2004 HONDA ELEMENT Complaints

DRIVING 30 MPH ON 2-WAY ROAD. DRIVER COMING OTHER WAY CUT ME OFF, I SWERVED, HE HIT MY LEFT FRONT WITH HIS RIGHT FRONT. MY DRIVER AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY ALTHOUGH PASSENGER DID. I SUSTAINED WHIPLASH AND CHEST TRAUMA AS A RESULT. HONDA 2004 ELEMENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA ELEMENT. THE DRIVERS SEAT BOLTS HAVE BECOME LOOSE. CONSEQUENTLY WHILE DRIVING, THE SEAT MOVES OUT OF POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND A FRACTURED RAIL WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 124,289.

HONDA ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE CRV MODEL HONDA. THE ELEMENT HAS THE SAME RUNNING GEAR, BUT NO BULLETIN WAS ISSUED FOR THERE ELEMENT....THE SERVICE BULLETIN WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE THE REAR AXLE DIFFERENTIAL LUBRICANT IS FAILING AT ABOUT 30,000 MILES; CAUSING A PARTIAL LOCK UP OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. THE SERVICE MANUAL CALLS FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL FLUID AT 90,000 MILES FOR NORMAL SERVICE AND 60,000 MILES FOR SEVERE SERVICE.. ONE NOTICES A JUDDER ON TURNING THE VEHICLE AT SLOW SPEEDS, AS THE DIFFERENTIAL CLUTCHES BIND WITH THE FAILED LUBRICANT. I SEE A POTENTIAL SEVER SAFETY PROBLEM AS A RESULT OF THE FAILED LUBRICANT AND A LOCKED UP DIFFERENTIAL. IF THE DIFFERENTIAL IS ONLY PARTIALLY BINDING, THIS FORCES THE VEHICLE TO ATTEMPT TO ALWAYS GO IN A STRAIGHT LINE, AS NO DIFFERENTIAL ACTION IS OCCURRING , NOT COMPENSATING FOR THE DIFFERENT TRACK OF THE INSIDE WHEN TURNING THROUGH A CURVE. AT THE MOST SEVERS SITUATION - WET SLICK,OR ICY ROADS, THIS LOCKED DIFFERENTIAL WILL CAUSE THE C=VEHICLE TO TRACK IN A STRAIGHT LINE, INSTEAD OF TURNING THROUGH A CURVE; CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LEAVE THE ROAD AND POTENTIALLY CRASH, INJURING THE OCCUPANTS. I CALLED HONDA SERVICE AND EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS. THEY AGREED SUCH COULD HAPPEN, BUT FELT THE BULLETIN ISSUED ON THE CRV WAS SATISFACTORY TO COVER THE ELEMENT. I DISAGREE, AS OWNERS WERE NOT CONTACTED AND NOTIFIED OF THE POTENTIAL SERIOUS PROBLEM, AND THE NEED TO REPLACE THE OIL AT THE EARLIER MILEAGES. I SUGGEST THAT HONDA MUST BE REQUIRED TO NOTIFY ALL OWNERS OF THE EL;EMANATE VERSION, ABOUT THE NEED FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE REQUIRE DIFFERENTIAL OIL, AND THE POTENTIAL OF A SERIOUS INCIDENT IF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL LOCKS UP FROM THE FAILED DIFFERENTIAL OIL. I FIRST NOTICED THIS WHEN THE DIFFERENTIAL BECAME NOISY AS I TURNED THROUGH A "U" TURN. ON CALLING MY DEALER, I WAS TOLD ABOUT THE CRV BULLETIN.....THOUGH IT DID NOT APPLY TO THE ELEMENT, THE DEALER WAS AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM. *TR

DRIVER'S SEAT IS ROCKING ON HONDA ELEMENT 04. I AM THE FIRST OWNER OF THIS CAR. THE SEAT BEGAN ROCKING WHILE STILL IN WARRANTY BUT IT WASN'T "BAD" ENOUGH TO REQUIRE REPAIR - FINALLY THE DEALER "REPLACED A BOLT" 11/02/06. ALL FURTHER INFO BASED ON REPAIR DATE BECAUSE I DIDN'T RECORD ORIGINAL ROCKING DATE. IT BEGAN ROCKING AGAIN AND THE DEALER "WILL DO HIS BEST" TO DO A NON PERMANENT "BOLT FIX" AGAIN, BUT IT REALLY REQUIRES A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE BACK OR THE SEAT AND THE PARTS THAT HOLD IT TO THE FLOOR "BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET THE COMPONENT WE NEED SEPARATELY" - IT'S OUT OF OUR HANDS - THE FULL REPAIR - OVER $900.00! FOR SOMETHING HONDA KNOWS IS POORLY DESIGNED. COMPLETELY UNSATISFACTORY AND REASON ENOUGH NEVER TO BUY A HONDA AGAIN. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A BOLT - BUT IT'S THE ENTIRE DESIGN - AND CAN'T POSSIBLY BE SAFE. THEY ARE GOING TO 'RIG IT" AGAIN. EVERY ELEMENT ACCIDENT WITH INJURY TO THE DRIVER SHOULD REQUIRE A REVIEW OF THIS DEFECT - MAYBE WHEN SOMEONE GETS HURT THERE WILL BE SOME ACTION TAKEN. *TR

MY MOTHER ARRIVED AT MY HOME IN HER ELEMENT TO PICK UP MY CHILDREN. SHE WAS GOING TO DROP OFF SOME ITEMS IN THE HOUSE WHILE MY CHILDREN PROCEEDED TO GET IN THE CAR TO GET IN THEIR CAR SEATS. THE CAR ROLLED BACKWARD INTO THE POND AND THE TWO CHILDREN AGES 3 AND 6 (THANK THE LORD) WERE RESCUED ALIVE WHILE THE CAR QUICKLY SANK. WHEN THE CAR WAS PULLED FROM THE POND IT WAS IN NEUTRAL AND THE KEYS WERE ON THE FLOOR. MY COMPLAINT IS TWOFOLD: MY MOTHER WAS ABLE TO SHUT OFF THE CAR AND REMOVE THE KEYS WITH THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. THE GEAR SHIFT ON THE FLOOR DOES NOT HAVE ANY VISUAL INDICATOR (A RED LINE OR AN ARROW) TO INDICATE THE GEAR THE CAR IS IN. ONCE THE CAR IS SHUT OFF- THE INDICATOR ON THE DASHBOARD WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN LIT. I BELIEVE THAT THE EYE-HAND DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE SHIFTER ON THE FLOOR AND THE INDICATORS ON THE DASH IS A PITFALL FOR USER-ERROR. HAD SHE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REMOVE HER KEYS WITH THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN CLEAR TO HER THAT SHE HAD NOT PARKED THE CAR CORRECTLY. *TR

MY FIANCE WAS INVOLVED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT THE EVENING OF 2/16/09. HER 2004 HONDA ELEMENT WAS HIT BY A VEHICLE TRAVELING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, IMPACTING HER VEHICLE AT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE. THE PASSENGER FRONT AIRBAG DEPLOYED, BUT THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG DID NOT. *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, NO IMPACT, ACCIDENT OR VISIBLE SIGN OF DAMAGE THAT WOULD TRIGGER AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. *TR

LOST POWER ON HIGHWAY DOING 65MPH,FIRST TIME DEALER STATED IT WAS LOW ON OIL,VEHICLE ONLY HAD APP.10000 MILES,SECOND TIME VEHICLE HAS 60000 MILES AND SAME THING WHILE DRIVING,ALL FORUMS TALK ABOUT VTEC OIL PRESSURE SWITCH,THE POWER IS LOST WHEN IT KICKS IN AND IT COULD HAPPEN WITHOUT WARNING EVEN WHILE PASSING A VEHICLE AND THEN YOU HAVE TO PULL OVER TO GET OUT OF THE WAY,THE VEHICLE IS A 2004 HONDA ELEMENT. *TR

DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG EXPLODED SUDDENLY FOR NO REASON WHILE DRIVING ON A FREEWAY. AIRBAG WAS RIPPED & DEFLATED IN THE EXPLOSION. *TR

I KNOW THAT THE CORRECT TIRE SIZE FOR THE HONDA ELEMENT IS 215/70-R16. I DECIDED TO TAKE MY BUSINESS TO SEARS AUTO CENTER, WHERE THEY INSTALLED THE MICHELIN HYDROEDGE 215/65-R16 TIRES. I WAS WONDERING IF THIS SIZE IS SAFE FOR THE PASSENGERS AND FOR VEHICLE PERFORMANCE. *TR