Hundreds of Honda HR-V owners have claimed that their rear windows suddenly and spontaneously shatter. Consumer Reports have advised that a recall should be issued due to the safety risk posed to the drivers. More specifically, the 2023 HR-V models are those that are affected, and more than 300 complaints have been lodged with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to the advocacy group Center for Auto Safety, that is an unusually high number for a newer model vehicle.
The issue is seemingly linked to the temperature. One Honda owner noted, “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…It was very scary and unsettling and could have been incredibly dangerous/life threatening if I had been driving with my young child anywhere.” On the day of that complaint, the temperature hit a low of 18 degrees. Honda has advised that it has received “a limited number of reports of rear-hatch glass breaking on 2023 Honda HR-V vehicles associated with rear defroster use.” According to Honda, the issue is related to the assembly process, specifically regarding the sealer used to secure the rear window coming in contact with the defroster’s heating elements. Over time, the glass can weaken.
Honda has responded by noting it is starting a “voluntary product update campaign.” Consumer Reports advises a recall and noted, “This is a known defect in some Honda HR-Vs, and especially if someone’s driving at high speed or in dense traffic, it could all too easily lead to a crash…For the sake of its customers and everyone on the road, Honda should convert its service campaign to an official safety recall of all affected vehicles, which would help get the word out and maximize the number of owners who get their cars fixed.”
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