I've wondered about that, also. I don't know how much this helps--see what you think. The URL
formatting link
was inanother post today. This doc refers to "rugged roof braces at the top of theB pillar" (p. 23) and an illustration on the next page(p. 24) seems clearly to show a cross brace at the top of the B pillar. Butmy recollection of the length of that sunroof would have it extending backbeyond the B pillar, which would seem to move or remove that cross brace;butt that seems unlikely. So my best guess is that my memory is faulty, andthe answer to your question is: the sunroof has a negligible effect on roofstrength since the frame of the car, particularly the roof, is what'ssupporting it, and maintaining structural integrity, not the sheet metal. HW
> I am looking at buying a 2003 or 2004 Forester.
>
> I am very concerned with safety, and the Forester crash test results are
> certainly encouraging. No wonder Subaru makes quite a bit of them in their > promotions.
>
> However, would a Forester with the sunroof (which is huge) do more poorly in
> a crash vs.one without? It seems that it's quite a 'large hole' in the
> passenger compartment, so that it could weaken the overall strength of the
> 'passenger box', particularly when it is open.
>
> Any comments?
>
> Thanks
>
> Paul
>
>