2003 HONDA Element

Within the first few weeks of getting my brand new 2003 Honda Element, I read about a Honda service bulletin describing a windshield cracking problem (from the flange surface being uneven). I spoke to the service manager at Honda of Pasadena, Gary Robbins. As there didn’t appear to be any problem yet with my car at that time, we agreed to wait and see. About three weeks ago, a star chip appeared in the center of the vehicle’s windshield. In 28 years of driving, I have never had even the smallest chip on my windshield.I brought the car into the dealership. Gary took a ball point pen, did a ‘test,’ and said it was caused by a rock or pebble hitting it and didn’t think it would be covered under warranty, even though my VIN is in the range covered by the Honda Bulletin. He said the bulletin only covered cracks in the lower part of the window, not in the center. I pointed out that the acknowledged inherent defect causes the window to be easily susceptible to cracking and basically any small impact.He said he’d check with his district manager, Dianna Montes. She called back and denied any claim under warranty.As a result of the element’s windshield’s unprecedented vulnerability, I question its safety. At the very least, it represents inferior quality of materials and/or design, which is costing drivers and insurance companies significant amounts of money for repair costs. So far, American Honda and the dealership insist that there is no inherent flaw in materials, design, or installation, and want to attribute the chips and crack to bad luck. However, Honda owners are documenting this problem in droves on www.hondaelement.org, and on www.epinions.com. Honda must acknowledge the problem.The smallest impact can cause cracks in this car’s windshield and Honda must come clean on this problem for it is serious.

Windshield on Element made creeking noises just after purchase new. Dealer replaced windshield under Honda TSB.Within 2 months of replacement windshield started cracking and tiny pebbles cause cracks in windshield. Dealer refuses to replace saying that windshield already replaced (Honda Motor Company also refuses) saying that crack is caused by stone.Since first crack appeared after dealer replacement, I now have 2 LARGE cracks and 4 large chips in windshield. Having driven cars for over 24 years Never have I had a single cracked windshield, yet within 1 year of owning car I now have over SIX !!!The smallest pebbles causes cracks in this cars windshield and Honda must come CLEAN on this problem for it is serious. It is completely unreasonable for an automobile owner to have to replace windshields at a rate greater than that of oil changes!!!!Your help on this matter is greatly appreciated.regards,Scott Brown

Windshield has been replaced from the original one AP tech glass and they installed safeflight auto glass when i purchased the car used but honda certified. within 6 months a crack appeared from the bottom left (driver side) and a honda bulletin says its from a flange in the particular VIN model – supposivily you can get this taken care of before 36000 miles but i purchased the car at 52000 miles. I now need to replace the windshield and it will cost me $200.

Windshield cracks upon slight impacts on outside parimeter. This is the fourth windshield the vehicle has.

Windshield cracked six moths after I purchased car; Honda wanted me to pay for a new one. I now have 2 cracks from completely different starting points; no rock marks.

Windshield cracked from under windshield wiper on driver’s side while I was driving on HWY 1 outside of Half Moon Bay, CA. There were no cars or trucks or animals or anything else anywhere around. There was a sound and the windshield cracked in a vertical crack of about 5 inches. After I left it at the dealer’s it cracked more and the crack turned horizontal and is going across part of the windshield. Despite fact vehicle is within Service Bulletin, Menlo Honda (Redwood City) refuses to fix it. Said crack caused by impact. There was no impact. Honda says there is an indentation under windshield wiper and somehow stone must have come in under it and caused crack. Nonsense. I am 62 years old and have had lots of cars. Never saw anything like this. I believe the windshield is defective either in the glass or by design. Am going to leave it unfixed. Too many people have had it fixed only to have it crack again. Maybe the stress has been relieved by the crack. It also costs too much to fix. I will keep asking Honda to fix it.

Windshield cracked at corner for no reason (car was parked and not driven for 1 week when it occured). The crack is consistent with other claims

we bought the car from crown honda in greensboro the paint began flaking off the hood shortly after buying the car crown refused to repair it under warranty saying a bird must have pooped on the car. we requested to meet with a factory representitive and set an appointment the factory representative from honda never showed up. Crown claimed he had been fired and their was no represenative to look at our car. The car has an obvious paint defect the paint is flaking in more than one place on the hood and needs to be repaired the car hasn\’t been struck by any object and it\’s obvious this is a factory defect not bird poop like the dealership claimed the car is now out of warranty a warranty that crown honda never honered.They neglected an obvious factory defect.I have not had this problem repaired as I cannot afford to at thsi time and it is hondas responsobility.

Tiny impact crack located right above the wiper blade on passenger side that has spread about 24″ to the edge of the windshield caused by the slightest impact of a tiny peeble travling ~45 MPH on 880 north in Fremont,California during rush hour morning traffic. Tiny chip would not have spread if there wasn’t so much stress placed on the windshield by the “Uneven Windshield Flange Surface” that is stated in Honda Service Bulletin 03-028 which my VIN falls within. Honda dealership will not replace the whindshield becase the they said the impact started the crack. I contacted Honda Customer Service directly as stated in the Warranty manual and they said they could do nothing based on the dealership findings. I mentioned serveral times to the dealership and Honda Customer Service that the windshield design is weak and flawed but both the dealership and Honda CS did not even think that that was the cause of the problem. There is a presistant problem with 2003 Honda Element Windshields such as https://www.autosafety.org/article.php?did=956&scid=103. There is a class action suit (BC319600) that was filed in LA, CA: http://www.hondaelementscrack.com/

The problem is with the windshield. I have had to replace it twice since January and it needs to be replaced again due to cracks. I checked around and I am not the only one with this problem. It seems that the windshield in the Element is very susceptable to cracks due to the flange creating too much stress which renders the glass very prone to cracking by road debris. I got hit by a tiny pebble which should NEVER have cracked the glass. And in my 18 years of driving various vehicles, I have never, ever had this type of problem, so I know it is not just "bad luck" as the dealer has told me.

The other day while driving to work, a small stone hit my windshield on the top left corner, but there was nothing visible other then a small chip – no cracks were visible. In the morning the next day I saw a crack for about 5 cm long, and by the time I got to work it is about 10 cm long.There is no way from such a small impact a windshield to crack like this, and by checking other places this looks to be a manufacturer defect.

The front windshield on my 2003 element cracked in the same area 4 times. I brought it to a Honda dealer on the 3rd time and he stated there were no recalls or bulletins about it and it was out of warranty. I took it to a auto windshield place and they replaced the window the first, second and third time and charged me for it. The window cracked again. I paid for the windshield two times. I just discovered that there is a service bulletin on it

The AC compresser had a clutch failure caused by a defective clutch unit. Honda refuses to fix it. The windshield cracked in a manner consistant with other Elements and Honda Service Bulletin 03-028. The dealer claims it’s impact related and Honda refuses to fix it. One of the rear tie-downs in the luggage area is broken. The dealer claimed they would order the parts and fix it. They never did so.

See failures

Same story as everyone else. Spontanious crack, pen test, Honda claims impact.. none obvious except to “The pen tip” :-P

My windshield has developed this huge crack right accross my windshield. My car has never gotten hit by a huge rock. I noticed a small crack a while back on the edge of the windshield, I paid no attention what so ever until that crack developed onto a huge crack. Apparently have people have complained regarding this issue. www.hondaelementcracks.com I guess the problem here is stress that is applied on the windshield due to the way the windshield was assembled.

Last week on August Friday the 13th I noticed a very large crack on my windshield, approximately 6-7inches long which is located 7 inches to the left of the windshield facing the car. I did not notice it on the way and the way back from work until later on that evening. I inspected the crack and it seemed like it happened naturally since the crack was a consistent curve. My mother went to the Open Road Honda Dealer in New Jersey the following morning and they said to come back on Monday the 16th. On Monday, I went there and I spoke with the service manager. He looked at my windshield using his pen inspection and said that the warranty wouldn

I have a 2003 Element. Yesterday (2/1/05), when I got in my car to go home from work, I was very surprised to find a six inch crack in my windshield running from the base of the window (directly in front of the driver) and extending up and over toward the passenger side about six inches. I was surprised to see this crack because the car had been sitting idle since lunchtime (when there was definitely no crack present); I had no recollection of anything having hit the windshield while I was driving earlier in the day; and I could not see any evidence of anything having hit my window that would have caused the crack. Already aware that these cracks were a big problem for Element owners, I immediately drove to the dealership to let them know what had happened. Unfortunately, the service department was already closed but a salesman looked at the crack and pointed to a small nick, the size of the head of a pin and barely visible with the naked eye. It was about an inch up from the base of the windshield along the crack line. He quickly surmised that the crack was the result of something hitting the windshield, but suggested I bring the car back during service hours so a service manager could take a look at it. In the meantime, as I was driving to work this morning, the crack grew another six inches in front of my eyes, snaking steadily over toward the passenger side. I decided to go straight to the dealership, where I encountered two more people (assistant service managers) who attempted to convince me that the crack was caused by this microscopic nick. I argued that there was no way a nick that small should cause a twelve-inch crack in my windshield, but there response was something like “Well, you just never know how a windshield will react when something hits it.” I pointed out that I wasn’t happy about the prospect of having to replace my windshield every time a tiny piece of debris hit it, and I considered this a design flaw. They basically told me they were sorry but there was nothing they could do for me. At that point, I asked to schedule an appointment with the factory rep so that he could look at it the next time he came to the dealership. They reluctantly agreed to schedule an appointment for 2/17, but added, ‘If the factory guy agrees to replace the window, he will only be doing it out of the goodness of his heart, not because it’s Honda’s fault.” Yea, right! To officially document the problem, I also called Honda Customer Care and formally registered my complaint. They told me to call back if the factory guy doesn’t agree to replace the windshield. In the meantime, I get to drive around for two weeks with a huge crack directly in my line of vision. I love the Element, but I am extremely disappointed in such a glaring design flaw and an unwillingness on the part of Honda to admit there is a problem. Add me to the list of very upset customers. The VIN number on my car is 5J6YH28613L047986. It was purchased at Lester Raines Honda in Charleston, West Virginia. So, far, everyone at the dealership is acting like they don’t know there’s a problem with these windshields, but I know better! Laura Gandee

I discovered my windshield was cracked after leaving an office (having been in there approx 2 hours). The car was in a parking garage and I know it was not there prior to parking it (big crack…obvious). My boyfriend did some research and discovered that the Honda Element has “windshield issues”. It appears obvious to me that nothing hit my car…it was just cracked. The dealer found “spot” where a rock hit it (according ot him) and said it is not covered by warranty. The spot was pinpointed to me by a pen…diameter less then a needle. I did not like his response so we went to another dealer and that service manager pointed at 6 possible locations where a rock “may have hit it”. I informed him that half of his “spots” were from where the crack was growing…and that out of all the spots he picked out (with a flashlight)…he did not even pick the same spot as the manager previous… This service manager proceeded to walk around my car, found out where I bought it and told me to take it to them.

I am taking it to the dealership today to find out if they will repair it. They say if the crack is not perfectly smooth they will not replace the windshield even though the crack appeared in a parked garaged vehicle.

I am one of hundreds of consumers who report the same problem, an Element windshield which cracks at the bottom/side and spreads across the windshield. Honda refuses to fix this under warranty. There is TSB which covers a small range of vehicles, describing this problem exactly, but my vehicle does not fall in the VIN range. Hundreds (thousands?)of people experience the same crack, in the same area, starting the same way, yet Honda claims that a \"rock chip\" is visible in all these cases. In effect, insurance companies and consumersare footing the bill for Honda\’s design flaw. There are 24 pages of complaints regarding this on the Honda owner\’s website, and over a hundred complaints to the NHTSA. The Honda regional service manager denied my claim, and as far as Honda is concerned that\’s the end of it.

Honda Element windshield cracked at corners for no apparent reason. There is a class action suit about this, which I may join. The dealer took no responsibility as he felt it was due to a small windshield ding.

Cracking is starting at right side of glass and spreading. I know many people are reporting this. Not covered by Honda.

Cracked windshield. The crack originates on the lower right passenger side of the vehicle where the windshield sits into frame. The crack then travels up and to the left slightly. It is about 12\" long. There does not appear to be any impact from outside road debris.

Crack occurs under passenger side wiper and curves over to the corner of the windshield.

Crack appeared in windshield on driver\’s side. It appeared sometime during the night while car was parked in garage. There is no apparent \"ding\" and the crack is meandering, not the type I have had in the past on other vehicles.

Car was parked all day. I came out to find that the windshield had cracked, beginning at the bottom, beneath the windshield wiper. The windshield has since developed two more spontaneous cracks. Both Honda and the Dealer refused to admit the windshield is defective.

A foot long windshield crack, starting approx. 3″ up from the passenger side lower corner, underneath the edge seal, snaking toward the center of the windshield, developed as the car sat overnight in the driveway.I had been aware of widespread windshield cracking problems on Elements from the many complaints found on Honda & Element owners websites. I took the car to the Honda dealer. The service manager said that a tiny impact site the size of a pin point at the very edge of the windshield caused the crack, and therefore Honda would not replace it under warranty. The service manager offered to set up an appointment with the district service manager (a month away) to have her look at it. (delay and inconvenience)I feel that any windshield ‘system’ on any car should be capable of withstanding the normal peppering of road sand and salt spread over the roads during the New England winters without cracking. A crack from a walnut sized stone is understandable, but not from something causing barely a pin prick of an impact site. It seems as though the windshields are overstressed to start with and that the smallest disturbance can send the windshield cracking.

2003 HONDA ELEMENT ,WINDSHIELD KEEPS CRACKING FOR NO APPARENT REASON, DEALER AND MANUFACTURER REFUSE TO COVER COST OF REPAIRS AS THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ON VEHICLE, WE ACTUALLY OWN 2 SUCH VEHCLE AND BOTH HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.

The consumer has had consistent problems with the vehicle's factory installed horn and alarm. *nm the dealer was unable to remedy the communication system. other problems were; the bumper cover would pop out intermittently, the right side corner piece was loose, the horn sound was abnormal and anti-freeze was leaking. *sc

2003 honda element with brakes problems. consumer requests issue to be fixed , cost of repair and cost of replacement. *tgw the consumer stated the brakes and rotors had to be replaced several times due to abnormal brake wear.

I’m concerned with the amount of rust under the vehicle. my element is from pennsylvania and they do use salt on the streets in the winter. took car to mechanic and was told the car was very rusted underneath. changing parts under the car is a difficult task due to the rest. mechanic said it was cause car was driven in pennsylvania the cause is to how the roads are salted. i did read this is a serious problem in canada and other places and very dangerous but in america not as much. i’m wondering how i get this looked at by honda and the problem be fixed like other elements are being fixed or to see if it passes to have the unforced bracket put on.

Rear trailing arms causing unsafe driving rear end unsafe over bumps

The door lock cylinders for the driver/passenger/tailgate will not accept a key to unlock the doors. the locks are immovable from the outside and inside, requiring a locksmith to open the doors or complete removal of the doors to safely enter and exit the vehicle. the key, when inserted into the lock in attempt to enter the vehicle, often will not release from the seized lock cylinder resulting in the key firmly lodged in the lock of the door, rendering it impossible then to drive the vehicle. the above mentioned cylinder locks are safety hazards for the following reasons: children and adults entering and exiting the vehicle may be prone to injury from oncoming traffic due to door cylinder locks not operating properly and causing the door to jam requiring forceful pressure to be applied from the interior and exterior of the vehicle in order for the door to open. infants and elderly individuals incapable of the motor skills necessary to open doors and locks may be locked inside of the vehicle with uncontrollable in cabin temperatures resulting in excessive heat/cold for an extended amount of time that could result in injury or death. quick and safe entry and exit to and from the vehicle is impossible, resulting in an increase of the probable instances of theft or damage to persons/property attempting to enter/exit the vehicle in less than perfectly safe conditions. the fee involved with servicing the replacement of this door lock cylinder is exorbitant. a quote from the dealership put me at $200.00 just for them to open the door panel and look at it. to replace the cylinder and re-key it would cost upwards of $400.00 more. $600.00 to replace a cylinder lock on a car door. there are many other 2003 honda element owners who have had this issue as well, often paying the money to have the cylinders replaced, only to have them fail again a year later.

The subframe is rusted near the rear control arm, there is a danger of the control arm separating which can result in a crash. the vehicle was stationary when i discovered this as i was attempting to jack the car up to change a tire.

Tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v344000 (air bags). the parts to do the repair were unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was notified of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. vin tool confirms parts not available.

Driver side door lock no longer working when alarm is activated. key gets stuck sometimes in the lock. i then have to go around to passenger side to get in to open driver side door from the inside.

I received notice in late june 2016 regarding the recall, and called at the beginning of july, scheduled an appointment for july 13, 2016. i received a call on the day of the appointment from the dealer saying they did not have the parts to fix the recall. i was told they would call me back when parts were available. i called in august and again on september 22, 2016 and i received the same response. on the recall it suggests for no one to ride in the passenger's seat until the air bag is replaced. i feel that we are approaching 90 days with no resolution is a bit too long.

Ignition will allow key to be removed while car is in motion. was taken in for recall on 11/13/15 and problem still persisted and now ignition switch is inoperable. contacted dealer and they said problem was fixed and not willing to look over it again. was instructed to contact cooperate number and they just tried to talk circles around me about it. just over a year later and recall is worse.

Takata recall since receiving the first recall notice in june if 2016, i've called the honda dealership where i purchased my vehicle(ourisman honda, bethesda md.) - and where i have it regularly serviced - 3 times. they promise to call me when they can replace the defective part, but have yet to call me with a service appointment. i've waited ten months since receiving thenrevall notice, and just today received a second recall notice for the same issue.

Takata recall, received notice of this recall in july, 7 2016, mechanicsville honda contacted and part was ordered 7/7/16. never received notice to return to dealership to replaced defective part under recall. received second recall notice 3/27/17

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v344000 (air bags) however, the part for the recall repair was unavailable. the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the contact had not experienced any failures. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. parts distribution disconnect.

Tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v344000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the vin was unknown. the contact had not experienced a failure. parts distribution disconnect.

Door locks are defective- cannot insert my key in driver's side door. my remotes don't lift the locks any more. lights flash ok, but i have a feeling that the driver's side door lock is involved. i understand that this is common in this vehicle

I have replaced everything possible that would control the headlights. as i drive or after the car heats up while parked, whether on dim or bright the lights dim and brighten themselves causing it hard to see sometimes. i myself and other people that have talked about this online are having problems with the key fob. it stopped working and then it starts working again but the driver door lock wont work after that. *tr

2003 honda element. consumer writes in regards to passenger side airbag and ignition switch safety recall. *ld the consumer stated the vehicle was improperly repaired during the recall repair process. *js the consumer stated the manufacturer was contacted but, did not offer any assistance.*js *js

2003 honda element. consumer writes in regard to honda safety recall concerning ignition interlock system failure. *as the consumer stated the vehicle was not included the recall. the consumer requested to be reimbursed for the cost of repairs.*js

Going along highway i90 at 65mph and i decided to engage the cruise control setting on my 2003 honda element . when traffic became too congested i decided to shut off the cruise control , only to find out that now i couldn’t accelerate. it seems this issue has something to do with a faulty throttle cable . either way this needs to be fixed immediately .

Drivers side door key ceased to work as stated numerous times by others. only way to get in and lock the door is from passenger side...placing driver in unsafe and vunerable position. also when driving slowly approx 10 mph car has frequently irractically accelerated of its own accord. have to stand on the brakes to get car to stop. with the car at a stop, and in drive it will self accelerate...very dangerous!!! as others have noted there is a serious electrical short?? as dash lights are dull then and have to hit dash to get them to light up. headlights are constantly surging from limited lighting visibility to normal.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. upon placing the gear selector in park and briefly exiting the vehicle, the gear independently shifted from park and rolled into reverse. the contact was almost run over. the vehicle crashed into a tree. none of the air bags deployed. the contact was shaken by the experience and received medical treatment. a police report was not filed. the vehicle was able to be driven. the vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and indicated that they would escalate the matter. the approximate failure mileage was 158,425.

Takata recall: i sold this vehicle (2003 honda element) in early 2011. when the airbags were recalled, i began receiving notices form honda about the recall. i have returned the mailings and also called the 800 number (at least 4 times in total), each time letting them know that i no longer own the vehicle. i continue to receive recall notices, despite notifying them that i am not the owner. this would point to the fact that the actual owner of the car is not receiving notices. if honda is not accurately updating their database, owners at risk from this recall may be oblivious to it.

The lock on the driver side door does not work with the key. this is a 2003 and a remote locking device was not offered by the manufacturer according to the local dealer. this problem that has been getting progressively worse since we own this vehicle dating back to 10/2015. the ability to reliably lock and unlock your vehicle is a fundamental component to automotive safety

Defective dash gauge controls keep the car from starting. it's a known defect and honda knows it also

I had a minor accident and the airbag's powder, white substance burned my skin.

The seatbelt for the driver it does not retract properly and still loose after it buckle up also the seatbelt light is on all the time even after the engine is running. that is when the vehicle is stationary or in motion. i read in the owner's manual that the seatbelt has a warranty for the life of this vehicle.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact stated that he could remove the key from the ignition in any gear without warning. the contact was informed by the manufacturer that the vehicle was serviced per nhtsa campaign number: 10v364000 (electrical system), but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was invalid. the failure mileage was 169,000.

Takata recall: i have received a recall notice for this vehicle. i note that the dealer is required to address the issue within 60 days of an appointment date. our dealership is garcia honda in albuquerque nm. over the last two weeks i have tried numerous times to schedule an appointment. when i call i am forwarded to a number which rings, and rings, and rings.... and no one ever picks up. seems inappropriate to try to get around the 60 day requirement by never allowing someone to schedule an appointment.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact stated that the vehicle would not recognize the key remote unlock feature. in addition, the key would not unlock the driver side door even when it was manually inserted. in order to unlock the driver's door, the passenger door had to be unlocked to get to the driver's door inside the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing, but the results were not provided. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 185,000.

My airbag light is on and will not go off and i also have a knocking and ticking noise on the front passenger side when turning my steering wheel.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. after the ignition key was turned to the start position, the vehicle failed to start. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the ignition cylinder needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 10v364000 (electrical system). the failure mileage was 107,000. the vin was unavailable.

Takata recall. at less than speed limit of 35 mph, vehicle encountered icy conditions on hill, and vehicle rolled approximately 100 feet off of road into gently graded area. vehicle was able to drive straight out without any significant body damage, yet airbags both deployed upon exiting the road, most likely due to rolling over a small curb before leaving roadway. this was a city street, early in the morning of march 23, 2016, with my licensed and insured 16 year old daughter driving. but for the airbag deployment she would have driven away without incident, but dual deployment resulted in burns to her jacket and right arm and a laceration to her left knee due to her reaction to the unexpected deployment. i believe the airbag initiators were overly sensitive or on a hair trigger. estimated speed at time of deployment is 25mph or less. vehicle was previously owned and registered in new mexico and apparently in storage for a period where it would have been extremely hot and/or humid at times, but at time of incident was owned and registered in north dakota. police and insurance reports are pending at this time. police, insurance and ambulance reports would not even exist but for shock of airbag deployment as there was no impact, no other vehicles involved, and no tickets issued or driving cited.

2003 honda element. consumer writes in regards to unsatisfactory customer service at dealership with ignition switch and airbag repairs. *smd the consumer stated the air bag light would come on occasionally. also, the key would get stuck in the ignition and the vehicle would not start at times when the consumer turned the key in the ignition. *jb

The steel frame in the drivers seat completely cracked and broke, causing the seatback to become separate from the vehicle. local honda dealer acknowledged the break and offered a $2,400 new seat option. i am the original owner and the car is well maintained. this is a significant safety issue and a front/rear collision would have caused bodily injury. photos and video are available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. while driving 30 mph, the contact's vehicle struck another vehicle on the driver side. the air bags failed to deploy. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v351000 (air bags) a month ago and stated that the vehicle was repaired. the contact sustained three broken ribs and liver damage, which required medical attention. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 103,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. while driving 45 mph, the engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost power. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 227,590. the vin was unavailable.

Dealerships rolling the milage back 3000and scams disable people out of thousands of dollars and 28% lawsuit crimmal and civil please call me.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign numbers: 14v353000 (air bags) and 15v320000 (air bags) and stated that the parts needed were unavailable to perform the recall repair. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. updated 11/18/15*lj updated 01/11/16. *jb updated 1/12/2016 *js

While driving the srs/airbag light on the dash. had it resetted but doesnt go away. called the dealer and was informed about recalls on the airbags and ignition switch. nothing about the airbag light. ive reviewed many form which countless people complain of this issue. please update me on anything reguarding this issue! im scared the airbags may deploy as im driving, or not deploy when needed.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. upon entering the vehicle and attempting to place the key in the ignition, the key failed to engage with the ignition switch. ocasionally, it took the contact ten minutes to get the key in the ignition. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the ignition needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 80,000. ma 10/25/15

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact stated that the key became stuck in the ignition and failed to turn over in order to start the vehicle. after several attempts, the vehicle was able to start. the failure recurred multiple times. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for a diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the ignition needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing the failure in nhtsa campaign id number: 10v364000 (electrical system) however, the vin was not included. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 58,000.

Tl* the contact owned a 2003 honda element. while driving 30 mph, the check engine light illuminated. the contact heard a loud pop and black smoke emitted through all of the vents inside the vehicle. the brakes became inoperable and the vehicle ignited into flames. the contact was able to escape the vehicle without injuries. a police report was filed. the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 124,000.

Door lock on the drivers door stopped working. honda said i needed a key fob. it worked for a while. now my key fob will not open drivers door. the only way to lock or unlock my door is to pull up on the handle and push lock down and to go to the other door and crawl across to unlock it. i have read of many owners being locked out of their cars totally. a repairman thought it was the actuator. when he went to install it, it was not. i have spoken to several honda service departments and they have no clue they said.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v351000 (air bags); however, the part needed to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact stated that the air bag warning lamp flashed and remained illuminated for an extended period of time. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v351000 (air bags) months ago and stated that the part was not available within a reasonable timeframe to schedule the recall repair. the dealer did not give a specific date for when the part would become available. the manufacturer was contacted and could not provide an estimated date for when the vehicle would receive the recall repair. the failure mileage was not available.

Just entering the information concerning the slow response to replacing the airbags on my 2003 honda element (see vin above). car was taken to dealership in february 2015, but dealership cannot get parts to repair the vehicle. recall numbers: 14v-700 and 14v-351. any assistance is greatly appreciated. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v353000 (air bags) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 10v364000 (electrical system), 14v351000 (air bags), and 14v700000 (air bags). the parts were not available within a reasonable timeframe to schedule the recall repairs. the dealer did not give a specific date for when the part would become available. the manufacturer could not provide an estimated date for when the contact's vehicle would receive the recall repairs. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Air bag warning light turned on. *tr

Battery dies after 10 to 12 hours of not using car, on 3rd battery in 3 years, battery is drained dead. *tr

Recall for air bag, no parts available. vechicle not safe to drive ? called honda about concerns for children in vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v700000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. the consumer stated the vehicle has been repaired. updated 7/6/2015*js

Re: tires michelin xcx/apt 215/70 r16 dot hnxo ekfx 4405 when putting air in my tires on 3/21/2015 i found all four tire sidewalls had a lot of cracks (one inch and bigger) plus a lot of other tire failure problems. these were not notice by honda dealer garage on tire rotation that was performed within the last six months. neither had i notice this since that rotation, the tire tread on these tires are still good. i am aware that there were no recall and these tires have "expired" so to speak. my concern is that michelin tires had not warned me of this possible problem putting my family, myself and others on the road in danger. i want michelin to replace those tires. anyone else having these tires should be told. i have photos. *tr

Letter from senator nelson on behalf of constituent re 2003 honda element airbag. *smd the consumer would like to have a loaner vehicle, due to the fact, the recall fix will take three hours to complete. the consumer was informed the part needed to be ordered.*jb

I visited the recall web site after hearing about the airbag concerns with my vehicle. i then made an appointment and had my drivers airbag/because of a recall, replaced on nov 26, 2014. i requested a vehicle for the day since the recall is not a personal problem but a problem of the manufacture. i was denied a day use car. i was told that day that the passengers airbag was on backorder, i have since contacted the dealer who did not return my call. i then went to the dealer web site an e-mailed them my concerns. someone did call me and stated that the airbags were on backorder. i am very concerned that it is taking so long to get my passengers airbags replaced. i am also concerned that the local dealer does not return phone calls. local dealer is honda of fort myers fl. *tr

Driver's side door lock tumblers seized my key when i tried to unlock the car. they key was stuck midway - i could not remove the key nor turn it either way. since the key was caught in the lock, the key fob would not open the passenger's door or rear latch. i was locked out of the car with my little girl trapped inside. after a pop-a-lock visit, i was able to get my spare key to drive the vehicle, but i still had the original key stuck in the door lock. i drove to honda service center; they were unable to remove the key also. they said i would have to pay $450 to have the lock tumbler replaced. i asked them if they would remove the door panel because the key in the door was a theft issue. they said i would have to pay $112.50 for them to remove the panel. when i asked if they would remove the panel for free so i could try to remove the key, they refused, citing liability issues. the service center is only willing to help when paid astronomical rates like $112.50 to remove a door panel (without being asked to put it back on) and $450 to replace a $40 part that is malfunctioning. i have never heard any other car manufacturers' cars seizing a key in the door lock ever in my life! we could have been in great danger if we had been in a remote area of if it had been nighttime. honda customer service refuses to fix my problem because there is no recall, despite the problems of others. even when i asked that the repair be done as "goodwill' the representative refused to consider. poor quality workmanship on door locks -- something as inexpensive and low tech as a lock, yet so critical to safety and theft -- reflects poorly on honda and draws into question their reputation for quality. that honda refuses to stand by their work when their poor quality endangers drivers and passengers, demonstrates their disregard of human beings safety. profit over people is honda's motto. *tr

Driver's side door lock has malfunctioned and would not unlock. sometimes would not lock. i had same problem several years ago and had lock replaced at honda dealer however recently it started again. apparently this is a common honda problem. i really like the element however these types of problems leave me to probably never buy another honda. now the airbag recall which has not even recognized the need to replace in wv. *tr

Happened in nyc, afternoon, weather drizzling/raining and humid. slid on an oil slick on the road, swerved sideways and hit an exit ramp concrete barrier full front (w/ my front against it, perpendicular to the barrier). passenger side airbag deployed, mine did not. the thing is, i was the only person in the car, there was no passenger in the passenger seat. car was always driven in ny, i am original owner. didn't report it earlier bec news always said it's only an issue w/ cars in the south, and element didn't appear in the recall lists in the papers (only saw it listed this minute on the gov site, after hearing so much talk about it on the news and decided to check). i think the car manuf's should have notified all owners of that airbag of the possibility of an issue, even if they didn't live in the south, just in case, it's not expensive to do, just a stamp. anyway, that's my feeling. *tr

The driver side lock stopped working from the outside. first the alarm and automatic door lock stopped working. it would arm and unarm the alarm and unlock the back and side door but not the driver side door. that was annoying but i have the key and would then just unlock the driver side door but the lock would stick and not allow the key to turn. i would then have to take the key out and try again. over a few weeks it got worse and worse eventually not allowing the key to even completely enter. it would also get stuck in the locked position and i would have to manually unlock it to get out. eventually it stopped working all together. to get in i would have to unarm the alarm and from the passenger side use an umbrella to reach access the seats to manually unlock the door. i would then have to walk around the car to get in. i would also have to manually lock the door before driving as it would not lock on its own. to get out i would have to do the whole process again but in reverse order. if i locked the door with the door open it would not shut completely. it progressively got worse over about a year. i had it repaired almost two years ago and have not had issues since. i did not have to change keys, electronic locks, or alarms. this was some time ago so i do not remember what they had to do to fix it but i remember it not being cheap and taking much of the day as they had to take the door apart. i am not sure if the dealer or my regular repair place fixed it but more information can be requested from them if needed. the repair guys had not mentioned this being an issue with 2003 honda elements but after seeing multiple reports on here i decided to add my information for more context and details in how the problem started and advanced. *tr

The driver's-side key lock routinely does not accept the key without multiple efforts. sometimes these efforts fail, and i must try the back hatch or passenger side door. as a single female, i find this disturbingly dangerous. it is obvious that i can't get into the car, marking me as vulnerable. this basically sets me afoot, often at night, often in uncertain circumstances. should i find myself needing to move the car for any emergency whatsoever, a great deal of time will be lost as i struggle with entry. until i checked for the airbag recall, i had not known about this site. i am appalled to find that this key failure is a common issue. my next car will be a toyota, the brand i drove for many, many miles and years without trouble. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 162,000.

Driver side exterior door lock does not accept a key. this is extremely problematic due to the fact that the element did not include auto locks. this is a safety hazard because i have been in a parallel parking situation where my driver door was facing a busy street. i was trying to get into the car when the light behind me turned green and the cars came whipping by. it is also scary at night walking to my car in a parking lot as i don't know if my lock will work and someone could easily follow me out to my car and have plenty of time to attack me. i have a daughter and her safety is most important. this issue needs to be fixed not only for convenience but also peace of mind. *tr

I stopped to check my mail and turned off my vehicle to use the mail box key and when i tried to start my car again, it would not start. all i got was a buzzing noise from under the steering column. prior to this incident over the last week there were times my car would not start. i would make several attempts and it would finally start. the battery and starter were checked and in working condition. *tr

Front door lock will not work. it is jammed and will not accept the key going in. this needs to be recalled and fixed. it's unbelievable. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact stated that the electronic door system failed to open or lock the doors, and the doors could not be opened with the key. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 98,000.

Both door locks (driver and passenger) are jammed. at times the key goes in and others it doesn't but do not turn. i have two keys and neither of them open either door. i have to enter through the back door, climb over the back seats to get to the driver's seat. this appears to be an issue with many honda elements made in 2003. i have read many reviews and see that many people have this same issue. i have back problems and cannot be climbing in through the back of my car to open the driver side door to enter my car. i think honda should be responsible for replacing these locks. *tr

Driver's side door lock began to not unlock the door on first attempt. after approximately one year the lock became stuck at a 45 degree angle and would not release the key. forced the key out of the lock by placing my knee against the door and pulling on the key until the key finally came out. lock continues to be at about 20 degrees and will not allow the key to enter and/or turn. have tried liquid wrench, but no improvement. have to unlock the driver's door by entering through the passenger door. *tr

I was driving out of the parking lot of my condo, when my knee tapped the keys on my ignition inwards. as this happened the car shut off. i was worried but had to go on with my day. after hearing about the gm issues i became concerned because the issue with their ignition was the same one i was having with my honda element. i called honda on july 1, 2014 and was told there was nothing they could do. i was told i would have to pay for the inspection at the dealership and would have to figure it out on my own. this is not the first time the ignition on my honda has had an issue. a recall was initiated by honda regarding the ignition allowing a car to roll away if not on park. i followed direction and had my car inspected by a honda automotive service dealer. the problem was addressed, but now with a light bump on the key the ignition turns off. i am very worried i am not the only consumer with this issue and that honda does not take this concern seriously, especially with all the gm issues going on. please help. *tr

The srs warning light came on. about 3 weeks later honda issued a partial recall on 2003 element airbags. i called honda and was told my vehicle was not covered. in looking into the recall i see that it is for vehicles in hotter climates. i think it should be extended to all climates. *tr

I have a 2003 honda element and i have to pay over $700 for a new ignition and my drivers side door does not work with a key or the keyless remote. i am not the only one and honda should do a blanket recall. i cannot afford to fix the drivers side door at this time. it is embarrassing and unacceptable and it is a common problem. come on honda! now i will have two keys, one for the ignition and one for the doors. when i get my drivers side door fixed, i will have three keys to use. urg. *tr

Keyless remote will not work for any doors. key will not allow you to manually turn without getting stuck or jammed on the driver's side (from the outside). the door will only lock if you crawl through from the passenger side and lock it manually. this is inconvenient, unacceptable and a common problem among honda element owners. this issue should cause a recall for honda to fix. *tr

I was traveling north on nc hwy 12 on my way to work, alone, and i rear ended another vehicle traveling between 35-40 mph, when i glanced down to scratch my leg and when i glanced back down, the car in front of me was at a dead stop and i rear ended it. my passenger airbag deployed, however i had no passenger with me, my drivers side airbag failed. luckily i was wearing my seatbelt and only received minor injuries. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact stated the front driver's side door was inaccessible because the door could not be locked or unlocked. the contact stated that she had to enter the vehicle through the front passenger's side door. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician stated that the cylinder lock would have to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 62,524.

While traveling at 65 mph on the freeway, the passenger side air bag deployed for no reason. there was no impact or collision of any kind. there was no front passenger at all, only the driver in the vehicle. *tr

Drivers side door would not open with key. had to use passenger's side. since that time, all of the door keys (including back) have become difficult to open. have to move key up and down to get it to slide in. now the ignition is also becoming problematic. *tr

Nhtsa recall 10v364000 i took my element into bob boyt honda; brandon, ms for this recall. they took the car, replaced some little plastic part. i took the car home and discovered that this did not solve the problem. i could still remove the key and walk away from the car with the car in gear. when the car shift is in the drive position and turned off, it will still roll,like it would if it were in neutral. i returned the car to the same dealership, left it, they tried again. but the plastic part would not fix the car. the service manager told me that there was some solenoid not functioning properly and it would cost hundreds to fix the problem as that part was not part of the recall. i left and the car is not fixed. was my car supposed to be fixed, regardless of the part required? this is the second time i've had a problem with this dealership and recalls on this car. *tr

Honda has a tsb for the driver side front seat. the issue is the seat rocks as you accelerate or brake like a rocking chair. i had my local dealer fix the seat under the tsb, however soon after it was fixed the rocking returned and i was told the work is no longer covered. the other issue is the bottom of the seat where you sit along the left side is worn and the fabric is cracked. i realized the wear and tear is above the seat base where the tsb repair was made. the wear and tear is from the inside of the seat, not from the driver. i was told that it isn't covered and i tried to explain how it is directly related to the seat rocking. none of the other seats have a problem and this is along the seat from the front to back, same as the base of the seat where the rocking takes place. i would like this investigated and the base of the seat recalled. thank you. *tr

There is a definite breakdown with the brake calipers. i am not a mechanic but realized the fast deterioration of the calipers and have not heard of that problem with other vehicles. i was told to replace the brake rotors and pads and i have several times but the brakes were never the same. the vehicle has trouble stopping with new brakes. i flushed the brake fluid with official honda brake fluid and recently noticed the issue is with the calipers. they are rusty and the metal flakes off and the pistons do not function properly on any of the brakes. some brakes don't fully brake and one rear caliper is stuck while driving so the pads are on the rotor while driving. i hope that makes sense, the calipers are to squeeze and release and they never have soon after i got the vehicle new. i am disappointed with the honda dealers i have taken it to, before knowing that the problem is with deteriorated calipers. the vehicle was never in a flood or anything like that. i can't imagine i'm the only owner with that problem and i didn't know where to file a complaint earlier or what a caliper was. i would like it investigated and recalled if necessary. thank you. *tr

The dashboard light of the honda element goes dark intermittently. at the beginning i thought this was an isolated event - but found hundreds of complaints about the same issue on internet forums. i have taken my car to the dealership and the problem is so inconsistent that they are unable to diagnose it. from reading the complaint of the other element owners it seems that the problem is with the electrical wiring system of the elements. i request the nhtsa to perform a detailed investigation into this -as this poses a serious risk with the instruments cluster failing randomly. *tr

Head lights went out while driving. this also happened on 9/23/2011. bulbs are ok. dealer said it was an electrical problem. honda said it's not a recall. many people report same problem on web. also crv has this problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. while parked, the contact inserted the key into the front driver's side door to unlock the door but the key would not turn. the contact unlocked the front passenger side door and entered the vehicle. after some time, the front passenger side door failed to unlock intermittently. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

The abs brake system has always had a nice firm pedal pressure. recently when coming to a stop i noticed the pedal to feel spongy, soft and travel close to the floor. i checked fluids etc. and all seem normal. still have adequate pad thickness on all pads. this problem with the soft, spongy pedal seems to be consistent now. checked the internet and see this seems to be a problem on 2007 and 2008 elements. believe it might also be showing up on other years also. we also have a 2004 element and the pedal pressure is as the 2003 used to be. the 2003 is an ex 2wd auto and the 2004 is an ex auto awd model. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact stated that while the engine was running and as the brake was depressed, there was smoke seen coming from under the hood. as a result, the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who inspected the vehicle and stated that they could not diagnosed the failure. the vehicle was then taken to a mechanic who inspected the vehicle and advised the contact that the smoke was coming from the brakes seizing when they were depressed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 109,000. updated 10/18/12 *bf the consumer stated to disregard the complaint. the issue was fluid contamination. updated 10/19/2012 *js

Excessive vibration where you can see the stick shift shimmy and shake. both driver and passenger can feel car vibrating like it has a bad wheel alignment but wheels have brand new tires and are aligned. mechanic says it seems to be a broken motor mount. i have read on several honda and honda element community forums reporting that motor mounts break with low mileage. i believe this is a defect. *tr

Like many others, driver side door key was difficult to insert. then it inserted and was unable to turn; despite greasing lock. now using passenger side door lock. i am hoping this does not get stuck on me too like it has happened with many others. lock costs ~$33 on ebay and $55 from dealer, but this does not include installation and it lock will have a separate key. i was quoted around $350-375 to have a matching lock installed. i am worried to even do this because it sounds like it is a recurring problem even after replacement. this needs to be made a recall. *tr

I pulled the hood release latch and it broke. it almost hit me in the left eye. *tr

I have the same problem with the headlamp low beam that is described in the newest recall announced by honda. i believe that the same component in my vehicle is in the crv and other models. how does this issue get addressed. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact was driving 20 mph during inclement weather when the vehicle suddenly accelerated. the contact applied the brakes but the brakes did not stop the vehicle. the contact crashed into a tree and flipped the vehicle. no one was injured during the crash. the contact called the manufacturer to make them aware of the crash. the failure mileage was 156,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact started the ignition and the windshield wipers failed to function when they were engaged. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated the windshield wiper motor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. there was a recall related to the similar defect pertaining to the 2003 honda accord and the nhtsa campaign id number was 08v169000 (visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor). the manufacturer was not made aware of the malfunction. the approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

We initially had problems opening the driver's side door with the key and for a long time had to open the car from the passenger side and reach over to unlock the driver's door. this continued to get worse when we were unable to unlock the car from the passenger's side door also and so had to start leaving the car unlocked from fear of not being able to get back in. we had to pay to get wireless entry installed in the car since this seems to be a habitual problem with the element and we would just end up in the same situation again down the road if we had chosen to get the car re keyed. so far we are still able to use the original key for the ignition but have had problems with one of the keys working and now only have one.

Windshield leaked water, dealership refused to fix. windshield cracked and was cited by police officer for not fixing, dealership refused to fix. upon replacement the repair guys just laughed and said that that glass was seated improperly and asked who had replaced it. i responded that it was the original, they told me not to buy any more hondas. key would no longer work in the driver side door. replaced something at dealership for $800 as well as the driver side window as it stopped moving due to the motor dying at around 60,000 miles. now the keys don't work in the passenger side of vehicle nor does the window. in another incident the vehicle failed to stop after fully depressing the brake when traveling about 5-10 mph and drifting into another vehicle causing moderate damage. honda has not responded to any inquires made by consumer. nor has dealership. i still owe 10,000 dollars on this car, have spent over 3000 in repairs and at this point want to drive it into a tree at a high speed. *kb

While driving on i-5 going through grants pass in oregon uphill, my 2003 honda element suddenly decelerated from 65mph to barely 35 mph. car has been in the shop for two days, there were no codes indicating an issue with the transmission. the mechanic recommended it be seen by a engine mechanic. car is still experiencing the issue after a transmission flush, new spark plugs, fuel system cleaning. this is a major safety issue, the car only has 82500 miles on and has never been placed in storage. *tr

The door locks on the honda element are faulty. so faulty in fact that a year after the elements were advertised, a technical service bulletin (06-068) was issued for "door lock cylinder binds". this tsb applied to 2003-2004 civics, 2002-2003 cr-v, 2003 elements. the tsb includes the affected vin numbers. once the door cylinder stops working you cannot gain entry into the vehicle through the affected door. for me it was the drivers door and i was forced to enter the vehicle via the passenger door. the honda site stated that you should contact the dealer and ask for re numeration as this was a known failure. the honda dealer local to me stated that since it wasn't a recall they wouldn't "give me a break" on the cost to fix the problem. honda should be made accountable since they knew this was a problem. the safety issue here lies in the fact that you can't enter your vehicle quickly in a dangerous situation. climbing over seats is certainly not a safe thing to do either.

The drivers side and passenger side door locks will freeze up and not allow the keys to be removed. this keeps the car from being able to be locked. honda will not honor a warranty or recall on this item they charge $250.00 per door to fix the problem. this happened to both the drivers side and passengers side doors, and is a very common complaint among honda element owners. *tr

Tumblers in ignition becomes mal aligned, key will not insert or turn, engine will not start. this is not part of the current active recall on the ignition system. i have replaced the ignition lock cylinder twice in 3 years. it is a common occurrence, ask any one who drives a 2003 element, they've replaced this part too. honda only warranties the part for one year. *tr

The passenger head rest foam has deteriorated. you can now feel the metal frame sticking out against the back of the skull. in a collision, instead of the headrest protecting the head and neck, it seems as this defect in the headrest could potentially cause a fatal injury. *tt

Driver's side door lock started to "stick", key would not unlock door from time to time, until it would no longer unlock at all. i've had to open the lock from the passenger side and crawl over the seats to unlock the vehicle. i have very limited funds at the moment and can't afford the repairs, which were estimated at over $300.00 by a local shop. my fear is that the passenger lock will eventually fail and i'll have to crawl in through the back as has been reported by other 2003 honda element owners. i only have 56,000 original miles on my element, the lock started failing at 52,000 miles. has there been a recall on this that i'm unaware of? *tt

The driver's side outer lock and automatic lock fails on the car. passenger must enter through passenger side only. intermittent problem with multiple instances of this occurring

The lock on the driver side door will no longer accept the key to unlock it. this problem was sporadic originally, but now is a permanent problem. it appears to be an on-going problem with the 2003 honda element. honda should issue a recall to fix this problem. *tr

I also have a drivers side door lock that is completely unusable from the outside. the key will not go into the lock and the remote doesn't work for that door. i crawl in from the passengers side every time. *tr

I like many other 2003 honda element owners have an issue with my driver side lock. key wont always go in and if does go in wont un lock the door. i have to go through the passenger side door. i have seen many complaints online about this and hope to see more on here so we can get a recall on this issue. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda element. while driving approximately 30 mph, the transmission suddenly failed without warning. the vehicle was towed to the residence. the manufacturer issued a voluntary recall related to the transmission. the contact planned to notify the manufacturer to verify whether the vehicle was eligible for the recall repair. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 64,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. the dealer was advised of the failure and informed the contact that there was a gasoline fuel leak and that the fuel tank would need to be replaced. the contact did not inform the manufacturer of the failure nor was the vehicle repaired. the current mileage was 88,362. the failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

2003 honda element. consumer states that she is having difficulty getting the repair work done on her honda vehicle that has to do with a recall. *kb the consumer attached an ignition recall notice along with her letter. *jb

The key first stopped working in my drivers door and i then had to use the passenger door to enter and exit the vehicle until the key actually got stuck in the lock on the passenger door and still cannot be removed and i am forced to crawl in and out through the back hatch if i wish to lock my vehicle, however it seems the back door lock is showing signs of failure now as well. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the driver side door lock would not lock or unlock even with the key. the contact had to enter the vehicle through the passenger side door. the vehicle taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that she would be responsible for repair costs. the manufacturer had not been notified. the failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

1. the event leading up to the failure was usage. 2. the failure occurred as locking mechanisms failed to allow key entry to driver side door (entrance to vehicle). 3. what was done to correct the failure was nothing but to crawl to the driver side door via opening the passengers door with a locking mechanism progressively failing on it's door as well. (many - many other owner's of honda elements have complained of this issue - please, please, please - look into it.) the car is great minus this and it's' gas mileage. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda element. the contact stated that the emergency brake on the vehicle does not work. the lever can be pulled up or pushed down without depressing the button on the lever. the owner was unable to notify honda usa. the dealer stated that they had no knowledge of the failures. the vehicle was not repaired. the current and failure mileages were approximately 55,000.

My ignition on my 2003 honda element,was no longer working, not only could you pull out the key when the engine was running after awhile the key would no longer even turn in the ignition even if you have warranty and paid extra for apparently the best coverage, they find a way the you have to pay out of your pockets, my ignition replacement cost me $1,000.00 and now there is a recall out on it , and again apparently my vin number is not included in the recall. the brakes and the brake disc had to be replaced every 6 month. the service for honda is the [xxx] , i personally would never buy a honda again. my windshield also cracked i have been a honda service dept often for follow up on the truck they seen my windshield was cracked but would never tell me it was under warranty until the warranty expired. this was my first time ever to buy a brand new vehicle i wanted to feel safe and security, being stuck in a public parking lot a night because the stupid key wouldn't work did not impress me at all, there was a little garage close buy but he couldn't help me because apparently honda does not deliver there parts to other garages, had to get the vehicle towed and stuck with out a car for a couple of days, because honda do not have loaners. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Honda 2003 element srs light coming on. this light continues to come on/// supposedly because i am talking on my cell phone. since my airbags won t deploy while this light is on... this is safety concern, worthy of a recall. if i don't get action... i'm going to the national media. too bad so sad for honda america. my life is at risk!!! *tr

I have a 2003 honda element and the keys are not working in the doors correctly. they work sometimes and now the ignition will not work with the keys. i have been reading for two hours on complaints for this same problem and wondering why there are not any recalls on this matter. what do i have to do to get this resolved. my element will not crank now because of this. i am stuck. what do i do now? i do not have any warranty either. *tr

2003 honda element with brakes problems. consumer requests issue to be fixed , cost of repair and cost of replacement. *tgw the consumer stated the brakes and rotors had to be replaced several times due to abnormal brake wear.

2003 honda element windshield cracked at bottom of passenger side while sitting in my driveway so i had it replaced. a couple months later cracked same location and eventually split all the way across the windshield blocking view. called mfg and was told due to being over 60,000 miles i will have to pay for repairs. what does the mileage have to do with the windshield. my vehicle had 63,000 miles on it at the time, which was 2008. now i find that it would have been replaced due to being within the 6 years or 60,000 miles but they withheld that information. honda should be responsible for all these defective windshields!! what is being done about this problem and why is honda not giving all the details? do we need to hire a lawyer to handle this situation? *tr

Addendum to original report 10310546. shoulder and arm still affected from driver side airbag deploying without warning. *tr

While driving on rough pavement driver side airbag deployed - urban street in rush hour while raining. 2003 honda element. *tr

Drivers side window regulator fails with loud bang and window falls into door while driving. this has happened to my vehicle twice, once in april 2008 and again february 2010. on-line research with "element owners club" indicates this has happened to many others. *tr

Car door lock not working properly. *tw

Door lock will not open. starting in 2007, the driver's side (most used door) door lock became difficult to operate. by march 2009 the key no longer functioned at all. it is not possible to leave the car locked. *tr

My son was driving our 2003 honda element to his internship as he has done many times. as he began up a hill and around a curve that turns sharply to the left, he heard a loud crack. the car veered off of the road slightly to the right, less than an inch dropoff. when he tried to steer the car to the left, the steering wheel would not move the car. as the curve in the road began to end, the car moved quickly to the left but still would not respond to the steering wheel. it ran off the road to the left and went into a ditch about 18 inches deep. then, apparently the right wheel bent up under the car. the wheel broke in two, as did the rotor. the wheel then dug into the pavement and cut a groove into the pavement about 8 feet long. apparently this rapid slowing down of the right side, coupled with the continued movement of the left side of the car, projected the car out of the ditch and caused it to roll over twice and land on its roof. the airbags never deployed. my son was able to disengage the seatbelt and lower himself down onto the roof and get out of the shattered driver side window. he was uninjured except for some small shards of glass in his right hand and forearm. when we looked at the underside of the car, we saw that the right front axle was snapped in two at the transmission. both the wheel and the rotor were broken in half. the car was declared "totaled." my concern is that whatever snapped or cracked initially rendered the car unsteerable. i would like an investigation that might perhaps prevent such a thing happening to anyone else. *tr

My car ran over an object in the road, making a loud noise but not causing the car to go out of control. when i pulled over to assess the situation, i saw that the front passenger seat side airbag had deployed. no one was sitting in the front passenger seat at the time and there was absolutely no side impact to the car at all. there was no damage to the car, other than the malfunctioning deployment of the airbag. *tr

The driver's side lock has not worked well for some time, and now it doesn't work at all. the key won't go all the way into the lock. the passenger side lock has the same problem often, but not every time. as a result, i can't lock my doors, because i may not be able to get them open. this is a safety hazard, because i leave my car in a parking garage all day, and i don't feel safe getting into an unlocked car every night or having to struggle to get into a permanently locked car. there are complaints about this issue all over the internet. *tr

Drivers side lock does not work and now the passenger side lock is starting to exhibit the same problems. *tr

Sat. 11/1/08 -honda element was parked, but running, in front of our home. my kids were in the back, my husband was in the driver's seat. after strapping my child into the carseat, i closed the back door and the passenger side air bag deployed! no one was hurt, just scared. i contacted honda dealer & took it in on mon 11/3/08 & was told that honda rep would have to inspect. service men at dealership were very nice & felt it would be taken care of. i waited for call for appt w/ honda rep. i wasn't given an appt until wed. 12/17. honda rep refuses to pay saying it is not honda's fault. said it was out of warranty & not a manufacturer's defect. rep said it might be the sensor but that i could have hit a pothole or something causing the air bag to deploy. the car was parked in front of my home. we hit nothing! the air bag just deployed! honda rep told me to file with my insurance. state farm denies claim and says it will not pay because this is "clearly a manufacturing defect." the honda rep also said he had never heard of anything like this ever happening before. so did the honda customer relations headqtrs in ca that i called today. but i have googled this issue and found other element owners who have had their side air bags deploy for no reason. at least one while he was driving! please investigate and let me know if others have reported this to you. i would like honda to fix the problem and hopefully correct it so no one will get hurt. this is obviously a defect! closing the backdoor should not deploy the airbag!! *tr

After an accident on 4/24/08 in which my vehicle was rear ended after coming to complete stop for an emergency vehicle i was struck from behind at 50 mph. my vehicle's rear end was lifted off the ground placing all the weight on the front suspension before the rear came back down on the ground. now my vehicle has had front suspension problems not limited to ball joint failure. my insurance company usaa has refused to repair my vehicle even though the person who hit me was convicted in court of the accident and her insurance company amica accepted 100 percent liability for the clients action. *tr

Stress cracks on front windshield on 2003 honda element as described by other honda owners. *tr

Crack formed on the lower driver side of my 2003 honda element with no sign of impact. the vehicle was parked. *tr

My parked vehicle deployed passenger side air bag without collision to vehicle, according to insurance company there was no sign of forced entry to the vehicle (which honda claims "could" be the cause of the deployment). *tr

Driving down smooth road and driver's side airbag deployed for no reason .... dealer inspected the vehicle and refused to fix. car under warranty. car is a 2003 honda element. *tr

Front driver's seat is loose and it rocks. dealer fixed it once under warranty and now wants $ 130 to fix the problem. no injury yet, but why want until one occurs. there is a website of other honda owners with the same problem. you do not list the honda element in your complaint system for 2003. shame on you. *tr

I purchased a 2003 honda element in june 2003 of which had many mechanical and electrical problems/failures. the most significant of these failures proved to be with the drive train mechanism specifically cv boots and steering function. loud noises developed when turning which grew louder over time as well as a "grinding" sound and vibration from underneath approx. at mid-ale location. the automatic transmission began to slip out of reverse while moving into neutral at will. these issues culminated in my steering ceasing to operate as though "frozen" while i was making a slow left hand turn causing the vehicle to crash into a tree along side of a major street and intersection. the driverside air-bag did deploy and the vehicle was completely in-operable and had to be flat bed towed due to the severity of front-end damage. i completed and maintained all scheduled maintenance stop requirements and yet suffered catastrophic drive train failure at only 82,000 miles. my research on this make/model failures proved to be numerous in number as reported on verifiable/reputable websites. one of which was honda's own - technical service bulletin's site! *tr

Poor heating due to restricted heater core. an identical problem was identified in the 2004,and 2005 element (ref. honda service bulletin 07-076 dated 11/28/2007) and the heater core is thus replaced under the normal warranty. although the problem began on my 2003 element in 2006 and the vehicle is still covered under warranty, honda service personnel refuse to recognize the trouble as a factory defect and will charge in excess of $1,500 dollars to replace the heater core. *tr the consumer stated a tsb had been issued regarding contamination of the engine coolant which could cause restrictions in the heater core and radiator and sometimes corrosion. updated 03/05/09. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda element. while driving approximately 50 mph, the srs warning light illuminated on the instrument control panel. the restraint system had not failed. one month later, the warning light illuminated again and was diagnosed as an internal failure of the srs system. the contact was informed that he had to pay for the repairs. the vehicle has not yet been repaired. the failure mileage was 47,000 and current mileage was 56,000.

Have already replaced the windsheild once. it currently has 3 seperate cracks at the moment that were not from anything hitting plus one that is. that is a total of 4. *tr

I purchased my car in august 2003, and this honda element windshield crack occurred in august of 2004 from no obvious reasons such as something hitting my windshield. i was having other issues with the element and i asked my honda advisor about the crack and she told me that honda would not replace the windshield and that it would be out of pocket for me. now i have found a honda service bulletin from may 6, 2003 concerning the windshield and it was to be replaced. my car is 118,000 miles now and i am so livid that my honda advisor refused to fix this crack which has grown to more than 4 inches. please help. *jb

My 2003 element developed a crack in the lower right hand corner approximately 1 year after i bought it new (i can't remember the date exactly). *jb

Driver side door lock is inoperable. lock pins are jammed for no apparent reason and key will only go in half way. *ak

2003 honda element windsheild. this will be the 3rd windshield that i have had to replace on the is vehicle. each time it cracks in the location that honda says there is a problem. i've had to pay for the windshield repairs.

Cracked windshield...driver's side...just showed up one afternoon like an unexpected visitor...*jb

My 2003 honda element windshield cracked with no apparent reason. the crack starts below the rubber strip near the pivot of the driver windshield wiper. the crack is migrating upwards into my viewing area. *jb

Tl*- the contact owns a 2003 honda element with an odometer reading of 40000 miles. while driving under dry conditions at 20 mph the driver's side air bag deployed unexpectedly. the contact was able to pull to side of the road without incident. the contact called the manufacturer, and they stated that she had to have done something to make the air bag deploy. the contact then took the vehicle to browns honda ,and they were unable to find the reason why the air bag deployed. *ak updated 04/05/07 *jb

Brakes on 2003 honda element. when having my car serviced recently they said my brake pads needed to be replaced because one of the pads had stuck and worn down to the point of slightly damaging the rotor. the brakes were adjusted on a previous service call by another dealership. this service probably occurred around 20,000 miles. the dealership even admitted that for some reason the one stuck after that service had been done. i feel that honda should have paid for this repair as obviously either the technician didn't adjust the brakes properly or the equipment failed to perform properly. *nm

In my 2003 element i hit a 500 pound cow in the road at between 50-60 mph from the center of my car to the drivers side. the front fender where the airbag sensor is located was destroyed, as was the hood and bumper. the police were all surprised the airbags hadn't deployed. i contacted honda, the insurance company, and the body shop to inform them of the fact that the airbags didn't deploy in such an accident, and no one seemed overly concerned other than the police and myself. *jb

My 2003 honda element ex driver's seat rocks back and forth whenever i stop or start moving forward. it turns out many other honda element owners are having this issue. i found more than 30 owners on www.elementownersclub.com, complaining about this issue. when my vehicle comes to a stop, my driver seat rocks forward by about 0.5 inch. when i accelerate, the seat rocks backwards by another 0.5 inch. my dealer tells me there is nothing wrong with it, but i feel like it's a serious safety issue. *nm

We bought our 2003 honda element 7/03 new and since then we've had cracks from the top to the bottom of the windshield. we had to replace the windshield in 2003. recently 8/06 we had to have another replacement and had to take it back for leaks and the repair shop tried to fix in 10/06. windshield was still leaking so the same repair shop replaced the windshield 11/06 again and now there are more leakage. i don't see how honda can justify this with another windshield when the real problem exists in the manufacturing of this vehicle for the 2003-2004 models. the class-action lawsuit that is going on only states the repair and reimbursement of the windshield(s) not the defect itself. so we have a vehicle that leaks, not worth the amount we still owe on it and cannot see an end to this windshield problem without fixing the original defect problem. *nm

Seatbelt catches under seat-recline lever

2003 honda element defective windshield. easily cracks. *nm

Windshield on my element 2003, developped a crack. dealer would not replaced under warranty. no sign of hit by rock or other. was parked at work all day then when leaving work noticed that crack? *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle's horn died for the fifth time. the horn was quieter in sound until it finally dies. the service dealer installed a new type of horn in the vehicle in april 2005, however this horn had also stopped functioning. updated 10/25/2006 - the horn has been replaced/repaired five times. the technician at the dealer is unable to determine was keeps causing the horn to fail.*nm

My honda element had a stress fracture in the windshield and the dealership refused to replace it. *nm

Cracked windshield in my 2003 honda element stemming from the driver side bottom corner. burns honda in cherry hill, nj says it is not their problem and will not fix it free of charge. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the windshields cracked twice. both windshields cracked within the same spot on the lower level passenger side of the front window. the first incident occurred on thanksgiving of 2005 at 50000 miles. the windshield was replaced at the dealer in january of 2006. and at 4000 miles after the replacement in april of 2006, the replacement windshield suffered the same damage. the colorado regional dealer manager came out on 06/21/06 and inspected the windshield. the manager determined the windshield looked like a rock crack. there were no tools or equipment utilized by the manager to determine the final decision. the final decision was the manufacturer will not be responsible for the windshield. on june 12th, the vehicle was taken into the dealership for an oil change and the windshield crack was worse. there was a class action lawsuit regarding the windshields (filed in los angeles california superior court case # bc319600, filed in 2004, no verdict yet).

My 2003 element with 30,000 miles was parked for 3 weeks in an indoor parking structure near the airport. i returned from my trip to find the same kind of crack in the windshield that others on this site have described. it started from the lower right corner of the passenger side and went up about 12 inches. i have no recollection of any stones having hit the windshield prior to leaving. *jb

My honda element 2003 has now had 3 cracked windows under a year. this seems very excessive and i have never had a similar problem with other vehicles. i found many people having the same problem online. please advise. thanks. *jb

Hello, i purchased a 2003 honda element with a cracked windshield in february, 2006. i had the windshield replaced and now it is cracked once again in pretty much the same place. *jb

2003 honda element rear brakes are totally shot needing new pads, rotors etc. and honda is blaming "rust buildup," and saying that it is our fault for not servicing the brakes. the brakes have been inspected each time the oil has been changed or tires rotated. honda's contention that the brakes should be "taken apart and cleaned due to "severe conditions" is ridiculous. we do live in northeastern ohio but even the owners manual says driving in severe conditions occasionally doesn't necessarily put you in that category. i have never heard of any vehicle that the brakes needed to be disassembled and cleaned every 10,000 miles. cost to repair is $450.00. in addition, my wife called the dealership twice, first time was about a year and a half ago with complaints about brake noise and was told both times to go out and "jam on the brakes hard to release dirt buildup on the brakes." at no time was she ever advised to bring the car in for inspection. *nm

While driving west on interstate 10 near brookshire tx i reached into the tray on the right driver side (in dash next to steering column) and apparently brushed the remote (hanging on the key ring) and the engine shut down. i was in the left lane of the two lane highway and had to drive off the exit with no power and put the car in park to restart.*jb

Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was pulling out, a crack formed in the corner of the front windshield. there was no debris present that caused the crack. the dealership determined the crack was caused by stress from the vehicle's structure. there were two tsb for the windshield, nhtsa item numbers 10009029 and 10001628. the vehicle is not included in either tsb because of the mileage.

One morning i got into car and windshield was cracked top center. the car is always garaged. *jb

2003 element rolled backwards while vehicle was in reverse and keys in his hands. *ts ***no answer required*** *jb

Windshield on 2003 honda element developed a crack (without any impact) which originated from lower edge (below wiper, drivers side) and within 24 hours had spread across the entire width of the windshield. *jb

2003 honda element...front windshield is cracked from one side to the other...will have to pay for a 2nd replacement...bought the car in september 2003...1st windshield replacement april 2004...2nd replacement december 2005. *jb

On the morning of october 22, 2005 i started my 2003 honda element which was parked in my driveway. i quickly remembered that i wanted an item out of the garage and stepped out of the vehicle. i had not touched the automatic gear shift and the e/r brake was on. the vehicle immediately went into reverse, down the driveway, across the street, the open door struck the neighbors mail box, vehicle proceeded up the neighbors drive way striking their parked vehicle, pushing it 2 fee up their driveway. then the vehicle suddenly went into drive, came back down the neighbors driveway, across the street, up my driveway, into my garage striking items in the rear of the garage before stopping. i reached in to shut the car off then ran into the house. when my husband came out to the garage and got into the vehicle he said that the car was in park and the e/r break was on. there was no damage to the neighbors vehicle and approx $3500 damage to the honda element. i believe the transmission/gear box failed and the e/b failed resulting in injury and damage. vehicle is being repaired at body shop and i have notified honda and will have them check out when repairs completed. *nm

Dt: the contact states there is a crack in the windshield. the crack came up from the bottom of the window bead. it first began as a tiny crack and is now about two and half feet long. the dealership and the manufacturer explained to him there were no other related problems with this vehicle. *nm updated 12/7/2005. in late november the consumer found a honda service bulletin referencing a windshield defect. although the consumer's vehicle falls with the range of vins the dealer refused to replace the windshield. *nm

My 2003 honda element developed a crack below the driver side wiper that goes up three inches then does a 90 degree right turn then travels approxiamately two feet horizontally then does another 90 degree turn down into window bead. there is a very very slight "dink" in the windshield along the crack but your fingernail barely catches in it. i believe as do many other 2003 element owners that there is undue stress on the corners of the windshield and this is what caused the damage. i believe this is a design flkaw that should be covered by honda. *nm

Car was parked, engine turned off, and key removed from the ignition. as i stepped out the car began to roll, my right leg became caught in the car, i was dragged about 80 feet down my driveway until i finally managed to free my foot and roll away. i fractured a finger, tore ligaments in that and another, injured my right knee and ankle, scraped my right arm, and bruised my upper thigh. the car continued to roll over some large rocks, across the road, and into the corn field. the key should not have come out of the ignition when the car was not in park. after getting no satisfaction from honda america, my local dealer finally agreed to fix the problem by replacing the entire key interlock system. *nm

Cracked windshield on honda element, it started last summer at edge of windshield and has progressively gone straight across the windshield to point where it now needs to be replaced. there is a recall but because my vin # does not match the recall honda will not necessarily cover. the dealership is charging $85.00 just check to see if they will cover. there are numerous complaints of honda element windshields cracking. i have lived in ak for over 20 years and have never had to replace a windshield before. *nm

Consumer had windshield replaced on four occasions, because it made a howling noise. *ts the company that replaced the windshield blamed the manufacturer for not fixing a bad weld. the manufacturer claimed the consumers model was prone to breakage because of the vertical position when struck by even the slightest impact within the black area on the outside edge of the glass, however the consumer disagreed with that theory, stating there had been other vehicle down through the years that had this type of windshield positioning without excessive windshield breakage. *jb

Cracked windshield - passenger side - low area. *nm

I own a 2003 honda element and was involved in an accident where i hit a pickup truck and both vehicles were total losses. the drivers side airbag did not deploy even though it was a frontal impact which pushed the front of the vehicle in by 24 inches and bent the frame - the passenger airbag did deploy even though no other passengers were in the vehicle. i reported the problem twice to honda america but they are refusing to acknowledge a problem exists. *nm

My son was involved in a serious multiple rollover accident in our 2003 honda element two days ago. there was not one portion of the vehicle (including the front) that was not severely impacted and yet both the sheriff and tow truck driver were very concerned because none of the airbags ever deployed. *nm

The windshield on my 2003 honda element cracked in the center rising up from the bottom edge. the crash is 18" long approx. the dealer said it was from a rock and not covered. the "rock" chip is barely visible. it's more like a tiny pit from a piece of sand. i believe the element has a design flaw which causes cracks from the flexing of the frame or cheap glass. *jb

Dt: the windshield has 3 cracks, one was on he first day of owning the vehicle. got it on sunday and huge crack was down the middle. there was crack on the passenger's side that started about 8 months ago. have not contacted the dealer. there is another crack eye level on the driver's side. this started on december 22, 2005. *ak

My rear brakes went at 29,000 miles and then again at 50,000 miles. honda replaced the rotors and pads under warranty at 29,000 miles. i brought the element back several times after complaining about the brakes and they blamed it on dirt buildup. at 50,000 miles the rear brakes went again. this time they weren't going to cover it but after complaining they covered the rotors and i had to pay for the pads and labor. i don't go off road or travel on dirt roads. i had my brakes checked a couple of times when i had my tires rotated. i have recently found out that my friend who also owns an element had his rear brakes replaced at 18,000. i believe there is a problem with the rear brake system. my front brakes are still the originals. *nm

1. honda element windshield spontaneously cracked and repaired at my cost 2. passenger side window spontaneously imploded on 7/18/05. glass hit my son the driver and covered passenger seat. 3. honda tells me over $300.00 repair bill is my problem

I was driving out of the seatac airport, i had heard my dash creaking on and off for a while and just figured it was one of those things, however this time after the creak i noticed a very small hairline crack the crack came on the drivers side lower part of w/shield starting by the cowl vent panel and the crack went to the lt. after the crack appeared the creaking stopped for a while, now it has started again. i could not afford a new windshield, and after reading all the complaints -http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4189&page=5&pp=10 honda element owners club > honda element > *problems & issues reload this page windshield issues- i was not expecting much help from the dealer. i will call theealer today and request a replacement windshield and take copies of yopur reports. *nm

After only 10,000 miles of normal use, my windshield has accumulated 2 or 3 dings and one crack that is now 2 feet long. i use the car for normal travel within seattle, and on wa highways and expressways. the cracks have all occurred while travelling on the expressway. i believe this to be the result of a flaw, because my previous car was used in the same manner, in the same area, (seattle wa) for 130,000 miles, and only had one or two dings and no cracks. i suspect that it is a result of the window being angled too perpendicular to the travel of rocks and gravel thrown up by other vehicles, or defective glass.

Windshield cracked from beneath passenger wiper blade up approximately 6 inches and then turns toward driver's side.

Dt: consumer says that he has a cracked windshield on his vehicle. consumer says that there is a class action suit going on for this same reason. consumer found suit on internet. consumer says that windshield cracked by itself. consumer took vehicle to dealer and dealer told consumer that a pebble or rock hit window and caused crack. consumer says that place dealer pointed out on window was the size of a pin head. consumer believes that windshield was not struck by anything. consumer has no ideal what caused the crack. consumer is the only person to drive vehicle and he is not aware of anything ever striking window. consumer first noticed crack after arriving at work, going into office, and a coworker who had road to work with consumer, told consumer about noticing the crack. this was morning july 9, 2005. office is located in verona, new jersey. consumer has looked on internet to find that there are many complaints regarding cracked windshields of same make and model vehicle. consumer is not aware of where the windshield crack may have happened. *nm

Dt: consumer stated that her vehicle's windshield cracked from the bottom and the crack moved up about one foot. the consumer indicated that there did not appear to be a starting point to the crack. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who said that they found a ding that consumer says is about as big as the head of a pin. dealer says this is where something struck vehicle. the consumer is confident that nothing struck window, window cracked under stress from vehicle. consumer says that she believes that windshield cracked while vehicle was in her garage. consumer said she did not notice crack until she got vehicle out of garage in the morning. consumer also states that another vehicle that is in her work parking lot, is the same vehicle but different color, this vehicle has same crack. consumer says that the crack is very close. it also starts in the same place in the bottom of window. consumer says that she takes care of vehicle, vehicle only has 12,000 miles, consumer drives 3 miles to work, consumer mostly drives on local roads, does not travel on highways much. *nm

For the second time my windshield has cracked on my 2003 honda element. the cracks are considered stress fractures caused by a manufacturing defect.

Honda element -- crack in windshield. started at bottom passenger side of windshield. there was a small pin size hole at the base of the crack - almost below the edge of the hood. the crack went up about 7 inches and then started spreading across the windshield. this was definitely not from a rock chip. it took 2 full days of "negotiating" with american honda to get them to cover the defective windshield under warranty.

I bought a 2003 honda element ex september 2004, have about 30k on it, no problems until i came out to the parking lot and found the windshield cracked (the now classic design, lower passenger side, no impact mark, spreading from black area, right now about ten inches long and moving straight across the middle of the windshield. i am having cascade auto glass come this morning to replace it since the crack is growing and i do not feel safe driving my car.

Dt: 2003, honda element, the windshield cracked out of the blue. nothing struck the glass, no accident. while driving, heard popping noise and a 5-6 round circle crack appeared on the front windshield. took vehicle to a dealer, and they had never seen anything like it. no repairs have been made. *ak

Windshield cracked in two spot on driver side during high winds. had a glass repair shop fix the cracks, but one has continued to spread across the windshield. design/angle of windshield is at issue as the windshield has 4 "star" fractures as well as the cracks in the 16 months we have owned this vehicle. *jb

An object hit the windshield and was too small to see. the object nicked the windshield and cracks formed. the windshield was replaced once already, and was being replaced again the day the consumer sent this letter. *ak *sc *jb

Windshield stress crack with no evidence of impact located on lowers driver's side. went out to the car one morning and the crack was had appeared over night. started about three inches long and has since branched off and extended to over 12 inches. *ak

This is the third throttle body assembly installed into car since purchase. the first one was defective and replaced with a new model. the second was replaced due to electrical failures, and the last one was replaced due to the dvd/nav system installed which was causing electrical interference to the throttle body, causing it to fail. the symptom started with the shift not unlocking when brakes were applied. then it will not shift gears, causing the car to run at 4500 rpms. then vehicle hit a bump in road, and it shifted to better highway speed. dealer stated that he could not get trouble codes from computer until all dvd/nav was disconected. they replaced throttle body assembly, and told us not to hook dvd/nav system up unless it had its own fuseable link line from battery, and not to use wire harness to connect.*ak

Windshield cracked in lower left hand corner down below the seal & is now bending horizontally across the windshield. no apparent rock hits (no starring), dealer refuses to cover damage under warranty.*ak

Windshield cracking from passenger side corner, edge, approx. 18". happened overnight as vehicle sat. honda service manager claims crack was caused by an impact whose site is barely visible and the size of a pin point. honda would not replace under warranty.

Windshield is cracked twice. one crack in front of passenger seat, makes an arch to lower passenger corner. oticed second crack in march, begins in front of driver, very bottom of the glass, extends to middle of windshield.*ak

I have a honda element with windshield that consistently cracks. i have the 5th cracked windshield on my car and ive had this car just 2 years now. this is not normal. i have had many other cars that could sustain road conditions and have never raplaced a windshield this often. this windshield cracks upon an immediate impact of a rock, and always comes out of one of the lower corners. i believe that there is defect in the framing of the windshield and honda as well as the dealerships wont do anything for me unless i pay. i have replaced the windshields 4 times through insurance because honda will not accept insurance claims. due to that fact i have to use the company that my insurance co. sends to me. i assume geico ins. co. does not use glass companys that use faulty glass, as i was told by the honda dealership. i believe that honda should assess the framing of the windshield free of charge to determine the problem. there have been windshield recals fro 2003 elements and honda states that my 2003 vehicle is not one of them. i find it too coincidental that i am having such similar problems. the incident date listed below just indicattes the date of the most recent crack after just being replaced to pass nys inspection on 2-23-05.*ak

Element windshield crack document 1. thursday (3/24/05) noticed crack in windshield that had not been there the previous night. crack appears to have started at point where windshield meets car body and goes up about 3 inches, was not able to see a dived where a pebble or rock could have impacted it 2. friday(3/25/05) took vehicle to joyce honda for evaluation. was given an info sheet regarding windshield cracks that stated (basically) if you can feel anything on the glass itself it is caused by rock, if not could be flaw service manager looked at windshield. ran a pen at the point of initiation and stated he could feel a dived. after 10 minutes of trying i still could not feel. he stated that it was not warranty problem and anyway he ?did not do glass unless forced to when it is warranted?. he did not offer any info regarding price, i asked him if there any requirements from honda regarding replacement (i.e. brands, who should do it, etc). he said ?no anyone who does auto glass is fine? 3. monday (3/28/05) called honda customer service 1-800-999-1009 spoke to chris to whom i related the events so far including the fact that the crack has now traveled almost completely across the windshield. i mentioned the tsb that includes my vin number (03-028) he opened a case number so this situation can be evaluated by a district manager. he stated i would be contacted in 24-48 hours by a honda district manager. *jb

7 windshield replacements so far since purchase date on 12/10/2003. the first 2 replacements were done by the huntington honda dealership. the other 5 replacements were done by safelite. the most recent replacement was done on april 13, 2005. *ak

Windshield cracked for no apparent reason. *ak

This is the second windshield that cracked in less than two years, they both apeared to be stress cracks. both times i was not in the car when crack appeared and both times the crack is on the passanger side.*ak

While attending a conference last may, my honda element was parked in a public garage. when i retrieved it there was a crack starting from the bottom center edge. over the next two days it continued to crack vertically and then horizonally across in front the the driver's side. i had the window replaced by a windhsield repair shop that is used by my honda dealer. my insurance paid for it as the dealer said it was not covered under warranty.*ak

As i got in my honda element, the windshield cracked from the bottom of the drivers side, up 16 inches almost to the middle of the windshield. nothing hit my windshield. this is a stress crack that is probably poor design on honda's part. *jb

The consumer has had consistent problems with the vehicle's factory installed horn and alarm. *nm the dealer was unable to remedy the communication system. other problems were; the bumper cover would pop out intermittently, the right side corner piece was loose, the horn sound was abnormal and anti-freeze was leaking. *sc

While the vehicle was parked, the driver noticed that the windshield was cracked. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver that the windshield needed to be replaced. *nm spontaneous crack occurred in windshield right lower side . then a spontaneous crack occurred in left lower windshield . there was no evidence of rock or other object striking windshield. *bf *nm

My car was parked at work during a snow storm and at the end of the day i came out to the car brushed the snow away and my windshield was cracked in the lower passenger side corner the car had 7300 miles on it. it was fine when i left in the morning . 2 days later i took the car to the dealer and they stated that it was due to a small pit in the windshield the size of a grain of sand and therefore honda would not the repair. i have had cars (hondas) with large stone chips 1/4 inch in size not crack the windshield - the size of this pit is barely visible. i told my dealer that i felt this was a defect in the windshield or installation and he said that honda would not address it since there was a pit in the windshield. he said my insurance would cover it. after checking on the web and the number of complaints my suspicions were verfiied. i have owned 6 hondas and this is the first time that i have any problem with honda - to me this is dangerous, an obvious defect and they need to address the problem!!! a member on the honda elements owners web site stated that he had his windshield replaced by another firm and they could not believe how thin the original windshield was. *ak

Cracked windshield initiating below trim starting in the passenger side of the car with no cause. *ak

(1) normal everyday driving; (2) cracked windsheild, originating lower corner passenger side, curving up and to middle, (3) plan to take to dealer soon. *ak

Windshield cracked from lower passanger side corner and is spreading rather rapidly accros teh entire windshield. this was not instigated from any impact.*ak

Just as my warranty expired (37,000 miles) while out of town, i noticed that the fuel gauge was not working properly. i would fill up and it would only mark at about half a tank. i was a bit confused and did not know what was causing the problem. i knew that the tank was full, but i did not want to take any chances. so when the gauge went to empty and the fuel light came on i would refill the tank again. with this problem and not knowing exactly how much fuel is in the tank if i do happen to run out of gas. i could potentially do damage to other engine and mechanical parts or to myself and family if this happens on the road. the problem is getting worse and now it goes to only 1/4 a tank and then to empty. i am trying to get it to the dealer, but my warranty has expires and honestly do not have the cash to fix it. i feel that at just being over the warranty this part should not have gone out so soon. i have heard of other complaints from other element owner's and do not know if this is a common problem. *jb

2003 honda element windshield cracked on its own. *jb

My 2003 honda element has developed a stress crack in the lower right corner in that is similar that reported by hundreds of element owners. this occured while the vehicle was parked and is consistent with the description of a honda tsb addressing cracked windsheilds due to a manufacturing defect. two honda dealerships arrogantly dismissed it as being caused by a pebble chip; however the alleged "chip" was a small pit the size of a grain of sand. the first dealer indicated he located a small dicontinuity in the path of the crack that was pin sized. the second dealership alleged that he located six pinholes, none of which were visable to me or detected by the first dealerhip! the inspection technique and resulting dismissal of the claim appeared to be coached from some honda factory issued directive to avoid documentation of this widespread defect. dozens of website postings are available which documents similar experiences with many also describing the alleged detection of a pinhead size pit on the surface of the crack directly under the windshield wiper arm. it is obvious that honda is attempting to cover up this defect to avoid a recall or a"secret warranty" situation.*ak

My 2003 honda element windshield cracked. i have herd some about that in past. when i went to a honda dealer they declined replacement of the windshield. stating there is no recalls on it. however i did found out some information on www.hondaelementscrack.com there was a service bulletin on this problem.

Stress fracture in windshield that started from the lower driver side and stretches across about 24" to 36". *nm

The consumer stated the windshield was begining to crack. the cause had not been determined. please provide additional information. *jb windshield cracked for no apparent reason while the vehicle was parked. *eh *jb

The infamous window crack appeared on my honda element. just woke up one morning and found a 3 inch crack. it has since expanded.*ak

Broken winshield. *jb

The first crack came on the drivers side lower part of w/shield starting by the cowl vent panel and the crack went to the lt. the second crack came while driving down the road, i heard some cracking noises and then the crack appeared and did the same thing but the crack went to the right side. *ak

A windshield problem. there was a crack on the left side just 5" above the lower corner of the windshield. there was no impact mark at the crack on the windshield. however, dealer claimed there was an impact mark, and refused to repair it! there are several bigger debris chips in the middle of the windshield which did not cause crack! i have on the car just 13 000 miles and this is unheard off. i have over 10 years of driving and nothing like this ever happened to me with any of my cars before. i will continue to drive my car with the crack on until the dealer or american honda motor co. decides to replace at their own cost. they have to admit it is a manufacturer's defect and do a national recall. i am ready to sue american honda motor company if my safety is jeopardized due to that particular defect !!! *ak

Cracked windshield initiating in the passenger side of the car with no cause such as rock chip damage, etc. crack continues across windshield just above dashboard level.*ak

Adsfkjlaewir;alkgjfa;lsdjfasfdiaj;lwefjds;flsadfdsafdsf. not readable. *ak

I've had my 2003 honda element for slightly less than a year. it was sitting in my garage for about 3 days over the 2004 christmas weekend. upon getting in my car to go somewhere i noticed a crack about 8 inches in length going down toward the passenger side corner of the windshield. i know this was not there the last time i drove it since it was so big and so obvious. it had apparently just cracked while sitting in the garage. anyway, over the next day the cracked started to curve off to the side of the windshield. contacted my dealer and dropped it off for them to check out. i explained to them that i had read about many other issues with the windshields. they checked it out and said they will replace it under warranty. *ak

While the vehicle was parked consumer noticed that the windshield was cracked. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that windshield needed to be replaced. *ak.....crack grew from the bottom moulding while the vehicle was parked. there was no impact point. there have been numerous reports of cracks eminating from the exact same spot. *ak

Windshield cracked at lower left corner while parked in the garage; no sign of any impact; crack originating from outside to inside. *ak

1) no event, went to car in morning and cracks were already there. 2) windshield cracked in three places starting in lower left side of windshield. 3) contacted american honda, waiting for reply. *nm

Complaint received via e-mail. while riding about 60 mph on i-10, slidell, louisiana. front passenger's side tire suddenly blew. out. rip was in sidewall, about 2 3/4 inches long (teardrop shape), bottom of teardrop at least 1/2 inch from tread. other end of ripped ends in sidewall between m&s and p215. had oil changed, and tires checked at royal honda, metairie, la, before this trip. plies tread: 2 polyester + 2 steel. sidewall-2 polyester. made in japan. *ak

My windshield cracked in the lower right corner for no reason. i replaced it after only 3 months of owning my car. after another 4 months my second windshield cracked in the same exact spot. i brought it to honda both times and they basically told me that there was nothing that they could do about it. i have owned cars before and i never had this happen. two windshields in one year! honda has not been a help at all, and according to a lot of web sites for honda elements, this is a huge problem for all element owners.*ak

Car was parked in driveway thursday evening at 4pm. at 6 am the following morning crack had appeared during the night in the lower windshield drivers side. crack went vertical for appox. 3 inches. then went horizontal toward passanger side appox. 6 inches. by friday evening crack had lenghtend and dropped down to center of windshield.dealer said too bad must have been a rock. plan to keep windshield as evedence when it is replaced. odometer has 14k miles.*ak

2003 element deveoped a crack in the widshield starting at the edge of the glass in the center of the windshield and spreading across the glass. i took it to my dealer, and they refused to take any responsibility and kept trying to tell me that it was caused by a stone chip. they pointed out a tiny one the size of a pin head midway down the crack. when i asked how the crack managed to start at the edge of the winshield and meet the chip, they just kept saying that it was caused by the chip and they didn't want to have anything else to do with it. they had no interest at all in resolving what appears to be a serious defect.*ak

2003 honda element, front window cracked under the seal up on the right hand passenger side. popping noise in steering column developed after approx 15k miles. power steering rod replaced in aug 04. returned to dealer in september. was told they were unable to duplicate; however, service technician was able to hear it and said it sounded as if the airbag spring were loose. was not fixed, report claimed that they were unable to duplicate. returned to dealer the following week. had two service technicians ride in the vehicle, they both heard the noise and replaced a turn signal switch. popping noise is still present. there is a clicking noise when the steering wheel turns in either direction and at times even when driving in a straight line!*ak

Defective windshield. cracked for no apparent reason.*ak

Windshield cracked while driving on highway. this was on a new vehicle. *jb

Front windshield cracked, no collision. crack continued to grow. had to replace on my own expense.*ak

My 2003 honda element sustained a cracked front windshield without anything contacting it. this is the second time this has happened since i purchased the car new from the dealer iin january of 2004. the honda dealer repaired the first cracked window gratis in march of 2004. i brouight the car into the dealer on monday oct. 25. the district service manager put a pen down the crack which started from the bottom of the window and told me again that something hit the window and it was my responsibility to fix it this time because they fixed the first one. *ak

Windsheild developed crack overnight. the vehicle was not even driven in 5 days prior to appearance of the crack. the crack appeared to start from the lower edge of the driver's side corner and snaked up to about 10 inches. *ak

Windshield cracked. the cause had not been determined. *ak the consumer stated that the windsheild continued to crack. *tc

Windshield cracked inadvertently. while driving on a deserted rural road windshield cracked. this was the second windshield to crack. it was a mystery as to why this happened.*ak

Windshield:tiny impact crack located right above the wiper blade on passenger side that has spread about 24" to the edge of the windshield caused by the slightest impact of a tiny pebble traveling ~45 mph on 880 north in fremont ,california during rush hour morning traffic. tiny chip would not have spread if there wasn't so much stress placed on the windshield by the "uneven windshield flange surface" that is stated in honda service bulletin 03-028 which my vin falls within. honda dealership will not replace the windshield because the they said the impact started the crack. i contacted honda customer service directly as stated in the warranty manual and they said they could do nothing based on the dealership findings. i mentioned several times to the dealership and honda customer service that the windshield design is weak and flawed but both the dealership and honda cs did not even think that was the cause of the problem. there is a presistant problem with 2003 honda element windshields such as http://www.autosafety.org/article.php?did=956&scid=103. there is a class action suit (bc319600) that was filed in la, ca: http://www.hondaelementscrack.com/. *jb

Front windshield was cracked. dealer stated that a rock cracked the windshield. consumer stated that he found lots of complaints on the web pertaining to this defect.*ak

The windshield on my 2003 honda element is breaking for no apparent reason. t appears that there is a developing history of this problem with this particular model. see link below, california class action suit. *ak http://www.autosafety.org/article.php?did=950&scid=90

This is the 3rd cracked windshield for my 2003 honda element. none of the cracks were caused by anything hitting the windshield, they just appeared and all in the same place. the cracks have been located on the passenger side, beginning where the windshield meets the body of the vehicle, go straight up about 6 inches and then hook to the right (as you face the vehicle). the first and third cracked windshields the dealer wouldl not replace because there is a small pit the size of a pin head towards the bottom of the crack (although nothing struck the windshield) but the 2nd one they did replace because the pit did not appear. they called it a "stress crack". the dates of the windshield replacements are 12/3/03, 7/15/04, and 9/14/04. *ak

There is a ten inch crack going across the front windshield. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

2003 honda element with a windshield that has starting cracking for no reason and it is starting to travel into my driving view. there is a major defect with these windshields. *ak

Windshield cracked as has occurred on thousands of honda elements, service manager is biligerent and insists it is a stone chip even though there is a service bulletin issued regarding this and thousands of people online complaining!*ak

Cracked windshield, driver did not hear/see anything hit windshield, crack is below wiper blade, many other drivers of honda element 2003 have similar cracked windshield stories. *ak

My 2003 honda element has been victim of 2 cracked windshields within the time period of 1 year. the first crack occurred without any contributing force. the second crack occurred 2 weeks after the first windshield was replaced. a small pebble hit the windshield and instantly cracked the windshield. it seems obvious that there is both a design flaw and lack of quality with honda element windshields.*ak

1) driving my 2003 honda element on the highway 2) windshield cracked; this is the 4th replacement on that windshield in 1 year; 3) windshield will be replaced. *ak

While driving on hwy 1, no traffic anywhere, windshield on my 2003 honda element with 8000 plus miles on it cracked from under the windshield wiper on the driver's side up about 5 inches. car has a bug/rock shield on it. no visible mark on windshield just this crack inside the glass. dealer refuses to fix. entire windshield needs to be replaced cannot just repair. i am in my sixties and have owned lots of cars. had many things hit other windshields, never replaced a whole windshield before and never when no traffic around or anything to cause crack except what i believe is a defective windshield, design or something inherent in the car. honda should come forward and admit there is a problem with its windshield and the stress that is placed on it causing it to be unfit for the purpose for which it was intended. we have a high deductible so must absorb the cost ourselves. if the next windshield fails and the one after that goodbye any tax refunds or anything else that is supposed to help consumers. please open an investigation on this matter. i just learned we are not alone. many other people have had the same problem in the same unusual way. the crack is in the glass and not caused by an external event. it sure looks like a defect in the vehicle. please help. thank you.*ak

Windshied broke for no apparrent reason while riding with my wife, nice weather, no traffic windshield made a loud popping noise and then we both watched as the crack spread from just below the passenger side wiper arm upward about 12". *ak

While driving a rock from the street hit the windshield, causing a crack three to four inches in diameter. consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the rock was the cause of the problem. consumer informed the mechanic that this problem occurred less than a year ago, and problem recurred.*ak

Windshield cracked. the crack is not impact related. honda refused to do anything about it.*ak

Crack appered on the windshield, beginning at the bottom of the windshield, below the wiper blade.

My 2003 honda element has been in the shop 3 times with regards to the same complaint. the car will not shift out of park. the first time they replaced a internal part and the other times i was told it was just a loose calbe. this has been very frustrating for us. after reading other complaints on this web site i realized that the cracked windshield we have may not have been due to a stone but that the honda element has a defect problem with their windshields. how interesting that they do not respond to the consumer! everyone should continue to write in about their problems.*ak

Cracked windshield. dealership unwilling to help.*ak

My windshield cracked as explained in the service bulletin 03-028. i know two other element owners that have the same problem. i hear service representatives for honda are lying about the damage to their customers maybe at honda's direction. will this have to turn into a class action lawsuit for honda to take care of its customers? i'm taking mine in this friday 7/30/2004, i hope my dealer will be honest about this. i plan to follow up with the results next week.*ak

1.small pebblew hit windshield 2.windshield mostly chips, except for chips at edge of windshield which cracks propergate quickly. 3.windshield was replaced. *ak

A crack appeared on the front windshield, at the top driver side. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

The horn and the alarm system failed to operate properly. the dealer made repairs back in dec. 15, 2003 and now the problem has recurred, the sound of the horn diminished when used and the auto remote was failing to activate the alarm system. the vehicle will be taken to the dealer. please provide any further information. *jb *mr

During the first 10 months of ownership, the windshield on my honda element 2003 (purchased new on 8/28/03)) has been pitted three times and has beginning n 6/17/04 developed a hairline crack beginning onthe passenger side and extending fifteen inches towards the driver's side. as of 7/2/04, i have made contact witrh the dealer (baron honda in patchogue, ny) and american honda motors by phone and certified mail. the condition is still being disputed by the manufacturer as to whether or not the warranty applies. *ak

2003 honda element cracked windshield. same as many other owners. definite design defect, honda must be held accountable for this expensive, troubling and potentially dangerous situation they created. they just blow off most consumers saying "rock hit it." however, most cracks are in same spots and no star burst evidencing a rock impact. way too many complaints to chalk up to road debris impact. don't just sit on your duffs and do nothing. you have over 100 complaints about this on a new vehicle that has only been on the road for less than 2 years. statistically that is huge. so, don't just ignore this, sit back and do the typical government thing, worry about your time off, sick days, and do the beurocratic ignorance dance. come down on honda with all your muscle and protect the comsumer who has no power against this hugely profitable goliath.*ak

Less than three thousand miles into owning the vehicle consumer noticed a crack in the windshield. dealer insisted that the crack came from a rock, and the insurance company could not confirm the allegation. dealer replaced the windshield, but the new windshield had a crack also. *ak

I was driving west on va. state route 33 when i noticed a small deer in the road. as i manuvered to avoid the deer, the car went completetly out of control. car struck embankment and rolled over. car landed right side up. all rear windows broken out.vehicle is total lost. i have had to avoid deer in two other vehicles and never had this problem. if this is a characteristic of car, drivers need to be notifed.*ak

My 2003 honda element windshield has been broken 3 times. it was hit by rocks all 3 times. i watched the 2nd crack splinter up the windshield as i drove to the dealer. it was not covered by the warranty and had to pay $400 to replace. i'm 52 and have had many, many cars and haven't had 3 broken windshields in the lot. i feel there is a design flaw or sub-standard glass is used. *nm

Windshield creaking repaired per honda tsb 03-028 maintenance bulletin. 2 bulls-eye chips repaired, but were soon followed by 3 more in 4 months time. all were from small pebbles. today, a small pebble hit the edge of the window which grew to 8-10 inches over the course of the day. replacement estimates range from $550 - $800, but i don't want another honda windshield if it's predisposed to cracking. *jb

2003 honda element experience a second windshield failure at ~15000 miles. first failure was reported under complaint 10078841. similar to the first failure, the dealer identified a small rock strike and denied coverage under the vehicle warranty. the crack is 12 inches long, running diagonally from the passenger side upper corner toward the driver side corner. the fragility of the windshield in the honda element is unusual and abnormal. honda motor co. is in denial and is costing consumers and insurance companies. in 30 yrs of driving i have never experienced windshield failures like this. the body of this vehicle is quite flexible. warranty work has been required on the body to eliminate squeaks caused by a rubbing at a welded seam under the windshield cowling. the dealer spread the seam (between each weld point) with a screwdriver and filled the cavity with a flexible compound. the squeaks stopped, but, there appears to be a bigger problem. is this windshield going to withstand airbag deployment and keep the bag in the vehicle to cushion occupants? considering the large number of complaints seen in forums, honda motor co. needs to come out of denial and start addressing the design flaw in this vehicle that causes windshields to fracture under normal use. *jb

2003 honda element windshield cracked in the middle. crack appeared after a loud pop with ~4,000 miles. the honda dealer examined the crack and found a small chip from the surface of the glass. the service manager informed me that honda has issued a service bulletin to its dealers, instructing them to roll a ball point pen along the crack searching for indentations. if one is found, a rock strike is deemed to have caused the crack. the service manager said honda will not warranty windshields that have evidence of a rock strike (no matter how minor). honda will fix windshields that meet tsb03-028 which addresses cracks in the lower corners. the fragility of the windshield in the honda element is unusual and abnormal. honda motor co. is in denial and is costing consumers and insurance companies. in 30 yrs of driving i have never experienced windshield failures like this. the body of this vehicle is quite flexible. warranty work has been required on the body to eliminate squeaks caused by a rubbing at a welded seam under the windshield cowling. the dealer spread the seam (between each weld point) with a screwdriver and filled the cavity with a flexible compound. the squeaks stopped, but, there appears to be a bigger problem. is this windshield going to withstand airbag deployment and keep the bag in the vehicle to cushion occupants? considering the large number of complaints seen in forums, honda motor co. needs to come out of denial and start addressing the design flaw in this vehicle that causes windshields to fracture under normal use. *jb

1) under normal driving windshield in vehicle cracked..impact questionable...looks stress related 2) caused visibility problem while driving 3) honda has not offered to remedy the problem as of yet. *jb

2003 honda element windshield cracked for no apparent reason. the crack is about 7 inches long coming up from the lower corner on the passenger side front windshield and curving to the side. the dealership tried to tell me that a rock had to have hit the windshield because "these windshields don't crack." they said that there was a place where the rock hit just below the windshield wiper that, while you can't see it, you can feel if your run a pen along the crack. the dealership service dept (that i've had a prior bad experience with) said the warranty wouldn't cover it but my insurance should. i learned via the internet that honda has a service bulletin out on this problem. i purchased a full extended warrantee, and honda should be fixing this problem.*ak

Windshield cracked. i don't know how this happen because the day it happen i had been in my car all day long. i never heard anything hit the windshield or anything. when i discovered the crack, i was totally surprise because there was nothing i could pinpoint that cause it to crack. i have not repaired it yet b/c i am hoping honda will do a recall of these windshields!! *ak

Traveling west on residential road at aprox. 15 mph. was struck in rear passenger panel by a 4 door sedan who was stopped on road to the north waiting to turn east. my honda element skid until facing north and proceded to roll and slide on drivers side, became airborn landed on passenger front roof corner, then onto passenger side and comming to a rest in the upright position. i was driving. two year old son in car seat behind me. seven year old daughter in rear passanger seat. all buckled safely. injuries consist of soft tissue/connective tissue damage thus far. children experienced naussea and vommiting for several days after. the element was a total loss. i am very concerned for the safety of other element drivers. *ak

Within the first few weeks of getting my brand new 2003 honda element, i had a crack and star chip in the vehicle's windshield. within the next month, it acquired yet another chip. as a result of the element's windshield's unprecedented vulnerability, i question its safety. at the very least, it represents inferior quality of materials and/or design, which is costing drivers and insurance companies significant amounts of money for repair costs. so far, american honda and the dealership insist that there is no inherent flaw in materials, design, or installation, and want to attribute the chips and crack to bad luck. however, honda owners are documenting this problem in droves on www.hondaelement.org, and on www.epinions. com. honda must acknowledge the problem, replace the defective windshields at their cost, and re-spec the element's windshield.*ak

Problems with windshield, cd player, horn and alarm.*mr the windshield cracked after a small piece of debris hit it. the cd player stopped working after it had been playing for 5 hours. the right side bumper fell off. *nm

The problem is with the windshield. i have had to replace it twice since january and it needs to be replaced again due to cracks. i checked around and i am not the only one with this problem. it seems that the windshield in the element is very susceptable to cracks due to the flange creating too much stress which renders the glass very prone to cracking by road debris. i got hit by a tiny pebble which should never have cracked the glass. and in my 18 years of driving various vehicles, i have never, ever had this type of problem, so i know it is not just "bad luck" as the dealer has told me.

I have had my element less than 1 year, at 1000 mi i developed a stress crack in the windshield that dealer said was from a "rock", but there was no evidence to support it - they did after protest replace it "one" time. at 10000 mi i now have another crack in almost the same place that seemed to come on with out any impact - we are in the negotiating stages. *ak

Consumer complained about a windshield problem. there was a crack on the lower passenger side of the windshield. consumer stated there was no impact mark on the windshield. however, dealer claimed there was an impact mark, and refused to repair it. *ak

While driving 45 mph consumer swerved to avoid rear ending another vehicle, and hit a phone pole dead center. upon impact, only the passenger's side air bag deployed. the passenger side air bag was reinstalled by the dealership. also while driving at 45 mph consumer swerved to avoid hitting a motorist who pulled in front of him. . consumer's vehicle hit the other vehicle on the front driver's side. upon impact, air bags failed to deploy. after inspecting the vehicle dealership indicated that the sensor was showing that driver side air bag deployed.*ak

Stress crack appeared after nothing hit the windshield. crack starts below the drivers side winshield wiper and curves towards the center of the windshield, stopping about 15" later. service manager at honda calls a hole the size of a pin head just above the wiper a "point of impact." how can a rock ever hit there?

I bought a 2003 honda element in december of 2003. a few days after picking up the brand new car, i discovered a 4" crack on my windshield. the cracked started from a very small pinpoint speck on the right side of the windshield in the black area. i contacted the dealer, but they said it's not covered by warranty since the crack was caused by road debris, regardless of how small that debris may be. two months after that, i discovered a 3" crack on the left side of the windshield. again, the cracked started with a pinpoint on the black area of the windshield. i called the windshield experts in my area, who informed me that they've been replacing an overwhelming number of windshields on honda elements. armed with this information, i contacted honda customer relations. the representative denied any issues with windshields on the elements and refused to provide information on whether they have received similar complaints. the most she could do was submit a complaint on my behalf (complaint number n012004-04-2100773). windshields are expensive to replace and honda needs to own up to this prevalent problem with the windshields on the elements. they need to provide a solution.*ak

Windshield crack number 2. *la

The windshield chips very easily. we incurred three chips in just one day, one of which quickly turned into a twelve inch crack.

Driver's side seat material/its structure or both caused the driver to have severe back pains. dealership indicated that the seat was poorly structured. consumer spoke to 5 other owners of this vehicle and they all are experienced the same back pains. *ak *la

2003 honda element - windshield cracks due to apparent design flaw. *ak

2003 honda element windshield cracked three times within 12,000 miles. first crack appeared on the passenger's side, starting from the lower edge approximately centered with the wiper blade straight up six inches with a sharp turn outwards to the right. went to dealer for replacement (metro honda, johnston ri) representative said crack was caused by stone or foreign object and was not covered by the warranty. there was no sign of impact. representative, under very close inspection found the smallest speck within crack. it is tiny, i'd say the size of a grain of salt. about three weeks later the second crack appeared on the driver's side from the lower edge centered within the wiper blade. after close inspection, i found an identical salt grain size spec within the crack. this was not caused by impact! i knew this windshield was defected and researched the problem on the internet. there are thousands of element owners describing the same problem. the third crack appeared about two weeks after the second, this time it appears a rock did cause the crack. located on the driver's side left edge eye level continuing across about 18 inches. the impact was slight, leaving a round mark the size of a pea. i read hundreds of complaints, there all the same. this is a huge problem and something must be done. does honda expect me to replace my windshield with every oil change? please look into this as soon as possible. it's wrong and honda needs to not only acknowledge the problem, but rectify it. everyone who is experiencing this problem should file a complaint, not just read about it. *nm

2003 honda element windshield cracked three times within 12,000 miles. first crack appeared on passenger's side, starting from lower edge approximately centered with wiper blade straight up six inches with a sharp turn to the right. went to dealer for replacement (metro honda, johnston ri) representative said crack was caused by stone or foreign object and was not covered by warranty. there was no sign of impact. representative under close inspection found the smallest spec within crack. it is tiny, i'd say the size of a grain of salt. about three weeks later the second crack appeared starting from the lower edge of the drivers side, directly centered with the wiper blade. after close inspection, i found an identical salt grain size spec within the crack. this was not caused by impact! i knew this windshield was defected. that's when i started doing some research and discovered this is an on going problem with many if not thousands of element owners. the third crack appeared about two weeks after the second, this time it appears a rock did cause the crack. located on the driver's side left edge continuing straight across to the right. the impact was slight, leaving a round mark the size of a pea. i read hundreds of complaints, there all the same. there' s huge problem and something must be done. does honda expect me to get a new windshield with every oil change? please look into this as soon as possible. it's wrong and honda needs to not only acknowledge the problem, but to rectify it. people, don't just read about it, submit a complaint. *jb

The rear driver's side window shattered while driving approximately 70 mph. nothing had hit the window. will be taking vehicle to mechanic for replacement.*ak

Morning: parked vehicle outside in low temperatures. sun came out during day and when i returned to vehicle in the afternoon there was a 5 inch crack that started in lower passenger side of front windshield. no impact to windshield.

Windshield cracked at 6901 miles when there were no other automobiles on the interstate highway when it occurred. now at 7101 miles we have a 12 inch crack starting from the side of the windscreen on the passenger side. appears to be due to the windshield design and stress on the glass. *jb

Able to remove ignition key when transmission in gear.*ak

Windshield cracked without an impact in it's lower part. knowing that this is a widespread issue with this model, i would like to see it resolved, since this is a really nice vehicle otherwise.*ak

When engine is cold started(no matter what temp outside), the engine fast idles at about 1500 rpm. when shifted into reverse or drive the engine accelerates to 2500 rpm. heavy braking and lurching results. car will reach speed of 20mph.*ak this has been going on for about 6 mos

Starting back in february 2004, my windshield has been cracking for no apparent reason. on 4/3/04, i had my 5th windshield installed due to a microscopic 'impact' right underneath the wiper blade. four cracks in the exact same location is far more then coincidence. *jb

Cracked windshield origniating from bottom of passenger side. approximately 10 inches from the right side of the vehicle. small pit (sand size) visible.*ak

The front windshield had a very serious crack caused by a very small stone. (nar) *ph *cb

Driving 70 mph on interstate 65 degree clear condiditons driver side rear window shattered

On friday march 12, 2004 i went to lunch and returned to my car three hours later to go home for the day. upon entering my honda element i noticed a crack in my windshield that was not there three hours earlier when i had gone to lunch. honda issued a service bulletin back in may 2003 for the 2003 element in certian vin #'s (of which my element falls in) about stress from the flange on the windshield causing it to crack. upon taking my element to stephen vincel honda in ellisville, mo for inspection they have claimed that it was hit by a rock that caused it to crack. this is the second windshield i will have to replace in an 8 month time frame. the first was caused by a rock thrown from a semi, the second was supposed to have been caused by a rock (according to honda). i am dissapointed and angered that honda has admitted a problem and issued a service bulletin, yet refuses to correct the problem. i am angred that due to either poor quality materials or poor design i am forced to present another claim to my insurance when honda should be correcting their own mistakes. *ak

Consumer complained about a windshield problem. vehicle had an air bubble in the front windshield. when anything hit the windshield, such as a small stone, it cracked the windshield. *ak

Crack in windshield on 2003 honda element after owning for only 1 month. rack only appeared no obvious impact from rock or other objects. *ak

Cracked windshield: consistent with hundreds of other honda element owners, on one particularly cold (by ca stds. anyway) morning, i turned on my defroster and the windshield started cracking from the bottom right corner. the crack has traveled across the bottom of the glass in a pattern that mirrors that of the defroster outlets. *jb

2003 honda element ex 4wd - windsheild cracked at approx 6000 miles. no sign of impact. crack originated on driver's side of windshield. *ak

Defective windshield. these were actually two events in february, 2004. about 2-3 weeks apart. both involve what appear to be stress fractures of windshield. each emanates from the very bottom of windshield below the wiper cowl on outer windshield. both rise directly vertical upward about three inches then veer toward side pillars. both near center of windshield. first one was towards passeger side and veered to passenger pillar. second one was towards driver side and veered to driver pillar. dealer claims tiny fleck in each line near bottom of windshield and behind wiper arm mechanism/blade is rock hit and is cause and will not warranty. both of these happenned in the mountains during freezing temperatures. i suspected that windhield washer fluid was collecting between the outer wiper cowl and base of winshield and freezing/expanding and causing fracture lines. no "star" effect normally associated with rockhits. my second suspicion is that the curve in the lower windhield is in opposition to the staightness of the upper windhield and causing stress on bottom of windshield. if those are rock hits at the bottom (and not flakeage from the effect of the cracks) they should have never cause these significant fracture lines or any crack at all. in fact i never heard a rock hit and the second crack happenned while my vehicle was parked in a ski area parking lot and the crack was not there when i parked the car but was fully 8-12 inches long when i returned. honda has either a defective design or perhaps that urethane rimming the window has something to do with it. either way they need to warranty lifetime free glass replacement or fix this defect. this is likely to happen again after i replace this windshield. compel honda to rectify this matter please.*ak

Windshield cracks very easily. while driving on the freeway (no surrounding traffic) we heard a pop an a crack appeared just to the left of the rearview mirror, originating from the top of the windshield. the crack has now grown to about 6".*ak upon further inspection i cannot locate any point of impact. it appears that this is simply a stress crack.

I have a 2003 element. i have had two broken windows already. the most recent documented below. *ak

Spontaneous strees crack in lower right corner of windsheild. no chipping or other damage from road debris.

Vehicle lunged forward, and consumer had to apply the brakes very hard in order to stop vehicle. this occurred when vehicle was slowing down. *ak

Defect in windshield on 2003 honda element. crack appears in bottom middle of windshield and then moves upward and the across towards the passenger side.*ak honda dealer said it was a rock impact, however, it is not pitted.

Windshiled crack. origion of crack is bottom of passenger side of windshiled. windshield had been replaced 2 months prior due to identical crack in identical location.*ak

Drove vehicle home saturday night no problem. sunday morning discovered 8 inch crack in windshield originating under driver side windshild wiper and traveling upwards to the left. dealer claims it is an impact crack not covered under warrenty, but i am sure there was no impact saturday night. i have read on the internet of others having this identical problem.*ak

Pin-prick size rock impact resulted in a 12 inch crack in 24 hours. other honda models as well as other manufactures do have this problem. compare the number of visiblity complaints with the element to other makes and models. *ak

Less than a 1000 miles on the car - cracked windshield passenger side bottom corner- did not pass the "pen" test done at a dealer. no coverage so we replaced windshield at our own cost- *ak

A crack developed in the passenger's side lower corner at the base behind the windshield wiper that eventually spread up 8 inches and across 8 inches and back down to the base. there was never any type of evidence of any type of rock chipping or damage. i took the vehicle in to my local dealership, and they assured me that it would be covered under warranty to replace the windshield. the day it was to be replaced they called and said there was a problem. now there is evidence of some magic "rock chip" and they went ahead and installed the new windshield anyway without my consent. now they want their $553.00. go figure. i also want to mention that this is the third such crack in under 7 months of owning my honda element. my vin falls under the honda service bulletin # 03-028 as having the defective windshield as well. it's all a scam! they want you to claim it on your insurance so they do not have to pay for all of these repairs. then they try to hold your vehicle hostage if you don't pay them immediately. something needs to be done about these gestapo tactics. they knowingly sold me a defective vehicle, and now they want to pass the buck to whomever will pay excluding themselves. *jb

12-inch crack in windshield originating from driver's side cowl branching upwards. a copy of honda tsb 03-028, indicating that the windshield may crack in the lower corners, was shown to the dealer's service department. they were unaware of the tsb and stated that a grain-sized "pit" in the glass under the wiper blade was the cause of the crack. as my auto falls within the vin # range of affected vehicles, this would indicate that my suv is suceptible to windshield cracking. i can understand if a large rock caused the damage, but the "pit" in the windshield was no larger than the period at the end of this sentence. this windshield appears weaker than the industry norm and cannot handle even minute stresses. honda needs to resolve this issue, not keep having their customers continually pay for new windshields.*ak

The steel wheels can't be balanced. as a result, vehicle bounces all over the road. *ak

My 2003 honda element has a sulphur smell that is beyond annoyance. the smell is so intense that it takes your breath away. my dealer is unable to repair and honda seems indifferent to the problem. while not life threatening, it could, i believe be detrimental to my health as well as the health of my passengers.*ak

The windshield has chipped and cracked numerous times over the 9 months we have owned the vehicle. it was brand new and there is a defective part that the dealer will not replace.*ak

After a lot of complaining, to several dealers and honda customer service, i finally had my windshield replaced after a 12" crack appeared from underneath the driver's side wiper blade one night in june 03. it took until december 03 to get this issue resolved. honda customer service (800 number) was terrible and after a while they just kept repeating the same things over and over again. my dealership stepped up after i complained to the sales manager and let him know how many people ask about the car and exactly what i was going to start telling them-that we were getting treated poorly by honda. they replaced it under "goodwill". a few weeks ago there was a small ding in the center of the windshield, no star, and we turned on the defrost and the windshield cracked from corner to corner before our eyes. dealer claims this is totally normal behavior for a windshield. i let state farm know what was going on and they're looking into it. we are really disappointed--no, irate--with honda, and not afraid to talk about it until the problem is taken care of for good.*ak

Windshield has a stress crack in the bottom right corner. manufacturer has agreed to fix the problem without cost to the owner. *ak due to malfunctioning and improperly finished rivets in the lower section of the window frame. *sc

On 1/24/04, i noticed a crack in my windshield while parked. the crack is in the lower right portion of the windshield, beginning approximately 4 inches from the bottom, extends 2 inches toward the center of the windshield, then makes a 90 degree bend straight down to the bottom. i took my vehicle to the dealer based on the tsb regarding the improper installation of windshields on '03 honda elements. the improper installation creates undue stress that results in cracking. the service manager identified a pinhead size impact mark under the side molding strip that he says caused the damage. even with the tsb that i believe caused the crack to spread beyond repair, the dealer refuses to replace the glass and repair the defect under warranty.*ak

While driving 30 mph vehicle was involved in a head on collision. upon impact, dual airbags did not deploy. the driver sustained severe neck and spinal injuries. *ak

Element bought july 2003. i drive alot of highway miles, allready 28,000 miles. i have probably drove close to 800,000 miles in my 25 years of driving. once that i know off did a windshield crack.....maybe twice. i have four incidents of rock chips allready. one of the cracks spans the width of the window. as a statistical manager for my job, there was obviously a purchasing mess up with sub-standard glass quality. there has to be a recall on this windshield to an upgraded quality of glass. it is not so much the safety factor as it is the $500 replacement and insurance costs. somebody made a major mistake in a vendor and most likely is not supplying windshields to honda anymore and is probably out of business or changed their name for liability sake. this issue will not go away!! *ak

Windshield on 2003 honda element found in garage with a crack near the bottom corner on the drivers side. the honda dealer and regional service manager refused to replace the windshield under warranty even though there was no damage from any impact. this has become a growing problem with many of these vehicles which honda has thusfar not taken care of. *jb

While sitting in a hospital parking ramp my windshield started cracking and spread until it went from directly in front of the driver at the bottom of the glass up about four inches and across to the passenger side and back down to the bottom of the glass. between my wife and myself we have owned close to twenty vehicles and never had anything like this happen. *jb

I purchased a 2003 honda element in oct-03 and currently have 4400 miles on the vehicle. on 1-24-04 a very small pebble "nicked" my windshield ( no star) at the base ( just under the drivers side windshield wiper blade) causing a windshield crack that has grown to about 12 inches in length. i have driven vehicles over 35 years and have never had this experience with such a minor pebble hit. i checked the honda website - see tech advisory( 03-028) but honda authorizations are only for windshield cracked without any type of impact. i don't buy honda's explanation. glass stress is just that & stress on glass that is not properly installed, fitted, or designed will lead to cracks from minor impacts at a higher rate. i visited the http://www.hondaelement.org/showthread.php website and noted that 25 to 30 % of new element owner complaints had to do with cracked windshields. in some cases owner had already replaced their windshields twice ($500.00 a pop). honda's current policy is to side step the problem. this is unacceptable. this is a brand new vehicle and honda has a responsibility to step up and work to solve the problem. i am also greatly concerned about having the windshield replaced before the problem is identified and solved. there are also a number of problems reported on the web site noted above regarding problems with improper installation/fit of new windshields (several attempts, persistent rattles, & cracks) after replacement. if honda isn't going to step up - someone ( hopefully nhtsa) will. accordingly, i am surprised at honda's "head in the sand" attitude about this issue. i would like to receive feedback from nhtsa on the evolution of this problem if that is within your policy. *jb

Cracked windshield.....again. 2nd cracked windshield in two months. told this was impact damage from dealer. dealer pointed out microscopic "chip" at the seal line. 20+ years of driving never had a cracked windshield now have two. *jb

Spontaneous windshield crack. *ak

Windshield cracked under wiper on right hand side. my dealer said they would not cover it under warrinty, said there is a small pit in crack from rock. the windshield is full of small pits. there is so many complaints on the element message boards about cracked windshields more than any thing else there must be something wrong with the design.*ak

Sand cracked windshield bottom passenger side corner. *ak

Cracked windshield twice in 6 months time

Windshield defect. too many similar occurences here and honda even issued a tsb. however, took it to the dealership and they insisted that is was impact. the mark was just below the wiper blade and is about the size of the head of a pin. i called for the district service manager to have a look and he identified another small spot as the impact point. he offered to split the cost with me. do i have any other options?*ak

Windshield cracked at about 800 miles on odometer, starting at the bottom, in the center of the passenger side, no impact but crack spread up windshield. dealer claims tiny impact pit below wiper blade caused crack, but no star impact pattern, just a long crack starting at bottom of windshield.ak

Vehicle's radiator is exposed in the front end of the car.*mr the vehicle's radiator has been replaced twice due to road debris flying into it and penetrating it. the consumer believes the design of the vehicle is flawed in some way and that the radiator and a/c condenser need some protection. *nm

Unexplained passenger side windshield cracked, no impact apparent. was about 8" the first day, continues to grow.*ak

Windshield cracked in lower right corner. *la

Windshield cracked under passenger side wiper while vehicle parked. less then 4000 miles on car, no rock impact caused crack.*ak

2003 honda element windshield cracked due to stress. there is no visible impact point. the crack began near the lower part which is black, and continues above the drivers side windshield wiper towards the drivers door. after reviewing other complaints by element owners, it is clear there is an issue with this models windshield and stress cracks.*ak

Windshield cracked, according to a service release from honda cause is stress related, but service rep at dealership says it is from impact...no chip...no star.*ak

Windshield piys and cracks. i have 2 cracks in less that 1 month of ownership. the glass is easily pitted as i have driven mine on sanded roads briefly and have several hundred small pits, this is far in excess of any car or truck i have owned in over 30 years of thriving and ownership. these windshield are sticking poor!!! *cb

While driving 30 mph and making a left turn in the snow 4-wheel drive mechanism kicked in automatically, vehicle spun out and hit a vender yard post.*ak

Consumer stated in last past three months dealer had replaced windshield twice. *ak consumer telephoned odi and reported that the lower-right corner of the windshield on the vehicle has a crack in it. third time this problem has occurred. *mjj (04-20-2005)

I have a 2003 honda element. it has approximately 2400 miles on it. my windshield has a crack, approximately 6 inches long, that began under the passenger side windshield wiper and curls to the right. *cb

Problems with the windshield on a 2003 honda element. *mr cracks appeared in the windshield with no apparent trigger. (9 inch crack appeared on the lower left section of the windshield) *sc *jb

Cracked windshield, from the bottom of the dash 5 inches going upward on the driver side, while vehicle was warming up in the driveway. *la

Windshield cracked below both wipers. started below plastic trim, both went vertical, and finally a horizontal crack connected them. windshield has other "star" cracks that have remained static. dealer is replacing is as "goodwill," says its not the same as listed in the honda tsb. *cb

Crack on lower left side of windshield. crack on lower right side of windshield. no objects hit the windshield. nhtsa bulletin showed problems with cracks on windshields of honda elements with no apparent cause. windshields are apparently defective! *cb

Stress crack on windshield, driver side, starting at bottom edge traveling towards the left side of the windshield. *ak

Windshield crack of about 3-4 inches from bottom under passenger windshield wiper was "just there" in the morning after heavy snowfall and major defroster use. in two days, before i got to dealer to have it inspected, it had extended upwards about 6 more inches, in two more days, all the way across windshield to within 2 inched of windshield edge on driver's side. now extended to lower driver's side corner. there was cold weather through out. dealer pointed out miniscule pit on crack below passenger windshield wiper, said not covered under warranty because cause by rock chip, etc. there may have been a minor impact there, who is to say, but the "evidence" nearly requires magnifying glass to see&in fact i scraped ice away on windshield that very morning. in fact there are many other "pits' on windshield, including others on crack. a piece of grit/tiny gravel may have impacted, near original area of crack, but should never have caused damage that ensued. there is a manufacturer's service bulletin for windshield cracks starting at lower corners caused by excessive stress due to design or installation of windshield/flanges, however my vehicle is outside the vin range for that bulletin. my observation or belief is that excessive stress may still a factor, making windshield unacceptably susceptible to cracking during scraping ice of windshield and/or if there are chances of extremely minor impacts that would in other circumstances not cause problems. *cb

I just bought a honda element 2003 in october '03. the windshield has cracked twice. the crack goes from the bottom and spreads in the line of my driving vision. there is a flaw in the manufacturing; however, the dealer and honda says that only the early models has this problem and mine doesn't. i disagree. i suggest no one buy a honda element 'cause they are not fixing this problem.

The windshield of my honda element ex, 2003 has crack after been hit by a small object for second time. for the first time i pay $50 for repair. now i am not sure it's worth to repair or replacement in view of so many complains by others elements owners. *nlm

Stress crack in windshield. *ak

Cracked windshield at 3700 miles. *la

Ticking in windshield as soon as drove off lot. dealer replaced within weeks. now window makes ticking noise only after driving extended distances. windshield cracked early december 2003. *ak

While traveling 65 mph windshield cracked on the passenger's side underneath the windshield wiper. *ak

Crack windshield on honda element. dealer refused to fix. claimed impact caused, but only pointed out a subjective pinhead sized pit at start of crack, claiming it was from an impact. based on frequent similar complaints from other elemnt owners with identical cracks in identical locations, i do not believe the crack was from an impact. especially since the crack appeared while the car was parked.

Cracked windshield. discovered a crack in winshield, just below the wiper blade , driverside. no reason for this. except faulty product.*ak

Honda element windshield cracked for no reason. *ak

Windshield cracked at lower driver side corner, no impact of any kind can be found. there is a service bulletin on stress crack on corner for the one i recieved today so i will take to dealer tomorrow, hopefully they will repair under warranty. i also had another star type crack 2 months prior while driving but whatever that hit the windshield must have been a spec of sand. dealer said at time would not repair since it was a "impact" crack. there is obviously something wrong with the windshield and design for it to pit and crack so easily.*ak

Cracked windshield, driving on a widely divided interstate at lawful speed, in heavy rain, no automobiles in sight in front of me, heard a "pop" sound, and saw a small crack about 5 inches to left of passenger side wiper axis. doubtful it was road debris, as there were no vehicles in front of me. results of dealer contact to be resolved pending meeting tomorrow. this automobile has approximately 1800 miles on it . has been in possession approximately 6 weeks. (since oct 10 2003) . *ak

Cracked windshield. purchased my 2003 honda element in january 2004. 4th windshield was recently installed in october 2003. i contacted honda in october and i was turned away stating that my windshielf was another case of a rock hit.*ak

I am in the process of requesting replacement of the windshield in my honda element (purchased at majestic/lincoln on 08/08/03). it is obvious that no impact to the windshield has occurred and the crack (lower right, passenger side"beneath the wiper) was first noticed on the morning of 12/18/03 when i got in the car. originally about five inches in length, and crawling up from the base of the windshield and then over to the right corner, the crack actually grew another three inches in the ten minutes we were in the car. i have done extensive research and discovered by way of the honda service bulletin dated may 6, 2003 ("tsb 03-028: windshield is cracked at the lower corners" found at the following url: http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2212 that this is a widespread problem affecting the element windshields and replacement would be covered by honda. it appears that my vin is not among those featured in the bulletin, but the damage is identical to that of other element owners who have registered complaints: no sign of impact, and a crack in the lower right corner of the windshield. *ak

While driving windshield cracked. was not following any traffic at the time. crack originated from under driver's side windshield wiper and runs vertically eight inches and then turns horizontal for another eight to ten inches. *ak

2003 honda element has developed a crack in the windshield. the crack starts at the base of the windshield on the passenger side, just about in the middle of the wiper blade. the crack extends upward about four inches and is now extending to the right about the same distance. this is consistent with complaints from other owners of the 2003 honda element.*ak

Cracked windshield lower passenger side. *ak

Windshield cracked on bottom of passenger side of the vehicle with no impact. *ak

Honda element windshield cracked without any impact of any type. start top of driver's side, is now about 20" long . *ak

Windshield cracked with 900 miles on the odometer. location of crack: left side, mid-height. small pebble struck windsheid with no chip or indentation noted.*ak

Rock hit and chipped windsheld. *ak

13" windshield crack on 2003 honda element ex with only 3000 miles logged. there was a pin-head sized pit that expanded to a 13" (and growing) crack. *nlm

I want to report a sudden crack in my windshield of my honda element. it is in the bottom right hand corner. *la

Honda element windshield crack starting from lower driver side across the windshield. honda has a tsb on this problem but will not resolve it - i am a member of honda suv which also has several complaints. the service representative stated this was caused by a 1 mm rock chip (which there is no implosion) - reading the honda tsb it is obvious that if one even sustains a rock chip that the pressure from the incorrect manufactured window will cause it to crack not giving the owner a chance to fix a chip. *la

Windshield possibly hit by a rock (although i didn't see one) and large star with cracks forming at base of windshield on driver's side. i heard this was a problem with the element before i purchased, but was assured that this was fixed for later released models. i have had this car less than a month and it has only 600 miles on it. *la

Honda element windshield cracking. there is a crack running from the bottom of the passenger's side of the glass up 4 inches and then running out to the edge of passengers side. there appears to be a pit (like a piece of sand made it) in the middle of the crack just below the passenger windshield wiper. i agree with the comments made by others here that if there is undo stress on the windshield then it stands to reason that any impacts, no matter how slight, will cause the windshield to crack. there are plenty of other pits the same size at other spots on the windshield with no cracking. dealer will not replace. *la

Windshield cracked while driving on highway. was not following another vehicle. no debris was seen hitting the windshield but after hearing a light "click" a star shaped crack appeared on the windshield. if the windshield was hit by debris, it was extremely small and should not have caused a crack. *la

I've had multiple windshield cracks on my honda element. these cracks start around the left corner and bottom perimeter. i took the element in to two dealers and the claim were from a rock impact. the points of impacts are barely visible from the naked eye. that's why the service rep at the dealer will run a pen down the crack and find the tiny point of impact. these windshields are defective. 3 cracks and two stars in less than 10,000 miles. this is not the normal. the cracks are right in the line of site and are a slight safety concern. honda needs to fix this problem on the honda elements and not give a person the run around at the dealer claiming a rock hit it. *la

Large crack in lower-right corner of windshield 6 days after purchasing vehicle. numerous accounts of similar cracking issues among owners of same vehicle (2003 honda element). *la

Leased this vehicle may 27, 2003. rattles, popping noises at windshield area. popping noise at driver's side pillar. had windshield replaced, framework welded, dashboard removed twice, foam installed, and windshield molding replaced. pillar adjusted. noises continue. very fearful when driving this vehicle knowing that frame has been repaired and there are problems with the windshield. the noises are distracting. honda service tech, service manager,and factory representative heard all sounds. honda willing to attempt pillar repair only. *la

Windshield cracked while vehicle parked. dealer said windshield crack was "probably" from road hazard. initially, said it would not be covered under warranty, but could find no mark from debris impact and agreed to replace under warranty. *la

My 2003 honda element windshield cracked after 4000 miles, the crack started below the driver side windshield wiper and expanded upward, most likely the result of a small rock impact but never heard any noise. talked to honda america and the csr said i should contact local dealership and see. took the car to the honda of lisle (illinois) dealership where i purchased the element from, and several service managers looked at it and said it can not be covered by warranty because it was a rock chip. at least two service managers claimed they have no knowledge of any windshield problem with element. paying $100 insurance deductible is a small price to pay, but this seems to be an obvious manufacturer defect and can haunt the consumers by replacing windshield on a very frequent basis. does honda america stands by its product and warranty rather than repeated denials? does honda want to see hundreds and hundreds of consumer complaints before accepting responsibilities and taking concrete actions? this is not the honda i know. i had a 84 honda civic dx and put 100+k on it with no major problem whatsoever. *la

Complaint regarding honda american motors and the purchase of a 2003 honda element.*mr consumer stated experience at the dealership was less than good. his vehicle was sprayed with "armor oil type grease" all over the door panel with spray sprinkles. all over the front and back seats and console. they sprayed stuff all over the place to the point where his hand slipped off the steering wheel and the seats were destroyed. dealership promised the perma plate, low jack and keyless entry. consumer was told he wouldn't receive his keyless entry despite it being part of the deal. consumer stated the dealership jacked up his vehicle. *ph

The windshield on my 2003 honda element has developed a crack that starts on the bottom part of the passenger side and grew up 6-8 inches over the last few days. we took it to the dealer we bought it from (bill gatton honda in bristol, tn) and they said there was a chip in it and it was an impact damage and they would not consider it for warranty replacement. we told the dealer that nothing had hit the windshield and we were aware on numerous people who have had the same problem but they would not listen. i was referred to this site (nhtsa) by a fellow owner who had the same problem. *la

I have a barely 2 month old 2003 honda element and at about 2k miles... have suffered a cracked windshield from a very small rock/pebble that should have caused a 8 inch crack. honda has even issued a service bulletin (tsp #03-028) specifically referring to stress areas within the corner of windshield which in turn would make glass vunerable to any object coming in contact while driving. the dealer blames the crack on the debris and refuses to replace via warranty. numerous other element owners throughout country are experiencing the same problem with the new element. *jb

The front windshield had a crack that started at the bottom /middle and reached upward. dealership said the crack was caused by road debris. *ak tsb 03-028 which pertains to faulty windshield construction. *sc

The windshields on the 2003 honda element's are faulty, they crack with litte or no impact, many people are complaining. a pebble, and i mean "pebble" tapped my windshield on august 24th and instantly i had an eleven inch crack. i've had 6 cars do date in my life, and with all 6 i've had rocks strike the windshield at on toime or another leaving nothing, or at most a star that can be fixed by a rock chip repair facility. the windshield appears to be under undo stress and that is exactly what these cracks appear to be,.. stress fractures. honda addmits to having a "tsb" issued for the windshields claiming an "uneaven flange surface" causing the cracks, however honda claims if it is evedent that something has struck your windshield leaving a "impact point" regardless of that impacts size you are at fault. the problem with this is anything that hits this glass can cause it to break regardless of it's size because of this "uneaven flange surface" ! honda has a known issue with their vehicle and they aren't owning up to this !

We have a defect in the driver's field of vision which occurred over night. my husband was the last to drive the vehicle and did not notice any pit or star at the time he parked the vehicle. we have less than 1,000 miles on our new 2003 honda element and purchased it about two weeks ago. we checked the honda element owner's website and found others having the same problem. i am a former auto and home damage insurance adjuster and have some expertise. new glass should not be brittle and should withstand most hail damage i.e. greenhouse glass and windshield glass. i have never had a new windshield with such problems before. i've owned and driven vehicles in excess of 150,000 miles without any problems to the windshield.*ak

A six-inch crack seemed to spontaneouisly appear one morning in the windshield of our 2003 element dx. we made an appointment and specified that we didn't want it fixed unless it was covered under warranty, we soon received a call informing us that there was a pebble that hit the windshield under the hood, and since there was an impact, it was not covered under our warranty. the point of impact is so miniscule it is ridiculous. we still haven't had it fixed, it's not growing very much, and we won't fix it until honda owns up to the defect and replaces the windshield at their expense. *ak

Due to defective manufacturer(honda) safety related product, this new honda element has had two windshield failures in just 750 miles on the odometer due to cracks because of defective honda windshield materials and basic defective honda design & engineering of the windshield mounting and installation. the windshield failures on my element happened on june, 3, 2003, at 140 odometer mileage, and july 9, 2003 at 748 odometer reading. honda will not pay for the repairs. total cost for both added up to $1047.00. honda is being allowed to continue to produce and sell a vehicle, for which they are aware contains a basic safety related design and engineering flaw, and for which they are making customers pay for all repairs and related expenses, ie, rental cars, because the honda windshields are in such demand and are backordered because of the number of failures. if all the honda element owners who have had defective windshield failures had filed complaint forms with the nhtsa, the number of complaints would be overwhelming, surely in the thousands. there are many posts on web sites, ie, edmunds.com , elementownersclub.com, plus others. the nhtsa has a responsibility to stop honda from furthur sales of the honda element to unsuspecting buyers, because such a sale is a violation of federal laws governing sale of a product with a designed-in safety defect and not informing the customer of the defect. such a sale also constitutes fraud, for misrepresenting a product as safe and without defects, when the manufacturer and seller are completely aware of the defects. additionally, honda must be made to reimburse element owners who have had to pay for windshield replacements. honda is profiting in the billions of dollars at customer expense and unawareness of the existense of the windshield defects. honda is profiting not only on the sales of the element, but on the sales of windshields, windshield mounting parts, windshield installations labor and rental cars. *ak

Windshield cracks extremely easily. i've replaced mine twice in three months, and the latest one has three cracks on it already.*ak

Windshield on 2003 honda element cracked on its own. *ak

Front windshield cracked in lower driver side corner and curved up and over towards center of drivers view. dealer says rock impact caused collision and will not honor technical service bulletin 03-028 even though my vehicle's identification number is within the tsb call out. *ak

Four wheel drive does not engage when front wheels slip or spin. the left rear wheel turned one rotation on one incident. that is the only movement i've seen from the rear wheels. *nlm

Honda element, model 2003, purchased april 2003, has severe windshield issues. it creeks, pops and taps. many honda element owners report cracked windshields due to a design problem. i cannot go on any long trips for fear our family will be stranded. i have called honda's dealers and they play as if they don't know. i've called honda's customer service hotline and, at first, they said they hadn't ever heard of the problem, then after digging in my heals with them, they found a honda tsb about the problem. they want me to bring my car into the dealership, but admit the dealer may just take it apart and charge me for it. i wrote honda corporate a month ago and have not received even a form letter reply.*ak

Very small rock chip caused the window to crack all the way up. i didn't hear anything hit the windshield but the dealer said that it was a rock chip and wouldn't fix it under warranty. the window cracked immediately - didn't even have time to see about getting the chip fixed. if the window cracks this easily i'm afraid to see what would happen in a crash!!! see hondaelement.org - lots and lots of complaints about the windshield. honda needs to address this problem!!!! this is the first honda i've owned. would think twice about buying another one.*ak

Bought the car with 264 miles on it on aug. 15th, 2003. on aug. 23rd, a noise began consistantly from the rear part of the vehicle each & every time when making turns. *ak

Windshield cracked on its own while parked.*ak

Driver's side door has about a half an inch opening between the rubber and the door. this lets air and debris in.*ak

Less than 100 miles a banging sound began intermitently coming from the rear of the vehicle. i got under the rear of the vehicle and the nut which holds the rear torsion bar on was about to fall off. looks like it might be a self locking nut but could easily turn with my fingers. paint overspray can be found on the rear passenger side window indicating an after factory paint job on at least this section of the vehicle. dealer has been notified.*ak

My windshield has a tiny 1mm spot where a tiny pebble must have hit it and from that i now have a 18" crack stretching from the lower left hand corner to the center of the windshield. i'm certain that the tiny spot would not have spread into that size of a crack if there wasn't so much stress placed on the windshield by the "uneven windshield flange surface" that honda itself admits to on their service bulletin 03-028. my element vin #falls into the range on the service bulletin but honda will not cover it because of the impact that started the crack. i've had rocks hit other vehicles i've owned and they have never spread into a crack, much less one this size. if honda element owners have to replace their windshield everytime a pebble hits it, our insurance companies will end up raising our rates. honda needs to come to a resolution to this problem. *ak

Cracked windshield: i bought 6 days ago a brand new 2003 honda element ex 2wd suv. it still hs less than 400 miles on it. today it developed a spontanesous 5 inch crack on the windshield. the crack starts at the windoshield edge on the driver side and extends towards the center at about eye level. tthis is a persistent ongoing problem with the 2003 honda element windshields. there are many posts with similar complaint to mine especially at the http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/index.php "exterior" website. a class-action lawsuit against honda is beimg considered.

Cracked windshield by small pebbles. windshield has to much stress.

Consumer is unable to unlock and open the back doors, unless the front doors are unlocked and opened which could cause a safety issue if vehicle is in an accident.*ak

This is a 2003 honda element, purchased may 22nd, 2003. the mileage is now 752 miles.i am currently in the process of having the windshield replaced for the second time. the first replacement was at 150 miles on the odometer. both were because of damage from small stone chips that would not normally damage the glass on most other vehicles. the 733 miles i have driven this car was on paved urban local roads at speeds between 35 and 50 mph. it appears to me that one of, or both of, the following, could be responsible factors: a) the windshield glass is possibly thinner and mor fragile than others. b) the aerodynamics of this vehicle possibly causes a higher rate of debris hits to the windshield area than other vehicles. whatever the cause, i would consider it a safety issue warranting investigation. additionally, if the trend were to continue, requiring windshield replacements, who could afford the maintenance on this vehicle? *ak

We purchased a honda element and within 6 hours i foolishly rear-ended a vechicle from a complete stop at a traffic signal when the light turned green. it was a very low speed (3-5 mph maximum) collision however the subsequent damage was astounding, my element basically does not seem to have any front bumper support, rather appears to have two beams protruding from the front of the car, that look like they should have something horizontal between them but they do not. one of the beams impaled the car ahead of me stabbing thru its bumper into the vehicle slightly bending the metal below the bumper. my element ended up with $1786.00 in damage. the plastic bumper cover (that has no bumper support beneath it) shattered and the single point impact allowed my car to somehow destroy the condenser, radiater, and frame that supports the condenser. i have involved honda of my concerns and they are telling me that the element is designed to not have a horizontal bumper support in the front of the car. my question remains how is the vehicle engineered to be safe if there is not supposed to be anything there to distribute the force in the case of a higher-than-3-5mph collision? i noticed that you have released steller front collision ratings on this vehicle, it would help me tremendosly if you could confirm that this particular design makes sense. i am currently too nervous to drive the vehicle and have left it (repaired back to it's original no bumper support form) at the dealership. please oh please oh please respond so we can put this behind us and move on. we do have photos on disc if that would help my words make sense. thank you so much, diane munizza goodnight. *jb

Defective windshield is now cracking. the dealer, classic honda, refuses to correct the problem, stating that the manufacturer, honda, does not warranty glass. i have filed a complaint with the manufacturer, american honda, case # n01200-06-0401190. the vehicle is a new 2003 honda element. the odometer reading is 147 miles.*ak

Takata recall : airbag recall slip, no parts available, steering seems to have issues on drivers front,while in motion, transmission whines, while backing and driving any road style, remote key lock issues, stationary

Honda has failed to fix the two open recalls on my vehicle. i have contacted the dealer multiple times for repair and have been told that the parts were not available. i initially contacted the dealer in early january and was told it would be a few weeks until parts were available. i then called in february and was told it would be mid-march. again the parts were not available. it has now been nearly 3 months since initial contact and the two recalls have not been corrected. *tr

The lock on driver side door no longer accepts the key. i have to unlock from the passenger side. when trying to lock or unlock from the driver side, my key gets stuck in the lock and does not turn. *tr