2003 HONDA ELEMENT Complaints

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ELEMENT WITH AN ODOMETER READING OF 40000 MILES. WHILE DRIVING UNDER DRY CONDITIONS AT 20 MPH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED UNEXPECTEDLY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL TO SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY STATED THAT SHE HAD TO HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO MAKE THE AIR BAG DEPLOY. THE CONTACT THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BROWNS HONDA ,AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE REASON WHY THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *AK UPDATED 04/05/07 *JB

MY 2003 HONDA ELEMENT WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITH NO APPARENT REASON. THE CRACK STARTS BELOW THE RUBBER STRIP NEAR THE PIVOT OF THE DRIVER WINDSHIELD WIPER. THE CRACK IS MIGRATING UPWARDS INTO MY VIEWING AREA. *JB

BRAKES ON 2003 HONDA ELEMENT. WHEN HAVING MY CAR SERVICED RECENTLY THEY SAID MY BRAKE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE ONE OF THE PADS HAD STUCK AND WORN DOWN TO THE POINT OF SLIGHTLY DAMAGING THE ROTOR. THE BRAKES WERE ADJUSTED ON A PREVIOUS SERVICE CALL BY ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. THIS SERVICE PROBABLY OCCURRED AROUND 20,000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP EVEN ADMITTED THAT FOR SOME REASON THE ONE STUCK AFTER THAT SERVICE HAD BEEN DONE. I FEEL THAT HONDA SHOULD HAVE PAID FOR THIS REPAIR AS OBVIOUSLY EITHER THE TECHNICIAN DIDN'T ADJUST THE BRAKES PROPERLY OR THE EQUIPMENT FAILED TO PERFORM PROPERLY. *NM

MY 2003 HONDA ELEMENT EX DRIVER'S SEAT ROCKS BACK AND FORTH WHENEVER I STOP OR START MOVING FORWARD. IT TURNS OUT MANY OTHER HONDA ELEMENT OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE. I FOUND MORE THAN 30 OWNERS ON WWW.ELEMENTOWNERSCLUB.COM, COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS ISSUE. WHEN MY VEHICLE COMES TO A STOP, MY DRIVER SEAT ROCKS FORWARD BY ABOUT 0.5 INCH. WHEN I ACCELERATE, THE SEAT ROCKS BACKWARDS BY ANOTHER 0.5 INCH. MY DEALER TELLS ME THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT, BUT I FEEL LIKE IT'S A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *NM

WE BOUGHT OUR 2003 HONDA ELEMENT 7/03 NEW AND SINCE THEN WE'VE HAD CRACKS FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD. WE HAD TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD IN 2003. RECENTLY 8/06 WE HAD TO HAVE ANOTHER REPLACEMENT AND HAD TO TAKE IT BACK FOR LEAKS AND THE REPAIR SHOP TRIED TO FIX IN 10/06. WINDSHIELD WAS STILL LEAKING SO THE SAME REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD 11/06 AGAIN AND NOW THERE ARE MORE LEAKAGE. I DON'T SEE HOW HONDA CAN JUSTIFY THIS WITH ANOTHER WINDSHIELD WHEN THE REAL PROBLEM EXISTS IN THE MANUFACTURING OF THIS VEHICLE FOR THE 2003-2004 MODELS. THE CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT THAT IS GOING ON ONLY STATES THE REPAIR AND REIMBURSEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD(S) NOT THE DEFECT ITSELF. SO WE HAVE A VEHICLE THAT LEAKS, NOT WORTH THE AMOUNT WE STILL OWE ON IT AND CANNOT SEE AN END TO THIS WINDSHIELD PROBLEM WITHOUT FIXING THE ORIGINAL DEFECT PROBLEM. *NM

IN MY 2003 ELEMENT I HIT A 500 POUND COW IN THE ROAD AT BETWEEN 50-60 MPH FROM THE CENTER OF MY CAR TO THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE FRONT FENDER WHERE THE AIRBAG SENSOR IS LOCATED WAS DESTROYED, AS WAS THE HOOD AND BUMPER. THE POLICE WERE ALL SURPRISED THE AIRBAGS HADN'T DEPLOYED. I CONTACTED HONDA, THE INSURANCE COMPANY, AND THE BODY SHOP TO INFORM THEM OF THE FACT THAT THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY IN SUCH AN ACCIDENT, AND NO ONE SEEMED OVERLY CONCERNED OTHER THAN THE POLICE AND MYSELF. *JB

WINDSHIELD ON MY ELEMENT 2003, DEVELOPPED A CRACK. DEALER WOULD NOT REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. NO SIGN OF HIT BY ROCK OR OTHER. WAS PARKED AT WORK ALL DAY THEN WHEN LEAVING WORK NOTICED THAT CRACK? *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S HORN DIED FOR THE FIFTH TIME. THE HORN WAS QUIETER IN SOUND UNTIL IT FINALLY DIES. THE SERVICE DEALER INSTALLED A NEW TYPE OF HORN IN THE VEHICLE IN APRIL 2005, HOWEVER THIS HORN HAD ALSO STOPPED FUNCTIONING. UPDATED 10/25/2006 - THE HORN HAS BEEN REPLACED/REPAIRED FIVE TIMES. THE TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALER IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WAS KEEPS CAUSING THE HORN TO FAIL.*NM

MY HONDA ELEMENT HAD A STRESS FRACTURE IN THE WINDSHIELD AND THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO REPLACE IT. *NM

CRACKED WINDSHIELD IN MY 2003 HONDA ELEMENT STEMMING FROM THE DRIVER SIDE BOTTOM CORNER. BURNS HONDA IN CHERRY HILL, NJ SAYS IT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM AND WILL NOT FIX IT FREE OF CHARGE. *JB