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…