NHTSA Complaint #10967544 — 2016 FORD F-250

MY CHILDREN AND I WERE DRIVING ABOUT 55MPH, ON A SUNNY DAY IN CALIFORNIA, UPHILL, ON A TWO-LANE SECTION OF HIGHWAY, WITH LIGHT TRAFFIC GOING IN THE SAME DIRECTION, A MEDIAN TO THE LEFT, ANOTHER TWO-LANE HIGHWAY GOING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, AND BOTH ROADS ARE SURROUNDED BY UNDEVELOPED LAND. I WAS TALKING WITH MY WIFE, WHO HAPPENED TO BE FOLLOWING US IN HER VAN, WHEN WE HEARD A LOUD "POP". I DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING OUT OF PLACE INSIDE THE TRUCK OR WITH ITS DRIVING, AND ASKED IF SHE HAD NOTICED ANYTHING HIT IT FROM HER VANTAGE POINT. SHE SAID "NO" AND WE CONTINUED ON OUR WAY TO OUR NEXT STOPS. WHEN I PARKED, I COULD HEAR A "CRACKING" NOISE ABOVE MY HEAD. I SLOWLY OPENED THE MOONROOF COVER AND DISCOVERED THE ENTIRE MOONROOF HAD CRACKED. THOUGH CRACKED, IT WAS COMPLETELY INTACT AND I COULD NOT FIND ANY SIGN OR DEBRIS INDICATING IT HAD BEEN HIT BY AN OBJECT. I THEN TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT IT FROM, TOOK MORE PICTURES AS IT DEVELOPED A HOLE ON THE WAY, AND LEFT IT FOR THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO LOOK AT SINCE THEY ARE CLOSED ON SUNDAY. AS I WAS TAKING PICTURES OF THE HOLE, I NOTICED THE EDGES WERE ALL INVERTED RATHER THAN FACING DOWN INTO THE TRUCK. IT'S AS IF PRESSURE BUILT UP INSIDE AND BLEW THE MOONROOF OUTWARD. THE NEXT DAY, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME IT WAS DUE TO AN "IMPACT" AND DESPITE MY EXPLANATION AND PICTURES, REFUSED TO COVER THE REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. THE TRUCK ONLY HAS 5,515 MILES ON IT AND IS WELL WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY. I DID A BIT OF SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT FORD HAD A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THEM, PERTAINING TO 16 DIFFERENT MAKES/MODELS/YEARS OF THEIR VEHICLES FOR SHATTERING MOONROOFS. THE CASE WAS KREBSBACH ET AL. V. FORD MOTOR CO., CASE NUMBER 2:16-CV-02200. THE FORD REPS I TALKED WITH DENY HAVING ANY PROBLEMS WITH THEIR MOONROOFS AND SAID THEY WILL ONLY COVER REPAIRS IF THERE IS A RECALL.