NHTSA Complaint #11204879 — 2015 SUBARU WRX

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ON MY WAY TO WORK NOT FOLLOWING ANYONE CLOSELY. I DID NOT GO UNDER ANY OVERPASSES OR TREES AND I HAD MY SUNROOF CLOSED WITH THE SHADE VISOR OPEN AT THE TIME. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY SUNROOF EXPLODED OUT OF NOWHERE (LOUD BOOM) AND A LARGE AMOUNT OF GLASS FELL ON ME INTO THE VEHICLE. LUCKILY, THERE WAS NO ONE NEAR ME ON EITHER SIDE AND I KEPT MY COMPOSURE UNTIL I PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY TO LOOK AND CLEAR THE GLASS FROM MY SEAT AND THE PASSENGER SEAT. WHEN I INSPECTED THE SUNROOF GLASS, IT LOOKED LIKE SOME OF THE BROKEN PIECES ARE FORCED IN AN UPWARDS MANNER AS IF DUE TO PRESSURE OR TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATION. I CHECKED OVER THE REST OF MY VEHICLE AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS CHIPS AND DEEP SCRATCHES FROM THE GLASS THAT DAMAGED MY ROOF, SHARKFIN ANTENNA, AND MY TRUNK AREA WHICH I WILL NEED TO HAVE REPAIRED TO AVOID RUST. I WAS COMPLETELY SURPRISED BY THIS INCIDENT AND GOT A FEW SMALL CUTS ON MY HANDS FROM CLEANING THE GLASS OFF SO I COULD DRIVE BACK HOME. I HAVE DASHCAM FOOTAGE (THAT CAN BE PROVIDED AS WELL) OF ME DRIVING DURING THIS OCCURRENCE AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING THAT WOULD HAVE HIT THE SUNROOF TO DAMAGE IT IN SUCH A WAY. THERE WERE ALSO NO OBJECTS THAT WENT INTO MY CAR'S CABIN FOLLOWING THE BREAKAGE. I WAS READING OVER OTHER SIMILAR REPORTED ISSUES AND THIS APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM THAT IS SPREAD ACROSS VARIOUS MAKES AND MODELS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. THIS IS DEFINITELY A FACTORY DEFECT THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF AND COVERED BY MANUFACTURERS AS IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE.