2020 Acura Rdx

My car was parked and off at a local park, I loaded my [XXX] son in the backseat of the car and then I got into my car. Before even turning car on I heard a loud pop sound and got out to look around and then realized it was the back windshield shattering. Apparently this is a known issue with Acura where the rear windshield will spontaneously shattered for no reason. Safety wise this is a concern since I have a child in the back seat and glass is shattering into the car as well as outside on pavement . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The rear glass in my 2020 Acura RDX Aspec randomly shattered when I closed my rear driver side door. My car was not running and hadn’t been running for over a hour and there were no signs of impact to the glass. There is a TSB from Honda about this being an issue already. I bought the car used and have owned it for a year. My extended warranty doesn’t cover the rear glass. It was going to cost over $1000 to fix as the dealership would not cover the cost and my car is out of its factory warranty. Didn’t have much choice but to use Safelite. Now there are glass shards stuck in my tailgate and apparently no way to remove them without removing the glass from the tailgate and removing the tailgate from the vehicle. Other complaints show that this can also happen while the car is running and in motion which seems like a major safety concern. With the glass shards stuck in the tailgate my car has been devalued by no fault of own. Honda knows this is an issue but will not issue a recall and it could also be a safety issue.

•What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? REAR WINDOW SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTED AND CRACKED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. IT IS BEING REPAIRED ON SATURDAY BY SAFELITE PER MY HARTFORD INSURANCE •How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I COULD NOT SEE OUT OF MY REAR WINDOW, IT WAS ENTIRELY FRACTURED AND HAD A HOLE IN IT. IT ALSO SPILLED GLASS ON THE ROAD AND IN MY CAR. •Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? YES, IT HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED BY ACURA/HONDA HOWEVER THEY DID NOT INCLUDE MY VIN NUMBER ON THE ISSUE, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS IN THE SAME CLASS OF ISSUES. •Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? YES, THROUGH MY INSURANCE CARRIER HARTFORD IT WAS BROUGHT TO SAFELITE WHERE THEY PUT ON A CRASH COVER BEFORE THEY REPLACE THE GLASS THIS SATURDAY. •Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? NO

To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting a vehicle safety defect complaint regarding my 2020 Acura RDX. The rear window of my vehicle suddenly shattered without any impact, collision, road debris, or external force. At the time of the incident, the vehicle was stationary. There was no warning or visible damage prior to failure. The glass shattered unexpectedly, creating a dangerous condition and risk of injury. I was required to file an insurance claim and have the rear window replaced. I am concerned this may indicate a defect in the glass, manufacturing process, or vehicle structure. I request that NHTSA review this incident, determine whether similar failures have been reported, and evaluate whether this represents a safety-related defect requiring investigation or recall. I can provide photographs, repair invoices, VIN, mileage, and additional documentation upon request. Sincerely, Joyce Burnett Phone: 757-636-6167 (Mobile) VIN: 5J8TC1H57LL013150

The rear windshield shattered out of nowhere while parked outdoors on a cold day (<20 degree weather). There was no impact involved in the shattering. Dealer stated that I must go through insurance in order to get rear windshield repaired. Upon further searching this is a problem that is common with the Acura RDX model from years 2019-2023 there was even a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) on May 20th, 2023 involving 'Rear Windshield Glass Shattering' caused by 'Incorrect specification for the rear defroster grid' showing that the company is aware of this issue.