— A Mercedes-Benz sunroof class action lawsuit says panoramic sunroof defects exist in every Mercedes-Benz vehicle equipped with a panoramic sunroof, including these models.
- 2003-present Mercedes-Benz C-Class
- 2007-present Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
- 2013-present Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
- 2003-present Mercedes-Benz E-Class
- 2008-present Mercedes-Benz G-Class
- 2007-present Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
- 2012-presnet Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
- 2012-present Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class
- 2012-present Mercedes-Benz ML-Class
- 2010-present Mercedes-Benz M-Class
- 2015 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-600
- 2009-present Mercedes-Benz R-Class
- 2013-present Mercedes-Benz S-Class
- 2013-present Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
- 2013-present Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class
Plaintiff Hilaret Zaroukian leased a new 2018 Mercedes-Benz E300 in May 2018 from a California Mercedes dealership. In October 2020, the plaintiff was driving on the freeway when she "heard a horrible noise that sounded like a gunshot."
The sunroof shade was closed which prevented most of the glass from entering the cabin, but the sound of exploding glass frightened her and she pulled the vehicle off the road.
Zaroukian says she saw the entire panoramic sunroof had exploded into small pieces of glass, with most of the glass missing from the frame. (Photo above)
According to the class action, the plaintiff took her vehicle to the dealership and the service manager allegedly said the sunroof wasn't covered by the warranty. The dealership said something must have hit the sunroof glass and the plaintiff would have to pay to replace the sunroof.
Zaroukian says she picked up her vehicle about 10 days later and the Mercedes worker who took her to the vehicle allegedly admitted a different owner had visited the dealership a few months earlier for the same problem.
The Mercedes employee allegedly told her the automaker "would never admit responsibility for fear of damaging its reputation."
The plaintiff claims she called the Mercedes corporate offices several times but was informed Mercedes wouldn't pay for replacing the sunroof.
"Ms. Zaroukian had the sunroof replaced at Zoom Autobody in Pasadena, California for $12,583.96, she paid $207.50 for a rental car from Enterprise. She was required to pay $1,000.00 out of pocket to repair the sunroof." - Mercedes sunroof lawsuit
The Mercedes-Benz sunroof class action lawsuit alleges the automaker has known since 2013 the glass explodes without anything hitting the panoramic sunroof.
The automaker allegedly blames the shattered sunroofs on rocks and other objects that hit the glass, but the class action alleges objects "would not impact the sunroof with sufficient force to cause it to shatter. Moreover, driver reports specifically contradict Mercedes’ position."
Drivers report falling shards of glass have caused cuts and injuries as well as damage to the paint and interiors. Additionally, the class action lawsuit alleges drivers complain about nearly crashing from distractions caused by the exploding sunroofs.
The sunroof class action also alleges Mercedes replaces sunroofs with panoramic sunroofs just as defective as the originals.
According to the plaintiff, Mercedes owners "reasonably expected that any and all damage that resulted from the sunroof defect would be covered under the warranty, and that they would not be charged for such repairs."
But Mercedes has responded to similar lawsuits by referencing the warranty regarding glass breakage.
"DAMAGE TO GLASS: Glass breakage or scratches are not covered unless positive physical proof of a manufacturing defect can be established." - Mercedes-Benz warranty
The Mercedes-Benz sunroof class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia: Zaroukian vs. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, et al.
The plaintiff is represented by Greg Coleman Law PC, Capstone Law APC, and Haffner Law PC.
