Webasto Recalls Aftermarket Sunroofs for Bonding Issue; Nearly 293,000 Could Be Affected Potentially, According to NHTSA Report
August 23, 2010

Webasto Product North America Inc. has issued a recall of potentially 292,867 sunroofs sold as aftermarket equipment for a variety of passenger vehicles, citing a possible adhesive bonding issue between the glass and metal frame, according to reports from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The impacted sunroofs include certain Hollandia 700 and 600 Series and the Hollandia TVS 900 series.
 
Though a potential of 292,687 sunroofs could be impacted, the company estimates that “the condition giving rise to the recall appears to have occurred in less than approximately 2/100th of a percent (.02 percent) of the recall population.”
 
The majority of the sunroofs involved—283,920—are from the Hollandia 700 and 600 Series (2002-2009), while 8,947 are from the TVS 900 Series (2007-2010). The sunroofs were manufacturered at Webasto Italy S.p.A.’s manufacturing facility in Turin, Italy.
 
According to Webasto, the adhesive bond between the glass and the metal frame “can debond, increasing the risk that the sunroof glass would separate from the vehicle.” Likewise, company officials say that this can occur gradually and that metal corrosion may appear around the sunroof frame, along with wind noise, vibration, visual bond separation and/or water leakage.
 
“These conditions may be observable for several months before complete glass-to-frame adhesion debonding can ultimately occur,” reads the notification from NHTSA.
 
Webasto will be notifying current owners beginning in September 2010. The Fenton, Mich.-based company has approximately 400 certified installers that will be fixing the sunroofs free of charge, according to NHTSA

The company also has created a website, www.sunroofcheck.com, where consumers can deteremine whether their sunroofs are part of the recall, according to Webasto vice president of business development Mark Hickey.

"It is important to note that we have not had any injuries caused by the recall, but safety is important to us and we want to make sure we get these things fixed and get the people back on the road," says Hickey.

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