Sunroof of my 2016 BMW X5 shattered all by itself

Several such incidents have been reported in BMW forums. Some say that it happens because of manufacturing defects.

BHPian niruvrs9669 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Yesterday our 2016 BMW X5 sunroof shattered as I was just moving it out from the parking space. The noise was audible enough “thud”. Enclosed is a pic. No damage was done as the roof visor / padding was below it. Interesting that the glass was intact for 6 years.

Little bit of online research says that it’s due to a manufacturing defect in these sunroof glasses. A lot of such incidents have been reported in BMW forums though. Not sure how the warranty plays out in such cases. Any light on this from the forum members would help. Thank you.

Here's what BHPian mukeshgoel had to say about the matter:

Reading this, it will be a good idea to get a transparent (or a shade of your choice) sun film installed on the sunroof glass.

Sunfilm will hold glass fragments together in case of glass shattering.

Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say about the matter:

Wow. This is quite incredible.

Please do keep the forum updated on whether or not your car is within warranty and even if it's out of warranty how is BMW treating this incident - any goodwill coverage for instance. This is not the kind of tab I’d like to pick up on my car at any age of ownership. It's simply not a routine item and I’d expect a manufacturer to stand behind the costs from such an occurrence.

Here's what BHPian VW2010 had to say about the matter:

A friend of mine had the same problem with the 5 series. Some dealers will push it down as customer-paid repair. If the car is under warranty please write to BMW directly if the dealers play tricks. This problem is very common as you said if you search in the bimmer forums as well. Post-warranty even BMW will not cover this and you will have to shell dearly out of your pocket. That friend is very clear that he will never buy a car with a sunroof as he had to shell out of his pocket. He said the feature that is used very rarely and for smug value is not worth spending that much for repair.

Here's what BHPian Tony2298 had to say about the matter:

As described by other folks on the forum the most probable reason would be the thermal stress factor. My friend who owns a Volkswagen Polo 2013 Highline had a similar issue when the rear windshield automatically shattered, the service centre told him that there are some particles trapped inside the glass during the manufacturing of the glass and with time and heat these particles expand and cause stress on the glass and shatters it down. He did have to claim insurance through IIRC. Keep us updated about the progress, it is indeed very worrisome to know.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.