NHTSA Complaint #11040945 — 2015 SUBARU OUTBACK

SUNROOF EXLOSION. ON FEBRUARY 1, 2016 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING TO WORK AT ABOUT 8:00 AM RUSH HOUR AND WHILE IN THE MOVING LINE ENTERING THE EASTWARD US I69 AT THE TEXAS HWY 6 SOUTH ENTRANCE IN SUGAR LAND TEXAS, AT AN AVERAGE SPEED BETWEEN 5-10 MPG THE SUNROOF OF OUR 2016 SUBARU 3.6R WITH 11305 MILES EXPLODED AND SHATTERED INTO HUNDREDS OF SMALL PIECES THAT COLLECTED ON THE SUNLIGHT PROTECTIVE SCREEN. AFTER I TALKED TO MY WIFE AND VERIFIED THAT SHE HAD RECEIVED NO DAMAGE FROM THE INCIDENT I CALLED THE GILLMAN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON SUBARU DEALERSHIP WHERE WE BOUGHT THE CAR ON MAY 30 2015 AND MADE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT FOR THE NEXT DAY. DURING THE SERVICE CHECK-IN ON FEBRUARY 2, 2016 TOGETHER WITH THE GILLMAN SERVICE CONSULTANT WE LOOKED AS THOROUGHLY AS IT WAS POSSIBLE THROUGH THE GLASS DEBRIS TO TRY TO FIND ANY FOREIGN OBJECT THAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THE DAMAGED BUT WE DID NOT FIND ANYTHING. I VERY SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED THAT WHEN THE SUNROOF WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE CAR FOR REPLACEMENT THAT THEY PERFORM ANOTHER SEARCH SINCE IT WOULD BE EASIER TO DO THE SEARCH WITH THE SUNROOF ASSEMBLY OUT ON THE FLOOR. WHEN THE CAR WAS REPAIRED AND RETURNED THE GILLMAN REPRESENTATIVE CONFIRMED THAT THEY HAD DONE ANOTHER SEARCH BUT FAILED TO FIND ANY FOREIGN OBJECT ON THE GLASS DEBRIS. BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT HAVE A SUNROOF ON STOCK I LEFT THE CAR ON THE DEALERSHIP UNTIL FEBRUARY 5, 2016 WHEN THE CAR WAS RETURNED. DURING THE CHECKOUT I WAS INFORMED THAT THE REPAIRS WERE NOT COVERED UNDER THE CAR WARRANTY BECAUSE IT WAS ASSUMED THAT A FOREIGN OBJECT HAD CAUSED THE DAMAGE AND I WAS CHARGED $666.34 THE DECEMBER 2017 EDITION OF CONSUMER REPORTS MADE ME REALIZE THAT THIS IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE REPORTED.