2003 HONDA ELEMENT Complaints

DT: THE WINDSHIELD HAS 3 CRACKS, ONE WAS ON HE FIRST DAY OF OWNING THE VEHICLE. GOT IT ON SUNDAY AND HUGE CRACK WAS DOWN THE MIDDLE. THERE WAS CRACK ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE THAT STARTED ABOUT 8 MONTHS AGO. HAVE NOT CONTACTED THE DEALER. THERE IS ANOTHER CRACK EYE LEVEL ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THIS STARTED ON DECEMBER 22, 2005. *AK

MY REAR BRAKES WENT AT 29,000 MILES AND THEN AGAIN AT 50,000 MILES. HONDA REPLACED THE ROTORS AND PADS UNDER WARRANTY AT 29,000 MILES. I BROUGHT THE ELEMENT BACK SEVERAL TIMES AFTER COMPLAINING ABOUT THE BRAKES AND THEY BLAMED IT ON DIRT BUILDUP. AT 50,000 MILES THE REAR BRAKES WENT AGAIN. THIS TIME THEY WEREN'T GOING TO COVER IT BUT AFTER COMPLAINING THEY COVERED THE ROTORS AND I HAD TO PAY FOR THE PADS AND LABOR. I DON'T GO OFF ROAD OR TRAVEL ON DIRT ROADS. I HAD MY BRAKES CHECKED A COUPLE OF TIMES WHEN I HAD MY TIRES ROTATED. I HAVE RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT MY FRIEND WHO ALSO OWNS AN ELEMENT HAD HIS REAR BRAKES REPLACED AT 18,000. I BELIEVE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM. MY FRONT BRAKES ARE STILL THE ORIGINALS. *NM

I WAS DRIVING OUT OF THE SEATAC AIRPORT, I HAD HEARD MY DASH CREAKING ON AND OFF FOR A WHILE AND JUST FIGURED IT WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS, HOWEVER THIS TIME AFTER THE CREAK I NOTICED A VERY SMALL HAIRLINE CRACK THE CRACK CAME ON THE DRIVERS SIDE LOWER PART OF W/SHIELD STARTING BY THE COWL VENT PANEL AND THE CRACK WENT TO THE LT. AFTER THE CRACK APPEARED THE CREAKING STOPPED FOR A WHILE, NOW IT HAS STARTED AGAIN. I COULD NOT AFFORD A NEW WINDSHIELD, AND AFTER READING ALL THE COMPLAINTS -HTTP://WWW.ELEMENTOWNERSCLUB.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=4189&PAGE=5&PP=10 HONDA ELEMENT OWNERS CLUB > HONDA ELEMENT > *PROBLEMS & ISSUES RELOAD THIS PAGE WINDSHIELD ISSUES- I WAS NOT EXPECTING MUCH HELP FROM THE DEALER. I WILL CALL THEEALER TODAY AND REQUEST A REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD AND TAKE COPIES OF YOPUR REPORTS. *NM

AFTER ONLY 10,000 MILES OF NORMAL USE, MY WINDSHIELD HAS ACCUMULATED 2 OR 3 DINGS AND ONE CRACK THAT IS NOW 2 FEET LONG. I USE THE CAR FOR NORMAL TRAVEL WITHIN SEATTLE, AND ON WA HIGHWAYS AND EXPRESSWAYS. THE CRACKS HAVE ALL OCCURRED WHILE TRAVELLING ON THE EXPRESSWAY. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE THE RESULT OF A FLAW, BECAUSE MY PREVIOUS CAR WAS USED IN THE SAME MANNER, IN THE SAME AREA, (SEATTLE WA) FOR 130,000 MILES, AND ONLY HAD ONE OR TWO DINGS AND NO CRACKS. I SUSPECT THAT IT IS A RESULT OF THE WINDOW BEING ANGLED TOO PERPENDICULAR TO THE TRAVEL OF ROCKS AND GRAVEL THROWN UP BY OTHER VEHICLES, OR DEFECTIVE GLASS.

1. HONDA ELEMENT WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED AND REPAIRED AT MY COST 2. PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW SPONTANEOUSLY IMPLODED ON 7/18/05. GLASS HIT MY SON THE DRIVER AND COVERED PASSENGER SEAT. 3. HONDA TELLS ME OVER $300.00 REPAIR BILL IS MY PROBLEM

DT: CONSUMER SAYS THAT HE HAS A CRACKED WINDSHIELD ON HIS VEHICLE. CONSUMER SAYS THAT THERE IS A CLASS ACTION SUIT GOING ON FOR THIS SAME REASON. CONSUMER FOUND SUIT ON INTERNET. CONSUMER SAYS THAT WINDSHIELD CRACKED BY ITSELF. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THAT A PEBBLE OR ROCK HIT WINDOW AND CAUSED CRACK. CONSUMER SAYS THAT PLACE DEALER POINTED OUT ON WINDOW WAS THE SIZE OF A PIN HEAD. CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT WINDSHIELD WAS NOT STRUCK BY ANYTHING. CONSUMER HAS NO IDEAL WHAT CAUSED THE CRACK. CONSUMER IS THE ONLY PERSON TO DRIVE VEHICLE AND HE IS NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING EVER STRIKING WINDOW. CONSUMER FIRST NOTICED CRACK AFTER ARRIVING AT WORK, GOING INTO OFFICE, AND A COWORKER WHO HAD ROAD TO WORK WITH CONSUMER, TOLD CONSUMER ABOUT NOTICING THE CRACK. THIS WAS MORNING JULY 9, 2005. OFFICE IS LOCATED IN VERONA, NEW JERSEY. CONSUMER HAS LOOKED ON INTERNET TO FIND THAT THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING CRACKED WINDSHIELDS OF SAME MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE. CONSUMER IS NOT AWARE OF WHERE THE WINDSHIELD CRACK MAY HAVE HAPPENED. *NM

DT: CONSUMER STATED THAT HER VEHICLE'S WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM THE BOTTOM AND THE CRACK MOVED UP ABOUT ONE FOOT. THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE A STARTING POINT TO THE CRACK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO SAID THAT THEY FOUND A DING THAT CONSUMER SAYS IS ABOUT AS BIG AS THE HEAD OF A PIN. DEALER SAYS THIS IS WHERE SOMETHING STRUCK VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER IS CONFIDENT THAT NOTHING STRUCK WINDOW, WINDOW CRACKED UNDER STRESS FROM VEHICLE. CONSUMER SAYS THAT SHE BELIEVES THAT WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN HER GARAGE. CONSUMER SAID SHE DID NOT NOTICE CRACK UNTIL SHE GOT VEHICLE OUT OF GARAGE IN THE MORNING. CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT IS IN HER WORK PARKING LOT, IS THE SAME VEHICLE BUT DIFFERENT COLOR, THIS VEHICLE HAS SAME CRACK. CONSUMER SAYS THAT THE CRACK IS VERY CLOSE. IT ALSO STARTS IN THE SAME PLACE IN THE BOTTOM OF WINDOW. CONSUMER SAYS THAT SHE TAKES CARE OF VEHICLE, VEHICLE ONLY HAS 12,000 MILES, CONSUMER DRIVES 3 MILES TO WORK, CONSUMER MOSTLY DRIVES ON LOCAL ROADS, DOES NOT TRAVEL ON HIGHWAYS MUCH. *NM

AN OBJECT HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND WAS TOO SMALL TO SEE. THE OBJECT NICKED THE WINDSHIELD AND CRACKS FORMED. THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED ONCE ALREADY, AND WAS BEING REPLACED AGAIN THE DAY THE CONSUMER SENT THIS LETTER. *AK *SC *JB

WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM BENEATH PASSENGER WIPER BLADE UP APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES AND THEN TURNS TOWARD DRIVER'S SIDE.

FOR THE SECOND TIME MY WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED ON MY 2003 HONDA ELEMENT. THE CRACKS ARE CONSIDERED STRESS FRACTURES CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT.