2003 HONDA ELEMENT Complaints

THE WINDSHIELD CHIPS VERY EASILY. WE INCURRED THREE CHIPS IN JUST ONE DAY, ONE OF WHICH QUICKLY TURNED INTO A TWELVE INCH CRACK.

I BOUGHT A 2003 HONDA ELEMENT IN DECEMBER OF 2003. A FEW DAYS AFTER PICKING UP THE BRAND NEW CAR, I DISCOVERED A 4" CRACK ON MY WINDSHIELD. THE CRACKED STARTED FROM A VERY SMALL PINPOINT SPECK ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD IN THE BLACK AREA. I CONTACTED THE DEALER, BUT THEY SAID IT'S NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY SINCE THE CRACK WAS CAUSED BY ROAD DEBRIS, REGARDLESS OF HOW SMALL THAT DEBRIS MAY BE. TWO MONTHS AFTER THAT, I DISCOVERED A 3" CRACK ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. AGAIN, THE CRACKED STARTED WITH A PINPOINT ON THE BLACK AREA OF THE WINDSHIELD. I CALLED THE WINDSHIELD EXPERTS IN MY AREA, WHO INFORMED ME THAT THEY'VE BEEN REPLACING AN OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF WINDSHIELDS ON HONDA ELEMENTS. ARMED WITH THIS INFORMATION, I CONTACTED HONDA CUSTOMER RELATIONS. THE REPRESENTATIVE DENIED ANY ISSUES WITH WINDSHIELDS ON THE ELEMENTS AND REFUSED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON WHETHER THEY HAVE RECEIVED SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. THE MOST SHE COULD DO WAS SUBMIT A COMPLAINT ON MY BEHALF (COMPLAINT NUMBER N012004-04-2100773). WINDSHIELDS ARE EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE AND HONDA NEEDS TO OWN UP TO THIS PREVALENT PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELDS ON THE ELEMENTS. THEY NEED TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION.*AK

STRESS CRACK APPEARED AFTER NOTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD. CRACK STARTS BELOW THE DRIVERS SIDE WINSHIELD WIPER AND CURVES TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD, STOPPING ABOUT 15" LATER. SERVICE MANAGER AT HONDA CALLS A HOLE THE SIZE OF A PIN HEAD JUST ABOVE THE WIPER A "POINT OF IMPACT." HOW CAN A ROCK EVER HIT THERE?

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A WINDSHIELD PROBLEM. THERE WAS A CRACK ON THE LOWER PASSENGER SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS NO IMPACT MARK ON THE WINDSHIELD. HOWEVER, DEALER CLAIMED THERE WAS AN IMPACT MARK, AND REFUSED TO REPAIR IT. *AK

WINDSHIELD CRACKED AT 6901 MILES WHEN THERE WERE NO OTHER AUTOMOBILES ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHEN IT OCCURRED. NOW AT 7101 MILES WE HAVE A 12 INCH CRACK STARTING FROM THE SIDE OF THE WINDSCREEN ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. APPEARS TO BE DUE TO THE WINDSHIELD DESIGN AND STRESS ON THE GLASS. *JB

STARTING BACK IN FEBRUARY 2004, MY WINDSHIELD HAS BEEN CRACKING FOR NO APPARENT REASON. ON 4/3/04, I HAD MY 5TH WINDSHIELD INSTALLED DUE TO A MICROSCOPIC 'IMPACT' RIGHT UNDERNEATH THE WIPER BLADE. FOUR CRACKS IN THE EXACT SAME LOCATION IS FAR MORE THEN COINCIDENCE. *JB

2003 HONDA ELEMENT WINDSHIELD CRACKED THREE TIMES WITHIN 12,000 MILES. FIRST CRACK APPEARED ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE, STARTING FROM THE LOWER EDGE APPROXIMATELY CENTERED WITH THE WIPER BLADE STRAIGHT UP SIX INCHES WITH A SHARP TURN OUTWARDS TO THE RIGHT. WENT TO DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT (METRO HONDA, JOHNSTON RI) REPRESENTATIVE SAID CRACK WAS CAUSED BY STONE OR FOREIGN OBJECT AND WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF IMPACT. REPRESENTATIVE, UNDER VERY CLOSE INSPECTION FOUND THE SMALLEST SPECK WITHIN CRACK. IT IS TINY, I'D SAY THE SIZE OF A GRAIN OF SALT. ABOUT THREE WEEKS LATER THE SECOND CRACK APPEARED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE FROM THE LOWER EDGE CENTERED WITHIN THE WIPER BLADE. AFTER CLOSE INSPECTION, I FOUND AN IDENTICAL SALT GRAIN SIZE SPEC WITHIN THE CRACK. THIS WAS NOT CAUSED BY IMPACT! I KNEW THIS WINDSHIELD WAS DEFECTED AND RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF ELEMENT OWNERS DESCRIBING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE THIRD CRACK APPEARED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER THE SECOND, THIS TIME IT APPEARS A ROCK DID CAUSE THE CRACK. LOCATED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE LEFT EDGE EYE LEVEL CONTINUING ACROSS ABOUT 18 INCHES. THE IMPACT WAS SLIGHT, LEAVING A ROUND MARK THE SIZE OF A PEA. I READ HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS, THERE ALL THE SAME. THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM AND SOMETHING MUST BE DONE. DOES HONDA EXPECT ME TO REPLACE MY WINDSHIELD WITH EVERY OIL CHANGE? PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IT'S WRONG AND HONDA NEEDS TO NOT ONLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, BUT RECTIFY IT. EVERYONE WHO IS EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM SHOULD FILE A COMPLAINT, NOT JUST READ ABOUT IT. *NM

2003 HONDA ELEMENT WINDSHIELD CRACKED THREE TIMES WITHIN 12,000 MILES. FIRST CRACK APPEARED ON PASSENGER'S SIDE, STARTING FROM LOWER EDGE APPROXIMATELY CENTERED WITH WIPER BLADE STRAIGHT UP SIX INCHES WITH A SHARP TURN TO THE RIGHT. WENT TO DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT (METRO HONDA, JOHNSTON RI) REPRESENTATIVE SAID CRACK WAS CAUSED BY STONE OR FOREIGN OBJECT AND WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF IMPACT. REPRESENTATIVE UNDER CLOSE INSPECTION FOUND THE SMALLEST SPEC WITHIN CRACK. IT IS TINY, I'D SAY THE SIZE OF A GRAIN OF SALT. ABOUT THREE WEEKS LATER THE SECOND CRACK APPEARED STARTING FROM THE LOWER EDGE OF THE DRIVERS SIDE, DIRECTLY CENTERED WITH THE WIPER BLADE. AFTER CLOSE INSPECTION, I FOUND AN IDENTICAL SALT GRAIN SIZE SPEC WITHIN THE CRACK. THIS WAS NOT CAUSED BY IMPACT! I KNEW THIS WINDSHIELD WAS DEFECTED. THAT'S WHEN I STARTED DOING SOME RESEARCH AND DISCOVERED THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH MANY IF NOT THOUSANDS OF ELEMENT OWNERS. THE THIRD CRACK APPEARED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER THE SECOND, THIS TIME IT APPEARS A ROCK DID CAUSE THE CRACK. LOCATED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE LEFT EDGE CONTINUING STRAIGHT ACROSS TO THE RIGHT. THE IMPACT WAS SLIGHT, LEAVING A ROUND MARK THE SIZE OF A PEA. I READ HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS, THERE ALL THE SAME. THERE' S HUGE PROBLEM AND SOMETHING MUST BE DONE. DOES HONDA EXPECT ME TO GET A NEW WINDSHIELD WITH EVERY OIL CHANGE? PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IT'S WRONG AND HONDA NEEDS TO NOT ONLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, BUT TO RECTIFY IT. PEOPLE, DON'T JUST READ ABOUT IT, SUBMIT A COMPLAINT. *JB

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH CONSUMER SWERVED TO AVOID REAR ENDING ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND HIT A PHONE POLE DEAD CENTER. UPON IMPACT, ONLY THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WAS REINSTALLED BY THE DEALERSHIP. ALSO WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH CONSUMER SWERVED TO AVOID HITTING A MOTORIST WHO PULLED IN FRONT OF HIM. . CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HIT THE OTHER VEHICLE ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE SENSOR WAS SHOWING THAT DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED.*AK

MORNING: PARKED VEHICLE OUTSIDE IN LOW TEMPERATURES. SUN CAME OUT DURING DAY AND WHEN I RETURNED TO VEHICLE IN THE AFTERNOON THERE WAS A 5 INCH CRACK THAT STARTED IN LOWER PASSENGER SIDE OF FRONT WINDSHIELD. NO IMPACT TO WINDSHIELD.