2004 HONDA ELEMENT Complaints

DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT AND INCURRED NO IMPACT WHATSOEVER! HONDA SAID SRS CHIP (FOR AIRBAGS) INFO INDICATED ELEMENT WAS IN COLLISION...DESPITE THE CONTRARY. OUR INSURANCE SAYS IT WAS NOT, AND CLAIMED IT WAS DEFECTIVE HONDA PARTS. HONDA TECHNICIAN EVEN TOLD US NOT TO DRIVE TOO FAST OVER BUMPY ROADS??!! IT'S A 4X4!! HONDA REFUSED ANY RESPONSIBILITY. COSTS ABOUT $1200 TO FIX. HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND I WILL KEEP PURSUING HONDA FOR THIS...THEY NEED TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA ELEMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW FELL DOWN AND WILL NOT CLOSE. THE MOTOR IN THE WINDOW WAS MOVING, BUT THE WINDOW WOULDN'T. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WINDOW WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY OR ANY RECALLS. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED SINCE VEHICLE WAS NOT SECURE WITH THE WINDOW STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 22300. UPDATED 01/28/11*LJ

DEFECT: MECHANICAL DOOR LOCK ON 2004 HONDA ELEMENT FAILURE. THE HONDA DEALERSHIP HAS TOLD ME THIS IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM OF ONE OR MORE OF THE TUMBLERS NOT MOVING. I HAVE FOUND OVER 300+SPECIFIC EMAILS ON AUTOMOBILE PROBLEMS REGARDING THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM (ELEMENT AND CRV) AND THE CORPORATION HAS NOT ADDRESSED THIS AS A MECHANICAL DEFECT THAT THEY SHOULD REPLACE. BEING UNABLE TO UNLOCK THE DOOR COULD POSE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY PROBLEM SHOULD RAPID ACCESS BE NEEDED. THIS IS AN ACKNOWLEDGED AND DOCUMENTED PROBLEM. THE CORPORATE OFFICE DIRECTED ME TO THIS WEBSITE TO LODGE MY CONCERNS STATING THAT NHTSA DIRECTIVES WERE THE ONLY WAY THEY WOULD RESPOND TO THIS PROBLEM. *TR

2004 HONDA ELEMENT: (I HAVE 2 AND BOTH HAVE THE FOLLOWING EXACT PROBLEMS)1. AIRBAGS WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING PROBLEMS 2. DRIVERS SEAT IS LOOSE AND ROCKS 3. PASSENGER SEAT CAUSES EXTREME DISCOMFORT TO HIP AND BACK ON LONG TIPS (THIS IS OCCURS WITH ALL PASSENGERS, YOUNG AND OLDER) 3. UNDER CARRIAGE BRUSHES FAILURE 4. A/C AIR COMPRESSOR FAILURE 5. STRAPS IN BACK SEATS PULLED OUT AND SEAT CANNOT BE RECLINED 6. ENGINE DECELERATES WITHOUT WARNING. POWER CUTBACK DURING PASSING MAKES THIS VERY DANGEROUS. 7. DRIVERS SEATBELT BUCKLE IS DIFFICULT TO SECURE (ONLY 1 CAR WITH THIS PROBLEM) 8. LOUD CLANKING NOISE WHEN CARS ARE BEING TURNED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA ELEMENT. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKES FROM ANY SPEED, THE BRAKES WOULD ABNORMALLY SQUEAK. THE DEALER REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKES. THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN NINE MONTHS. THE DEALER THEN REPLACED THE REAR DRIVER SIDE BRAKES. THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN ONE YEAR AND A HALF. THE CONTACT THEN HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKES, ROTORS AND CALIPERS. THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN EIGHT MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 38,000. UPDATED 11/03/10. *LJ UPDATED 11/04/10*JB

SUDDEN DEPRESSION OF ACCELERATOR, WITH A RAPID RPM TO 7000. SECOND OCCURRENCE, MULTIPLE EPISODIC OCCURRENCE, DEFEATING THE POSSIBILITY OF DRIVER ERROR. RAPID SHIFT TO NEUTRAL SETTING HELPED TO REDUCE THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. IT MAY BE A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM AKIN TO TOYOTA. THE ACCELERATOR PROBLEM MAY AN ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING PROBLEM. THE CAR IN QUESTION IS A HONDA ELEMENT 2004. THE CAR SHOULD BE INSPECTED AND EXAMINED IN ORDER TO ISOLATE AND DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS INDEED A SYSTEMIC PRODUCT DEFECT. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO HONDA. THEIR BRUSQUE AND CURSORY ANSWER DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM REPORTED EARLIER. I HAVE LOST CONFIDENCE IN THIS AUTOMOBILE'S SAFETY. AS A CUSTOMER OF SEVERAL HONDA CARS SINCE 1980, THESE PROBLEMS SHOULD BE ANALYZED AND SOLVED SO NEXT GENERATIONS OF HONDA OWNER DOES NOT EXPERIENCE SUCH A DISTRESSING AND HAZARDOUS CONDITION. *TR

2004 HONDA ELEMENT. REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WEARING AWAY REPEATEDLY. PADS REPLACED/ROTORS RESURFACED TWICE BETWEEN 48,000 AND 65,000. AT 65,000, PADS 95% WORN AWAY AGAIN AND ROTORS DAMAGED. REAR PADS AND ROTORS REPLACED FOR THE THIRD TIME IN 15K MILES. DEALER CONFIRMS THAT PADS WERE PROPERLY INSTALLED, CLAIMS TO NOT KNOW WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. WEB SEARCHES ON WWW.ELEMENTOWNERSCLUB.COM FINDS MANY INSTANCES OF THE SAME PROBLEM, WITH MANY OWNERS COMPLAINING OF THE ROTORS RUSTING PREMATURELY AND OFTEN, THE CALIPERS STICKING, AND HONDA REFUSING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. IN SOME CASES, PROBLEMS BEGIN UNDER THE 10K MARK, AND UPWARDS FROM THERE. *TR

I OWN A 2004 HONDA ELEMENT I HAVE REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD 4 TIMES DUE TO THE WINDSHIELD GETTING HIT BY A STONE OR PEBBLE IT CRACKS SO EASILY. I HAVE OWNED MANY VEHICLES IN MY 35 YEARS OF DRIVING BUT HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE THAT THIS HAPPENS TO SO FREQUENTLY. I REPORTED IT TO THE TWO DIFFERENT GLASS REPLACEMENT COMPANIES I USED CHECKING TO SEE IF THE GLASS WAS DEFECTIVE. OF COURSE THEY USE COMPANY OEM REQUIRED GLASS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING DOWN EXPRESSWAY, STEERING WHEEL TILT LOCK CAME LOOSE ALLOWING STEERING WHEEL TO MOVE UP & DOWN. AFTER STOPPING & RAISING TILT LEVER TO UPWARD POSITION (LOCK), I CONTINUED ON AND IT DID IT AGAIN (LEVER FALLING DOWN). NOW LEVER WILL NOT REMAIN IN "UP" OR "LOCKED" POSITION. VERY UN-NERVING WHEN BRAKING OR TURNING. AWAITING RETURN CALL FROM OUT OF TOWN HONDA DEALER. LOCAL HONDA DEALER SAID THEY WANTED $90.00 UP FRONT AS A "DIAGNOSTIC FEE" BEFORE THEY WOULD EVEN LOOK AT IT........

MY HONDA ELEMENT EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN ACCELERATOR PROBLEM. WHEN I WAS TRYING TO PASS ANOTHER CAR, I STEPPED ON TO THE ACCELERATOR & SUDDENLY IT WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. I HAVE A MANUAL CONTROL SO I PUSHED THE CLUTCH DOWN AND AFTER 1/4 MILE THE PEDAL RELEASED. I HAVE NO FLOOR MATS, BUT IT GAVE THE FEELING OF THE MAT TRAPPING THE PEDAL DOWN. *TR