Shattering Skyviews?
06-01-2004, 07:21 AM
#2
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 116
I first heard about this maybe three weeks ago and the word was that the NHTSA was investagating this issue. You would like to think that this would be a major concern to them, parts flying off of the car and such. Hopefully we will here something from them soon.
06-01-2004, 08:25 AM
#4
Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 51
Here is the body of the article from Automotive News date May 17,2004
"Five owners of 2004 Nissan Maximas have complained to federal safety officials that the glass panels in their cars' roofs shattered while they were driving, in some cases injuring occupants.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation to determine whether the cars have a defect that constitutes a safety hazard.
The agency says that four of the five complaints involved injuries. About 70,000 of the cars were in service in the United States when NHTSA began its investigation last month. "
Nissan North America Inc. calls the roof window SkyView. It is a narrow, fixed rectangular panel installed lengthwise in the roof. The feature is standard unless a buyer orders a traditional, opening sunroof over the front seat.
"Five owners of 2004 Nissan Maximas have complained to federal safety officials that the glass panels in their cars' roofs shattered while they were driving, in some cases injuring occupants.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation to determine whether the cars have a defect that constitutes a safety hazard.
The agency says that four of the five complaints involved injuries. About 70,000 of the cars were in service in the United States when NHTSA began its investigation last month. "
Nissan North America Inc. calls the roof window SkyView. It is a narrow, fixed rectangular panel installed lengthwise in the roof. The feature is standard unless a buyer orders a traditional, opening sunroof over the front seat.
06-01-2004, 08:15 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: a meadow south of Atlanta
Posts: 8,143
Five occurances represent less than one half of one-hundredth of one percent of the 120,000 '04s built so far, although one wonders whether there were cases not reported to Nissan.
But the question is, why even five? Were these cars put in a torsional stress situation greater than the skyroof could handle? Nissan advertised the '04 as having 40% greater body rigidity, but all cars have some torsional flexibility, and the size and shape of the skyroof allows very little leeway in this area.
Had some skyroofs perhaps been hit by a rock or something unbeknownst to the driver? There has been a recent spate of cases of vandals dropping things from freeway bridges in some areas of the country.
If the power sunroof incident is limited to one instance, then I don't consider that to be a problem (other than for that one driver). But five skyroofs is sort of worrisome.
But the question is, why even five? Were these cars put in a torsional stress situation greater than the skyroof could handle? Nissan advertised the '04 as having 40% greater body rigidity, but all cars have some torsional flexibility, and the size and shape of the skyroof allows very little leeway in this area.
Had some skyroofs perhaps been hit by a rock or something unbeknownst to the driver? There has been a recent spate of cases of vandals dropping things from freeway bridges in some areas of the country.
If the power sunroof incident is limited to one instance, then I don't consider that to be a problem (other than for that one driver). But five skyroofs is sort of worrisome.
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