Complaint 1105197

Complaint Summary

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

Owner Narrative

MY FAMILY VEHICLE IS A 2010 AUDI Q7 TDI, PRESTIGE EDITION. THIS IS THE VEHICLE WE ALWAYS TAKE WITH THE CHILDREN, AGES 1 AND 2. RECENTLY, WE HAD AN UNKNOWN BATTERY DRAIN, AND SO TODAY I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE SERVICED. APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES INTO THE DRIVE, I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT INSIDE THE VEHICLE. I THEN REALIZED THE SUNROOF HAD EXPLODED FROM THE INSIDE AND THERE WAS GLASS EVERYWHERE. THERE WERE NO ROCKS, AND ONLY A FEW VEHICLES A SAFE DISTANCE AHEAD OF ME - EVEN SO, A ROCK WOULD HAVE HAD TO TRAVEL STRAIGHT UP AND THEN STRAIGHT DOWN TO SHATTER THE SUNROOF IN THIS MANNER. THERE WERE NO BRIDGES OR UNDERPASSES. I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR, DESPITE HAVING SHATTERED GLASS ALL OVER MYSELF, IN MY HAIR, COFFEE MUG, ETC. THIS IS PROBABLY THE ONLY TIME I'VE DRIVEN THE VEHICLE WITHOUT THE CHILDREN, AND AM ABSOLUTELY THANKFUL THEY WERE NOT IN THE VEHICLE AS BOTH CAR SEATS WERE COVERED IN GLASS. THE CAR WILL HAVE TO BE DETAILED BEFORE THEY CAN RIDE IN IT AGAIN DUE TO THE SHEER VOLUME OF BROKEN GLASS. I TOOK PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGE, AND THE REMAINING GLASS BENDED UPWARD ON THE EDGE OF THE DAMAGE - INDICATING IT BROKE FROM THE INSIDE-OUT. ONE DOES AS MUCH RESEARCH AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE BEFORE PURCHASING A FAMILY VEHICLE BUT AN EXPLODING SUNROOF (PANORAMIC) IS NOT SOMETHING ONE WOULD ANTICIPATE. THIS SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED - NOT EVEN ONCE - AND IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *TR

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.