NHTSA Complaint #10060087 — 2003 HONDA ELEMENT

DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD. THESE WERE ACTUALLY TWO EVENTS IN FEBRUARY, 2004. ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS APART. BOTH INVOLVE WHAT APPEAR TO BE STRESS FRACTURES OF WINDSHIELD. EACH EMANATES FROM THE VERY BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD BELOW THE WIPER COWL ON OUTER WINDSHIELD. BOTH RISE DIRECTLY VERTICAL UPWARD ABOUT THREE INCHES THEN VEER TOWARD SIDE PILLARS. BOTH NEAR CENTER OF WINDSHIELD. FIRST ONE WAS TOWARDS PASSEGER SIDE AND VEERED TO PASSENGER PILLAR. SECOND ONE WAS TOWARDS DRIVER SIDE AND VEERED TO DRIVER PILLAR. DEALER CLAIMS TINY FLECK IN EACH LINE NEAR BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD AND BEHIND WIPER ARM MECHANISM/BLADE IS ROCK HIT AND IS CAUSE AND WILL NOT WARRANTY. BOTH OF THESE HAPPENNED IN THE MOUNTAINS DURING FREEZING TEMPERATURES. I SUSPECTED THAT WINDHIELD WASHER FLUID WAS COLLECTING BETWEEN THE OUTER WIPER COWL AND BASE OF WINSHIELD AND FREEZING/EXPANDING AND CAUSING FRACTURE LINES. NO "STAR" EFFECT NORMALLY ASSOCIATED WITH ROCKHITS. MY SECOND SUSPICION IS THAT THE CURVE IN THE LOWER WINDHIELD IS IN OPPOSITION TO THE STAIGHTNESS OF THE UPPER WINDHIELD AND CAUSING STRESS ON BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD. IF THOSE ARE ROCK HITS AT THE BOTTOM (AND NOT FLAKEAGE FROM THE EFFECT OF THE CRACKS) THEY SHOULD HAVE NEVER CAUSE THESE SIGNIFICANT FRACTURE LINES OR ANY CRACK AT ALL. IN FACT I NEVER HEARD A ROCK HIT AND THE SECOND CRACK HAPPENNED WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A SKI AREA PARKING LOT AND THE CRACK WAS NOT THERE WHEN I PARKED THE CAR BUT WAS FULLY 8-12 INCHES LONG WHEN I RETURNED. HONDA HAS EITHER A DEFECTIVE DESIGN OR PERHAPS THAT URETHANE RIMMING THE WINDOW HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT. EITHER WAY THEY NEED TO WARRANTY LIFETIME FREE GLASS REPLACEMENT OR FIX THIS DEFECT. THIS IS LIKELY TO HAPPEN AGAIN AFTER I REPLACE THIS WINDSHIELD. COMPEL HONDA TO RECTIFY THIS MATTER PLEASE.*AK