NHTSA Complaint #10979655 — 2016 SUBARU OUTBACK

WHILE DRIVING DOWN AN OPEN ROAD GOING ABOUT 45MPH WITH NO TREES AND NO OTHER VEHICLES AROUND US, OUR SUNROOF EXPLODED. I SAY EXPLODED BECAUSE WE THOUGHT WE HAD BEEN SHOT. IT WAS A VERY LOUD POP AND THEN WE WERE INSTANTLY COVERED IN GLASS. LIKE ALMOST THE ENTIRE SUNROOF WAS NOW IN PIECES AND INSIDE THE CAR. I ACTUALLY GOOGLED "EXPLODING SUNROOF" BECAUSE WE KNEW WE DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING. THERE ARE LITERALLY PAGES OF ACCOUNTS OF THIS HAPPENING AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS MANUFACTURERS LISTED AS HAVING THIS PROBLEM. ANYWAY, SUBARU DID REPLACE IT AND WE DID NOT HAVE TO FILE A CLAIM WITH OUR INSURANCE BUT WE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED IF WE WERE GOING ANY FASTER. THE PREVAILING THEORY IS THAT IN ORDER THE SAVE WEIGHT ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES, THE FRAME OF THE SUNROOF ISN'T RIGID ENOUGH ALLOWING THE GLASS TO MOVE TOO MUCH WHICH CAUSES THE SPONTANEOUS EXPLOSION.