Lemberg Law is investigating complaints that the 2022 Hyundai Palisade has malfunctioning sunroofs that shatter spontaneously. Vehicle owners report that the sunroof shatters suddenly, without any impact, sometimes causing injuries.
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2022 Hyundai Palisade owners are reporting incidents of sunroofs shattering. Some say it sounds like a gunshot when the glass shatters. Others describe it as an explosion of sorts.
But, by all accounts, this is not a new issue with Hyundai’s flagship SUV. In addition to complaints about the 2022 Palisade sunroof shattering, there are numerous complaints about 2020 and 2021 Hyundai Palisade sunroofs shattering. You will find these on forums and on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website.
While there isn’t a huge volume of complaints to the NHTSA, they all tell the same story that is echoed in the Palisade forum. A 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid owner whose sunroof cracked complained directed to the CEO of Hyundai Motors America at the beginning of August 2022. He says:
“I did some research afterwards and saw in this and other forums that exploding sunroofs on several Hyundai models have been an issue since 2014. I don’t understand why they would continue with the same designs or materials if clearly there is a flaw.”
It isn’t clear whether the design of the Hyundai Palisade or materials used have changed since it was launched in late 2018. But Hyundai issued three technical service bulletins (TSBs) in November and December 2019 for the 2020 model. These describe the correct procedure for replacing the rear sunroof glass.
The most recent of these documents, dated December 3, 2019, states that the service campaign action by Hyundai was “to ensure the quality of its vehicles and the continued satisfaction of Hyundai customers.” It states that the problem, which isn’t clear, is “due to possible water leakage.” There is no reference to shattered sunroofs.
Nevertheless, dealers are instructed to replace the sunproof glass at no cost if the part is still under warranty. If it is out of warranty, they may “submit a Prior Approval Request for goodwill consideration prior to performing the work.”
None of the NHTSA complaints about the 2020, 2021, or 2022 models refer to water leakage. They all focus on the sunroof randomly shattering or exploding into pieces. Owners are usually told to claim on insurance.
The owner of a 2020 Palisade SEL with only 17k on the clock was more fortunate. After first stating that the owner may have to claim on insurance, Hyundai saw the low mileage and said Hyundai would cover all costs to replace the sunroof even though the vehicle has a single sunroof.
“We were driving down road and all of a sudden, sounded like a shotgun went off, my wife screamed and her mom was in the 2nd row, then my younger son was in 3rd row with my niece, nothing hit the glass because the vehicle was way ahead of us, this just happened because Hyundai does not want to admit they placed faulty glass into these vehicles.”
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Visibility/wiper | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Electrical System | |
| Engine | |
| Seat Belts | |
| Suspension | |
| Structure:body | |
| Power Train | |
| Trailer Hitches | |
| Steering |
Quite simply, the malfunctioning sunroofs shatter. This is clear from owner complaints about the 2022 Hyundai Palisades. Similarly, all four of the NHTSA complaints about the 2020 Palisade and all three of those about the 2021 Palisade sunroofs say the same thing. Their sunroofs shattered spontaneously.
This is what two 2022 Palisade owners have to say. The first incident, which happened on December 30, 2021, resulted in four injuries. An owner from Virginia states:
“Sunroof shattered. We were traveling on I70 in eastern Colorado. The temperature outside was just below freezing and the temperature inside was set to between 72 and 78. We heard a loud bang and we were showered with broken glass. My wife, two sons and I received minor cuts. My wife possibly got some glass in her eye but seems to have gotten it out with no ill effect. While I was very startled I didn’t swerve. If I had, we would likely have lost control of the vehicle. We were traveling at freeway speeds and I think we would have been seriously injured or killed if this had occurred.”
“On May 7, 2022 I was driving to Georgia to visit a loved one in the hospital at night. I was driving by myself with my dog. Approximately 1:50 AM, I stopped in Greensville, NC (my halfway point to my destination) to relieve myself, let the dog relieve himself, and fill up my gas tank for the 2nd time (which was 5 hours from my destination).
“Approximately 15-20 mins after getting back on the road, I opened my sunroof to smoke a cigarette and I heard a loud ‘boom’ on the roof of my vehicle.
She looked up to see if the roof luggage crossbars were still in place, and they were. So, she continued to drive.
“I finished my cigarette and began to close the sunroof when I heard another loud noise with glass falling into my vehicle. I looked up and noticed that my sunroof had shattered completely.
That’s when she hit the S.O.S button for assistance “and they asked me to pull over. I told them, ‘Absolutely not! This is not a well lit area; I’m driving by myself; it’s just me and my dog; I don’t know where I am; I’m in the middle of nowhere; I’m scared; and it’s 2:00 in the morning!’”
The operator wanted to send Roadside Assistance to help the woman, but everything was closed, so she continued to drive, non-stop, to Georgia.
“I had to keep holding the sunroof cover because of the vibrations from the wind pockets to keep the cover from sliding and vibrating.”
It seems that many Palisade owners are forced to claim on insurance when their sunroof shatters. Even if that’s your only option for now, you may want to consider contacting Lemberg Law to determine if you are dealing with a lemon.
To see if you qualify all you need to do is complete our case evaluation form or call us at 844-928-4443. Our services are free because the law states that Hyundai must pay all legal bills for lemon law cases.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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