NHTSA Complaint #11382713 — 2016 TOYOTA RAV4

HAVE BARELY HAD MY 2016 TOYOTA RAV4 A YEAR, WHEN LAST WEEK JUST LEFT WORK AND TURNED ONTO THE HWY ABOUT 10 MIN GOING ABOUT 65 MPH ON A STRAIGHT STRETCH. ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD A BLAST. FIRST I THOUGHT SOMEONE SHOT THE CAR, THEN THOUGHT MUST HAVE BLOWN A TIRE, BUT IT WAS STEERING FINE. I HEARD AIR AND LOOKED UP AT THE SUNROOF AND IT HAD SHATTERED AND EXPLODED, BIG CHUNK HAD BLOWN OUT. MORE LITTLE PIECES WERE BLOWING OUT SO I SHUT THE COVER. TOOK A PICTURE OF MY DISPLAY SHOWING TEMP, SPEED ETC. WASN'T SURE WHAT TO DO, I WAS 30 MILES FROM TOWN, SO I DROVE TO GAS STATION FOR GAS, AND TOOK PICTURES. NEXT MORNING CALLED TOYOTA AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED. HE MADE ME AN APPT. FOR LATER THAT DAY. I SAID IT SHOULD BE NO COST TO ME AS IT'S OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT IN THE SUNROOF. HE SAID WE WILL TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND SEE IF A ROCK HIT IT OR SOMETHING. I SAID "NO ROCK HIT IT, IT JUST EXPLODED FOR NO REASON". WENT TO APPT AND SERVICE GUY HAD ONLY BEEN ON THE JOB FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS, THEY SENT OUT MAINTENANCE MANAGER. SHE TRIED TO TELL ME A ROCK MUST HAVE HIT IT, I ARGUED THAT NOTHING HIT IT, IT JUST EXPLODED. THEN SERVICE DIRECTOR CAME OUT, HE SAID THERE'S NO WAY TO PROVE WHAT HAPPENED AND THAT IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER MY INSURANCE COMPREHENSIVE FOR GLASS REPAIR. I SAID SURE WITH A $500 DEDUCTIBLE THAT I WILL HAVE TO PAY. HE SAID WELL THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE CAN DO. THEY WROTE UP A REPAIR QUOTE AND GAVE THAT TO ME. THEN A COUPLE GUYS COVERED THE SUNROOF WITH STICKY PLASTIC TO KEEP THE RAIN AND OTHER STUFF OUT. OTHER THAN THAT THEY WERE NO HELP, THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING, WHICH I FIND HARD TO BELIEVE, SO WHEN I GOT HOME I RESEARCHED EXPLODING SUNROOFS AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS. I FEEL IT IS A DEFECTIVE SUNROOF AND TOYOTA SHOULD PAY FOR THE REPAIRS.