NHTSA complaint #11570937

Owner complaint summary

Our complaint is in regards to the factory horn Honda is installing on the current generation of CR-Vs. After purchase one week ago of our 2024 model year, we noticed the horn was very faint. Believing it to be a defect, we researched online and found that it is as designed. The horn is so poor that dealers are selling "upgrade kits" and posting online videos on how to install. The standard horn comes as a single high-tone that is insufficient. These kits include a second low-tone horn and a y-splitter cable that will hook into the factory single high-tone horn. Once the low tone is installed, the horn sounds and functions as any vehicle should be expected to function. But otherwise, the factory single high-tone is inadequate and not safe. I have tested this by having my spouse behind me on the roadway in clear weather at night and stopped at a red light. The horn is very faint and not adequate enough to provide proper warning if needed. If I was not expecting the horn test from my spouse, I would not have thought it was a vehicle horn at all. Now consider adding in poor weather and driving at 70mph, the horn would do nothing to warn another driver from an improper lane change to avoid a collision. With over 10 years of law enforcement and traffic-related experience, I am asking that this matter be investigated and require Honda to issue a recall to bring their horns up to standard by providing the fix to owners at no charge to add the low-tone second horn so that the vehicle will sound a warning at a volume and depth as needed in everyday usage. Buyers should not have to pay to upgrade this most basic of safety equipment and does not provide good optics for Honda to cut costs in this way and increase margin for dealers as an aftermarket kit.