[Guest]

On friday 10/7/05 2 hours before im soppose to meet my crew in Pleasonton for the HID role in, my sunroof decided to exploded.

Windows were down sunroof was open, I had just gotten out of the car. Went in to grab some things as I am coming out I hear a glass explosion. I came running out to find a old lady across the street going it just exploded... ( I came out yelling some #### ).

So I go and walk around the car... theres glass at about a 7ft radius around the car. Along with the metal bars that push the wind deflector down. One shot about 5 feet and the other one shot into the car.

So I start to clean all the glass up with a vacum, u know I dont wanna scratch the paint. So as im sucking I can hear the glass still cracking. Its like the heat just got to it and bam! So I taped out what was left of the glass drove to the dealer asked em if they could take one off a tc in the lot or if they have a replacement in stock. They said no, and no!

SO I told them take the sunroof off I need to get to the show. So they did and told me they call me when the replacement comes in.

I have some pictures for you all. Any help with scion corp would be appreicated. I emailed them but we will see what happens. I know of glass shards stuck in my interior, chips and scratches on the car where the glass hit.

The sunroof as you can see just spider cracked and the sides broke off and shot.

Some of the glass pieces around the car

The way it looks from the back. You can see in the reflection on how the sunroof is cracked.

This one shows the blast radius of the glass

And this one is the little steels beam that pushes the wind deflector down when u close the sunroof. Like I said this thing was like 5feet away from the car.

 

[upinsmoke23]

WOW

Thats amazing. How did that happen? Did it just do it by itself. No music playing, nothing fell on it, was it just heat? Do u drive around at high speeds with it open? Thats just crazy as hell. Im just glad no one was around it when it blew. That glass could of hurt someone badly if it hit them in the face. Sorry to see that bro. Hope they replace it fast. Good luck man. Pz

 

[EddNog]

 

[Guest]

Music was going but its only 100 watts to a sub that requires 250... and with the windows all down and everything open theres no presure.

 

[upinsmoke23]

Wow. Its true that there was no pressure. Might of just been a freak vibration mixed in with the heat. Thats just amazing. thanks for the pics. they show the truth about the problem. Pz

 

[gottc?]

how warm was it outside?

 

[lo bux racer]

Damn Keith, that sucks rocks. I have to admit, that's always been a back of the mind worry for me. Glass is glass. It breaks. It's not even safety glass, just tempered so it breaks into little pieces, not big pieces. I've never understood why the pop-up piece is glass, I would have expected it to be a polymer of some kind, or even a composite like CF, since it pokes up into the airstream and is susceptible to rock damage just like the windshield.

So, here's the real question: is this going to be covered by warranty? Glass breakage isn't usually a warranty item unless you can prove a defect. Please let us know what happens with this, it will determine (for me anyway) if I need to be prepared to replace the OEM glass with something else like Lexan or CF. Neither of them shatter under normal conditions.

 

[shifter]

That just about answers some of my concerns with the whole glass panel thingy.

I had this crazy dream of someone falling into my car roof, too.

Did you do anything to the car, or did it just exploaded on its own?

 

[krdshrk]

Like, Yoiks, scoob!

 

[sciontc_mich]

wow!!!! the difference this time is that the arms that raise the wind deflector went flying away too!! that is some severe tension! and exploded out a 4-5 foot or so radius!?? wow!

I can see now why NHTSA (nat'l hwy transportation safety.. "recall people") are stepping this up and about to look into a recall, that glass is not right! Luckily lately, most of the people have had the cars stopped when it happened..

glad you weren't hurt!! but that is some crazy stuff right there! definitely keep us posted on what happens.. and scion better fix it.. and no you shouldn't have to pay anything!..

report it to nhtsa.. here is the direct link i found to submit a claim for defect for investigation. they would love to add it to their file, this would help in their current, ongoing investigation of the sunroof! and yes i think it's a defect..

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

 

[zoltiz]

I guess since I never cared for the sunroof anyway, I might as well get raamaudio's CF replacement before it's too late. I drive with it closed always anyway.

 

[sciontc_mich]

i just found this link.. which is the article that shows the NHTSA (goverment) investigation has gone onto the 2nd stage from investigation into engineering analysis.. They did not listen to toyota's reasonings and explanations.. here is the link.. with the number of cars affected so far..

i also noticed this is ONLY for the 2005 tC, not the 06.. has anyone heard of the 06 having problems? or is the design changed for 06? here's the link (pdf file)

http://199.79.180.162/prepos/files/:5341349

 

[raamaudio]

Terribly sorry to hear this happened, really weird as well. We had a crystal drinking glass blow up all over our kitchen one night, even some shards stuck in the wall! The base was just sitting there where left with jagged edges sticking up.

It was so loud my wife thought it was a gunshot inside the house, I was away so she called the cops then me, 4 cars, dogs, etc around when I got home, they were as perplexed as we were.

Called the Scince department at EWSU (local to us), they had no idea either except this deep in the woods on a bluff overlooking our house, several miles away, very very well gaurded Air Force base where later on I found out they were part of the Star Wars program, hmmmmm

Next night I am home, get woken up by an intensely loud 200 hertz audio burst of around 3 seconds.

Makes you wonder eh???

(I was stationed at a Radar Bomb Scoring unit and regularly worked on Radars, weather station and communications gear as well as controlled aircraft on the range in the area, I do know a bit about how this stuff works

Anyway, it could of been a pellet or BB gun, misalignment of the mounting of the unit causing a stress fracture brought on by just the right frequency and intensity of music you were playing, a passing trunk, bus, car, HARLEY, something fell from the sky, etc, etc..........

Rick

 

[lo bux racer]

Rick solution is pretty extreme. It's not a simple mod at all. OK, I was in Portland last week and stopped by to see the car. It sure isn't anything close to a bolt-on mod at all.

I doubt there will be any difference between 05 and 06. They just don't have complaints about the problem yet from the 06 population. Notice too, the investigation is into the deflector, NOT the main window.

The plot thickens...

 

[raamaudio]

Yes, our mod is very extreme in time and planning, execution and we do not make the roof, it was made for us and is not commercially available and may not be so.

I wish they would make a bolt on unit, we spent alot of hours just figuring out how to do this well and still have alot of trim issues to figure out.

If they made one available it would take alot of rework on their part to make it viable to the general enthusiast. They original design requires busting out the rear glass, cleaning it up and glueing the new roof over the bolt on steel frame. The rear glass/ frame unit costs $950 for a new one from Toyota so you had better be prepaid to keep the new roof for good!

Their plan would still keep the weight around 25+ lbs, much better than
62 like the stock roof, ours ended up being right around 16 lbs and alot of work that has to be done very very well.

BUT, if you call and bug, email and bug, generally just bug the crap out of Andy at Kaminari then maybe with enough people wanting one they will decide to pursue a bolt in, low labor(relatively as woud still have to remove and reinstall the headliner) CF roof for those that want one.

As for handling improvement, far more than even expected!!!!!!

And the doors shut more solidily, the chassis is stiffer, less wind noise, far better crash protection(generally but could be other issues), needs insulated though, which we already did

Rick

 

[LuCiFer6]

Like someone said above you really need to report this to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and if you can show them these pictures it would even be better.

I really have to wonder if the tC was made for the Japanese market, would we be seeing these same problems. Now I know most cars are not error free, but dam after all the rattling noise crap, exploding wind deflectors and now and exploding sunroof (which I might add, sits right on top of the driver) is Toyota is finally going to step up and issue their recall.

 

[Obike]

Personally, I'm not all that worried... I have yet to have any problems with my sunroof and I've had it for 10mos. I always travel with the sunroof open when temperature and weather permits... but with that said I can understand where the NHTSA is coming from. Let's hope their findings are conclusive.

 

[MustangJolly]

This thread has undoubtedly amazed me.. i'm speechless... =X

 

[prehensile]

Did the NHTSA mention cars sitting still? I think the old lady got sick of the beats and chucked a geritol at it ...hahahaha

I just can't imagine what would make even non-safety glass completely explode out of the blue outwards with the windows open like that??? That's some messed up glass!

Keep us posted....

 

[Geneo]

The incident with the sunroof exploding is similiar to the issue that Nissan is having with their Maxima glass sunroof as well. I know of 4 that have done so locally. 2 while parked....2 being driven at the time. I fear this saga will continue.