Page 4 of 4 · complaints 151–159 of 159

2005 Honda Element complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2005 record →

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Nov 16, 2005350 milesOR

I HAVE OWNED MY HONDA ELEMENT FOR TWO WEEKS NOW....FIRST TIME ON THE FREEWAY GOING AROUND 65-70 MILES PER HOUR. AT A SUBSTANTIAL FOLLOWING DISTANCE RECIEVED ONE CHIP AND ONE LARGE DING/CRACK IN MY WINDSHIELD FROM ONCOMING DEBRIS--ALL WITHIN THE SPACE OF ONE HALF HOUR. RESEARCHED INTERNET ONLY TO FIND THAT AMONG OTHER COMPLAINTS THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT PENDING RIGHT NOW ABOUT THIS VERY DESIGN FLAW IN THE HONDA ELEMENT--MANY SUGGEST IT CAN BE FIXED BY HONDA SIMPLY REINFORCING THE GLASS AND FLATTENING THE FLANGES AROUND THE WINDSHIELD TO PREVENT THE INORDINATE AMOUNT OF DINGS AND CRACKING. I CONTACTED MY DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS MY PROBLEM--BUT IVE DONE MORE RESEARCH ONLY TO FIND THAT HONDA HAS SENT TSB'S OUT TO MANY DEALERS ADVISING THEM TO FIX THIS PROBLEM FOR THE 2003-2004 MODELS. MY DEALER TELLS ME THEY CAN'T HELP ME. *NM

Air Bags › Frontal › Sensor/Control Module
Filed Oct 20, 2005220 milesCA

WE PURCHASED A NEW 2005 HONDA ELEMENT EX 4WD AND AFTER DRIVING IT FOR ONLY 200 MILES, THE SRS AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING THAT THE SYSTEM WAS MALFUNCTIONING. WHEN WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER, WE WERE TOLD THAT HONDA KNOWS THAT WHEN A CELL PHONE OR LAPTOP IS PLACED ON THE PASSENGER SEAT THIS TRIGGERS THE MALFUNCTION. WE WERE THEN TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER AT POWAY HONDA, IN POWAY, CA THAT THIS INFORMATION WAS IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL, WHICH IT IS NOT. THEY ALSO DID NOT KNOW IF THIS LED TO AIR BAG MALFUNCTION. THEY ONLY RESET THE SENSOR. WHEN CONFRONTED ABOUT BEING TOLD THAT THIS WAS IN THE MANUAL, THE MANAGER OF THE DEALERSHIP HUNG UP ON ME. *JB

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Oct 9, 20052,500 milesOR

WINDSHIELD ON MY 2 MONTH OLD HONDA ELEMENT HAS A CRACK AND WE DO NOT THINK IT WAS HIT BY A ROCK. *NM

Structure
Filed Sep 29, 2005CA

DT: THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF A ROLLOVER WITH THE VEHICLE. SHE IS CONCERNED BECAUSE THE CAPACITY OF THE VEHICLE IS 675 LBS. THIS INCLUDES THE PASSENGERS AND CARGO LIMIT. SHE WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE WHEN SHE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. SHE FEELS THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD NOT SELL A VEHICLE OF THIS SIZE, THAT HAS THE WEIGHT LIMIT AS STATED ABOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON 8-21-05.*AK THE VEHICLE'S MAX CAPACITY IS 25 POUNDS LESS THAN A HONDA CIVIC. *NM

Electrical System › Wiring
Filed Sep 12, 20052 milesMI

HAVE A 2005 HONDA ELEMENT COVERED UNDER THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN #05E035000. TRAILER HITCH WAS INSTALLED BY THE DEALER ON A NEW VEHICLE. WAS MADE AWARE OF THE RECALL THROUGH CONSUMERS REPORTS MAGAZINE. CHECKED THE NHTSA WEB SITE TO LEARN MORE. CALLED HONDA DEALER WHO DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THE RECALL. CALLED AMERICAN HONDA NUMBER FROM THE NHTSA RECALL NOTICE, THEY SAID MY ELEMENT WAS NOT COVERED AS THE TRAILER HITCH WAS NOT FACTORY INSTALLED BUT DEALER INSTALLED. HONDA DOESN'T MENTION ANY FACTORY INSTALLED OPTIONS IN THE CATALOG, JUST DEALER INSTALLED ACCESSORIES. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT HONDA DIDN'T NOTIFY ME OR ANYBODY ELSE WITH A DEALER INSTALLED TRAILER HITCH OF THE RECALL. AS FAR AS THEIR CONCERNED, I DON'T HAVE THE PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH MY CAR EXHIBITED ALL OF THE SYMPTOMS THE RECALL NOTICE DESCRIBED. WHAT'S THE POINT OF A RECALL IF THEY DON'T NOTIFY ANYBODY? *NM

Unknown or Other1 injured
Filed Aug 18, 2005760 milesLA

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN IN MY 2005 HONDA ELEMENT, I TURNED TOO SHARPLY, CAUSING THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL TO DRIVE OVER A LARGE PIECE OF A PREVIOUSLY BROKEN STREET LAMP THAT WAS ON THE CORNER OF THE STREET. THOUGH I WAS ONLY TRAVELING AT 10-15 MPH, THE CAR OVERTURNED AND FELL ON ITS SIDE. THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES INVOLVED. THERE WAS SOME BODY DAMAGE AND TWO BROKEN WINDOWS, AND SOME DAMAGE TO THE FRONT WHEELS/AXLE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Aug 1, 20058,000 milesVA

THERE ARE NO EVENTS LEADING TO THE FAILURE.. NO WARNING AT ALL... THE CAR, A 2004 HONDA ELEMENT STALLS WHILE DRIVING... IN ONE WEEKEND IT DID IT THREE TIMES ONCE AT 62 MPH, ONCE ON A RAMP BETWEEN TWO HIGH SPEED ROADS, AND ONCE IN THE MIDDLE OF A HEAVILY TRAFFIC AND BUSY ROAD IN THE MIDDLE LANE. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE. IT IS THERE YET, THEY ARE TRYING TO DUPLICATE IT AND CANNOT.. IT IS DANGEROUS... TO ME AND TO PEOPLE IN MY CAR WITH ME AND TO OTHERS AROUND ME IN OTHER CARS. *JB

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Jul 14, 20052,500 milesNC

WINDSHEILD ON 2005 ELEMENT HAS 14 IN CRACK

Structure › Body › Door
Filed Jun 15, 2005FL

I HAVE RECENTLY PURCHASED A HONDA ELEMENT VIN# [XXX]. NOT UNTIL LAST WEEK DID I OR A PASSENGER SIT IN THE BACK SEAT. WE BECAME AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL DANGER THAT THE DOOR DESIGN PRESENTS. YOU CAN NOT OPEN THE BACK DOOR UNLESS THE FRONT DOOR IS OPENED FIRST.THE "SUICIDE DOORS" DO NOT ALLOW EXIT FROM THE BACK SEATS (NOT THE ORIGINAL "SUICIDE DOOR" DESIGN). THIS DESIGN FLAW IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. I WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THIS DESIGN FLAW AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. ...SCROLL DOWN....THE SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY... 1. HOW COULD ANYONE GET OUT OF THE BACK SEAT IN AN EMERGENCY? 2. WHAT WOULD A CHILD DO IN CASE OF DRIVER INCAPACITATION? AN ADULT MIGHT BE ABLE TO CRAWL OVER THE DRIVER TO THE FRONT DOOR, BUT A CHILD WOULD BE AT A DISADVANTAGE IN THE BACK. 3. THERE IS NO EMERGENCY RELEASE HANDLE ON THE BACK HATCH DOOR TO ACCESS FROM THE INSIDE. 4. THE LITTLE WING WINDOWS ON THE BACK DOORS COULD BE KICKED OUT IN AN EMERGENCY, BUT A CHILD WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO DO SO. 5.WHAT WOULD PASSENGERS DO IF THE CAR WERE TO PLUMMET INTO A WATERWAY? HOW COULD ANYONE ESCAPE FROM THE BACK....WHICH IS WHAT IS LEFT FLOATING... 6. THERE IS NO WARNING SIGN IN THE CAR INDICATING THAT THE BACK DOORS DO NOT OPEN UNLESS THE FRONT DOOR IS OPEN. HOW MUCH TIME, VALUABLE TIME MIGHT BE LOST AS A PASSER-BY ATTEMPTS A RESCUE AND DOES NOT KNOW THE DOORS DO NOT OPEN? PERHAPS THEN, A SIGN, LIKE IN AIRPLANES, COULD BE POSTED BOTH INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE INDICATING THAT THERE IS NO EXIT THROUGH T

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2005 Honda Element → · Every Element year → · How the figures are calculated →