NBC5 Responds revealed a nationwide problem of shattering sunroofs back in March of this year. Shortly after it aired, an Indiana viewer reached out to say she’d become the latest statistic of the problem—and it was about to cost her big money.
Cheryl Wiggins of Griffith, Indiana, first says she couldn’t believe her ears. Then, her eyes.
"All I knew was my sunroof was exploding as I was driving,” Wiggins said. “I'm like- what is happening here?"
A call to her dealership just deepened the mystery.
"They said they'd never heard of anything like that before."
Next, she put in a call to the carmaker to inquire if other 2012 Kia Optimas had experienced the problem. She says Kia flipped the questioned back on to her.
"They questioned me if someone had hit me , or if something could have fell on it?" she said. "No."
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating 2011-2013 Kia Sorentos and has asked four more carmakers – including Nissan -- for information on a dozen different models with similar sunroofs. The investigation does not currently include Wiggins’ model, however.
A spokesperson for Kia told NBC 5 Responds the automaker would deal directly with the customer, and declined to answer any further questions. Wiggins says that direct help from the carmaker quickly translated into a new sunroof at no cost to her.
"That all changed when you got in the picture,” she told NBC5 Responds.
Wiggins says she is relieved to have the work done, but still feels somewhat nervous that it could happen again, without warning, like the first time.
“I'm not the first person this has happened to and I know I won't be the last," Wiggins said.
NHTSA says it is continuing to look at the shattering sunroof issue, involving a variety of carmakers including Kia.. Kia says it is fully cooperating with NHTSA on the investigation.
