NHTSA Complaint #10649080 — 2001 ACURA MDX

DRIVING SOUTH ON I-5 AT 9:30AM SAT MORNING. LIGHT TRAFFIC. OVERCAST & 58 DEGREES F. TRAVELING IN LANE 3 (FOUR LANES) WITH NO VEHICLES IN LANE 4 NEXT TO ME OR AHEAD OF ME. NO VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME IN MY LANE EITHER. WE HAD JUST REACHED THE APEX OF THE SEATTLE SHIP CANAL BRIDGE. ONE ADULT GUEST RIDING IN FRONT . A SUDDEN LOUD CRUNCHING/SHATTERING SOUND & MY DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW COMPLETELY SHATTERED TO A TRANSLUCENT BUT NON-TRANSPARENT GREEN COLOR & WITHIN TWO SECONDS THE HEAVY GLASS CHUNKS BEGAN FALLING INWARD ONTO MY BODY & SOME INTO BACK AREA. I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN SHOT & DIDN'T FEEL THE PAIN YET, MY HEART RACED, MY GUEST EXCLAIMED "MY GOD WHAT JUST HAPPENED?" & THEN SHE TURNED TO CHECK FOR TRAFFIC ON RIGHT SIDE TO ASSIST ME IN PULLING OVER. DUE TO THE LIGHT TRAFFIC I WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY CROSS THE OTHER 2 LANES & EXIT ON THE ROANOKE EXIT TO STOP. MY GUEST WENT AROUND TO THE OUTSIDE DRIVERS SIDE & SAID SHE COULD SEE NO SIGNS OF ANYTHING AMISS OTHER THAN THE SHATTERED WINDOW. I WAS CONTINUING TO EXPERIENCE GLASS FALL SO I TRIED TO PICK & DIRECT FALLING PIECES TO FLOORBOARD. THEN I GOT ALL THE VISIBLE PIECES OUT OF THE FRAME & ONTO MY FLOORBOARD. THE CAR WAS DRIVE-ABLE & I DID NOT CAUSE A PROBLEM ON THE FREEWAY SO I BEGAN DRIVING BACK TOWARD MY HOME ON SIDE STREETS. AS I DROVE MY FRIEND CALLED MY HUSBAND WHO CALLED ACURA OF LYNNWOOD & TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED. HE ORDERED A NEW WINDOW FOR WHICH THEY CHARGED HIM $300.63 TO ORDER A NEW GLASS WINDOW (NOTE: THE SERVICE GUY SAID HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENING). TODAY, THEY PUT THE NEW WINDOW & I PAID $208.36 FOR LABOR. SO TOTAL WAS $508.99 WHICH IS RIGHT AT OUR INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE SO IT BECOMES OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE FOR US. WE ARE THE ORIGINAL & ONLY OWNERS OF THIS WELL CARED FOR & GARAGED ACURA MDX THEREFORE I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT THIS FAILURE WASN'T JUST TAKEN CARE OF BY THE DEALER OR MANUFACTURER. *TR