NHTSA Complaint #10175877 — 2000 HONDA INSIGHT

I DROVE MY (ALWAYS GARAGED) INSIGHT TO WORK ON A COLD MORNING WHERE THE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 15 DEGREES WHEN I REACHED MY PLACE OF WORK AT 7:20 A.M. I RETURNED TO MY VEHICLE, IN THE PARKING LOT AT A LITTLE AFTER 12:00 P.M. TO FIND THAT THE REAR GLASS WAS COMPLETELY SHATTERED. THIS IS THE MAIN REAR GLASS THAT INCLUDES THE WINDOW DEFROSTER AND IS ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH GENUINE HONDA PARTS. THERE IS NO AFTERMARKET MANUFACTURER OF THIS GLASS. MY PARKING LOT HAS FULL TIME SECURITY WITH CAMERAS IN PLACE. NO EXTERIOR FORCE, OTHER THAN THE ENVIRONMENT, HAD ANY EFFECT ON THE MALFUNCTION OF THE CAR'S REAR GLASS. THE ONLY THING I CAN IMAGINE IS THAT THE SUN HEATED THE COLD ALUMINUM HATCH AT A MUCH FASTER RATE THAN IT HEATED THE GLASS. THIS CAUSED THE GLASS TO BURST AND SHATTER. THERE WAS NO IMPACT MARK LIKE A ROCK OR BLUNT OBJECT MIGHT CREATE. BUT RATHER THERE WAS A FRACTURE ALL ALONG THE PERIMETER OF THE GLASS. UPON CONTACTING HONDA, AND TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE ALL SERVICE IN THE PAST HAS BEEN DONE, THEY DECLINED, ON BEHALF OF HONDA USA, TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEFECT IN THE AUTOMOBILE. THEREFORE, I HAD TO USE OUT OF POCKET AND INSURANCE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS CLEARLY DEFECTIVE PART. I TOOK PICTURES AND DOCUMENTED THE BROKEN GLASS. HONDA MOTOR COMPANY USA SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR AN UNSAFE AND DEFECTIVE REAR GLASS. *JB