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Hundreds of Honda HR-V owners have reported that their rear windows were suddenly shattered, a factor that Consumer Reports says warrants a recall due to the threat to driver protection due to “spontaneous glass breakage. “
The issue impacts 2023 HR-V models, with Consumer Reports noting that the publication experienced the defect itself when one of its auto testers warmed up the car using a remote start function on a cold morning. While no one was injured, the tester had to clean glass shards from his driveway and, without a rear windshield, the car was exposed to the cold weather and possible theft.
Honda HR-V homeowners have filed more than 300 court cases about damaged rear windshields with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an unusually high number for a newer model, Michael Brooks, executive director of the advocacy organization Center for Auto Safety, told Consumer. . Commerce.
“While our vehicle was parked in our garage, the rear windshield completely shattered outwards, with no object hitting it. . . It felt like it exploded,” the owner of an HR-V wrote in a complaint filed with NHTSA. Highlighting the incident, it occurred on January 20 in Flanders, New Jersey. That day, the temperature reached a low of 18 degrees, according to Weather Underground.
The owner added: “It was very scary and disturbing and could have been incredibly dangerous or life-threatening if I had driven anywhere with my young son. “
In an email to CBS MoneyWatch, Honda said it gained “a limited number of reports of tailgate glass breakage on 2023 Honda HR-V cars relevant to the use of the rear defogger. ” The challenge is similar to the rendezvous procedure of some cars due to the sealant used to protect the rear window coming into contact with the defroster heating elements. Over time, this can weaken the glass, the automaker said.
Consumer Reports said the defect is expected to prove detrimental to owners and passengers of the HR-V.
“This is a known defect in some Honda HR-Vs, and especially if someone is driving at full speed or in heavy traffic, it can easily cause an accident,” said William Wallace, CR’s associate director of protection policy. publication. ” For the sake of its consumers and all road users, Honda is converting its service campaign into an officially protected recall of all affected vehicles, which would help spread the message and maximize the number of owners who repair their cars.
In response to the reports of breaking rear windows, Honda said it is starting a “voluntary product update campaign,” and is securing needed replacement parts as quickly as possible.
“We estimate that this crusade will begin in April or May 2024. In the meantime, any vehicle owner who experiences this type of rear glass breakage should contact their nearest legal agent or Honda Customer Service (800-999-1009) to set up a possible repair,” the company said.
But Consumer Reports felt the defect warranted a recall.
“For the sake of its consumers and all road users, Honda will turn its service campaign into an official protective recall of all affected vehicles, which would help spread the word and maximize the number of owners who repair their cars,” Consumer said. Wallace said.
Without a recall, owners arguably wouldn’t be able to locate Honda’s product update campaign when searching for NHTSA’s recall site, CR noted.
Hundreds of Honda HR-V owners have reported that their rear windows were suddenly shattered, a factor that Consumer Reports says warrants a recall due to the threat to driver protection due to “spontaneous glass breakage. “
The issue is with the 2023 HR-V models, and Consumer Reports noted that the publication itself found the glitch when one of its car testers warmed up the car using a remote start feature on a cold morning. Although no one was injured, the tester had to clean the shards of glass from his driveway, and with no rear windshield, the car was left exposed to bloodless and imaginable theft.
Honda HR-V homeowners have filed more than 300 court cases about damaged rear windshields with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an unusually high number for a newer model, Michael Brooks, executive director of the advocacy organization Center for Auto Safety, told Consumer. . Commerce.
“While our vehicle was parked inside our garage, the rear windshield completely shattered outward, without any impact or object hitting it … It was like it exploded,” one HR-V owner wrote in a complaint with the NHTSA, noting the incident occurred January 20 in Flanders, New Jersey. On that day, the temperature hit a low of 18 degrees, according to Weather Underground.
The owner added, “It was very scary and unsettling and could have been incredibly dangerous/life threatening if I had been driving with my young child anywhere.”
In an email sent to CBS MoneyWatch, Honda said it gained “a limited number of reports of tailgate glass breakage in relevant 2023 Honda HR-V automobiles with the use of the rear defroster. “The challenge is similar to the meeting process for some cars because of the sealant used to ensure the rear window comes into contact with the defrosting heating elements. Over time, this can weaken the glass, the automaker said.
Consumer Reports said the defect is expected to prove detrimental to owners and passengers of the HR-V.
“This is a known defect in some Honda HR-Vs, and especially if someone is driving at top speed or in heavy traffic, it can easily lead to an accident,” said William Wallace, CR’s associate director of protection policy. “For the sake of its consumers and all road users, Honda will turn its service campaign into an official protective recall of all affected vehicles, which would help spread the word and maximize the number of owners who repair their cars. “
Reacting to reports of damaged rear windows, Honda said it will launch a “voluntary product update campaign” and get the mandatory replacement parts as temporarily as possible.
“We estimate that this crusade will begin in April or May 2024. In the meantime, any vehicle owner who experiences this type of rear glass breakage should contact their nearest legal agent or Honda Customer Service (800-999-1009) to set up a possible repair,” the company said.
But Consumer Reports felt the defect warranted a recall.
“For the sake of its consumers and all road users, Honda will turn its service campaign into an official protective recall of all affected vehicles, which would help spread the word and maximize the number of owners who repair their cars,” said Wallace of Consumer Reports.
Without a recall, owners would likely not be able to locate the Honda product update campaign when searching for NHTSA’s recall site, CR noted.
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