2003 HONDA ELEMENT Complaints

I PURCHASED A 2003 HONDA ELEMENT IN JUNE 2003 OF WHICH HAD MANY MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS/FAILURES. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT OF THESE FAILURES PROVED TO BE WITH THE DRIVE TRAIN MECHANISM SPECIFICALLY CV BOOTS AND STEERING FUNCTION. LOUD NOISES DEVELOPED WHEN TURNING WHICH GREW LOUDER OVER TIME AS WELL AS A "GRINDING" SOUND AND VIBRATION FROM UNDERNEATH APPROX. AT MID-ALE LOCATION. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP OUT OF REVERSE WHILE MOVING INTO NEUTRAL AT WILL. THESE ISSUES CULMINATED IN MY STEERING CEASING TO OPERATE AS THOUGH "FROZEN" WHILE I WAS MAKING A SLOW LEFT HAND TURN CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A TREE ALONG SIDE OF A MAJOR STREET AND INTERSECTION. THE DRIVERSIDE AIR-BAG DID DEPLOY AND THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY IN-OPERABLE AND HAD TO BE FLAT BED TOWED DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF FRONT-END DAMAGE. I COMPLETED AND MAINTAINED ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE STOP REQUIREMENTS AND YET SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC DRIVE TRAIN FAILURE AT ONLY 82,000 MILES. MY RESEARCH ON THIS MAKE/MODEL FAILURES PROVED TO BE NUMEROUS IN NUMBER AS REPORTED ON VERIFIABLE/REPUTABLE WEBSITES. ONE OF WHICH WAS HONDA'S OWN - TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN'S SITE! *TR

FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT IS LOOSE AND IT ROCKS. DEALER FIXED IT ONCE UNDER WARRANTY AND NOW WANTS $ 130 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. NO INJURY YET, BUT WHY WANT UNTIL ONE OCCURS. THERE IS A WEBSITE OF OTHER HONDA OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. YOU DO NOT LIST THE HONDA ELEMENT IN YOUR COMPLAINT SYSTEM FOR 2003. SHAME ON YOU. *TR

POOR HEATING DUE TO RESTRICTED HEATER CORE. AN IDENTICAL PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED IN THE 2004,AND 2005 ELEMENT (REF. HONDA SERVICE BULLETIN 07-076 DATED 11/28/2007) AND THE HEATER CORE IS THUS REPLACED UNDER THE NORMAL WARRANTY. ALTHOUGH THE PROBLEM BEGAN ON MY 2003 ELEMENT IN 2006 AND THE VEHICLE IS STILL COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, HONDA SERVICE PERSONNEL REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE THE TROUBLE AS A FACTORY DEFECT AND WILL CHARGE IN EXCESS OF $1,500 DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE HEATER CORE. *TR THE CONSUMER STATED A TSB HAD BEEN ISSUED REGARDING CONTAMINATION OF THE ENGINE COOLANT WHICH COULD CAUSE RESTRICTIONS IN THE HEATER CORE AND RADIATOR AND SOMETIMES CORROSION. UPDATED 03/05/09. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ELEMENT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE SRS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM HAD NOT FAILED. ONE MONTH LATER, THE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN AND WAS DIAGNOSED AS AN INTERNAL FAILURE OF THE SRS SYSTEM. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT HE HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,000.

HAVE ALREADY REPLACED THE WINDSHEILD ONCE. IT CURRENTLY HAS 3 SEPERATE CRACKS AT THE MOMENT THAT WERE NOT FROM ANYTHING HITTING PLUS ONE THAT IS. THAT IS A TOTAL OF 4. *TR

I PURCHASED MY CAR IN AUGUST 2003, AND THIS HONDA ELEMENT WINDSHIELD CRACK OCCURRED IN AUGUST OF 2004 FROM NO OBVIOUS REASONS SUCH AS SOMETHING HITTING MY WINDSHIELD. I WAS HAVING OTHER ISSUES WITH THE ELEMENT AND I ASKED MY HONDA ADVISOR ABOUT THE CRACK AND SHE TOLD ME THAT HONDA WOULD NOT REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD AND THAT IT WOULD BE OUT OF POCKET FOR ME. NOW I HAVE FOUND A HONDA SERVICE BULLETIN FROM MAY 6, 2003 CONCERNING THE WINDSHIELD AND IT WAS TO BE REPLACED. MY CAR IS 118,000 MILES NOW AND I AM SO LIVID THAT MY HONDA ADVISOR REFUSED TO FIX THIS CRACK WHICH HAS GROWN TO MORE THAN 4 INCHES. PLEASE HELP. *JB

MY 2003 ELEMENT DEVELOPED A CRACK IN THE LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR AFTER I BOUGHT IT NEW (I CAN'T REMEMBER THE DATE EXACTLY). *JB

DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCK IS INOPERABLE. LOCK PINS ARE JAMMED FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND KEY WILL ONLY GO IN HALF WAY. *AK

2003 HONDA ELEMENT WINDSHEILD. THIS WILL BE THE 3RD WINDSHIELD THAT I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ON THE IS VEHICLE. EACH TIME IT CRACKS IN THE LOCATION THAT HONDA SAYS THERE IS A PROBLEM. I'VE HAD TO PAY FOR THE WINDSHIELD REPAIRS.

CRACKED WINDSHIELD...DRIVER'S SIDE...JUST SHOWED UP ONE AFTERNOON LIKE AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR...*JB