NHTSA Complaint #11082518 — 2017 SUBARU IMPREZA

I BELIEVE MY CAR EXPERIENCED A SPONTANEOUS EXPLOSION OF THE SUN ROOF GLASS: WHILE DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT SECTION OF HIGHWAY I HEARD AND FELT A SUDDEN, LOUD, EXPLOSIVE SOUND THAT I THOUGHT WAS FROM SOMETHING HITTING THE ROOF OF MY CAR. AT THE TIME I WAS DRIVING IT CLOUDY BUT NO PRECIPITATION, APPROX. 36 DEGREES, DRY ROAD CONDITIONS WITH MINIMAL TRAFFIC, APPROX. 3:30PM. I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE, NO CONSTRUCTION OR OBJECTS NOTED IN THE ROAD IN THE AREA AND NOT NEAR AN OVERHEAD ROADWAY OR ELEVATED SIDE OF ROAD. I EXITED THE HIGHWAY AT THE NEAREST EXIT AND PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT TO INSPECT MY CAR, AT WHICH TIME I FOUND A LARGE SECTION (APPROX. 10" X 4-5") OF SUN ROOF GLASS WAS MISSING AND THE SURROUNDING GLASS WAS BROKEN AND PROTRUDING OUTWARD (SEE ATTACHED PHOTO). THIS WAS MYSTERIOUS AS I HAD ASSUMED THAT SOMETHING HAD STRUCK THE TOP OF MY CAR AND, THUS, EXPECTED TO SEE THE GLASS PUSHED DOWNWARD FROM THE IMPACT. NO OBJECT (ROCK OR OTHER PROJECTILE) WAS FOUND RESTING ON THE SUN SHADE, WHICH FORTUNATELY WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. I CALLED MY SUBARU DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED MY CAR IN JUNE 2017 NEW (ALL EQUIPMENT ORIGINAL) AND DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM TO THE SERVICE MANAGER. HE IMMEDIATELY OFFERED, "AT NO COST" TO ME, A LOANER CAR AND ASKED ME TO BRING IN MY CAR, WHICH I DID THE NEXT MORNING. THE MANAGER AND A TECH STAFF PERSON LOOKED OVER MY CAR AND ASSESSED THAT I WOULD NEED ONLY TO REPLACE THE GLASS AS THE FRAME WAS INTACT. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT SUBARU WOULD COVER THE COST OF THIS REPLACEMENT, WHICH THEY DID. I BELIEVE THIS WAS A SPONTANEOUS EXPLOSION BASED ON THE RESEARCH I FOUND ON THE INTERNET PARTICULARLY A CONSUMER REPORT ARTICLE.