NHTSA Complaint #10416658 — 2006 HONDA CR-V

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR IN MY 2006 HONDA CR-V WILL NOT STAY IN THE PROPER POSITION. IT HAS NEVER STAYED FLUSH AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD, BUT RATHER SAGGED DOWN ABOUT 1-2 INCHES; HOWEVER, I JUST TREATED THIS AS AN ANNOYANCE PREVIOUSLY. AS OF APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS AGO, IT STARTED SAGGING EVEN FURTHER WHEN "OPENED" AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD, AND NOW IT NO LONGER STAYS FLUSH AGAINST THE ROOF OF THE CAR EITHER, OR AGAINST THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW IF I HAVE IT ROTATED 90 DEGREES. IT SAGS DOWN SEVERAL INCHES, NO MATTER WHICH DIRECTION IT IS TURNED OR FLIPPED. IT IMPACTS MY VISIBILITY BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SHIELD THE SUN PROPERLY, AND IT GETS IN MY WAY, BOTH PHYSICALLY, AND BY BLOCKING MORE OF MY FIELD OF VIEW THAN WHAT IS APPROPRIATE. I AM NOT EVEN TALL--5'4". I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY (8 YEARS/120,000 MILES) AND AM JUST SHY OF 80,000 MILES NOW. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC FIRST, AND THEY SAID THE ENTIRE FIXTURE NEEDS REPLACEMENT. THEN I CALLED MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER TO SEE IF THIS WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY; THEY SAID, "CALL HONDA AND ASK THEM." MEANWHILE, I ASKED WHAT IT WOULD COST ME TO REPAIR THIS OUT OF POCKET: $151 FOR THE VISOR AND $52 PER HOUR FOR LABOR, SO OVER $200, LIKELY. I CALLED HONDA, AND A VERY UNHELPFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSON SAID THE SUN VISOR IS CLASSIFIED AS INTERIOR TRIM AND THEREFORE, NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I STRONGLY DISAGREE--THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, NOT A COSMETIC IRREGULARITY ON THE DASHBOARD, OR SOMETHING EQUALLY INCONSEQUENTIAL. *KB