A few weeks ago, we were driving our Lexus on the highway when the sunroof exploded. It did not crack, the glass exploded, sending glass flying. The flying glass scratched the paint on the trunk. When we brought the car to Lexus of Maplewood in Minnesota, they told us that, since they had no evidence of manufacturer's defect, we would be responsible for the repairs. They also said that, because they had never heard of such a thing happening, it had to be a foreign object that hit the sunroof, even though we told them that we personally witnessed that there was no foreign object. We also explained that it is not unheard of for this type of defect to occur, which we verified with a quick internet search. They told us to file an insurance claim. We explained that asking insurance to pay for damage that was the result of a defect is tantamount to fraud. Even if insurance did cover the repair, our premiums would increase. This would be great for Lexus, but everyone else would have to pay for their defect.
We spoke with the dealer, as well as with Lexus Customer Service, and they all essentially called us liars. They claimed that their inspection proved there was no manufacturer defect, even though there is no inspection that can disprove faulty glass. Their belief is that a foreign object heavy enough to shatter the sunroof somehow fell from the sky, hit only the sunroof, then flew away without damaging any other part of the car. Their logic is beyond ridiculous. Lexus Customer Service actually said, "Can you prove it wasn't a foreign object?"
Lexus refused to honor a legitimate warranty, leaving us to pay for something that is not our fault. When we paid thousands of dollars for the car, we expected Lexus to honor its obligations. We have received better customer service at Walmart.
Be forewarned that Lexus will honor warranties unless they can find a way to shift the responsibility to someone else.
