[bavarian19]

I guess it is better than the corvettes that were having their entire roof separate from the car.

[maswastage]

If it's not a BMW specific issue, do we know if anyone's figured out the cause yet? Maybe riding with the moonroof lid closed creates some kind of pressure bubble between the glass and the lid? Or maybe it's just a defect in the glass?

[Blind32]

And people say those intake scoops don't do anything but block the radiator....

[PoorMan]

This problem is still going on?

[m635csi]

I had a similar experience with a 1991 318is. I was in the snow, and came outside of a restaurant after having dinner, and the back window looked like it had been kicked out from the inside. The doors were locked. I chalked it up to temperature change. The dealer replaced it under warranty.

[KentW]

It's probably a "perfect storm" of chassis flex, heat, and microfractures in the glass.

[dimabimmer]

This could be aerodinamics issue. The shape of this particular model is like wing of an aircraft, and at speeds possibly creates enough difference in pressures to suck out the weakest part of roof-the sun roof. Don't laugh, this could be very true. We already have seen several of these "explosions" of sunroof. This is becoming a pattern. Most importantly, nothing should be exploding in car at speeds of 65mph and over, or near that. This is a huge safety issue!!!

[EZ_TUR90]

Originally Posted by likwidplastik

It just sucks bacause you expect to be treated a certain way by BMW.

Most Bimmer dealers are fuckn retarded. Drop 40k plus on a car and they treat you like shit.

[jimk]

Volvos have this issue too. Volvo agreed to replace at N/C. Probably many others:

http://forums.swedespeed.com/zerothread?id=41353&page=2

[E92-Lighting]

i am really unsure how this can even occur

[PTinVT]

When I hit a pothole at 30-40 mph with my run-flat tires, it feels like I just drove into a curb. I wonder if hitting a pothole at highway speeds with RFT conveys the impact into the roof and torques the whole body into shattering the sunroof? The mirror image pix on page 1 are hard to dismiss, as if one was caused by a right-wheel impact and the other from the left...

By any chance have any of you explodees been on non-RFTs? [Ditching my RFTs soon in any event]

[jibaholic101]

Originally Posted by E92-Lighting

i am really unsure how this can even occur

me too!

maybe it is poor glass quality on the roof? i have no idea. but this thread should be passed on to BMW NA so that they can look into doing something about it

[Sandydog]

This isn't a BMW issue, or a Volvo issue, or a car issue at all; It is a tempered-glass issue.
Tempered safety glass in side windows, backlights (with or without heating wires), and sunroofs has been turning into piles of crumbs since tempered glass was invented. It happens in tempered-glass home sliding doors and shower doors as well. It's what the stuff DOES.

Temperature variations across the glass surface, harmonic vibration, sudden jolts that don't spread evenly across the glass, pressure changes that a human wouldn't even notice, invisible microfractures in the glass structure itself, microscopic flaws in the surface of the glass caused by impacts from sharp-edged objects that don't even make enough noise to be heard, you name it--any of these alone or in combination can cause the glass to 'let go.' The owner /victim may have heard nothing, or the changes were so minor as to be unnoticed, but they were there.
Tempered glass is weird stuff-- you can smack it with a flat hammer and it won't break, but press a hardened-tip pointed punch into its surface and it'll crumble with little effort.

Many manufacturers/dealers will do a 'warranty' on glass that shatters for no 'apparent' reason in a new car maybe once if at all, to keep the customer happy. 'Defective' glass is the stuff that delaminates, or is discoloured, or hazy, or crazed, or whatever. Glass that shatters isn't defective--it's doing what it's designed to do, just not when expected.
One large German manufacturer frowns upon warrantying glass that doesn't have a 'visible defect,' and to them, being shattered isn't a 'defect'--as the rep put it to me, "Glass breaks. They have insurance."
Ah, Germans.

[colinexl]

I was driving on the freeway when this happened. I just heard a loud explosion above my head, which scared the sh.t out of me. Then I heard a lot of crackling noises like glass shards flying around scratching the top. It sounded like a lot of electricity.

I wasn't following any large trailers or driving under a bridge or a tunnel. It was just under the wide open sky when this happened. The chances of a rock falling from the sky and taking out your sunroof is pretty slim.

Also, there wasn't a "hole" to indicate that it was a projectile that caused the issue. The entire glass top is pretty much gone and the lack of the amount of glass shards left inside suggests that the sunroof exploded outwards.

Anyway here are the details:

2009 335i Sedan with about 5000 miles
Speed: 65-70 mph
Windows: all closed
Sunroof: closed, with the cabin slide closed as well

UPDATE:

Went to the dealership where I bought the car from and explained to them what happened. The SA got the manager out and saw the damage and basically said they'll fix it for me! I guess I got lucky. Props to BMW of Mountain View.

Sorry for the crappy camera phone pictures.

^Glad it worked out with the dealer. Do you know the build date of your car and whether it was built in Germany or South Africa? Maybe this exploding sunroof has to do with where it was build since the South Africa builds are known to be more reliable.

[GregTheStig]

I'm about to drive my 328i on the highway over an hour away this Sunday.... I'm scared

But... this gives us another excuse to drive with the sunroof open

I'm really curious to hear about any new developments, I've never heard of such an issue with a BMW. I haven't read through all of the posts yet, but do you think it's because of poor insulation or something? Like air leaking in through the seals and, when the visor is closed, causes the glass to explode from the inside.

[bsamoul]

Originally Posted by GregTheStig

I'm about to drive my 328i on the highway over an hour away this Sunday.... I'm scared

But... this gives us another excuse to drive with the sunroof open

I'm really curious to hear about any new developments, I've never heard of such an issue with a BMW. I haven't read through all of the posts yet, but do you think it's because of poor insulation or something? Like air leaking in through the seals and, when the visor is closed, causes the glass to explode from the inside.

Don't worry too much about it. It's not only an issue with BMWs, I've heard it on other makes as well. Both e90's we have had for 4 years have had no problems. Don't be scared to drive your car.

[Flagler ///M135]

Just curiosity....(disclaimer, I'm not a scientist) I wonder if it matters whether or not you drive with the A/C on recycle air or "fresh". I wonder if this affects the pressure inside the cabin at speeds

[chromisdesigns]

Originally Posted by beemer3

^Glad it worked out with the dealer. Do you know the build date of your car and whether it was built in Germany or South Africa? Maybe this exploding sunroof has to do with where it was build since the South Africa builds are known to be more reliable.

Where does the idea that the SA builds are more reliable come from?

[Ron1n]

Many people have stated that the quality standards are higher in the SA facility because it's not in Germany.

[dimabimmer]

it's time to trade in for M3 with CF roof.

[colinexl]

Originally Posted by beemer3

^Glad it worked out with the dealer. Do you know the build date of your car and whether it was built in Germany or South Africa? Maybe this exploding sunroof has to do with where it was build since the South Africa builds are known to be more reliable.

I believe mine was built in Germany. I purchased the Germany one thinking they would have the better build quality!