— Toyota RAV4 exploding sunroofs have caused a class action lawsuit that alleges the problem affects 2021 RAV4 SUVs.
The lawsuit was filed by three Toyota RAV owners, two who claim their sunroofs exploded without anything hitting the glass.
In addition, the plaintiffs allege Toyota refused to pay for the replacement sunroofs which are allegedly just as defective as the original 2021 Toyota sunroofs.
The Toyota RAV4 shattered sunroof lawsuit says a replacement sunroof can cost more than $1,000.
Based on the class action, the plaintiffs may not exactly know what causes the sunroofs to shatter.
"Upon information and belief, the Glass Roof Defect occurs due to either deficient materials used to make the panoramic roof itself, and/or deficient manufacturing processes, and/or a deficiency in the structure of the Class Vehicles." — Toyota RAV4 sunroof lawsuit
The Toyota RAV4 Exploding Sunroof Lawsuit Plaintiffs
California plaintiff Aracely Gamez purchased a new 2021 Toyota RAV4 in September 2020 and asserts Toyota didn't tell her the sunroof could shatter.
The panoramic sunroof exploded about a month after buying the RAV4 as she was driving on the highway. The plaintiff says she took the vehicle to the dealership and told them what happened.
The dealership said the warranty didn't cover the sunroof, so she submitted the claim to her insurance company and she paid a $500 deductible for the replacement sunroof installed by a glass service.
However, the plaintiff asserts the Toyota RAV4 sunroof shattered again in October 2022, so she paid another $500 deductible for the glass company to replace the sunroof.
California plaintiff Jeffry Takili purchased a new 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE in December 2021. But in November 2022 the sunroof exploded as he was driving on the freeway.
The Toyota dealer said the sunroof glass wasn't covered by the warranty, and the plaintiff was quoted $1,237.59 to replace the RAV4 sunroof.
A third-party company replaced the Toyota panoramic sunroof and the plaintiff's insurance company paid $759.85 for the replacement and an unspecified amount for labor.
The Toyota RAV4 exploding sunroof lawsuit also lists a California plaintiff named Donna Miranda, but the class action doesn't allege her RAV4 sunroof shattered.
According to the class action lawsuit, Toyota has not recalled the 2021 RAV4s to repair the sunroof glass and hasn't issued any technical service bulletins about shattered RAV4 sunroofs. The automaker also has allegedly not offered customers suitable repairs or replacement sunroofs that aren't defective.
The plaintiffs further allege Toyota has not offered to reimburse 2021 Toyota RAV4 customers.
The plaintiffs claim they have lost money and their RAV4 SUVs have lost their value.
The Toyota RAV4 exploding sunroof class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (Sherman Division): Gamez, et al., v. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., et al.
The plaintiffs are represented by Lemberg Law, LLC.
To read shattered sunroof class action lawsuits filed against numerous other automakers, click here.