The class action alleges that Mercedes knew of the defective sunroofs since 2006
March 12, 2025 at 17:01
- The plaintiff says the sunroof of her 2019 Mercedes GLE exploded in February 2022.
- Customers may be left out of pocket around $5,000 to replace a broken sunroof.
- Models reportedly affected by the issue include the C-Class, E-Class, GLE-Class.
The last thing anyone expects on a peaceful drive is for their sunroof to suddenly explode, but according to a class action lawsuit against Mercedes-Benz in the United States, that’s exactly what some owners have experienced. The suit, which is now advancing in court, claims that sunroofs on several Mercedes models built since 2011 can shatter without warning, putting both drivers and passengers at risk.
Originally filed in Georgia in 2023, the case claims that despite knowing about the issue for years, Mercedes has failed to take action.
The case was brought by Natalie Bolling, who says the sunroof of her 2019 GLE exploded in February 2022 while she was driving with the shade cover open. According to Bolling, the sound was as loud as a shotgun blast, leaving her and her fiancé covered in shattered glass. She claims Mercedes refused to cover the repairs, forcing her to spend nearly $5,000 on a replacement sunroof.
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According to the lawsuit, Mercedes-Benz has known about the propensity of its sunroofs to shatter since 2006 but has not issued any recalls. Vehicles reportedly equipped with sunroofs that are prone to shattering include the following:
The lawsuit argues that the issue stems from the use of tempered glass rather than laminated glass. Because tempered glass is designed to shatter into small pieces upon impact, even a minor scratch could theoretically lead to a catastrophic failure,
Judge Thomas W. Thrash Jr. said most of the claims made in the 2023 lawsuit can proceed. These include several fraud allegations, including fraudulent concealment and unjust enrichment. Implied warranty claims have also been allowed to proceed, even though Mercedes tried to have them thrown out, saying plaintiffs needed to provide pre-lawsuit notice before filing the class action.
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The suit references several customer complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that date back to 2010, and some of them even earlier. They came from owners of 2006 E-Class and C-Class models from 2007, 2008, 2016, 2018, and 2019, as well as the owner of a 2019 E-Class. One complaint came from a 2020 CLA owner who claimed their sunroof shattered while driving at approximately 75 mph.
For now, Mercedes-Benz has not issued a recall or officially acknowledged a widespread defect. Owners who have experienced sunroof failures have been responsible for repair costs. The outcome of the lawsuit may determine whether the automaker takes further action, but at this stage, no definitive ruling has been made.
