The moonroof exploded while I was driving the car. There was a loud bang that sounded like a gunshot while I was going down the expressway. The moonroof shattered upwards sending glass all over the highway. As I researched what happened I found lots of reports online of vehicle owners experiencing something similar so I wanted to share.
Subaru Crosstrek sunroof shattered problems
34 of the 1,207 owner complaints about the Subaru Crosstrek describe sunroof shattered, most of them for the 2016 model year.
- owner complaints
- 34
- worst model year
- 2016
- typical mileage
- 11,923
By model year
Often reported together
What owners say
While driving down the interstate just before reaching the causeway tunnel, my moonroof exploded. I thought my car had been shot. I checked and did not see any damage to my car until I slid open the cover to the moonroof. It was shattered. Nothing was surrounding my car that could have hit or damaged the moonroof when it exploded.
On XXX at approximately 8:00 p.m., I was driving my 2022 Subaru Crosstrek westbound onXXX descending from the [XXX] area toward [XXX], shortly after [XXX]. It was approximately 90°F. I was traveling about 75 mph in the middle lane, going straight, with normal traffic around me. Without warning, I heard an extremely loud explosion. I initially thought that a tire on my vehicle or another vehicle had exploded. I saw what appeared to be a shower of dark material around my vehicle but did not know what had happened. I safely pulled over and only then discovered that my sunroof glass had shattered. The sunroof was completely closed and had not been opened in many months, possibly close to a year. I did not see or hear a rock, debris, or any other object strike my vehicle before the explosion. There was no impact sound or other warning before the glass failed. I had not made any unusual maneuver and there had been no collision. The shattered glass appeared to have been expelled outward and rained across the exterior of my vehicle. Fortunately, the interior sunshade was closed and prevented the shattered glass from falling directly onto me. Had the shade been open, the glass could have struck my face or eyes while I was traveling at highway speed and caused me to lose control of the vehicle. I called my husband immediately after pulling over, providing a contemporaneous record of the approximate time of the incident. I am reporting this as a serious safety concern because the sunroof glass suddenly shattered at highway speed without any observed external impact. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The sunroof shattered for no apparent reason. The car was parked in my garage. Something caused it to explode outwardly from within Tempered glass fell going all over the front seats. Some of the glass stood in place, but would come crashing down if I was to drive it from the wind force.
my sunroof exploded. I was on the highway, no trucks around to shed debris, when I heard a pop and then the sound of glass breaking. I was near my home so I got there and then inspected the sunroof. The glass was pushed upward at the center of the sunroof. No rocks inside the interior of the sunroof. This sunroof had only been opened once, when checking operation at the dealership. This car was new and I have had it less than a month. The milage is less than 500 miles.
My 2024 Subaru Crosstrek was parked in front of my house for 3 weeks in extreme heat. We drove it today to get it driven & we kept hearing wind. I slid open the sunroof inside piece & the sunroof glass was shattered due the vehicle doors being closed for 3 weeks in Las Vegas summer heat. On average the outside heat has been 105. I did not drive for 3 weeks due to having foot surgery. I called the local dealership where I bought the vehicle 6 months ago & they said they would not fix it under warranty. Im taking it to an insurance repair show on Tuesday (8/5/25).
On [XXX], at [XXX] , my sunroof spontaneously exploded outwards while driving at 65mph going north bound. There was not an object that struck the vehicle. The next vehicle ahead of me was nearly 1/4 mile ahead of me. I was driving down the road, heard a loud pop, followed by a wind whistling noise. I opened my sunroof sliding cover to find shattered glass and some glass falling to my face. I contact the dealer and have a appointment scheduled for the 5th INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving on the freeway at approximately 60 MPH, the sunroof on my 2019 Subaru Crosstrek suddenly exploded with a very loud pop. This occurred on a sunny, warm day at around 11:30 a.m., following a somewhat cold night. Both the sunroof and the interior sliding cover were fully closed at the time of the incident. After the explosion, shattered glass rained down onto the closed sliding cover. If the sliding cover had been open, glass could have fallen directly onto me, posing a risk of injury, such as glass entering my eyes, and potentially creating a dangerous situation while driving. The sunroof was inspected and replaced by my local Subaru dealership. I was responsible for covering the parts and labor costs. This was the first time this issue occurred with my vehicle, but I have read similar reports online from other Subaru Crosstrek owners. There were no prior warnings, such as unusual noises or visual signs of cracking, before the failure. While the sunroof has been repaired, I have photos and video available for review upon request.
On July 12, 2024 I was driving down the highway when my sunroof suddenly shattered. It sounded like an explosion or a gun went off. I nearly crashed my vehicle. There were no vehicles in front of me however there were vehicles behind me. I looked back into my rear view mirror and saw vehicles veering out of the way as parts of sunroof glass flew. Thankfully I was able to pull over safely. No injuries or accidents occurred. That same day I notified my dealership and they asked me to bring the vehicle in the following day. The following day on July 13, 2024 I took my car into the dealership to be seen and we were told it has happened before to several customers. No explanation was given as to how or why this occured. That same day I contacted Subaru of America and a case was assigned. We are still trying to sort out the issue and get the sunroof repaired.
Sunroof exploded while driving. No temperature extremes, no warning lights prior to event. It sounded like my car was shot and tempered glass fell into vehicle. Insurance claim was filed and approved for replacement of the sunroof; dealership replaced the part.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Subaru Crosstrek sunroof shattered
Which Subaru Crosstrek years have sunroof shattered problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2016 (5 complaints), 2019 (5 complaints) and 2021 (5 complaints).
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