NHTSA Complaint #11154785 — 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS 550

I WAS DRIVING IN A RURAL AREA WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE AN EXPLOSION. MY FIRST INSTINCT WAS THAT I HAD BLOWN A TIRE BECAUSE IT WAS SO LOUD. HOWEVER, THE CAR WAS HANDLING FINE AND NO WARNING MESSAGES CAME ON. MY HUSBAND AND I BOTH SAID "WHAT WAS THAT?" EVERYTHING ON SEEMED FINE MECHANICALLY SO WE KEPT DRIVING, BUT A BIT SHAKEN BY THE SUDDEN LOUD NOISE. I FEW HOURS LATER WE STOPPED FOR GAS. AS MY HUSBAND WENT TO CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD HE NOTICED THE SHATTER OF THE GLASS ROOF PANEL. WE THOUGHT BACK TO THE INCIDENT EARLIER AND REALIZED THAT MUST HAVE BEEN THE SOUND ME HEARD. THE WEIRD THING WAS AT THE TIME NO ONE WAS AROUND US. NO CAR HAD BEEN IN FRONT OF US TO BE THROWING UP ROCKS. WE WERE ON A RURAL HIGHWAY. THE SPEED LIMIT ON THAT STRETCH OF ROAD WAS 80 MPH. THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS APPROXIMATELY 65 DEGREES, SO NOT EXTREME. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT LOOKED IT SOMETHING HIT IT AT "THE SWEET SPOT" THAT CAUSED IT TO CRACK ALL THE WAY ACROSS AND THEN UP BOTH SIDES AND THEY REFUSED TO COVER IT. MIND YOU I ALREADY HAD TWO CHIPS IN MY WINDSHIELD FROM ROCKS FROM A GRAVEL TRUCK I WAS BEHIND A MONTH PRIOR AND THEY SOUNDED NOTHING LIKE THIS SOUND. THE WORRISOME PART WAS THAT THE SOUND WAS SO SHOCKING, IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING NEAR ANYONE IT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE I WAS SO STARTLED AT THE TIME.