— A Honda CR-V windshield crack has caused a class action lawsuit that alleges the windshields spontaneously crack and shatter without external impacts to the glass.
The lawsuit alleges 2017-2019 Honda CR-V SUVs are dangerous to drivers, passengers and all others on the roads because the structural integrity of the vehicles is compromised.
Another problem with windshield cracks comes in the form of the Honda Sensing system that requires a clear unobstructed windshield so the camera can detect other vehicles on the road.
The Honda CR-V windshield crack lawsuit was filed by Illinois plaintiff Hakeem Hasan who purchased a new 2018 CR-V in January 2019. The plaintiff says he parked his CR-V in the apartment parking lot in March 2019 when the SUV had less than 5,000 miles on the odometer.
The next morning Hasan found a large crack in the lower right section of the windshield but couldn't figure out how the crack occurred.
The Honda dealership's warranty administrator took photos of the CR-V that showed the crack, and after performing tests the administrator determined the windshield damage was not caused by an external impact.
According to the lawsuit, the administrator said the windshield showed signs of a stress crack caused by defective construction or materials.
A request was sent to the local parts and service manager because the windshield was allegedly still covered by the warranty, but the plaintiff claims the service manager refused to even look at the damage. The warranty claim was allegedly rejected without explanation, so the plaintiff took his CR-V to an auto glass repair company.
The repair company allegedly found the crack was “non-impact,” and it originated at the edge of the windshield, "indicating a common vehicle frame issue which exerts excessive pressure on the windshield’s edges, causing stress cracks."
Honda was told about the finding by the repair shop but Hasan says the automaker again refused to pay for repairs.
The Honda Sensing system referred to earlier is described as a “suite of features that can assist and help you sense things you might miss while driving.”
The 2018 CR-V Sensing system “employs the use of two distinctly different kinds of sensors, a radar sensor located in the front grille and a front sensor camera mounted to the interior side of the windshield, behind the rear view mirror.” But the lawsuit alleges a cracked windshield interferes with the system, something customers are warned about in CR-V owner's manuals.
“[S]cratches, nicks, and other damage to the windshield within the camera’s field of vision can cause the system to operate abnormally. If this occurs, we recommend that you replace the windshield with a genuine Honda replacement windshield."
According to the plaintiff, the Honda CR-V windshield problems are ignored by Honda as the automaker continues to refuse warranty claims related to the windshields.
In addition to the dangers of cracked and shattered CR-V windshields, the class action points out how customers are left with driving vehicles that simply don't look good due to glass damage.
The Honda CR-V windshield crack class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division - Hasan, et al., v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
The plaintiff is represented by McGuire Law.
CarComplaints.com has owner-reported complaints about Honda CR-V SUVs.