2004 HONDA ELEMENT Complaints

DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD IN HONDA ELEMENT. I HAD THE HONDA ELEMENT LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AND DEVELOPED MY FIRST CHIP IN THE WINDSHIELD. I HAVE NOW HAD IT FOR 3 MONTHS AND HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED ANOTHER CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. I AM NOT THE ONLY HONDA ELEMENT OWNER WITH THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE OWNED MY OTHER CARS FOR 8 AND 11 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM LIKE THIS WITH THEM. I REALLY DO BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT HONDA NEEDS TO ADDRESS. *AK

BOUGHT 2004 HONDA ELEMENT EX IN FEB 2004. SINCE THEN HAVE HAD 2 STONE CHIPS AND NOW HAVE A CRACK ALONG THE LOWER PASSENGER SIDE EDGE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE CAR ONLY HAS 6,000 MILES ON IT. I'VE HAD CARS THAT HAVE LASTED 100,000 MILES WITH LESS DAMAGE.*AK

I WAS DRIVING ON THE PARKWAY WITH NO ONE IN FRONT OF ME, HEARD A POP AND A 5" CRACK APPEARED ON MY WINDSHIELD(DRIVERS SIDE). THE CRACK HAS GROWN AN ADDITIONAL 3-4 INCHES IN THE PAST WEEK. THERE IS "NO EVIDENCE" OF ROAD OR ROCK DEBRIS HAVING HIT IT. *JB THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED WARRANTY COVERAGE ALTHOUGH A SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM. *NM *TC

WITH VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND WITH ENGINE RUNNING, THE CAR WILL ROLL BACKWARD DOWN HILL. MY DRIVEWAY HAS A SMALL INCLINE - VEHICLE ROLLS BACKWARD WHILE IN GEAR (DRIVE) WITH ENGINE RUNNING. 2004 HONDA ELEMENT EX.

THE OTHER DAY I WAS LEAVING FROM WORK, AND UPON ENTERING MY HONDA ELEMENT I NOTICED A 4"-6" CRACK ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD, STRETCHING FROM JUST BELOW THE WIPER BLADE TO APPROXIMATELY 4" UP THE PILLAR. UPON NOTICING THIS I IMMEDIATELY TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE ELEMENT. THE SERVICE MANAGER CAME OUT AND DID THE "PEN TEST" AND THE "PEN TEST FOUND A SMALL PIT ALONG THE CRACK." THE SERVICE MANAGER EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THIS PIT WAS CAUSED FROM POSSIBLY A ROCK THAT HIT THE WINDSHIELD JUST ON THE EDGE OF THE WEATHER STRIPING. WITH THIS ANSWER SEEMING A LITTLE STRANGE TO ME I DECIDED TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER. IN SEARCHING THE INTERNET I FOUND A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. EVEN MY COWORKER HAD THE SAME PROBLEM BUT HE DIDN'T THINK TWICE ABOUT THE HONDA ELEMENT, TRUSTING THAT THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS CORRECT HE TURNED IT INTO HIS INSURANCE. I ALSO CAME ACROSS A CLASS ACTION SUIT THAT WAS FILED AUGUST. 04, 2004 AGAINST HONDA SITTING THE SAME PROBLEMS. ON TOP OF THIS FINDING I ALSO NOTICED THAT MAY 6TH, 2003 (ONLY SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THE ELEMENT WAS ON THE MARKET FOR THE PUBLIC) HONDA ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN SITTING THE SAME PROBLEM IN ONLY A SELECT FEW OF THE ELEMENTS. I FEEL THAT HONDA SHOULD BE BACKING THERE PRODUCT WHETHER IT BE A DESIGN FLAW, WEAK GLASS, OR A ROCK THAT DAMAGED MY WINDSHIELD DUE TO UN UNSEEN AMOUNT OF STRESS. *AK

FIRST DAY OF OUR VACATION, WE MADE OUR FIRST STOP FOR GAS. I WENT IN TO BATHROOM WHILE MY HUSBAND FILED TANK. WHEN WE GOT BACK IN CAR, WE NOTICED 5" CRACK COMING UP FROM UNDER TRIM STRIP,LEFT OF CENTER NEAR WIPER ATTACHMENT. NOTHING HAD IMPACTED WINDSHIELD DURING 2HR DRIVE FROM HOME TO THIS POINT. THE CAR WAS PARKED UNDER A CANAPY & MY HUSBAND OR I WERE WITH CAR THE ENTIRE TIME IT WAS AT THE STATION. DURING THE REST OF OUR 5,000 MILE TRIP, THE CRACK SPREAD SLOWLY. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WE PURCHASED IT FROM. THEY SAY IT WAS CAUSED BY IMPACT OF ROCK OR BUG. WE SEARCHED INTERNET & FOUND A SERVICE BULLETIN FROM HONDA SENT OUT IN 2003 FOR ON HOW TO FIX WINDSHIELDS IN 03 MODELS AS THEY WERE HAVING PROBLEMS W/STRESS CRACKS IN SAME PLACE OURS CRACKED. WE INFORMED OUR DEALER OF THIS-STILL NO WORD ON REPAIR/REPACEMENT OF OURS.

I PURCHASED MY 2004 HONDA ELEMENT IN LATE AUGUST. SINCE TAKING OWNERSHIP OF THE ELEMENT, I HAVE NOT HAD MY VEHICLE AVAILABLE TO ME FOR MORE THAN 2 WEEKS AT A TIME DUE TO A LINGERING OIL LEAK. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP FIVE TIMES, TO DATE, (FOR THE OIL LEAK) AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THE FIRST TIME, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A LOOSE FILTER. I SPOKE DIRECTLY WITH THE MECHANIC. HE ADVISED THAT THE OIL POURED OUT FROM THE FILTER UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, BUT AFTER HE TIGHTENED IT, IT STOPPED. TIME NUMBER TWO, THE DEALER REPLACED THE OIL PAN, STATING THAT THIS WAS DEFINITELY THE PROBLEM. TIME NUMBER THREE, A DYE WAS PLACED IN THE OIL TO TRACK ITS BEGINNINGS. TIME NUMBER FOUR, THE DEALER HAD A HIGHER-RANKING INSPECTOR FROM HONDA VIEW THE LEAKING DYE, AND IT WAS DEEMED TO BE A "PRESSURE VALVE" PROBLEM OF SOME SORT. DAYS AGO, THE OIL PUDDLES BELOW MY VEHICLE BEGAN AGAIN. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY HAVE HAD IT FOR FOUR DAYS ONLY TO LEARN THAT THEY CANNOT LOCATE THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK; SO I AM TO PICK MY ELEMENT UP FROM THE DEALER TOMORROW WITH NO REPAIR. WILL A PROBLEM OF THIS SORT MEET THE CRITERIA OF THE LEMON LAW? I HAVE NOT LOST FAITH IN HONDA, BUT I'M THINKING THAT MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE GONE WITH A SIMPLE BUT RELIABLE CIVIC.*AK

DRIVING ON THE ROAD AND AGAIN MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED. THIS WILL BE MY FOURTH WINDSHIELD IN 12K MILES. OBVIOUS A DESIGN FLAW SINCE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND DURING THAT TIME ONLY ONE WINDSHIELD NEEDED TO BE REPLACE. HONDA STATES THAT THE WINDSHIELD IS UPRIGHT AND CANNOT DEFLECT ROAD HAZZARD LIKE A CAR CAN I GUES I NEED TO REPLACE A WINDSHIELD EVERY 3K MILES OR NOT DRIVE IT ON THE HIGHWAYS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND HONDA NEEDS TO TAKE RESPSIBILTY FOR THIER DESIGN FLAW.*AK

MAJOR (DEADLY) FLAW IN 2004 HONDA ELEMENT. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE DESIGN FLAW THAT WAS DISCOVERED WHILE SITTING INSIDE THE VEHICLE ON THE DAY OF PURCHASING MAY RESULT IN THE ENTRAPMENT OF OCCUPANTS. *JB

WINDSHIELD DAMAGE. HONDA CASE NUMBER #N012004092702375 (COMPLAIN FILED 9/12/04). DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN MY WINDSHIELD GOT A DING BOTTOM LEFT THEN IMMEDIATELY THE GLASS CRACKED ABOUT 12 INCHES. HONDA 2004 ELEMENT WITH LESS THAN 3,700 MILES. *AK