDS WERE CALM. TRAFFIC WAS VERY LIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY. I DID NOT HAVE ANYONE IN FRONT OR BEHIND MY VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THERE WERE NO OVER HANGING LIMBS FROM TREES. IN ADDITION CONDITIONS THE PRIOR EVENING AND NIGHT WERE CLEAR, WITH TEMPERATURES ONLY DROPPING INTO THE LOWER 40'S.