[the_nik]

Today while driving home from work on the interstate, the glass on my 2014 Cruze sunroof exploded. Luckily the shade was closed when it happened. It took me a few seconds to recover from the explosion noise and to figure out that the sound of gravel hitting my roof was not gravel but glass. I quickly scanned my surroundings and noted that I had not gone under an underpass so it wasn't something dropped from a road above. The highway cuts through a residential area with no tall buildings that might harbor snipers. Could it have been a road stone with just the right angle? I guess theoretically possible but I don't remember seeing anything. As soon as it was safe to pull over I examined the sunroof. The edges of the broken glass that were still intact were bowing upwards which to me indicate that it wasn't an object causing the glass to break. It looked like an internal explosion.

Anyway, I recall seeing this thread (http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/9-general-discussion/147465-sunroof-recall-n150224.html) so I immediately drove to my dealer. The dealer checked my VIN and said sorry not part of the recall. I explained that the issue is that some vehicles got glass that was too thin. (see Chevy Cruze and Buick Regal Sunroofs To Be Replaced | CarComplaints.com). I asked if he knew the spec for the glass thickness since we can now easily measure what's left of mine. He had no idea and didn't seem interested in finding out.

Does anyone know the glass thickness spec? I really feel my Cruze is part of the recall and want to see if I can push back on the decision. Any other advice?

 

[Tomko]

I've read of sunroofs from other manufacturers that suffer from some kind of internal stress and literally explode like you've described.

I'm not a sunroof guy myself - so I didn't pay much attention - but Google is your friend.

 

[the_nik]

Here is a picture of the aftermath. By the time I got home 10 miles later, the outer edges of the glass settled back down so you can't see the upward bowing anymore. Shade is still closed so the contrast is not that great. I'm trying to keep the mess out of the cabin.

 

[Cruzen Vegas]

That's pretty cool. read the recall notice and do the Measurment like described yourself...

 

[Cruzen Vegas]

You can do the measurement just as described in the recall because only the center blew out and the measurement is on one of the edges it looks like...

 

[dhpnet]

That's crazy. I haven't seen anything like this posted on this forum before. Be careful not to get glass under the headliner. That would be hard to get out.

Fortunately, the glass is pretty easy to change. Just 4 small screws hold it in. A quick search on ebay and I see a used one for $124. You'll have to decide if it's worth spending the time fighting with the dealer for that price.

To replace the glass, put the window in the vent position. Remove the bellows on the sides. They just snap in place. Be careful because they are pretty flimsy. I removed them once to clean them. If I remember correctly, I think it was easier to remove the front first, but it has been a while since I did it.

After you remove the bellows, you will see the 4 screws that hold the window in place. These screws are also used to adjust the height of the sunroof. The service manual says the front should be about 0-1mm below the height of the roof. The rear of the glass is supposed to be about 0-1mm above the height of the roof. The service manual says to torque the screws to 4nm. I just screwed them tight, but don't tighten them too much because it's all aluminum and plastic. After adjusting, cycle the window through all of the positions and check the adjustment again. The rear of my window is a little below the roof, but it won't go any higher.

It would probably only take about 10 minutes to replace the glass.

 

[rtronick]

About 20 years ago, I was a front seat passenger in a Pontiac Sunbird when the sunroof exploded. I had a lot of small cuts on both arms and was finding small shards of glass in my hair for weeks. What a pain!!

 

[the_nik]

You can do the measurement just as described in the recall because only the center blew out and the measurement is on one of the edges it looks like...

I'm hesitant to do the measurement procedure via the 4 gauge holes because it requires you to partially open the sun roof. There are so many tiny pieces of glass in the track area that I'm afraid I could damage the sun roof opening mechanism/track. Maybe I can vacuum it out but it's not easily accessible with most of the glass in place. I was hoping the thickness specification for that glass was known since I can now easily measure the actual thickness of my glass using a caliper (via the gaping hole).

I think I'll leave the remaining glass as is and give another dealer a try. I have already contacted my insurance company but to me it feels like an inherent defect that Chevy should pay for. I also have a bunch of tiny paint chips just behind the sunroof where all the glass pieces came down.

BTW contrary to what dhpnet described, my insurance company said sun roof glass replacement is difficult and will need to be done by a facility that only does sun roof repairs. Thanks for the procedure description dhpnet.

 

[sailurman]

If you have any questions or concerns that your dealer is unable to resolve, please contact the appropriate Customer Assistance Center at the number listed below.

Division	Number	Text Telephones (TTY)
Buick	1-800-521-7300	1-800-832-8425
Chevrolet	1-800-222-1020	1-800-833-2438
Puerto Rico – English	1-800-496-9992
Puerto Rico – Español	1-800-496-9993
Virgin Islands	1-800-496-9994

 

[dhpnet]

BTW contrary to what dhpnet described, my insurance company said sun roof glass replacement is difficult and will need to be done by a facility that only does sun roof repairs. Thanks for the procedure description dhpnet.

If the insurance company is paying, let them do whatever they want. If you are paying, then do what you think is best. I personally wouldn't pay a sunroof specialist to do that glass if I could get one cheap on ebay. The hardest part will be getting all of the broken glass out of everything. If it got into the tracks underneath the headliner, that could be a problem. If the headliner and sunroof frame need to be removed to get the broken glass out, that would be a lot of work.

 

[Rivergoer]

Asked my cousin (Honda Certified Tech w/30 yrs exp) about exploding sunroofs. He recalls a problem with Accords several years ago, he personally replaced 4-5 of them. At first Honda was doing them under warranty, but later 'determined' the cause to be airborne rocks or road debris getting caught in the turbulent air above the roof and being drawn into the sunroof glass. Not quite sure I buy that but I suppose it's plausible...maybe a case for the Mythbusters.

Even if true, I can't picture this being the issue with the Cruze. The car is so aerodynamic the flow over the roof has got to be **** near laminar with very little turbulence. Interested in how this turns out for you, post an update after fix.

 

[Eddy Cruze]

About 20 years ago, I was a front seat passenger in a Pontiac Sunbird when the sunroof exploded. I had a lot of small cuts on both arms and was finding small shards of glass in my hair for weeks. What a pain!!

I wash my hair every day and would think you would have immediately combed all the glass out of your head, perhaps shaving your hair off and/or seeking medical attention for any embedded glass, having my eyes looked at immediately. What about glass on your pillow which could have been transferred to your eyes. I am the victim of a side window that exploded and sent shards of glass @ 2000 miles an hour to the side of my face and eyes. Unlike the Windshield made of laminated safety glass I'm sure the Sunroof offers no safety features at all and a large enough piece can even kill you. I will never get another Sunroof.

 

[Tomko]

I wash my hair every day and would think you would have immediately combed all the glass out of your head, perhaps shaving your hair off and/or seeking medical attention for any embedded glass, having my eyes looked at immediately. What about glass on your pillow which could have been transferred to your eyes. I am the victim of a side window that exploded and sent shards of glass @ 2000 miles an hour to the side of my face and eyes. Unlike the Windshield made of laminated safety glass I'm sure the Sunroof offers no safety features at all and a large enough piece can even kill you. I will never get another Sunroof.

I once saw a Fiero that reportedly rolled three times after missing a particularly challenging off-ramp (that has since been redesigned). The thing that struck me most was that even though the body looked like it had been through a giant cement mixer, the factory sunroof was 100% intact.

 

[the_nik]

I tried taking my Cruze to a second GM dealer who also said my VIN doesn't show up as part of the recall. What are the odds that GM has a recall on 2014 Cruzes with too thin glass that can spontaneously fail yet my 2014 is not part of that recall?

Since I have full glass coverage I ended up having it replaced via my insurance. Apparently the OEM glass alone was $900. The sunroof "experts" did just an OK job. The glass sits a bit high on the right front side but it operates OK and didn't leak in the most recent Rochester deluge. Oh yeah, now I need to get the greasy fingerprints off my headliner. Sigh....

Thanks for all the helpful responses.