NHTSA Complaint #10664588 — 2011 HONDA CR-V

IN MAY, 2014, THE RIGHT REAR POWER WINDOW QUIT WORKING AND WOULD NOT GO BACK UP AFTER HAVING IT COMPLETELY DOWN. I TOGGLED THE WINDOW SWITCH A FEW TIMES AND THE WINDOW EVENTUALLY WENT BACK UP, SO I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A GLITCH. WE LIVE IN ARIZONA WHERE THE SUMMERTIME IS VERY HOT, SO THE WINDOW WAS NEVER USED AGAIN DUE TO AIR CONDITIONING. THE WINDOW WAS USED RECENTLY BECAUSE THE WEATHER HAS COOLED DOWN FROM THE SUMMER HEAT. THIS TIME, TOGGLING THE SWITCH DID NOT WORK AND THE WINDOW STAYED IN THE DOWN POSITION COMPLETELY. I TOOK THE HONDA CR-V TO A LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP WHICH DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS A FAULTY MASTER POWER WINDOW SWITCH. I'VE RESEARCHED AND DISCOVERED THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS ISSUES WITH FAULTY MASTER POWER WINDOW SWITCHES ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT HONDA MODELS. THERE ARE SEVERAL RECALLS AFFECTING JUST UNDER ONE MILLION AUTOMOBILES MANUFACTURED AND THERE IS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD ACCORDING TO HONDA. THE COMPANY'S RECALL STATEMENT SAYS, "WATER, RAIN, OR OTHER LIQUID MAY ENTER THE DRIVER'S WINDOW AND REACH THE MASTER POWER WINDOW SWITCH, RESULTING IN IMPAIRED FUNCTION OF THE SWITCH...SWITCH IS DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF THE LIQUID INTRUSION, IT MAY RESULT IN FAILURE OF THE SWITCH AND OVERHEATING...AN OVERHEATING SWITCH MAY CAUSE SMOKE, MELTING OR, POTENTIALLY, FIRE." THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION OPENED AN INVESTIGATION INTO A FIRE HAZARD WITH THE MASTER POWER SWITCH ON THE HONDA CR-VS. ALSO, [XXX], A HONDA SPOKESMAN, SAID ONE PERSON DIED IN SOUTH AFRICA IN A FIRE ATTRIBUTED TO THE PROBLEM. IT IS APPARENT HONDA STILL HAS NOT PROPERLY CORRECTED THE MASTER POWER WINDOW SWITCH ISSUE. PLEASE CONTINUE YOUR INVESTIGATION OF THIS ISSUE. HONDA'S ENGINEERS NEED TO RE-DESIGN THE SWITCH; IT'S HOUSING, AND REPLACE ALL POTENTIAL FAULTY MASTER SWITCHES TO ENSURE CONSUMERS SAFETY FROM FIRE/DEATH AND FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR