2004 HONDA ELEMENT Complaints

2004 HONDA ELEMENT WINDSHIELD CRACKED AT STRESS POINT LOCATED ON DRIVER'S SIDE WHERE INSPECTION STICKERS USUALLY APPEAR. NO PITTING, NO IMPACT POINT FROM FLYING DEBRIS. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE HONDA ELEMENT. HAD DRIVEN THE CAR AN HOUR EARLIER AND NO CRACK. *TR

WALKED OUT TO VEHICLE IN THE AFTERNOON, NOTICED WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED. CRACK GREW OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS TO ABOUT 9". STARTED IN LOWER PART OF WINDSHIELD (NEAR VIN MARKER)WENT VERTICAL FOR ABOUT 3" THEN RAN HORIZONTAL FOR 6". *TR

CRACKED WINDSHIELD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, BROKEN DRIVER'S SIDE VISOR AND A HORN THAT HAS ONE BROKEN PITCH, LEAVING THE PITCH VERY LOW, ALMOST NOT NOTICEABLE. IT HAS BEEN THAT WAY FOR A YEAR, BUT DID NOT FIND THIS SITE UNTIL NOW. TOO EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. *JB

THE DRIVER'S SEAT IN MY '04 HONDA ELEMENT EX ROCKS BACK, ESPECIALLY ON THE RIGHT SIDE. IT FEELS LIKE IT IS GOING TO COME RIGHT OFF THE TRACK OR THAT THE BOLT WILL COME COMPLETELY LOOSE CAUSING THE SEAT OF MOVE IN SOME UNSAFE ANNER. THIS SEEMS TO ME TO BE A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, ESPECIALLY IF INVOLVED IN A CRASH WHERE IT MIGHT JUST SHEAR RIGHT OFF. THE SEAT WAS LOOSE WHEN I PURCHASED THE USED CAR. THE DEALER TIGHTENED IT AND NEVER MENTIONED THAT THIS WAS A RECURRING, UNSOLVED PROBLEM. I TOLD THE SALESMAN THAT I WOULD NOT BUY IF THE SEAT WAS NOT FIXED. WITHIN TWO MONTHS IT WAS LOOSE AND ROCKING. THE DEALERSHIPS TECHNICIAN SAID IT WAS "A PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL." THAT IS AN UNSATISFACTORY ANSWER. HONDA SHOULD FIX THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT CHARGE. *TR

MY WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED ABOUT 4 TIMES-WE HAVE GIVEN UP-BROUGHT IT TO 2 HONDA DEALERS-ACTED AS IF THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEMS. *TR

WENT INTO SHOPPING MALL , CAME OUT AND FOUND WINDSHIELD CRACKED IN LOWER LEFT CORNER ON DRIVER'S SIDE. I HAD RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM HONDA CONCERNING WINDSHIELD CRACKING RESULTING FROM LITTLE OR NO IMPACT". A FEW MONTHS EARLIER I TOOK IT TO DEALER. THEY SAID IT WAS FROM AN UNKNOWN IMPACT, AND WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY. I SHOWED THEM THE LETTER AND ASKED THEM TO DEFINE"LITTLE OR NO IMPACT WHICH WAS IN THE LETTER - THEY DECLINED AND SAID THEY WOULDN'T FIX IT. *AK

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA ELEMENT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000. WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO USE THE HORN IT WAS INOPERABLE. OCCASIONALLY WHEN THE HORN WORKED THE SOUND WAS VERY LOW. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. *AK UPDATED 03/19/07. *JB

DESIGN PROBLEM: ON MY 2004 HONDA ELEMENT, THE TURN SIGNAL INDICATOR IS NOT LOUD ENOUGH TO HEAR, OR BRIGHT ENOUGH TO SEE. FURTHERMORE, IT SEEMS THE (AUTOMATIC) SWITCH TO TURN THE TURN SIGNAL OFF IS NOT ADJUSTED PROPERLY. THE RESULT OF THESE DESIGN FLAWS IS THAT I FIND THAT MY TURN SIGNAL IS LEFT ON AFTER MAKING TURNS THAT ARE < 90 DEGREES. AFTER REVIEWING THIS PROBLEM WITH THE DEALER, THEY SAID NOTHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT THE PROBLEM. RECCOMENDATION: MAKE ALL TURN SIGNALS MEET MINIMUM AUDIBLE/ VISUAL STANDARDS AND HAVE TIME OUT DEVICES THAT AUTOMATICALLY TURN OFF TURN SIGNALS AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME. *NM

THE HORN ON MY 2004 HONDA ELEMENT DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY ANYMORE, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I DID RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT MANY HONDA ELEMENT OWNER HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE HORN IN THERE CAR AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE SYSTEM, IT SEEMS THAT THE HORN STOPS WORKING AFTER 36, 000 MILES. *NM

HEATER CORE IS DEFECTIVE. NEEDS TO BE REPLACED @ $1100. DID NOT NOTICE TROUBLE UNTIL WEATHER TURNED COLD SO IT PROBABLY STARTED WELL BEFORE MY 36000/36 MONTHS WARRANTY RAN OUT,PLUS WE HAD A MILD WINTER IN MD IN 2006/07. VEHICLE HAD 39,377 WHEN TAKEN INTO DEALER. MOSTLY, I CANNOT BELIEVE THE HEATER CORE WOULD WEAR OUT SO SOON. IT WAS MOST LIKELY DEFECTIVE FROM THE FACTORY. I ALWAYS NOTICED VERY LITTLE HEAT FROM THE FLOOR VENTS WHEN VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED BUT THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A DESIGN ISSUE, NOT A MECHANICAL ISSUE. THE SERVICE MANAGER @ ANOTHER DEALER WAS SHOCKED IT NEED REPLACEMENT SO SOON. *JB