Honda HR-V Rear Windows Are Shattering. Here’s What Owners Should Do.

“When you read through the complaints on those incidents, drivers generally appear to be pretty unsettled by these events,” says Michael Brooks, executive director at the Center for Auto Safety, an advocacy group. “I think it is reasonable to presume that we will see crashes related to such incidents, given enough failures.”

By Keith Barry
January 22, 2024

There are hundreds of consumer complaints about rear windows shattering on 2023 Honda HR-V SUVs due to a problem with the rear defroster. The automaker is planning a campaign to replace potentially defective glass, but Honda is stopping short of issuing a safety recall.

A Honda spokesperson told Consumer Reports that the company would replace rear window glass as part of what it calls a “voluntary product update campaign,” which will begin in April. In the meantime, if you have a 2023 HR-V and your rear window glass breaks, call your local Honda dealer or Honda customer service at 800-999-1009.

The rear windshield shattered on CR’s own 2023 HR-V last week as one of our testers warmed up the car using remote start on a cold New England morning. Nobody was injured, and the cargo in the rear wasn’t damaged. But our tester had to clean up glass shards from his driveway, and the contents of the cargo area were no longer secure from weather and theft.

Honda says the problem is due to a manufacturing defect that allows the sealer used to secure the rear glass on some HR-Vs to come in contact with the defroster’s heating elements. Over time, this weakens the glass as the defroster creates a “hot spot.” But the automaker advises owners to continue using the rear defroster as needed.