The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the Scion tC, Hyundai Veloster, Kia Sorento, Nissan Murano and Kia Optima received the most reports of exploding sunroofs. Mechanic's Assistant: Are you fixing your Maxima yourself? Nissan filed a motion to dismiss, saying that broken glass isn’t covered by warranties and therefore broken sunroofs aren’t either. May 22, 2013 . What's scary is the fact that this car safety issue isn't all that uncommon. If tempered glass breaks, you get small chunks rather than life-ending shards. Widespread rust that’s often concealed by the interior carpet until it’s too late and the floorboards crumble to reveal gaping holes. The dealer then wouldn’t cover the cost of replacing the sunroof, even though the car was within the 3-year/36,000-mile warranty period. It covered owners and lessees in the state of California, so it ended up being included under the second lawsuit. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the US agency with the authority to conduct vehicle defect investigations & force recalls. Nissan 350Z 2003 to 2009; Nissan 370Z. And the bigger the roof the higher the "likelihood of contact with an airborne projectile, such as a piece of ice, gravel or other debris," said Transport Canada. A 2017 lawsuit filed in a California court says all 2008–present Nissan and Infiniti models are at risk of their sunroofs exploding because of Nissan's flawed tempering. To process this thin glass it is exposed to extreme heat and is then rapidly cooled during the tempering process. RELATED: Jeep Owners Are Filing a Class-Action Lawsuit for an Expensive Problem. These days it's hard to find a car without a sunroof, so it's no surprise that there's more complaints about sunroofs than ever before. Altima owners have a dangerous problem lurking beneath their feet. While sunroofs will rattle and leak just like any other window, what's truly concerning is reports of them randomly exploding. According to Consumer Reports, Nissan isn’t the only auto manufacturer facing these concerns. I'm waiting for insurance repair The vehicles involved include the following (with factory-installed panoramic sunroofs): The explosion of a sunroof results in shards of glass falling down upon passengers, especially children in the back seat. If not there is going to be a problem. [The plaintiff] lays out the case about how the tempered glass is heated and then rapidly cooled, creating an outer layer of compression shrink-wrapped around the middle of the glass that is constantly pressing outwards. A class action complaint has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York against Nissan Motor Company, alleging that large glass panoramic sunroofs on some Nissan vehicles have spontaneously shattered. A second plaintiff, Subrina Seenarain, was driving a used 2014 Nissan Maxima when its panoramic sunroof exploded as well. Both lawsuits explain that the sunroof is made of tempered glass that includes multiple layers. Nissan needs to address this problem. Allegedly exploding sunroofs have been seen in all kinds of vehicles—Volvos, Fords, Lincolns and Nissans among others. The judge dismissed some claims in certain states but left others to proceed. Maybe you've experienced this problem. The lawsuits allege that this ceramic enamel weakens the structural strength of the sunroof since the glass and paint expand differently. The result? A panoramic sunroof uses thinner glass to save on weight and also improve the vehicle’s fuel economy. Considering cars are more airtight than ever, the pressure is on. 6 comments ... *** was blown out of my front sunroof and the glass that was still in the sunroof was pointed upward. In addition, the Nissan sunroofs have ceramic enamel around the edges, which is applied before tempering. All four of these manufacturers were named defendants in cases that allege these panoramic sunroofs exploded spontaneously. The sunroof on my 2018 Nissan Maxima exploded while driving @ 70mph on Tuesday. The moon roof was closed when the failure occurred. Even pushing it down to simulate it falling on the driver. Nissan North America Inc. on Tuesday urged a California federal court to throw out a proposed class action over panoramic sunroofs that allegedly shatter due to … The case was scheduled for mediation on April 30th, 2019, but results are unknown. The sunroof in your vehicle might soon be coming down in a thousand little pieces. Nissan allegedly had no answer for why the sunroof exploded. Enjoy sophisticated exterior and interior features as well as flexibility when it comes to loading and travelling. 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