Shattered Sunroof

[tonyg25]

Anyone had a spontaneously shattered sunroof - no foreign objects apparent?

I ended up covered in glass on a clear, dry, emptyish motorway - the sunroof had been buzzing for a week or so.

MINI/BMW felt that there must have been a stone etc and directed me down an Insurance route, hence I am £400 excess the poorer.

I've seen stone-induced cracks before and swear this 'just happened' - seen other threads on the web to say it has happened to them with various vehicles.

What say you?

[Paul]

Not seen this before on here. Sounds nasty.

[mph999]

hmm, how the hell does a stone hit the sunroof ????

[Tracie]

Has been a common fault with the Renault glass sunroofs in the Senic ( I think) ..most have been shattering when going over a Cattle grid..( do a search on the interweb there are loads of discussions on various forums)..Renault won't admit to a problem, lets hope BMW take notice if its going to happen on the MINI.

[tonyg25]

Looked on internet - three were BMW family brands - 5 series, known issue with 3 series and one last gen MINI Cooper, but Renault Scenic also mentioned as per this thread - all same comment - shattered, no foreign objects. I have raised this with MINI Customer Service - awaiting response

[spiney]

I think my 02 MCS did this when it was parked outside in the summer. It's very unlikely that something fell on it, it just seemed to spontaneously get what looked like a fist sized hole in it, but there was nothing inside the car as you might expect if something hit it. It was parked in our driveway, 200 yards from the road, no-one ever walks by, and not in range of the baseball fields.

I ended up paying a fair bit of excess/deductible myself, as even as it is glass, which is covered by my policy with no deductible, but because it has "metal frames attached", they charge you the excess. Got to love it...

[tonyg25]

Spiney - same "whole roof mechanism" comment I got from the BMW bodyshop - starts to seem a whole lot more structural than 'just glass" then :-)

Mine is a late reg 2006 new gen MCS btw

[butlerm1977]

Was driving the brand new Mini Cooper S with the wife earlier today and out of no where the sunroof explodes. Sounded like gun fire!!! We were going over a large bridge with no road debris in sight. This car barely has 100 miles on it so far! I'll take it back into the dealer tomorrow and hope they will cover the cost with the default MINI warranty. Kind of made a big X shape hole. Checked the inside of the cabin, nothing came through. Sounded like it just decided it wanted to explode. Weird!

[ExenersMini]

Just happened to me in my 2008 MINI Cooper S... I was driving along the highway, about 60 mph, nothing hit it, few cars around me and all of a sudden a very loud POP! I have it at the dealer now and it looks like they're going to give me grief about covering it under warranty. The sunroof has not worked correctly since I got it and now this!?!? Makes me very nervous about driving it, as perhaps the front sunroof will decide to also spontaneously explode?

[ExenersMini]

Thankfully, it looks like the San Francisco MINI dealer is going to step up to the plate and repair the sunroof on their dime. MUCH relieved!

[R50 + R56]

I had the same experience in July 2009 when I was driving my 2008 Mini Cooper. The Hong Kong paid for the sunroof replacement cost "as a goodwill gesture", they say. Not under warranty. I just put up a new thread today (18 Sept 2009).

[markjborg]

good thing I don't have a sun roof cause i didn't want it...but now I am reading about exploding ones too...gosh :/ That must be frightening driving then all of a sudden "BOOOM" Woah....or just finding it broken :/ it will defiantly creep me

[brettlonsdale]

Just had this happen to me today on a 2007 Mini Cooper S.

Quote: Originally Posted by tonyg25 (original)

Anyone had a spontaneously shattered sunroof - no foreign objects apparent?

I ended up covered in glass on a clear, dry, emptyish motorway - the sunroof had been buzzing for a week or so.

MINI/BMW felt that there must have been a stone etc and directed me down an Insurance route, hence I am £400 excess the poorer.

I've seen stone-induced cracks before and swear this 'just happened' - seen other threads on the web to say it has happened to them with various vehicles.

What say you?

[malcdt]

Quote: Originally Posted by tonyg25 (original)

Anyone had a spontaneously shattered sunroof - no foreign objects apparent?

I ended up covered in glass on a clear, dry, emptyish motorway - the sunroof had been buzzing for a week or so.

MINI/BMW felt that there must have been a stone etc and directed me down an Insurance route, hence I am £400 excess the poorer.

I've seen stone-induced cracks before and swear this 'just happened' - seen other threads on the web to say it has happened to them with various vehicles.

What say you?

Not sunroof but side window just shattered with no bangs etc on motorway with no other cars in sight. I believe there is a problem with the glass but BMW advise not and suggest that I go insurance route and if there is a problem they will handle via insurance co. This way any problem does not become public domain.

I'm thinking of getting solicitor on the case.

Any other sufferers out there.

[Munich]

Oh god! You guys are making me nervous because I have a sunroof on my car. I don't have a garage to park it in over night and there is currently a couple of cm's of snow covering it...