surfer1 Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 Well, a one in a million event occurred today. I have a beautiful 2013 SEL with a Panoramic sunroof. I have racks and cross bars on the vehicle as well. Today, while driving on I-5 outside Seattle and traveling 65 mph, a semi kicked a rock up in my path. The rock reflected upward over the windshield and impacted the cross bars on my rack. The deflection of the impact sent the rock downward causing the giant sunroof to literally explode. The sound was so loud I still have a headache 4 hours after the event. While some glass entered the vehicle, the majority of the glass maintained shape but was too unstable. It required pulling over at the first exit. All I can say is, my passenger and I were unharmed. I would like to suggest that no matter what type of roof rack or vehicle you may own, If your car has a oversized sunroof, please consider only using cross bars when carrying a upper load. I can assure you, if you have the same event, you will likely crash as a result. It is a absolutely shocking experience. Love my Edge anyway........ DRIVE SAFE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWPerfA_ZN0W Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 Oh man, glad you guys are OK! So sorry to hear about this incident. Was it a big rock or ...? A very, very good thing to know for the BAMR owners out there. I remember once when out on WV highways, a huge piece of asphalt (large fist-sized) came flying at me at highway speeds, but luckily only mildly cracked the windshield and skipped over the car. Not fun. IMHO, "glass" seems to be much more fragile now than in years past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfer1 Posted March 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 (edited) Gotta love tempered glass. He's a couple photos of the damage. Can happen to any car. Edited March 8, 2014 by surfer1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted March 9, 2014 Report Share Posted March 9, 2014 I think that's safety glass like the windshield with a plastic layer to keep the pieces together. Tempered glass is like the side windows that shatter into a million pieces on impact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfer1 Posted March 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2014 Judging from the sunroof profile it is a similar thickness as the side glass. If they are similar then We got very lucky with the glass not imploding. I also think that the glass should have the same impact resistance as the windshield. With that said.nothing can protect you and how you react when the glass explodes. I was lucky not to look up at the glass and concentrated on my passenger and not losing control. I'll take a little luck any day. As a result of my experience, I will purchase a air fairing and only use when carrying cargo above in a case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfer1 Posted March 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2014 Update..... Getting car back today. Emails sent to Thule and Ford with a friendly suggestion to evaluate glass function and crossbar aerodynamics when in use over large glass sunroofs. Car had to be gutted to remove all the glass. Will be nice to get back. I purchased a Rola 59110 cargo hitch case for extra storage. Will minimal storage on roof going forward.....Safe Driving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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