NHTSA Complaint #11061047 — 2017 HONDA CIVIC

MY 2017 HONDA CIVIC SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED! THE SKY WAS MOSTLY BLUE, THE SUN WAS SHINING, AND THE WEATHER FELT IN THE HIGH 60S FAHRENHEIT. I HAD DEPARTED MY HOME IN RIVERSIDE, CA AROUND 9AM TODAY (SUNDAY, JANUARY 7TH) AND DECIDED TO OPEN THE SUNROOF DUE TO THE NICE WEATHER. I PUT THE SUNROOF IN THE FULLY OPEN POSITION PRIOR TO ENTERING THE FREEWAY. NOTE THAT THE SUNROOF WAS FULLY INTACT AND WITHOUT DAMAGE AT THAT TIME. ASI WAS DRIVING EAST ON THE CA-91 FREEWAY,I HEARD A LOUD POP AND CRACKLING NOISE ‪AT ABOUT 9:20AM‬. I ALSO FELT VERY SMALL PARTICLES FALL ON MYARMS AND FACEAFTER THE NOISE. TRAFFIC WAS VERY LIGHT, SO THERE WERE NOT ANY NEARBY VEHICLES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.CONFUSED AND CAUTIOUS, I TRIED TO CLOSE MY SUNROOF. WHEN THE SUNROOF CAME OUT FROM THE ROOF ENCLOSURE, I COULD SEE IT WAS SHATTERED AND A LARGE HOLE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GLASS. AFTER EXITING THE FREEWAY AND STOPPING IN A NEARBY PARKING LOT I EXAMINED MY CAR. I LOOKED AROUND AND SAW THERE WAS SMALL PIECES OF BROKEN GLASS ON THE PASSENGER SEAT AND NEAR MY GEAR SELECTOR, AS WELL AS A FEW SLIGHTLY BIGGER PIECES IN THE FLOOR OF MY BACKSEAT OF MY CAR. I VISITED A NEAR BY HONDA DEALER AND THEY CLAIMED IT MUST HAVE BEEN HIT BY A ROCK OR SOME OTHER KIND OF DEBRIS. I FIND HONDA'S EXPLANATION NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE THE SUNROOF WAS IN THE ROOF ENCLOSURE WITH ONLY THE FRONT LIP OF THE GLASS EXPOSED, HOWEVER, THE MIDDLE OF THE SUNROOF IS WHERE THE DAMAGE IS CENTERED, WHICH WAS INSIDE OF THE ROOF ENCLOSURE AT THE TIME OF THIS EVENT, AND THEREFORE SEEMS HIGHLY UNLIKELY ROAD DEBRIS COULD HIT THE GLASS INSIDE THE ENCLOSURE. I HAVE FILED A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE AS WELL. I PURCHASED MY HONDA CIVIC CAR BRAND NEW IN DECEMBER 2016, AND IT DID NOT HAVE ANY DAMAGE TO THE SUNROOF FROM THE TIME OF PURCHASE TO THE TIME OF THIS EVENT.