2003 Honda Element problems
Owners have filed 482 complaints about the 2003 Honda Element with NHTSA. Visibility accounts for 46.9% of them — far more than any other system, ahead of air bags at 10.2%.
Complaints482
Crashes37
Fires4
Injuries33
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Visibility 46.9% · 226
Air bags 10.2% · 49
Electrical system 7.3% · 35
Structure 6.6% · 32
Latches/locks/linkages 5.6% · 27
Suspension 5.2% · 25
Unknown or other 3.3% · 16
Power train 2.5% · 12
Severity
Of those complaints, 37 describe a crash, 4 describe a fire and 33 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 6 model years of the Honda Element in this data, 2003 draws the most complaints of any of them.
Filings are rising — 34 in the last three years against 18 in the three before. For a vehicle this age that usually points to a wear-related failure owners are hitting now.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 26,712 miles.
In owners' own words
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. Visibility
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. Visibility · reported at 14,750 miles
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. Visibility · reported at 17,400 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…