Paulina Sickel of Windhoek was driving her Mercedes-Benz ML350, similar to this one, when the sunroof exploded outwards. Paulina Sickel of Windhoek was driving her Mercedes-Benz ML350, similar to this one, when the sunroof exploded outwards.
Windhoek, Namibia - The last thing one would expect after spending close to R1 million on a luxury SUV is for its sunroof to spontaneously explode.
But that’s what happened to a Windhoek woman while she was driving her 2013 Mercedes ML350 from Springbok in the Northern Cape to Windhoek in January. Paulina Sickel said the explosion sounded like a gunshot and she thought she had been shot at.
“I was still shaking from fright two days later.”
It might sound like a freak occurrence, but apparently it happens much more often than one would imagine.
There are hundreds of articles on the internet regarding exploding sunroofs, and they are not limited to Mercedes models.
Owners of various makes and models reported having been unexpectedly showered with glass.
In the past two years, both Audi and Hyundai have recalled “thousands” of cars because of sunroof issues.
TOUGH TO SOLVE
Aftermarket manufacturer Webasto recalled hundreds of thousands of sunroofs, out of concern they could spontaneously break.
Webasto sells complete roof and convertible roof systems, and is one of the world’s largest suppliers to the motor industry.
When a sunroof spontaneously explodes, everybody wants to know the cause. But it’s a mystery that can be tough to solve.
Tarek Zohdi, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of California Berkeley in the US, said the sunroof possibly broke due to stress from changes in temperatures, or from fatigue.
Harald Sickel, Paulina’s husband, said it was not so much the broken sunroof that raised his ire, but alleged Mercedes-Benz “couldn’t have cared less and simply sent me an exorbitant quote to replace it”.
But Jeanette Clark, responding for Mercedes-Benz, said: “Mercedes-Benz South Africa regrets to hear of the complaint.
“We strive to provide premium service at all times and will follow up the exact incident and investigate.”
Cape Times
