NHTSA Complaint #10111923 — 2003 HONDA ELEMENT

MY CAR WAS PARKED AT WORK DURING A SNOW STORM AND AT THE END OF THE DAY I CAME OUT TO THE CAR BRUSHED THE SNOW AWAY AND MY WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED IN THE LOWER PASSENGER SIDE CORNER THE CAR HAD 7300 MILES ON IT. IT WAS FINE WHEN I LEFT IN THE MORNING . 2 DAYS LATER I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT IT WAS DUE TO A SMALL PIT IN THE WINDSHIELD THE SIZE OF A GRAIN OF SAND AND THEREFORE HONDA WOULD NOT THE REPAIR. I HAVE HAD CARS (HONDAS) WITH LARGE STONE CHIPS 1/4 INCH IN SIZE NOT CRACK THE WINDSHIELD - THE SIZE OF THIS PIT IS BARELY VISIBLE. I TOLD MY DEALER THAT I FELT THIS WAS A DEFECT IN THE WINDSHIELD OR INSTALLATION AND HE SAID THAT HONDA WOULD NOT ADDRESS IT SINCE THERE WAS A PIT IN THE WINDSHIELD. HE SAID MY INSURANCE WOULD COVER IT. AFTER CHECKING ON THE WEB AND THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS MY SUSPICIONS WERE VERFIIED. I HAVE OWNED 6 HONDAS AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH HONDA - TO ME THIS IS DANGEROUS, AN OBVIOUS DEFECT AND THEY NEED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM!!! A MEMBER ON THE HONDA ELEMENTS OWNERS WEB SITE STATED THAT HE HAD HIS WINDSHIELD REPLACED BY ANOTHER FIRM AND THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE HOW THIN THE ORIGINAL WINDSHIELD WAS. *AK