NHTSA Complaint #11310223 — 2018 TOYOTA RAV4

AT AROUND 1:30 PM, FEBRUARY 7, 2020, ON A SUNNY AND WINDY DAY, I WAS DRIVING ON MD RTE. 32 HEADING TOWARDS COLUMBIA JUST PAST I-95, TRAVELING ABOUT 60 MPH. I WAS DRIVING NEXT TO A LARGE TRUCK AND BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF WIND, AND THE TRUCK WAS BEING BLOWN BY THE WIND, I DECIDED TO DRIVE PASS IT. AFTER I HAD DRIVEN PAST THE TRUCK, I HEARD A VERY LOUD BANG RIGHT ABOVE MY HEAD AS IF SOMETHING EXPLODED. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING AND THE CAR APPEARED TO BE OK, SO I KEPT DRIVING. BUT THEN I STARTED HEARING THE SOUND OF WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SOMETHING LIKE GRAVEL BOUNCING RIGHT ABOVE THE SLIDER THAT COVERS THE SUNROOF. BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW WHAT JUST HAPPENED, I DECIDED TO HEAD HOME WHICH IS JUST A FEW MINUTES AWAY. WHEN I GOT HOME I SAW THAT THE SUNROOF GLASS WAS SHATTERED AND MOST OF THE GLASS WAS GONE. I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF THE COMPANY THAT SOLD ME THE CAR ABOUT GETTING THE SUNROOF REPLACED AND THEY TOLD ME THAT EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD AND HAD A THREE YEAR WARRANTY, THAT I SHOULD CALL MY INSURANCE AGENT. I CONTACTED OUR INSURANCE AGENT AND SHE SAID TO CALL THE CLAIMS DEPARTMENT. SHE ALSO MENTIONED THAT SOMETHING MUST HAVE HIT THE SUNROOF. TO MY KNOWLEDGE NOTHING HIT THE SUNROOF TO CAUSE THE GLASS TO EXPLODE. I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY PREVIOUS CRACKS OR OTHER DAMAGE TO THE SUNROOF THAT WOULD HAVE WEAKENED IT. I CALLED THE INSURANCE AGENT, AND WAS TRANSFERRED TO SUNROOF EXPRESS, THE COMPANY THAT HANDLES THE SUNROOF CLAIMS. I WAS REQUIRED TO PAY MY DEDUCTIBLE AND THEY SENT A NEW SUNROOF TO A REPAIR COMPANY NEAR ME AND THE SUNROOF WAS REPLACED. AT NO TIME DID ANY OF THESE COMPANIES ASK ME WHAT HAPPENED, WHICH ASTONISHED ME. NOR DID THEY SEEM SURPRISED AT THE OCCURRENCE. IT WAS LIKE THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME AND WE WANT TO BE EFFICIENT AND GET IT REPLACED FOR YOU AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.