NHTSA Complaint #10575907 — 2002 HONDA CR-V

UPON EXITING PARKING GARAGE, NEEDED TO LOWER FRONT LH WINDOW WITH POWER WINDOW SWITCH IN ORDER TO SWIPE GATE KEY PAD. UPON PUSHING THE FRONT DRIVERS SWITCH TO LOWER FRONT LH WINDOW A VERY STRONG SMELL (LIKE SOMETHING BURNING) WAS IMMEDIATELY NOTICED. WINDOW DID LOWER, OCCUPANT WAS ABLE TO ACCESS KEYPAD, PASSED THRU GATE AND THEN PROCEEDED TO RAISE DRIVERS WINDOW. PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE, RAISED ENGINE HOOD TO INSPECT IF A FLUID LEAK WAS VISIBLE AND NONE NOTICED. PROCEEDED TO DRIVE HOME AND INSTRUCTED MY HUSBAND THAT I HAD A BAD SMELL/ODOR EMITTING IN THE CABIN. WE NEXT FOUND THAT THE FRONT RH PASSENGER WINDOW WAS NOT OPERATIVE. AFTER EXTENSIVE INTERNET SEARCHES, WE PULLED THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE SWITCH, POPPED THE DOOR BEZEL FIRST, THEN TOOK THE 3 SCREWS THAT HOLDS SWITCH TO BEZEL. MY WIFE WALKED UP WHILE I WAS DISASSEMBLING AND SHE SAID "THAT'S IT, THAT'S THE SMELL" !!!!!!!!!! I THEN PROCEEDED TO TAKE OFF THE WINDOW LOCK BUTTON AND THEN THE 3 SCREWS HOLDING BACK PLATE ONTO SWITCH, AND FURTHER DISASSEMBLED. ONCE I HAD THE CONTROL BOARD IN HAND I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE "MELTING" OF THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW SWITCH. IT APPEARS THE FRONT LH AND FRONT RH ELECTRONIC MECHANISMS ARCED AND MELTED. I HAVE PHOTOS IF INTERESTED. I ORDERED A NEW SWITCH FROM HONDA DEALER AT A COST OF $200. I ALSO CONTACTED HONDA CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND THEY RECORDED MY COMPLAINT BUT WOULD NOT HELP US IN TERMS OF COMPENSATING US (FULL OR PARTIAL) FOR NEW SWITCH. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL 2002-2006 FOR MELTING DOOR SWITCHES, MAYBE IT SHOULD OF BEEN. I WOULD ASK NHTSA TO RE-EVALUATE THE INITIAL RECALL AND WIDEN THE SCOPE OF VEHICLES AFFECTED. CLEARLY OUR SITUATION SHOWS THAT THERE ARE VEHICLES OUTSIDE OF THE RECALL THAT ARE SUSPECT. THE RISK OF FIRE OF A COMPONENT THAT HAS BEEN CLEARLY DESCRIBED AS "HIGH RISK" IS NOT ACCEPTABLE, TO ME, MY FAMILY OR OTHERS THAT OWN SIMILAR VEHICLES. *TR