2023 Kia Sportage: sunroof shattered

Filed Sep 3, 2026 · AL

I own a 2023 Kia Sportage Pro While driving to work, I heard an explosive sound that sounded like a gunshot on the top of my vehicle. I pulled over to see that my sunroof had exploded. I checked for any objects that may have hit it, and the only thing that was in the top of the roof was glass. Thankfully, my cover was closed on my sunroof for a glass would have been all over causing possible injury.

Filed Apr 13, 2026 · Body · NV

I was driving and heard a loud pop like a gunshot and then the sound of glass breaking. When I inspected, the sunroof had just shattered for no reason. All the edges of the sunroof have a shatter line along them with no damage in the middle of the glass

Filed Sep 3, 2025 · MT

Driving at a speed of 45 mph the sunroof spontaneously exploded. No other cars to kick rocks in the indicate vicinity. No passing traffic. We heard a very loud boom and the sound of shattering and skittering glass. Sunroof and sunroof cover were closed. All windows were closed. Pulled to the side of the road, called husband, called Kia to start warranty claim. Our safety was called into jeopardy as we had to drive over 150 miles to the Kia service center, not knowing if any glass would work itself through or of the sunroof shade would handle the wind of driving. The Kia dealership had only seen 1 Sportage and 1 Telluride incur this damage. We also had to find our own way home, they could not offer us a loaner vehicle. Incurred expense of having to fly back home and will incur expenses of having to make the 275 mile journey back to get it once repaired.

Filed Aug 19, 2025 · CA

Fixed glass panel between the windshield and sunroof spontaneously shattered. There was no impact, debris, or outside force involved. The break occurred with a perfectly straight fracture line, which is characteristic of a manufacture defect stress-related failure rather than an external object strike.

Filed Feb 28, 2025 · Visibility · NJ

While driving on a highway at approximately 5:00 p.m., a loud explosion occurred. My husband said it sounded like we were shot. Once we pulled over, we discovered the panoramic sunroof had exploded. We immediately pulled off on the nearest exit and drove the car right back to the dealer. While my husband drove the car, I researched sunroof explosions and found several complaints of other Kia cars with panoramic sunroofs that had exploded. Upon arrival at the dealership, the service department was closed, but we were able to bring the car inside the garage since it was raining. There was no impact to the sunroof and no bridge where something could have fallen from it. The broken glass looked like it had exploded outward like a volcano. Shattered pieces of glass were scattered on top of the cloth covering but most pieces must have flown off the roof during driving. A saleswoman made a ridiculous claim that the explosion could have been caused by hail. It was 55 degrees out. Another salesman made a comment that it could have been some kind of combustion or that something fell on top of the sunroof (like a meteorite fell from the sky while driving?). Now, the following morning, Kia (a man named Walt) is claiming something hit the sunroof, "pictures don't lie", and they will not do any work on the car until my insurance company is contacted and an appraiser comes to look at the damage. We also took pictures and do not see that an impact occurred. No other cars on the highway at the time the sunroof exploded were impacted with their driving or even pulled off the road, so I cannot imagine Kia's claim that "something hit the sunroof." No other cars were impacted.

Filed Sep 28, 2024 · LA

My sun roof just exploded and shattered everywhere! It could’ve caused me to wreck with my 4 month old I thought someone shot at us! There was no reason at all for this to happen.

Filed May 16, 2024 · WY

While my niece was driving the vehicle, the sunroof shattered. No rock or other debris hit the sunroof. It simply shattered

Filed Apr 22, 2024 · AZ

Moonroof exploded while I was driving.

Filed Aug 15, 2023 · IL

My sunroof just shattered in my 2023 KIA Sportage as I was driving to work. There was no one in front of me and nothing hit it. Sounded as if a bomb went off, just a big kaboom and then flapping sound as if I blew a tire, and sounded like it was raining. I pulled over, no flat and when I looked on top, my whole sunroof had exploded and the raining sound was glass falling onto my cloth cover, which I was so grateful not to have had open or I would’ve been covered and most likely wrecked. I was so shaken up. I had to drive holding the cloth cover so it didn’t rip off, so I could not drive over 25. I was afraid to put the cloth part back in fear of glass falling on me and causing more damage to vehicle. A coworker showed me several reported instances of this happening to others. I also paid extra when I purchased my brand new KIA for the extra warranty for extra coverage but the service advisor was extremely condescending and stated that this had to be due to an impact because tempered glass does not shatter this way. This happened during extreme heat index and I did have my air conditioner on. Thank goodness my screen nor sunroof was open at this time. My insurance covered the repair, this is not about money. I just want to prevent this from happening to others and possibly causing an injury. I have noticed that the reports have simply been dismissed stating that since the vehicles had either dents, or chip in windshield. There are no dings, scratches, no damage whatsoever to my vehicle. I also saw some of the reports stated there was not enough glass to test in order to explain this happening. I had the repair shop keep my glass and I have a pretty good chunk for inspection. I was almost to a stop because I was turning off of the highway to take another road to work.

Filed Dec 27, 2022 · AZ

I was driving to Christmas Eve service and heard a very loud explosion from the top of 2023 Kia Sportage. I then started hearing air coming from my panoramic sunroof. I pulled to the side of the road to inspect, and found that my sunroof had basically exploded.

Filed Oct 9, 2022 · Visibility · CA

My husband and I own a 2023 KIA Sportage that was purchased on May 11th, 2022. The car has barely 1700 miles on it, and in mint condition. My husband and I were at a stoplight turning left when all of a sudden we heard a loud explosion, almost like a shotgun. It was so loud my husband and I could physically feel the loud gun shot, and truly scared us to the point where we thought it might have been a drive-by shooting. We didn’t notice any damage at first until we pulled over and saw the start of the panoramic sunroof (near the front windshield) shattered completely. There currently is no recall on this issue despite the hundreds of reports. I am unable to drive my car as the front windshield can crack/explode at any moment.

Filed Jun 4, 2022 · Visibility · LA

Driving down the highway with my two kids and little brother in the back seat leaving vacation. Nobody is in front of us and we are not under an overpass. We all hear what we thought was a shotgun being shot at us. It ended up being the panoramic sunroof, quite literally exploding on my brand new vehicle. (mileage was at 3450 when it happened). The glass is pointing outwards NOT inwards. absolutely NOTHING hit my vehicle.