Kia SUV owner claims exploding sunroof damaged eyesight
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Houston-area man says the glass sunroof of his SUV exploded recently, leaving him with damaged eyesight.
Wade Owens, 29, says he was driving to work on July 9 along the North Loop near I-45 in his 2013 Kia Sportage when he experienced what he could describe only as an explosion. Before he knew it, he says, the interior of the vehicle were covered in shards of glass.
"You're driving and you just hear ... like a bomb go off, " said Owens.
Somehow he was able to main control of the vehicle. He says he pulled over and called his parents for help. They rushed him to the emergency room, where he says doctors had to carefully remove slivers of glass from his eyes. He says his vision is now blurred and his eyes are extremely sensitive.
Owens blames Kia.
"They need to fix that. My kids, they could've been in the car. Anybody could have been in the car man. I'm just thankful that it was just me," he said.
His mother contacted Eyewitness News in the hope that her son's ordeal might shed light on a problem that can be fixed, she hopes, before someone else is hurt.
"It's serious. They need to get it fixed," Annie Scott said.
Owens has retained an attorney. A spokesperson for Kia says the company is investigating the case but can't provide further comment at this time.
A basic internet search returns reports of other glass sunroofs exploding on Kia and other manufacturer's vehicles, though there is no current recall for this make or model of Owen's vehicle.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has received two other complaints of a sunroof shattering on the same year and make of vehicle.
Owens is represented by Joshua Hilbe of The Pinkerton Law Firm. They are considering legal action and are looking for others who might have experienced a similar ordeal.
