2003 HONDA ELEMENT Complaints

WINDSHIELD CRACKING FROM PASSENGER SIDE CORNER, EDGE, APPROX. 18". HAPPENED OVERNIGHT AS VEHICLE SAT. HONDA SERVICE MANAGER CLAIMS CRACK WAS CAUSED BY AN IMPACT WHOSE SITE IS BARELY VISIBLE AND THE SIZE OF A PIN POINT. HONDA WOULD NOT REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY.

ELEMENT WINDSHIELD CRACK DOCUMENT 1. THURSDAY (3/24/05) NOTICED CRACK IN WINDSHIELD THAT HAD NOT BEEN THERE THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. CRACK APPEARS TO HAVE STARTED AT POINT WHERE WINDSHIELD MEETS CAR BODY AND GOES UP ABOUT 3 INCHES, WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE A DIVED WHERE A PEBBLE OR ROCK COULD HAVE IMPACTED IT 2. FRIDAY(3/25/05) TOOK VEHICLE TO JOYCE HONDA FOR EVALUATION. WAS GIVEN AN INFO SHEET REGARDING WINDSHIELD CRACKS THAT STATED (BASICALLY) IF YOU CAN FEEL ANYTHING ON THE GLASS ITSELF IT IS CAUSED BY ROCK, IF NOT COULD BE FLAW SERVICE MANAGER LOOKED AT WINDSHIELD. RAN A PEN AT THE POINT OF INITIATION AND STATED HE COULD FEEL A DIVED. AFTER 10 MINUTES OF TRYING I STILL COULD NOT FEEL. HE STATED THAT IT WAS NOT WARRANTY PROBLEM AND ANYWAY HE ?DID NOT DO GLASS UNLESS FORCED TO WHEN IT IS WARRANTED?. HE DID NOT OFFER ANY INFO REGARDING PRICE, I ASKED HIM IF THERE ANY REQUIREMENTS FROM HONDA REGARDING REPLACEMENT (I.E. BRANDS, WHO SHOULD DO IT, ETC). HE SAID ?NO ANYONE WHO DOES AUTO GLASS IS FINE? 3. MONDAY (3/28/05) CALLED HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE 1-800-999-1009 SPOKE TO CHRIS TO WHOM I RELATED THE EVENTS SO FAR INCLUDING THE FACT THAT THE CRACK HAS NOW TRAVELED ALMOST COMPLETELY ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. I MENTIONED THE TSB THAT INCLUDES MY VIN NUMBER (03-028) HE OPENED A CASE NUMBER SO THIS SITUATION CAN BE EVALUATED BY A DISTRICT MANAGER. HE STATED I WOULD BE CONTACTED IN 24-48 HOURS BY A HONDA DISTRICT MANAGER. *JB

WINDSHIELD IS CRACKED TWICE. ONE CRACK IN FRONT OF PASSENGER SEAT, MAKES AN ARCH TO LOWER PASSENGER CORNER. OTICED SECOND CRACK IN MARCH, BEGINS IN FRONT OF DRIVER, VERY BOTTOM OF THE GLASS, EXTENDS TO MIDDLE OF WINDSHIELD.*AK

I HAVE A HONDA ELEMENT WITH WINDSHIELD THAT CONSISTENTLY CRACKS. I HAVE THE 5TH CRACKED WINDSHIELD ON MY CAR AND IVE HAD THIS CAR JUST 2 YEARS NOW. THIS IS NOT NORMAL. I HAVE HAD MANY OTHER CARS THAT COULD SUSTAIN ROAD CONDITIONS AND HAVE NEVER RAPLACED A WINDSHIELD THIS OFTEN. THIS WINDSHIELD CRACKS UPON AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT OF A ROCK, AND ALWAYS COMES OUT OF ONE OF THE LOWER CORNERS. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS DEFECT IN THE FRAMING OF THE WINDSHIELD AND HONDA AS WELL AS THE DEALERSHIPS WONT DO ANYTHING FOR ME UNLESS I PAY. I HAVE REPLACED THE WINDSHIELDS 4 TIMES THROUGH INSURANCE BECAUSE HONDA WILL NOT ACCEPT INSURANCE CLAIMS. DUE TO THAT FACT I HAVE TO USE THE COMPANY THAT MY INSURANCE CO. SENDS TO ME. I ASSUME GEICO INS. CO. DOES NOT USE GLASS COMPANYS THAT USE FAULTY GLASS, AS I WAS TOLD BY THE HONDA DEALERSHIP. I BELIEVE THAT HONDA SHOULD ASSESS THE FRAMING OF THE WINDSHIELD FREE OF CHARGE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. THERE HAVE BEEN WINDSHIELD RECALS FRO 2003 ELEMENTS AND HONDA STATES THAT MY 2003 VEHICLE IS NOT ONE OF THEM. I FIND IT TOO COINCIDENTAL THAT I AM HAVING SUCH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THE INCIDENT DATE LISTED BELOW JUST INDICATTES THE DATE OF THE MOST RECENT CRACK AFTER JUST BEING REPLACED TO PASS NYS INSPECTION ON 2-23-05.*AK

(1) NORMAL EVERYDAY DRIVING; (2) CRACKED WINDSHEILD, ORIGINATING LOWER CORNER PASSENGER SIDE, CURVING UP AND TO MIDDLE, (3) PLAN TO TAKE TO DEALER SOON. *AK

WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM LOWER PASSANGER SIDE CORNER AND IS SPREADING RATHER RAPIDLY ACCROS TEH ENTIRE WINDSHIELD. THIS WAS NOT INSTIGATED FROM ANY IMPACT.*AK

WHILE ATTENDING A CONFERENCE LAST MAY, MY HONDA ELEMENT WAS PARKED IN A PUBLIC GARAGE. WHEN I RETRIEVED IT THERE WAS A CRACK STARTING FROM THE BOTTOM CENTER EDGE. OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS IT CONTINUED TO CRACK VERTICALLY AND THEN HORIZONALLY ACROSS IN FRONT THE THE DRIVER'S SIDE. I HAD THE WINDOW REPLACED BY A WINDHSIELD REPAIR SHOP THAT IS USED BY MY HONDA DEALER. MY INSURANCE PAID FOR IT AS THE DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

JUST AS MY WARRANTY EXPIRED (37,000 MILES) WHILE OUT OF TOWN, I NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I WOULD FILL UP AND IT WOULD ONLY MARK AT ABOUT HALF A TANK. I WAS A BIT CONFUSED AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. I KNEW THAT THE TANK WAS FULL, BUT I DID NOT WANT TO TAKE ANY CHANCES. SO WHEN THE GAUGE WENT TO EMPTY AND THE FUEL LIGHT CAME ON I WOULD REFILL THE TANK AGAIN. WITH THIS PROBLEM AND NOT KNOWING EXACTLY HOW MUCH FUEL IS IN THE TANK IF I DO HAPPEN TO RUN OUT OF GAS. I COULD POTENTIALLY DO DAMAGE TO OTHER ENGINE AND MECHANICAL PARTS OR TO MYSELF AND FAMILY IF THIS HAPPENS ON THE ROAD. THE PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE AND NOW IT GOES TO ONLY 1/4 A TANK AND THEN TO EMPTY. I AM TRYING TO GET IT TO THE DEALER, BUT MY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRES AND HONESTLY DO NOT HAVE THE CASH TO FIX IT. I FEEL THAT AT JUST BEING OVER THE WARRANTY THIS PART SHOULD NOT HAVE GONE OUT SO SOON. I HAVE HEARD OF OTHER COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER ELEMENT OWNER'S AND DO NOT KNOW IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. *JB

AS I GOT IN MY HONDA ELEMENT, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE DRIVERS SIDE, UP 16 INCHES ALMOST TO THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. NOTHING HIT MY WINDSHIELD. THIS IS A STRESS CRACK THAT IS PROBABLY POOR DESIGN ON HONDA'S PART. *JB

CRACKED WINDSHIELD INITIATING BELOW TRIM STARTING IN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR WITH NO CAUSE. *AK