Carmakers wary of Korea’s sunroof safety investigation

Global carmakers may soon have to revise their sunroofs as related safety standards are expected to be toughened in the coming years following the South Korean government’s recent findings about ceramic coating weakening glass.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Wednesday, a team of local researchers found last year that ceramic coating, which is widely used to reduce noise and store heat, can weaken the glass used for the sunroofs.

The new findings came as consumers around the world were issuing complaints about sunroofs shattering under hail or other debris.

During the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations in March, the local ministry presented the findings, suggesting that the use of a ceramic coating be limited for safety concerns.

Based on the probe that started here, safety experts from around the world recently agreed to revise the current standards at a working-level meeting held in Geneva in September.

“Korea will play a leading role in the (global) revision that will take place in about one or two years,” said a ministry official, adding that the final announcement will be made during another Geneva meeting planned for next month.

Carmakers have been closely looking at the ongoing international discussions about sunroof safety. Following the planned revision, it seems unavoidable for them to improve or modify their own sunroofs.

All vehicles on the market currently use the same materials to coat their sunroofs.

That’s why the Korean team also tentatively concluded that all 55 of the vehicle models running on the Korean roads ― about 650,000 vehicles ― equipped with sunroofs, possibly share the same defect.

With the growing popularity of the optional panoramic sunroof, related complaints ― mostly involving shattering glass ― have soared in recent years.

In Korea alone, there were 33 consumer complaints in 2013, a jump from two cases in 2011. The sunroofs appeared to be mainly broken by hail or other forms of debris. The unexpected shattering was seen to be a huge distraction for the driver to become a potential cause of fatal auto accidents.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)