NHTSA Complaint #11405352 — 2018 TOYOTA RAV4

THE EVENING OF SUNDAY, MARCH 28TH, 2021 I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 84 IN IDAHO NEAR WENDELL, AT APPROXIMATELY 83 MPH WHEN THE SUNROOF OF MY 2018 RAV4 EXPLODED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. LUCKILY THE SHADE PANEL WAS DRAWN, SO NO GLASS DEBRIS WENT INTO THE CAR. MY HUSBAND WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, AND OUR 16 YR OLD DAUGHTER WAS SITTING BEHIND HIM. WHEN I FIRST HEARD THE EXPLOSION, I THOUGHT WE HAD A TIRE BLOWOUT, BUT I DIDN'T FEEL A PULL ON THE STEERING WHEEL. MY NEXT THOUGHT WAS THAT THE RV NEXT TO ME HAD A BLOWOUT, BUT THEY KEPT ON DRIVING. WE COULD HEAR A LOT OF WIND COMING FROM THE SUNROOF, SO I PULLED OVER AT THE NEXT EXIT, WHICH WAS CLOSE, AND ASSESSED THE SITUATION. THE SUNROOF WAS GONE! THE REMAINING GLASS AROUND THE EDGES WAS ALL CRACKED AND CURVED UPWARDS, SO IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT IT HAD EXPLODED FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THERE WAS ALSO A LOT OF GLASS DEBRIS INSIDE THE SHADE PANEL. NOBODY PULLED OVER AND APPROACHED US, SO WE DON'T BELIEVE THERE WERE ANY EYE WITNESSES. WE WERE ON OUR WAY HOME TO BOISE AFTER SPENDING SPRING BREAK IN UTAH. WE CONTINUED DRIVING THE REMAINING 2 HRS. HOME, WITH MY HUSBAND HOLDING THE SHADE PANEL CLOSED, SINCE WE WERE AFRAID IT MY GET SUCKED OUT. THE WIND WAS PRETTY DEAFENING. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WERE CLEAR AND SUNNY, 75* WITH STRONG WINDS. WE WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY FLYING DEBRIS, NOR DID WE HEAR ANYTHING HIT THE CAR BEFORE THE EXPLOSION.