 
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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