Hundreds of Honda HR-V owners in Illinois and around the country are complaining that their rear windows suddenly shatter after using the rear defroster — a problem the automaker acknowledges is happening with some 2023 vehicles.
In complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and more informal gripes on Facebook, Reddit and other online forums, drivers describe incidents in which their back windows “shattered” or “exploded” as they were on the road or after they were parked.
Honda says it plans to roll out a fix in April or May for the problem, which it says appears to have originated during the assembly of some 2023 HR-Vs.
In the affected SUVs, “The sealer used to secure the rear glass may come into contact with the heating elements of the defroster, leading to a hot spot and weakening of the glass over time as the defroster is used,” the company said in an emailed statement.
Heidi Molina of Chicago says she parked her HR-V near the Fire Pitch soccer facility in North Center on Sept. 11, a rainy fall day, never expecting the back window would shatter.
“As I got in and turned the car on, I heard, like, something hit the back of the car,” Molina said. “It just sounded like someone hit the back of my window, like bang!”
At first, Molina thought someone was goofing around and punched her car, but no one was nearby. She got out and saw her rear window was cracked in hundreds of places. When she opened the rear hatch, the glass pieces fell and left a hole in her back window.
She ended up paying $1,377 to fix the window, most of which was covered by insurance.
Now, Molina is hoping to become part of a proposed nationwide class-action lawsuit.
Lemberg Law, a personal injury firm based in Connecticut, has filed a civil suit in U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania, seeking class certification on behalf of all 2023 HR-V owners.
The lawsuit contends Honda knew about the problem since at least last spring and breached its warranty duties by failing to quickly fix the issue.
“You buy a car and you don’t expect the rear window to break, so you don’t get what you pay for,” says attorney Sergei Lemberg.
He adds that some of those who get reimbursed for repairs by their insurance company will wind up paying higher premiums later.
Hundreds of complaints have been filed with NHTSA from drivers in Cook, DuPage and McHenry counties and from around the country.
“I was driving and all of a sudden I hear a POP and look in my rear view window and my back window shattered,” according to a Nov. 26 complaint filed by a driver in Woodstock. “Nothing hit it.”
“The back [rear] window spontaneously shattered without cause,” another complaint stated, filed Oct. 31 by a driver in Warrenville. “The vehicle was not in motion at the time of the incident, and nothing struck the window. The safety of the occupants was put at risk from the pieces of glass which fell throughout the inside of the vehicle.”
NHTSA says it’s aware of the issue and is in discussions with Honda. The agency encourages consumers who’ve had a problem to report it at NHTSA.gov or to call (888) 327-4236. Click here to tread hundreds of complaints about the Honda HR-V.
A Honda spokesperson says the carmaker is planning a “voluntary product update campaign,” which will begin in April or May and involve the inspection and free repair of vehicles that have this sealer problem. Honda says the repair campaign is only for the 2023 HR-V.
HR-V owners whose rear windows break before the campaign begins should contact an authorized Honda dealer or call (800) 999-1009 to arrange a free repair, provided the break was caused by the defroster.
Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, said he wishes Honda would announce an official recall, which would prompt more people to have their vehicles checked.
Last month, Consumer Reports also urged a recall.
Brooks said he worries about exploding glass in a moving vehicle becoming a dangerous distraction, not to mention the possibility of stolen property if a window shatters while a car is parked.
“A recall is an acknowledgment that you screwed up and you’re making it right with your customers,” Brooks says.
