Car Problem DataNHTSA records

Honda Element

Owners filed 1,283 complaints across 9 model years of the Honda Element. The 2003 drew the most (424).

Model years9
Complaints1,283
Recalls100
Fires13
Deaths0

Which Honda Element years should you avoid?

Going by 1,283 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the Honda Element years to avoid are 2003, 2005, 2004 and 2006.

  • 2003424 complaints, 3.6× a typical Element year, most often about the visibility.
  • 20052.5× the usual share of fires, crashes and deaths for a car of its age (5 fires, 13 crashes).
  • 2004281 complaints, 2.4× a typical Element year, most often about the visibility.
  • 20062.1× the usual share of fires, crashes and deaths for a car of its age (1 fire, 17 crashes).

How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →

Every Honda Element model year compared

Complaints per year
YearComplaintsRelative volumeRecallsFiresCrashesMost reportedStatus
201111
11—1Air BagsRoutine
201030
11—2Air BagsRoutine
200931
9—4SuspensionRoutine
2008113
13—5SuspensionRoutine
2007112
12—6Air BagsRoutine
2006Avoid122
11117Air BagsRoutine
2005Avoid159
10513Air BagsRoutine
2004Avoid281
11316Visibility › WindshieldAbove average
2003Avoid424
12428Visibility › WindshieldAbove average

Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.