Defrosting Defect: Hundreds of 2023 Honda HR-V owners report ‘randomly’ shattering windshields

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — Hundreds of drivers of the 2023 Honda HR-Vs are reporting the sudden shattering of their rear windshields possibly as a result of a tempered glass defect.

Specifically, in its investigation of this ongoing issue, KDKA News spoke with Terri Truchan who reported that she hadn’t even gotten out of her driveway before the rear windshield of her 2023 Honda HR-V before her rear windshield seemingly shattered out of nowhere.

“I had started to warm [my vehicle] up and get rid of all the ice on the windows and I went out. It was dripping and so I put the defroster on and boom,” said Truchan.

Following the surprise shattering, Truchan turned to the internet and found that she wasn’t alone in her experience.

According to KDKA News’ investigation into the issue, approximately 326 complaints to date have been made to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about the vehicle model.

“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 leads the consumer advocacy group that’s tracking these complaints and reported that he’s surprised Honda hasn’t already done something about the issue.

“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,” Brooks said.

Brooks further notes that when looking at all of the complaints made so far, it appears the issue could be related to problems with the tempered glass used for the windshield and the vehicle’s defrosting or defogging system.

“What [these systems] do is create a temperature change, a pretty quick temperature change. And that’s one of the ways that tempered glass can fail,” Brooks said.

A class action lawsuit has also been filed over the issue with six plaintiffs from Pennsylvania. The suit claims that Honda is “refusing to repair or replace the defective HR-V back windshields.”

Truchan told KDKA News that her dealership originally said her warranty would not cover her broken windshield but that she was able to contest this and get a repair made. She says not everyone experiencing the same thing has been so lucky.

While Honda has not specifically commented on the issue outside of noting that it is investigating complaints, the automaker is encouraging consumers to contact their insurance companies and dealerships for assistance with any concerns or repairs.

At the moment, no injuries have been reported and no recalls are in place in either the United States or Canada.