NHTSA Complaint #10724945 — 2012 HONDA CR-V

THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED TWICE, IN EARLY 2014 AND EARLY 2015. DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN A SNOWSTORM, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK FINE FOR A WHILE, AND THEN RATHER SUDDENLY THE WINDSHIELD ICES UP TO A POINT THAT VISIBILITY IS EXTREMELY POOR. THE WIPERS THEMSELVES FAIL, AND NO AMOUNT OF DEFROSTING/HEAT DIRECTED AT THE WINDSHIELD WILL HELP. THE ONLY THING THAT HELPS IS PULLING OFF THE HIGHWAY AND MANUALLY DE-ICING THEM. THE PROBLEM WITH THAT, OF COURSE, IS THAT ONE IS NOT ALWAYS IN THE POSITION TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS, AND CERTAINLY NOT IMMEDIATELY ONCE THE PROBLEM STARTS. THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS IN AWFUL TRAFFIC IN A SNOWSTORM WITH MY TWO DAUGHTERS IN THE CAR. THERE WERE ACCIDENTS ALL ALONG OUR ROUTE, SO EVEN WITH VISIBILITY THE DRIVING WAS HAIRY. THERE WAS NOWHERE TO PULL OVER FOR A LONG PERIOD IN ORDER TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IT WAS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE WORST AND MOST FRIGHTENING DRIVING EXPERIENCE I'VE EVER HAD. AFTER THAT EXPERIENCE, I PURCHASED AND INSTALLED BRAND NEW WIPERS. THEY WORK GREAT IN THE RAIN, AND I WAS HOPEFUL ABOUT THEIR PERFORMANCE IN SNOW. BUT THEN I ENCOUNTERED THE PROBLEM AGAIN THE FOLLOWING WINTER. HAPPILY, ON THE SECOND OCCASION I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY RELATIVELY SOON AFTER THE PROBLEM STARTED. MY GUESS IS THAT IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE SHAPE OF THE WINDSHIELD, OR WITH THE DEPTH OF THE WELL AT THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD.