NHTSA Complaint #11155574 — 2005 CADILLAC XLR

CADILLAC XLR ROOF SEPARATION: I WAS DRIVING A 2005 CADILLAC XLR SOUTH OF I-75 WHEN THE ROOF SUDDENLY, AND QUITE UNEXPECTEDLY SEPARATED AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH. I WAS DRIVING IN ABSOLUTE TERRIBLE, RAINY WEATHER WHEN THE ROOF SEPARATED. JUST BEFORE THE SEPARATION I HEARD A VERY BRIEF 'ROAD NOISE' SOUND COME FROM JUST ABOVE THE REAR VIEW MIRROR, AT THE ROOF LINE. IT HAD A SIMILAR SOUND TO A WINDOW BEING SLIGHTLY CRACKED AND ALLOWING IN AIR. THE NEXT THING I KNOW, I HEAR A VERY LOUD BANG AND AN ABUNDANCE OF WIND NOISE. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR AND SAW A LARGE BLACK OBJECT GOING END-OVER-END ACROSS THE I-75 LANES OF TRAFFIC. THE TERRIBLE WEATHER MAY HAVE BEEN A BLESSING, AS THERE WAS NOBODY CLOSE TO MY VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE SEPARATION. DUE TO THE RAIN VEHICLES WERE QUITE SPACED AND TRAVELLING AT, WHAT I CONSIDER, RELATIVELY LOW SPEEDS FOR I-75. I CANNOT IMAGINE THE CARNAGE IF THAT ROOF SKIN WOULD HAVE STRUCK A VEHICLE TRAVELING IN PROXIMITY TO MYSELF. THE CORVETTE, WHICH THE XLR IS BASED OFF, HAD A VERY SIMILAR ISSUE AND WAS RECALLED. WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED? SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED.