My 2004 sunroof shattered while driving down interstate. The roof was closed with temperatures outside in the 50's with light rain. Other owners have challenges? Checked with the dealer for a replacement cost of $900. Most auto glass replacement companies do not replace sunroof glass. Found one company that is called night watch. Any suggestions would be appreciated. This is an unusual situation to the best of my knowledge as the dealer nor my insurance company has not come across this situation before just driving down interstate.
Sunroof glass shattered while driving
- Thread starter hikeril
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
Ugh! :wow2:
I'm bummed to hear that for you. That sucks!
This is exactly why I didn't want to sun-roof, although I had to get one because it's a Sport Edition and I didn't want to wait nearly a year for a custom order. I hope mine never breaks like yours.
No indication of prior crack, or something falling on it just prior to it breaking?
I'm bummed to hear that for you. That sucks!
This is exactly why I didn't want to sun-roof, although I had to get one because it's a Sport Edition and I didn't want to wait nearly a year for a custom order. I hope mine never breaks like yours.
No indication of prior crack, or something falling on it just prior to it breaking?
OleSalt
New member
2000 4 Runner
I had the same issue, cruising down I-95 about 78mph, my sunroof just disappeared, I heard a gush of wind and looked in the rearview and thank God nobody was behind me, my window had disintegrated!!! :dammit:
I contacted LKQ which is a salvage yard and they fortunately had a 4 Runner show up that day, told me they'd sell me the window for 155. bucks! I was like pull it!
I went to pick it up, and low and behold it was a factory sunroof...about 3 inches deeper than the one that was on my vehicle previously!! :dammit:
The guy who helped me was a former estimator for Toyota and told me that when they came into the port sometimes they'd put aftermarket parts on them like wheel flares, sunroofs, roof racks etc. Well that's where my window came from....not from the factory. So take measurements...make sure you get what you need. He had the whole assembly, motor, glass, interior rails etc. All for $155.00....and I couldn't use it.
Just the glass from the dealership was $670.00......WHAT??? :wow:
So I took it to the glass doctor, he cut a piece of glass, sealed it in..and voila..not a working sunroof, don't matter never used it anyway, but a glass roof regardless...lol Look up LKQ....google em..they can get you what you need....otherwise fill the hole and drive on! :zoom: :roadkill:
I had the same issue, cruising down I-95 about 78mph, my sunroof just disappeared, I heard a gush of wind and looked in the rearview and thank God nobody was behind me, my window had disintegrated!!! :dammit:
I contacted LKQ which is a salvage yard and they fortunately had a 4 Runner show up that day, told me they'd sell me the window for 155. bucks! I was like pull it!
I went to pick it up, and low and behold it was a factory sunroof...about 3 inches deeper than the one that was on my vehicle previously!! :dammit:
The guy who helped me was a former estimator for Toyota and told me that when they came into the port sometimes they'd put aftermarket parts on them like wheel flares, sunroofs, roof racks etc. Well that's where my window came from....not from the factory. So take measurements...make sure you get what you need. He had the whole assembly, motor, glass, interior rails etc. All for $155.00....and I couldn't use it.
Just the glass from the dealership was $670.00......WHAT??? :wow:
So I took it to the glass doctor, he cut a piece of glass, sealed it in..and voila..not a working sunroof, don't matter never used it anyway, but a glass roof regardless...lol Look up LKQ....google em..they can get you what you need....otherwise fill the hole and drive on! :zoom: :roadkill:
NCSCOTT
New member
I never had a sunroof do this but had a drivers window in a 2000 Dodge neon shatter on the highway!! I was about 150-200 feet behind a semi. I had the window rolled down about 3-4 inches. The window was tinted. all of a sudden it sounded like a shot gun fired in the car!! Scared the Sh!t out of me!! good thing I was in the middle of no where in Arkansas and very little traffic. When I got over the shock of the sound I looked over and the Drivers door window was completely shatter and only being held together by the window tint!!! I very gently rolled the window up and it held in place all the way to Oklahoma City. I rolled into the glass repair place 10 minutes before they closed and they still changed the window for me. $220. I called them long before I got there!! I found out that day that the cruise control on the Neon would not let me set it any higher than 92MPH trying to get to the glass place before they closed.. LOL I figured out by where the shattering started that a rock had hit the leading edge of the window. Likely thrown by the truck. Just a random fluke event!!!
I have a hard time believing that a glass shop won't replace this..unless there's damage to the sunroof mechanics. If it's just the glass almost every glass shop I know will replace the glass. In fact the dealers in my area farm out this work to one or two local glass shops.
Meek6599
New member
4runner sunroof shatter
Just had this same thing happen to me...driving down the interstate about 70 and heard a loud pop and the sunroof had shattered...Can't find replacement at any salvage yards. Glass ordered from the stealership is $607. Don't know what else to do...have had a temporary fix for a while now and need to get it done right. I guess I'll bite the bullet and order it. BUMMMMER
Just had this same thing happen to me...driving down the interstate about 70 and heard a loud pop and the sunroof had shattered...Can't find replacement at any salvage yards. Glass ordered from the stealership is $607. Don't know what else to do...have had a temporary fix for a while now and need to get it done right. I guess I'll bite the bullet and order it. BUMMMMER
jediwebdude
New member
This thread is making me nervous. Hope my sunroof lasts.
CookieRoe
Senior Member
There's something missing from all these stories, like HOW the glass shattered. Glass just doesn't spontaneously do that. NVH can't do that either (sunroofs are engineered to withstand all that). I'm thinking its a 1/1,000,000 chance that a stone/object hit the glass and shattered it. Anyway, whatever the case, hope mine doesn't do that 
Last edited:
chaz
New member
seems some dealers used aftermarket sunroofs that had problems & a recall was issued about a year ago & not sure about shattering but breaking was mentioned, so if anyone has one of these & not the oem one it might be worth a look into. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/83903-sunroof-recall.html
bug slinger
New member
Sungod - I had been combing threads trying to find someone else with the rusting sunroof frame issue.
Have you had to replace it yet? If so where did you go and how much $$?
Thanks.
Have you had to replace it yet? If so where did you go and how much $$?
Thanks.
RedMan84
New member
I remember a story on the local news here about similar issues. Not strictly Toyota, but cars with sunroofs in general.
Without warning, sunroofs shatter into 'a million pieces' :: WRAL.com
Without warning, sunroofs shatter into 'a million pieces' :: WRAL.com
BlackWorksInc
New member
That's a new one to me...
Unfortunately my normal advice of "glue it shut and don't touch it" won't work here. I have never heard of them spontaneously shattering like that... it has to be a twisted frame combined with road bumps issue, I really can't think of another reason.
Also have we confirmed that all shattered units are factory? Seems like a lot of aftermarket sunroofs on the vehicles in this thread... This is why I hate those things...
Unfortunately my normal advice of "glue it shut and don't touch it" won't work here. I have never heard of them spontaneously shattering like that... it has to be a twisted frame combined with road bumps issue, I really can't think of another reason.
Also have we confirmed that all shattered units are factory? Seems like a lot of aftermarket sunroofs on the vehicles in this thread... This is why I hate those things...
There's something missing from all these stories, like HOW the glass shattered. Glass just doesn't spontaneously do that. NVH can't do that either (sunroofs are engineered to withstand all that). I'm thinking its a 1/1,000,000 chance that a stone/object hit the glass and shattered it. Anyway, whatever the case, hope mine doesn't do that
Good point. They just dont shatter like that. If they did, there would be a recall of some sort as that is obviously very dangerous on the highway. I dont think Toyota will take that kind of risk and not do anything about it
I once had my driver door window implode on an Infinity I was driving. I was in Charleston SC driving over one of the bridges, right at the top in the left lane. Like another post I thought it had been shot-out. It was an instantaneous implosion. Freaked me out and I was covered in glass. I never got an explanation of why. Maybe a rock from the other lanes.
hearno
Senior Member
I wrote service for a living when I first got out of school and actually saw that a few times. The owners refused to believe it but all the cars had been wrecked and a few measurements here and there showed how tweaked the roof was. One had it happen on impact with a curb and was honest about it. She said she was texting, smacked a curb, and the sunroof blew out. You could see the crease in the roof in her car tho. It was bad.
