Consumer Reports article on exploding sunroofs

[aighead]

Also, the shards aren't going to cut you. They're tempered safety glass. When they break, the edges aren't sharp.

This isn't exactly true. I have a backhoe that had safety glass that was broken by a big tree branch. It was open, over my head, when it happened and though it was safety glass it fell down my shirt and I had a lot of small micro-cuts after, and upon cleaning it up sliced my fingers open several times. While it seems unlikely to make life threatening cuts on you like a normal window pane it will cut you open.

I read somewhere that this problem happened more with folks that kept their shades closed?

Also, weird, I golf with the guy in this article. It isn't something you expect to see, reading a random article on the internet, but I see a very familiar name first thing... He's a great golfer.

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[civicls]

Broken glass from a rock? Dealer must replace it because I didnt cause it.

Glass does not spontaneously erupt, there is always a reason for this to happen. And no, a temperature differential is not merely enough for the glass to break. After all, they're engineered that way. Yes that could happen if you park in a 50 degree garage and leave your house when its minus 50 degrees out, but in that case the entire glass will crack in a single burst.

Just saying, never heard of glass spontaneously breaking. /s

 

[calonzo]

Sunroof glass popping like that sounds random as hell. Also, the shards aren't going to cut you. They're tempered safety glass. When they break, the edges aren't sharp.

While that should be the case, looking at the photo, there are still some large pieces intact that could be dangerous if they fell on your head or neck.

I wonder if this type of breakage has different results than normal impact breakage.

 

[dellyjoughnut]

The best explanation I can get is uneven thermal expansion resulting in a crack but only happens in a very specific condition to facilitate crack propagation. Generally, moonroof glass should not crack spontaneously.

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