NHTSA Complaint #10064460 — 2003 HONDA ELEMENT

2003 HONDA ELEMENT WINDSHIELD CRACKED THREE TIMES WITHIN 12,000 MILES. FIRST CRACK APPEARED ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE, STARTING FROM THE LOWER EDGE APPROXIMATELY CENTERED WITH THE WIPER BLADE STRAIGHT UP SIX INCHES WITH A SHARP TURN OUTWARDS TO THE RIGHT. WENT TO DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT (METRO HONDA, JOHNSTON RI) REPRESENTATIVE SAID CRACK WAS CAUSED BY STONE OR FOREIGN OBJECT AND WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF IMPACT. REPRESENTATIVE, UNDER VERY CLOSE INSPECTION FOUND THE SMALLEST SPECK WITHIN CRACK. IT IS TINY, I'D SAY THE SIZE OF A GRAIN OF SALT. ABOUT THREE WEEKS LATER THE SECOND CRACK APPEARED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE FROM THE LOWER EDGE CENTERED WITHIN THE WIPER BLADE. AFTER CLOSE INSPECTION, I FOUND AN IDENTICAL SALT GRAIN SIZE SPEC WITHIN THE CRACK. THIS WAS NOT CAUSED BY IMPACT! I KNEW THIS WINDSHIELD WAS DEFECTED AND RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF ELEMENT OWNERS DESCRIBING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE THIRD CRACK APPEARED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER THE SECOND, THIS TIME IT APPEARS A ROCK DID CAUSE THE CRACK. LOCATED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE LEFT EDGE EYE LEVEL CONTINUING ACROSS ABOUT 18 INCHES. THE IMPACT WAS SLIGHT, LEAVING A ROUND MARK THE SIZE OF A PEA. I READ HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS, THERE ALL THE SAME. THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM AND SOMETHING MUST BE DONE. DOES HONDA EXPECT ME TO REPLACE MY WINDSHIELD WITH EVERY OIL CHANGE? PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IT'S WRONG AND HONDA NEEDS TO NOT ONLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, BUT RECTIFY IT. EVERYONE WHO IS EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM SHOULD FILE A COMPLAINT, NOT JUST READ ABOUT IT. *NM