Vehicles from Honda are generally known as dependable. In fact, many mechanics list cars from the company as ones they find most reliable in the current market.
That said, some Honda owners aren’t thrilled with their purchases. For example, one Honda owner complained that her car had worse gas mileage than the previous year’s model, and another stated that their car began making bizarre groaning noises two weeks after purchase.
However, the biggest complaint to make waves in the Honda community is a strange one: the tendency of the HR-V’s rear window to, allegedly, spontaneously explode.
Why are HR-V windows cracking?
Last year, the Daily Dot reported that a Honda HR-V owner claimed her rear windshield shattered after she attempted to use the defrost feature.
Now, another HR-V owner is making a similar claim.
In a video with over 408,000 views, TikTok user Hannah (@hanuhh) shows the interior of her Honda HR-V.
“Just got my new car yesterday,” she writes in the text overlaying the video. As she pans around the car, one can see that the rear window has broken and that there is now a sizable hole in it.
“On my way to school and boom,” she added in the caption.
Is this common?
According to Consumer Reports, this is a known issue at Honda, with the problem allegedly stemming from the rear defroster.
“Honda says the problem is due to a manufacturing defect that allows the sealer used to secure the rear glass on some HR-Vs to come in contact with the defroster’s heating elements. Over time, this weakens the glass as the defroster creates a ‘hot spot,’” writes Keith Barry. “But the automaker advises owners to continue using the rear defroster as needed.”
The manufacturer is claiming that this is not a safety issue, and thus, does not justify a safety recall. If one has this problem, Honda advises calling their local Honda dealer or Honda customer service so that it can be replaced.
@hanuhh on my way to school and boom
♬ Vote yodelinghaley 5 stars – haley sharpe
Commenters weigh in on the broken window
In the comments section, users shared their own experiences with the HR-V.
“This is a known issue, what’s crazy is that my mom almost bought this car and when I asked a salesman if they fixed this issue he acted like he’d never heard of this,” said a user.
“Signed all my paperwork and final could go home w it… started shaking violently when I got on the highway,” offered another.
“I still have the footage of my red honda hrv sport 2023 shattered out of no where,” claimed a third. “If i didn’t have the camera they would not fix it for free.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Honda via email and Hannah via TikTok DM and comment.
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