Exploding Sunroof + No Heat/Defrost

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

My vehicle is a 2008 Mercedes-Benz 300C, with 9400 miles. I live in Palmer, AK, about 45 miles north of the dealership (in Anchorage).

My heater/defrost went completely OUT about 6 weeks ago, when it was -5 degrees. I had to beg for a tow, citing “safety issues.” No way am I driving for an hour at that temperature. The vehicle interior would fog up and I’d freeze or crash.

Sunday night, it was snowing lightly and about 25 degrees. It was snowing more heavily in Anchorage. I had to drive into town to do my (volunteer) radio show. South of Mirror Lake (for any of you who know the Glenn Hwy, the only way INTO Anchorage) my sunroof EXPLODED :eek:

I was able to pull the car off the road and stop. If I had flinched when the sunroof went kablooey, I could have ditch-dived, or worse, easily killed myself and taken out other people and vehicles. The explosion sounded like a gunshot to my head, btw.

Soon it was snowing INSIDE the vehicle. The weather got really bad and I had to wait about an hour for a tow (meanwhile the sun set and it got DARK AND COLD).

I had the car towed to the dealership (closed / it was Sunday evening, natch) and had to spend the night at an expensive hotel (not covered by my insurance). The next day, I also had to rent a Ford F-150 AWD to drive as the dealership had no loaners.

The service guy said the blowout of the sunroof was caused by “air pressure differential.” IS THIS PLAUSIBLE?

The service guy said it happens when going through an underpass. I was nowhere NEAR any underpasses.

I am posting this because I am stilll very frightened and angry. Should I sell the car? Is it a lemon? Am I doomed to more disasters ? :mad: :frowning: :confused:

2

Air pressure differential? Well, did you seal up every possible joint where air could enter or exit your vehicle? Were you pumping massive volumes of air into or out of said sealed vehicle? Did you belch suddenly? :rolleyes:

Um, I don’t see how it would be remotely plausible. I seriously doubt the difference between the pressure inside your car and outside was any higher than for an airplane in flight, and you don’t see those windows blowing out willy-nilly.

Underpass?? I’d love to see the reports of this happening at underpasses. It sounds like a lemon to me. Don’t let them yank you around. Start looking up the names and numbers of whoever the dealership reports to. The service guy is blowing smoke up your skirt, IMHO.

Pressure differential?? :rolleyes:

3

It the bomb.

Glass will shatter in cold or heat. I’ve seen windshields do this from stress in cold weather. It won’t surprise me if a sunroof shattered from stresses while you drove down the road. I would expect them to be competent enough that the repairs will last. Had this been a repeat incident, then it’s time to think there may be a design problem.

4

It’s entirely plausible to have the heat/cold issue which would cause glass to crack. But they told you it was a pressure differential? That’s bubkiss.

Start doing your research… this doesn’t sound kosher.