Reading though the threads I notice that I'M not the only one. Driving at around 35 Mph, medium weather conditions, we hear an explosion in the car. I stop immeditely and notice the rear sunroof is completely shattered. Luckily nonone was sitting at the back.

It sounds like common experience from then on, Mini service claims something must have hit the sunroof (read that more than 10 times in this thread ) and they never heard of sunroof problems with Minis

I'm asking for their response in writing before I take take the legal route.

Thanks for all the posts here, without these I would have just believed the Mini service and paid for the repair.

I'Ll keep everyone posted on how it goes.

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Had the same happen to other folks here. My wife driving Aprox 60mph, damp 45F day on freeway, no other vehicles around and described by her a big "boom". Luckily she did have the sun shade covering the sunroof, so she was not harmed. She took it too the dealership (Northwest MINI) and they claimed they had not seen this before and it must have been a rock. Presently we are going through the insurance route, but tempted to fight the battle as a "defect" as others have done here. Any suggestions to help me win my case would be greatly appreciated.

 

It does not look like anybody has reported this problem here for the last couple of years. But for the record, it just happened to me. I was driving my wife's 2007 Cooper S at about 35 mph with outside temp about 50 F. Heard a very loud noise from up above, but it sure did not look like there was any external cause. No trucks scattering debris, no overpasses above, no shooting stars reported or any other evidence of a projectile. Fortunately the sliding screen was shut so not very much of the broken glass got into the car. So far, like the other reported incidents, every body is playing dumb, claims never to have heard of this happening. Question: Anybody have any experience with this over the last 2 years that has not been reported here?

 

Old scary thread resurrected; it looks like the issue has subsided from the peak of 2008-10 on the forums. As a "casual" engineer, I think the shattering is caused by a slight binding of the sunroof in its frame that puts stress on the glass so that even a small rock chip can weaken it enough to blow out. I don't believe temperature or tinting are anything but very minor factors, it has to be stress and probably from the edges where it is mounted in the frame. A preventative step might be to always keep that mechanism lubricated, and reading these posts just bumped that procedure up the to-do list for me.

 

I know these posts are older, but my daughter was driving her 2013 countryman on the interstate yesterday and yep, you guessed it, her sunroof just exploded. shade was open so there is glass everywhere. Luckily, she was unhurt, but it sure could have ended differently. Car is being towed to Winston-Salem, NC today, and she is expecting to have to pay for the repair up front. Hopefully, all of the threads relating to similar issues will help her cause.

 

Keep us updated, please. Thanks.

 

The frame that you lubricate has nothing to do with the frame, the glass sits in. In fact I think the glass is simply glued on that hidden frame so there is little you can do to prevent this shattering from happening. The only external factor I can think of that can cause the glass to shatter like this is an alcoholic liquid on a very hot day. A heavy object will cause to shatter in pattern from the point of contact and it will be obvious that something hit it.

Most likely cause is a manufacturing defect whatever the dealer says...