2004 HONDA ELEMENT Complaints

DT: CONSUMER STATES THERE ARE TWO CRACKS THAT HAVE FORMED ON THE WINDSHIELD OF HIS VEHICLE. THE CRACKS STARTED OUT APPROXIMATELY 1-1 1/2 INCHES, NOW THEY ARE APPROXIMATELY 8 INCHES. THE TWO CRACKS SEEM TO BE GOING IN THE DIRECTION WHERE THEY WILL MEET. *TT

WINDSHIELD CRACKED DUE TO STRESS AT THE BOTTOM EDGE ON 2004 HONDA ELEMENT. DEALERSHIP AND HONDA USA DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND REFUSE TO REPAIR IT. CRACK DOES NOT ORIGINATE FROM A ROCK IMPACT BUT HONDA USA POLICY IS TO RULE ALL CRACKS AS RESULTING FROM ROCK IMPACT.

ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I NOTICED A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD OF MY HONDA ELEMENT. THE CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD IS ABOUT 4 WEEKS OLD; IT HAD STARTED OVERNIGHT - IT WASN'T THERE WHEN I PARKED IT, BUT WAS THERE THE NEXT MORNING. I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH A SMALL CRACK, BUT DECIDED TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON PROBLEMS WITH THE HONDA ELEMENT AND FOUND SEVERAL INCIDENCES OF A CRACK IN THE WINDOW STARTING IN THE SAME PLACE. I EVEN FOUND A HONDA SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB 03-028) THAT ADDRESSED THIS EXACT PROBLEM. I PURCHASED MY 04 HONDA ELEMENT IN MID-DECEMBER OF 2004, AND AT THE TIME OF THE CRACK THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 10,000 MILES. I HAVE READ THAT IF THERE WAS AN IMPACT POINT THAT CAUSED THE CRACK, THAT IMPACT POINTS ALWAYS HAVE A STAR CRACK PATTERN AROUND THEM. MINE HAS NO CRACK PATTERN EXCEPT THE LARGER CRACK THAT MOVED UPWARD AND THEN TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF MY WINDSHIELD - NO STAR SHAPE. I HAVE ALSO READ ABOUT THE SURFACE OF THE WINDSHIELD BEING UNEVEN AND THAT A HIGH SPOT APPLIES UNEVEN PRESSURE TO THE GLASS CAUSING A STRESS CRACK. FURTHER, THAT A STRESS CRACK IS IDENTIFIED BY A HORIZONTAL CRACKS ORIGINATING IN THE LOWER CORNERS OF THE AND RADIATING TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THIS IS EXACTLY MY PROBLEM. I REPEAT, THE PIT WAS SMALLER THAN THE SIZE OF A GRAIN OF SALT AND LOCATED DIRECTLY UNDER THE WIPER BLADE. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY, AND WAS TURNED AWAY WHEN I TRIED TO HAVE MY WINDOW REPAIRED. THIS SITUATION IS NOT UNIQUE TO MY HONDA ELEMENT. THERE ARE MANY OTHER ELEMENT OWNERS THAT HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELD CRACKING UNDER THE WINDSHIELD WIPER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. HONDA HAS SYSTEMATICALLY ?FOUND? THAT THESE CRACKS WERE CAUSED BY ROCKS, ALTHOUGH ADMITTING IN A SERVICE BULLETIN TO ITS DEALERS THAT THIS IS A SYMPTOM OF HONDA ELEMENTS, AND THAT IT IS PROBABLY CAUSED BY THE WINDSHIELD FLANGE SURFACE BEING UNEVEN. *JB

WHILE PARKED IN A SECURED PARKING LOT WINDSHIELD CRACKED OVERNIGHT. THE CRACK WAS IN THE LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER. OWNER CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND WAS ADVISED TO BUY ANOTHER. OWNER LATER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO FIX THE CRACKED WINDSHIELD WHICH IS UNDER WARRANTY. MANUFACTURER BELIEVED THAT ROAD DEBRIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE CRACK. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE.*AK

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN TECHNICAL SERVIC EBULLETIN 100929. A LONG CRACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD APPEARED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK

WINDSHIELD CRACKED AFTER NO APPARENT IMPACT. IT WAS A COLD MORNING/AFTERNOON. CAR WAS GARAGED AT HOME AND AT WORK. THE CRACK WAS NOTICED UPON RETURNING TO THE VEHICLE AFTER WORK. CRACK STARTED 12-14 INCHES FROM LOWER EDGE OF PASSENGER SIDE. EXTENDED FROM BENEATH WINDOW SEAL VERTICALLY FOR 5-6 INCHES AND TURNED ABRUPTLY TOWARD PASSENGER SIDE EDGE FOR 6-8 INCHES. DEALER IDENTIFIED IT AS A STRESS RELATED CRACK WITH NO APPARENT IMPACT POINT. REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. *JB

FIRE OCCURRED IN DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OF 2004 HONDA ELEMENT WHILE IT WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT IN THE DRIVEWAY. FRONT UPPER QUARTER OF DOOR COMPLETELY BURNED/MELTED AWAY, DOWN TO BARE EXTERIOR METAL. EXTENSIVE SMOKE DAMAGE TO INTERIOR. VEHICLE WAS IN CONSUMER'S POSSESSION FOR ONLY 12 DAYS AND HAS FEWER THAN 300 MILES ON ODOMETER. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER WHERE IT IS STILL UNDER EXAMINATION. NO EXPLANATION OR RESOLUTION AT THIS TIME.

A CRACK STARTED ON THE LOWER PASSENGER SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD JUST LIKE OTHER ELEMENTS.*AK

2004 HONDA ELEMENT - DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY (NO GRAVEL) IN LIGHT-SUNDAY TRAFFIC AND HEARD A "POP". NEXT DAY, NOTICED A CRACK EMERGING FROM THE BOTTOM, PASSENGER SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD THAT ARCED ABOUT A FOOT ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD WITHIN TWO DAYS. JOE MARINA HONDA SAID IT WAS AN IMPACT ISSUE AND REFUSED TO REPAIR.*AK

2004 HONDA ELEMENT, AFTER ABOUT 2 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP A CRACK IN WINDOW STARTED FROM LOWER RIGHT CORNER. DEALER CLAIMED A SMALL PEBBLE MUST HAVE STRUCK IT AND REFUSED TO REPLACE IT. HAD INSURANCE REPLACE IT.*AK NEXT DAY A SECOND PEBBLE STRIKES WINDSHIELD AND A STAR CRACK FORMS NON MY NEW WINSHIELD. TWO WEEKS LATER AND I HEAR A NOISE AND ANOTHER CRACK STARTS AT THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD AND GROWS ABOUT 12 INCHES IN AN HOUR. HOW MANY WINDSHIELDS WILL I NEED IN A YEAR?