2003 HONDA ELEMENT Complaints

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

I PULLED THE HOOD RELEASE LATCH AND IT BROKE. IT ALMOST HIT ME IN THE LEFT EYE. *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 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