NHTSA Complaint #11340199 — 2016 LEXUS RX350

SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODED. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 45MPH ON MY WAY TO WORK DURING A RAINSTORM AROUND 6:30AM ON APRIL 23 2020, WHEN I SUDDENLY HEARD A VERY LOUD BANG. I LOOKED UP TO SEE THAT MY SUNROOF HAD BURST AND THERE WERE GLASS FRAGMENTS RAINING ON MY HEAD. I CLOSED THE VISOR TO PREVENT MORE GLASS AND PRECIPITATION FROM FALLING INTO THE VEHICLE, AND PULLED UNDER AN AWNING TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE. THE GLASS HAD BURST OUTWARD (PICTURES ATTACHED), AND THERE WERE NO DENTS OR CHIPS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE INDICATING THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN STRUCK BY SOMETHING. OTHER THAN THE SHATTERED GLASS, THERE WAS NO DEBRIS ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. ADDITIONALLY, AT THE TIME THE GLASS BURST, MY VEHICLE WAS THE ONLY CAR ON THE ROAD WITHIN SEVERAL HUNDRED METERS, SO THIS COULD NOT HAVE RESULTED FROM ANY SORT OF ROAD DEBRIS KICKED UP BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. I SUFFERED MINOR CUTS TO MY ARMS AND HEAD, BUT DID NOT HAVE ANY MAJOR INJURIES. MY RX350 HAD FEWER THAN 24K MILES ON IT AND WAS 3 YEARS OLD, SO IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER BASIC WARRANTY. LEXUS ULTIMATELY DENIED ANY SORT OF MANUFACTURER DEFECT, AND DID NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY. I HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AT A LEXUS DEALERSHIP FOR $1,465.