Sunroof shattered after a loud bang noise. No vehicles around.
2022 Toyota RAV4: sunroof shattered
9 of the 150 complaints about the 2022 Toyota RAV4 describe sunroof shattered.
- owner complaints
- 9
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- recalls
- 0
Sunroof shattered by model year
What owners say
While driving at highway speeds, the moonroof suddenly and spontaneously exploded without being struck by any visible road debris or external objects. After safely pulling over and shutting the vehicle off to assess the damage, the car now refuses to start or crank. The electrical system and interior/dashboard lights still power on normally, but the ignition will not engage to drive the vehicle.
The panoramic moonroof on my 2022 Toyota RAV4 spontaneously shattered and exploded outward at approximately 2:09 PM on June 21, 2026 while my wife was driving and exiting the freeway. There was a loud bang, followed by glass shards ejecting primarily outward onto the roof with a pattern showing the glass failed/bent from the inside out. The outer glass panel broke into multiple large sections with a clean perimeter failure and no visible external impact point or road debris damage. This created an immediate safety hazard: loud distraction while driving at highway speeds, flying glass, and sudden exposure through the roof opening. No warning lights, messages, noises, or prior symptoms appeared. The moonroof had been used normally with no issues. The component (panoramic moonroof glass assembly) is available for inspection. I have a dealer appointment scheduled for tomorrow, June 22, 2026 at 9:45 AM for inspection. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the dealer, manufacturer, insurance, or police. This matches numerous similar reports of spontaneous panoramic sunroof failures on RAV4 models.
The sunroof shattered while I was driving. There were no other vehicles around me or on the street. I heard a loud bang and glass rained down on me. The glass is pitched upward like it exploded from the inside. There is no other damage to my car. I had no warning other than the loud bang. When I am not out, my car is in a garage it never sits outside.
The Panoramic Sunroof Shattered on its Own out of nowhere. It just made loud noise. we thought it was tire, but car did not make move, looking above we saw the panoramic section of sunroof shattered. I went to dealer, they said there is a point of contact (means something has hit the roof) and they told me i have to file with insurance company. Insurance company is asking a million questions. It seems they are both passing it to each other. TO my opinion it is manufacturing flaw. very unsafe!
On [XXX], I opened the unblemished retractable glass roof of my 2022 RAV4 XSE. The rear windows were rolled down approximately 4 inches. No other cars/people were in front, next to, or behind me. As I accelerated to approximately 35 mph, I heard an explosive blast and peered upward. I noticed that the retractable glass roof panel had completely shattered. Shards of the roof rained on me as I drove home. Once home, I closed the roof just enough to secure my vehicle. The motor /closing mechanisms were operable. Glass shards were present in the tracks as well as on the top of the intact remainder of the glass roof. Glass shards were present in both the front and back seats of the vehicle. Upon inspection, there were NO visible pits/holes in the shattered roof; however, the roof was almost completely displaced from the edges of the moonroof’s seal/frame (see pictures). I contacted my Insurance to file a claim, and my SUV was towed to Toyota. 6/24 Toyota’s estimator left a voicemail stating that the glass roof was being assessed. I left a message asking for the cause of the damage. On 6/25, Toyota called and stated that the roof panel was being replaced. The estimator was unable to determine the cause of the breakage and mentioned that this was the first time they had to replace a panoramic sunroof. No other outside agencies (only Toyota Carlsbad Collision) inspected and/or addressed the damaged glass roof. A faulty design and /or improper manufacturing of the glass was never addressed or considered. 6/27 Toyota billed my insurance $1971.52 minus the $500 deductible I was required to pay per the terms of my insurance. *** It should be noted that there are a number of RAV4 cases involving sudden glass roof explosions. These lawsuits allege that glass sunroofs of RAV4s shatter under normal driving conditions. In fact, on May 3, 2024, a class action suit brought before the US District Court in California, rejected Toyota’s rebuttal, and the lawsuit is moving forward. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFO
When driving on the interstate, the sunroof (aka, the moonroof) spontaneously shattered. It was most certainly NOT stuck by any object.
I bought a NEW rav-4 toyota last year, 2022 model. I have about 10,500 miles on it and suddenly my moon roof (back sun roof) shattered. There was nothing around to throw rocks up on top of my car so its nearly impossible for it to be from an "outdoor influence". I decided that I would open up a claim with Toyota, they have not even tried to advocate for my side; in fact no one asked for my side of the story until I said no one had asked me. It is not under warranty because its the moon roof and it is from "ware and tare" but no where does it say glass is not covered, and then they said that it would be covered only if proven from a manufacture/car fault or malfunction. My moon roof has no point of impact, hence the thought it was caused by pressure. Then I looked it up, this has happened to 100s of people on their rav4 2021, some of which got it covered by Toyota. I have been talking to a case manager (after weeks of trying to reach one) and he basically said that even if I send them these reports of it previously happening he won't bother looking at them; and that the specialist team are bias to Toyota so they will also say its outside causes. I have been pushed around, looked down on, and not advocated for. They also won't do ANY repair on my car until Toyota says okay, or I file an insurance claim, so they have had my car for 2 weeks doing nothing on it. Not only that they upsold me on the moon roof, encouraged me to do it, my $500 upgrade is now costing me $5000 dollars to fix. This is a dangerous reoccurring problem, what if my shade wasn't closed and the glass hit myself or passengers, of if cars behind me ran over glass chunks and caused flat tires or window chips etc. In addition the way the situation has been handled makes me and my Toyota loyal family not want to buy a Toyota again!!
The moonroof glass shattered unexpectedly with no impact or previous damage while driving on the Highway. The vehicle is only 3 months old has not been involved in any accidents or incidents. If the interior moonroof shade was not closed the glass would have dropped all over the interior potentially harming myself and any other passengers in the vehicle.
Service bulletins that may apply
- MIL ON condition with one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) upon cold soak start up...
- Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical...
- To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used...
- The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix...
- Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal...
- Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad...
- Some 2022 model year Avalon and Avalon Hybrid, 2022 – 2024 model year Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla,...
- Condition in which a musty odor is present
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2022 Toyota RAV4 sunroof shattered
Is sunroof shattered a common problem on the 2022 Toyota RAV4?
9 of 150 owner complaints about the 2022 Toyota RAV4 (6%) mention sunroof shattered. The model year with the most reports is 2021.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2022 Toyota RAV4?
There are 0 recalls and 29 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2022 Toyota RAV4
Check engine light 9Stalling 8No deployment 6Collision warning 5Screen failure 5Jerking 5Loss of power 5Won't start 5
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2022 Toyota RAV4?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history