2002 Honda Accord Wipers & Visibility Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS IN INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD NOT ACTIVATE ON THE HIGH SETTING; ONLY LOW OR MEDIUM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA ACCORD. IN COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW HAD SPONTANEOUSLY FRACTURED. THE WINDOWS WERE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $180. THREE YEARS LATER, WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED. THE MANUFACTURER REFERRED HER BACK TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

ON SUNDAY THE 19TH, MY WIFE HAD AN ACCIDENT IN OUR VEHICLE INVOLVING A DEER. THE LOCATION WAS IN OUR AREA, ON A SEMI-RURAL 2-LANE ROAD. WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR, AND OCCURRED AT APPROX 11:30AM. THE DEER WAS AVERAGE IN WEIGHT, 70-90 LBS, VEHICLE SPEED WAS 45MPH AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE POINT OF IMPACT APPEARED TO BE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD, EYE HEIGHT OF THE DRIVER, AND WAS SEVERE ENOUGH TO SHATTER APPROX 90% OF THE WINDSHIELD. INTEGRITY OF THE WINDSHIELD REMAINED, AND WAS NOT EXPELLED FROM THE VEHICLE, NOR WAS IT PERFORATED, IT WAS JUST ALMOST COMPLETELY SHATTERED. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE ON MONDAY AT THE TOWING YARD, I DISCOVERED THAT THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE, FRONT AND BACK, HAD MANY PARTICLES OF SHARP GLASS SHARDS, AND ALMOST A COMPLETE COVERING OF WHAT I WOULD CALL "GLASS DUST", WHICH I DID NOT EXPECT. MY UNDERSTANDING OF SAFETY GLASS, WHEN SHATTERED, THE RESULT IS SMALL PARTICLES OF GLASS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A PENCIL ERASER, WITHOUT THE SHARP SHARDS AND DUST. MY DESCRIPTION OF THIS "DUST" IS JUST THAT - LIKE THE DUST ON FURNITURE IF LEFT UNDUSTED FOR A WHILE. HAD MY WIFE NOT BEEN WEARING SUNGLASSES, SHE WOULD HAVE HAD SERIOUS INJURY TO HER EYES. MY QUESTION (OR FOOD FOR THOUGHT) IS THIS. IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN THE SAFETY STANDARDS FOR U.S. MANUFACTURED VEHICLE SAFETY GLASS, AND THAT WHICH IS IMPORTED? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS ASSEMBLED IN THE U.S., BUT THE COMPONENTS WERE IMPORTED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION. SINCERELY, GARY S. WESTBROOK *TR

REFLECTION OF THE DASHBOARD IS CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER, AS WELL AS AT DIFFERENT LIGHTING SITUATIONS. *AK

CONSUMER BELIEVES VEHICLE IS NOT NEW BECAUSE THE WINDOW GLASSES ARE ETCHED. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE SLUGGISH UPON USE AND LEFT WIPER WAS VERY NOISY WHICH LEFT STREAKS ON THE WINDSHIELD. *TT

REFLECTION ON WINDSHIELD FROM DASH HAS BEEN TOO GREAT. ALSO, GLARE ALMOST CAUSED CONSUMER TO HIT A PERSON. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED NEVER HAD THAT TYPE OF COMPLAINT BEFORE. CONSUMER ATTACHED PHOTOS. *AK *TT