Owners of some Honda HR-V vehicles report "randomly" shattering rear windshields
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A North Hills woman said she can still hear the loud shatter and remember the feeling of total disbelief. She sat in her own driveway as the rear windshield of her car broke out of nowhere.
KDKA Investigates learned she's one of hundreds of people nationwide dealing with this bizarre problem. Everyone agrees there's something wrong, but no one seems to agree on who should fix it.
Terri Truchan just got her car back from the shop but she still can't believe what happened last month.
"I had started it to warm it up and get rid of all the ice on the windows and when I went out it was dripping and so I put the defroster on and boom," said Truchan, owner of a 2023 Honda HR-V.
She told KDKA Investigator Meghan Schiller she didn't even get out of her driveway before her rear windshield shattered. Pieces of glass flew so far, she said some landed in the back of her hair as she sat stunned in her driver's seat.
"I was using some choice words, like you can't comprehend at first, you're just like, 'what happened here?'" she said.
Truchan googled "2023 Honda HR-V rear windshield shatters" and found she wasn't alone.
"I started googling and I started seeing all these complaints and all these things, so I knew it wasn't just me and it dawned on me, I think we have a faulty product," said Truchan.
KDKA Investigates found 326 complaints and counting on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website about the 2023 Honda HR-V. It's the same story happening nationwide. One complaint read "My back glass exploded while parked in my driveway." Another complaint read the rear windshield "...just randomly shattered overnight while in my garage." Another complaint said "...the dealer where I bought my car does not want any responsibility and they told me I have to pay it. This is a manufacturing defect."
"We're at the point now, where we're seeing so many complaints that I just don't think the rates can be ignored anymore," said Michael Brooks, the executive director of the Center for Auto Safety.
Brooks wants to take it a step further.
"I mean, we would call for Honda to replace all of these rear windows just as a precaution, because it's becoming pretty obvious that this is a defect that these vehicles are going to have," said Brooks.
Brooks leads the consumer advocacy group that's tracking these complaints and he said he's surprised Honda hasn't already done something.
"I mean, what are you going to do? Are they going to keep installing these same windows on next year's model and let this continue to play out for years and years and let consumers and the insurance industry eat the losses? I don't know if that's feasible," said Brooks.
KDKA Investigates also learned there's a class action lawsuit over this issue with six plaintiffs from Pennsylvania. The suit says Honda is "refusing to repair or replace the defective HR-V back windshields," leaving consumers to pay out of pocket for the repairs.
"It's a lot of money and through no fault of the consumer, if it's just blowing out, you have a faulty product. You need to acknowledge it," said Truchan.
Truchan said her dealership originally said her warranty would not cover this issue, but she made a lot of noise and got a new rear windshield out of it. But not everyone's getting her same outcome.
KDKA Investigates reached out to Honda and learned it's investigating: "American Honda is gathering information at this point and has not determined that any defect exists in these vehicles."
However, Honda encourages consumers to contact their insurance companies. Comprehensive coverage plans could cover the glass, but not everyone carries that.
When KDKA-TV asked Honda for any more available help for the impacted consumers, Honda said, "Our dealers are authorized to consider assisting with repairs, not included in our limited warranties on a case by case basis as gestures of goodwill."
"Looking through the complaints, it appears that there could be a relationship here between the rear window defrosting or defogging system," said Brooks. "What those do is create a temperature change, a pretty quick temperature change. And that's one of the ways that tempered glass can fail."
Not using the defroster is not really an option in the Pittsburgh area, especially as we head toward winter. Brooks thinks investigators will eventually find what they're looking for to force a recall: a reported serious injury or fatal crash. But Brooks said, by then, it will be too late.
"And we think it's sooner rather than later, it's inevitable that someone who experiences this is going to have a crash. But so far, federal safety authorities have been unwilling to step in," said Brooks.
If this happens to your 2023 Honda HR-V, NHTSA said you should first call the vehicle safety hotline (888-327-4236) and then submit your complaint on NHTSA's website.
KDKA Investigates learned consumers can ask their dealership for a "gesture of goodwill" and ask for a replacement rear windshield. Feel free to bring the form below as proof that Honda notified its Honda Service Managers and Advisors and asked the dealerships to report any incidents of rear windshields shattering up the chain.
