Exploding glass sunroof on 2 day old ML
 

Hello everyone -

First I wanted to say "Hello!". I'm a newbie to this group, having just leased an '07 ML350 - actually picked the car up on Thursday. I am a big believer in the power of these forums, as I have been active on the Corvette Forum (also own an '07 Z06) and that community has been an integral & enjoyable part of my experience with that car.

Anyway, I wonder if any of you have heard of a similar experience. I was driving the new ML on Saturday with my wife & 2 yr old daughter in the car. Driving about 40mph on a relatively normal highway lined with stores and such, no overpasses or anything like that. Suddenly there is an exploding sound - as if a gun went off in my car. We look up and there is a hole in the glass sunroof (shade was in the open position) about 8"x4", but the glass is pushed up as though something jumped out of the car and upwards through the roof. There were some very tiny shards of glass that landed on my wife and I (fortunately not on my daughter), though most of that glass was gone. Nothing from outside had entered into the car.

We pulled over, closed the sunshade and called MB. I had to drive about another 5 miles (very slowly) to get to an event, and as we drove I could hear the glass panel crackling. By the time I arrived at my destination, glass had begun to fall off in larger chunks, gathering above the sunshade. Over the next hour or two more glass came down, some of it falling through the vents in the sunshade onto the seats.You can see a picture of the roof a couple hours after it happened.

My dealer sent a flatbed with a loaner on a 3 hour journey to my location (which i'm certainly very grateful for) and took my car back. I'm still waiting to here back from them. Anyone experience anything or hear about anything similar. I did a search on the forum and read about a very similar incident on a panoramic roof, but nothing else.

Best,
jb


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RE: Exploding glass sunroof on 2 day old ML
 

HOLY ****!

RE: Exploding glass sunroof on 2 day old ML
 

Had the same thing happen to my 04 ML350, except it was the rear glass.

RE: Exploding glass sunroof on 2 day old ML
 

seen it on the rear glass on the earlier model ml- 163 chasis but not the new ones. never seen a sunroof explode.

RE: Exploding glass sunroof on 2 day old ML
 

Finally we dont feel alone. My wife and I were casually driving dow the street when BOOM Crack!!!!!!! what was that? we looked and the sunroof had exploded.nothing hit it and we had not moved it and it was not hot outside. I was in shock I called my insurance company and we had it replace .2000 ML 430

RE: Exploding glass sunroof on 2 day old ML
 

Sunroof explodes on 07 ML63 AMG, 15/11/07. Very same driving conditions as jonnyb, how many times does it need to happen to constitute a recall.Obviously mercedes are using cheapest glass supplier to maximise profits.

RE: Exploding glass sunroof on 2 day old ML
 

These situations could be because of body movements from the vehicle and internal pressure in the cabin, which creates pressure that causes it to explode. You can make a claim that MB may be using cheap glass, but where do you get to maximize profits? For all you know it could be a design defect... but either way I'm glad you guys are alright and not cut or anything

RE: Exploding glass sunroof on 2 day old ML
 

This happened to me almost exactly as johnnyB_NYC described to my GL450. I was at a stop sign not even moving, no trees above me, and POP! At first I thought a tire had blown, then realized it was the sunroof when I heard the wind and then eventually the shards of glass coming down as I moved forward. It looked like, as johnnyB said, something tried to push its way out of the sunroof. you can argue that it's a design flaw.But this is happening to more than onemodel of mercedes as described in this forum. Cheap glass!!! I brought it to the dealer and he wouldn't believe me that it happened spontaneously. He kept saying how something must have hit it. I'm sure that mercedes won't admit to it and i'll have to cover the cost. I'd like to hear if more people are having this problem.

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RE: Exploding glass sunroof on 2 day old ML
 

My fiance works as a master technician for MB and just recently worked on a car that had the same thing happen. It was an 07 ML, not sure the exact model. He couldn't believe that this could just happen from pressure but did some research and found out how many other cars, not only MB, this was happening to. You wont have to "cover the cost" because MB covers the cost. And i guess its CHEAP GLASS that every type of car company uses since its happening everywhere...Although with MB, i believe you get what you pay for, and i can say i love my car (even if i'll have to replace my sunroof someday). Hopefully there is a solution to this before someone gets hurt. 07 ML 350.

RE: Exploding glass sunroof on 2 day old ML
 

ipeace, thanks for posting.

by the time i drove to the dealer, there was very little evidence left of the "popped out" sunroof. it was really just my word on the story. i could have been hit by something and lied aboutit. but i didn't.the service agent said he never heard of such a thing. i was pleasantly surprised when mercedes said that they would cover it.

i also have a E320 4matic. i know that mercedes has had it's reliability issues, but i have to agree with you. nothing drives like a mercedes.