‘It sounded like a gunshot’

Car sunroofs across a variety of makes and models have been spontaneously exploding – and reports of the startling incidents could hit a record-high this year.

Over the past few years, thousands of drivers have filed complaints with US auto-safety regulators about their sunroofs suddenly shattering, often while they were driving, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. 

Nearly 500 such complaints have been filed so far this year with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. There were 550 complaints about broken sunroofs across all of last year.

In one instance, Amber Nguyen, 26, was driving her 2025 Lexus SUV on a highway on the way to a work meeting when she heard a loud bang.

“I’m not even joking, it sounded like a gunshot,” Nguyen, who lives in Louisiana, told the Journal. “The sound is totally different than if a rock just hits your car.”

Then, Nguyen heard the sound of wind coming in through her shattered sunroof. Her sunshade had been closed – but if it hadn’t, she might have ended up covered in glass shards.

In other complaints, a Kia minivan’s sunroof spontaneously exploded while driving on a Wisconsin highway, a GMC sport-utility vehicle’s moonroof fell onto seats where children ride and a Mercedes-Benz owner heard a “gunshot” sound before their glass shattered.

The sunroof failures were reported in more than 200 models from 17 different manufacturers over the past three years, according to the analysis.

Such failures happen about once a day, and about one in five complaints involve a 2025 or 2026 model year vehicle.

Among the vehicles most commonly cited in sunroof complaints include Toyota’s RAV4, the Hyundai Palisade SUV, the Kia Telluride SUV and the Honda CR-V.

It’s possible that some shattered sunroofs are the result of design and manufacturing mishaps. The bizarre explosions are also believed to be caused by road debris hitting the glass repeatedly over time and extreme shifts in temperature causing the glass to expand.

On Reddit, vehicle owners have shared gripes about the exploding sunroofs, with many comparing the sound to a gunshot and some saying the incidents happened when they were blasting the heating system on a cold winter day.

Since 2021, the NHTSA has received nearly 2,800 complaints of sunroofs unexpectedly breaking. More than 500 complaints involved newer vehicles, the analysis said.

But the sunroof issues have rarely led to recalls.

In 2013, the agency launched a probe into Kia Sorento SUVs after several reports of unexpected sunroof damage. 

After a seven-year investigation that found over 4,000 reported incidents of sunroof fractures, the NHTSA said in 2021 that it didn’t find enough evidence of a defect.

It said the issues were likely caused by small rocks being kicked up by other vehicles and causing “imperceptible” damage over time that eventually builds up and causes breakage.

“A breaking sunroof can be startling and costly, and NHTSA has investigated and is monitoring this issue,” a spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal, adding that it is unaware of any crashes or serious injuries linked to shattered sunroofs.

The NHTSA added that major suppliers are seemingly moving toward using laminated glass – which is used in car windshields – and other stronger materials in production.

In the meantime, sunroofs and “moonroofs” have grown more and more common in newer vehicle models.

The glass features are now equipped on more than half of vehicles produced for the US market – a 35% jump over the past decade, according to data from industry-research firm Omdia. 

Sunroofs are opaque coverings that match the car’s exterior and can be removed to let in the light or fresh air. “Moonroofs” are tinted glass coverings that let in light even when they are closed. Reports about shattering glass include both terms.

Hyundai said it has commissioned multiple studies to analyze sunroof breakage but hasn’t identified any defects, instead blaming debris hitting the glass. 

Honda argued that it has increasingly sold more CR-Vs equipped with moonroofs, so comparing raw complaint numbers may fail to reflect how often the roofs are actually breaking.

Kia and Toyota did not immediately respond to The Post’s requests for comment.