2003 HONDA ELEMENT Complaints

MY SON WAS DRIVING OUR 2003 HONDA ELEMENT TO HIS INTERNSHIP AS HE HAS DONE MANY TIMES. AS HE BEGAN UP A HILL AND AROUND A CURVE THAT TURNS SHARPLY TO THE LEFT, HE HEARD A LOUD CRACK. THE CAR VEERED OFF OF THE ROAD SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT, LESS THAN AN INCH DROPOFF. WHEN HE TRIED TO STEER THE CAR TO THE LEFT, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE THE CAR. AS THE CURVE IN THE ROAD BEGAN TO END, THE CAR MOVED QUICKLY TO THE LEFT BUT STILL WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE STEERING WHEEL. IT RAN OFF THE ROAD TO THE LEFT AND WENT INTO A DITCH ABOUT 18 INCHES DEEP. THEN, APPARENTLY THE RIGHT WHEEL BENT UP UNDER THE CAR. THE WHEEL BROKE IN TWO, AS DID THE ROTOR. THE WHEEL THEN DUG INTO THE PAVEMENT AND CUT A GROOVE INTO THE PAVEMENT ABOUT 8 FEET LONG. APPARENTLY THIS RAPID SLOWING DOWN OF THE RIGHT SIDE, COUPLED WITH THE CONTINUED MOVEMENT OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR, PROJECTED THE CAR OUT OF THE DITCH AND CAUSED IT TO ROLL OVER TWICE AND LAND ON ITS ROOF. THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. MY SON WAS ABLE TO DISENGAGE THE SEATBELT AND LOWER HIMSELF DOWN ONTO THE ROOF AND GET OUT OF THE SHATTERED DRIVER SIDE WINDOW. HE WAS UNINJURED EXCEPT FOR SOME SMALL SHARDS OF GLASS IN HIS RIGHT HAND AND FOREARM. WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR, WE SAW THAT THE RIGHT FRONT AXLE WAS SNAPPED IN TWO AT THE TRANSMISSION. BOTH THE WHEEL AND THE ROTOR WERE BROKEN IN HALF. THE CAR WAS DECLARED "TOTALED." MY CONCERN IS THAT WHATEVER SNAPPED OR CRACKED INITIALLY RENDERED THE CAR UNSTEERABLE. I WOULD LIKE AN INVESTIGATION THAT MIGHT PERHAPS PREVENT SUCH A THING HAPPENING TO ANYONE ELSE. *TR

MY CAR RAN OVER AN OBJECT IN THE ROAD, MAKING A LOUD NOISE BUT NOT CAUSING THE CAR TO GO OUT OF CONTROL. WHEN I PULLED OVER TO ASSESS THE SITUATION, I SAW THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SIDE AIRBAG HAD DEPLOYED. NO ONE WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AT THE TIME AND THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO SIDE IMPACT TO THE CAR AT ALL. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR, OTHER THAN THE MALFUNCTIONING DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG. *TR

THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOCK HAS NOT WORKED WELL FOR SOME TIME, AND NOW IT DOESN'T WORK AT ALL. THE KEY WON'T GO ALL THE WAY INTO THE LOCK. THE PASSENGER SIDE LOCK HAS THE SAME PROBLEM OFTEN, BUT NOT EVERY TIME. AS A RESULT, I CAN'T LOCK MY DOORS, BECAUSE I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET THEM OPEN. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD, BECAUSE I LEAVE MY CAR IN A PARKING GARAGE ALL DAY, AND I DON'T FEEL SAFE GETTING INTO AN UNLOCKED CAR EVERY NIGHT OR HAVING TO STRUGGLE TO GET INTO A PERMANENTLY LOCKED CAR. THERE ARE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE ALL OVER THE INTERNET. *TR

DRIVERS SIDE LOCK DOES NOT WORK AND NOW THE PASSENGER SIDE LOCK IS STARTING TO EXHIBIT THE SAME PROBLEMS. *TR

SAT. 11/1/08 -HONDA ELEMENT WAS PARKED, BUT RUNNING, IN FRONT OF OUR HOME. MY KIDS WERE IN THE BACK, MY HUSBAND WAS IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT. AFTER STRAPPING MY CHILD INTO THE CARSEAT, I CLOSED THE BACK DOOR AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED! NO ONE WAS HURT, JUST SCARED. I CONTACTED HONDA DEALER & TOOK IT IN ON MON 11/3/08 & WAS TOLD THAT HONDA REP WOULD HAVE TO INSPECT. SERVICE MEN AT DEALERSHIP WERE VERY NICE & FELT IT WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF. I WAITED FOR CALL FOR APPT W/ HONDA REP. I WASN'T GIVEN AN APPT UNTIL WED. 12/17. HONDA REP REFUSES TO PAY SAYING IT IS NOT HONDA'S FAULT. SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY & NOT A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. REP SAID IT MIGHT BE THE SENSOR BUT THAT I COULD HAVE HIT A POTHOLE OR SOMETHING CAUSING THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. THE CAR WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF MY HOME. WE HIT NOTHING! THE AIR BAG JUST DEPLOYED! HONDA REP TOLD ME TO FILE WITH MY INSURANCE. STATE FARM DENIES CLAIM AND SAYS IT WILL NOT PAY BECAUSE THIS IS "CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT." THE HONDA REP ALSO SAID HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS EVER HAPPENING BEFORE. SO DID THE HONDA CUSTOMER RELATIONS HEADQTRS IN CA THAT I CALLED TODAY. BUT I HAVE GOOGLED THIS ISSUE AND FOUND OTHER ELEMENT OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOY FOR NO REASON. AT LEAST ONE WHILE HE WAS DRIVING! PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND LET ME KNOW IF OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THIS TO YOU. I WOULD LIKE HONDA TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND HOPEFULLY CORRECT IT SO NO ONE WILL GET HURT. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT! CLOSING THE BACKDOOR SHOULD NOT DEPLOY THE AIRBAG!! *TR

AFTER AN ACCIDENT ON 4/24/08 IN WHICH MY VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AFTER COMING TO COMPLETE STOP FOR AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE I WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND AT 50 MPH. MY VEHICLE'S REAR END WAS LIFTED OFF THE GROUND PLACING ALL THE WEIGHT ON THE FRONT SUSPENSION BEFORE THE REAR CAME BACK DOWN ON THE GROUND. NOW MY VEHICLE HAS HAD FRONT SUSPENSION PROBLEMS NOT LIMITED TO BALL JOINT FAILURE. MY INSURANCE COMPANY USAA HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR MY VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH THE PERSON WHO HIT ME WAS CONVICTED IN COURT OF THE ACCIDENT AND HER INSURANCE COMPANY AMICA ACCEPTED 100 PERCENT LIABILITY FOR THE CLIENTS ACTION. *TR

STRESS CRACKS ON FRONT WINDSHIELD ON 2003 HONDA ELEMENT AS DESCRIBED BY OTHER HONDA OWNERS. *TR

MY PARKED VEHICLE DEPLOYED PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WITHOUT COLLISION TO VEHICLE, ACCORDING TO INSURANCE COMPANY THERE WAS NO SIGN OF FORCED ENTRY TO THE VEHICLE (WHICH HONDA CLAIMS "COULD" BE THE CAUSE OF THE DEPLOYMENT). *TR

CRACK FORMED ON THE LOWER DRIVER SIDE OF MY 2003 HONDA ELEMENT WITH NO SIGN OF IMPACT. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. *TR

DRIVING DOWN SMOOTH ROAD AND DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON .... DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND REFUSED TO FIX. CAR UNDER WARRANTY. CAR IS A 2003 HONDA ELEMENT. *TR