2003 HONDA ELEMENT Complaints

THE STEEL WHEELS CAN'T BE BALANCED. AS A RESULT, VEHICLE BOUNCES ALL OVER THE ROAD. *AK

12-INCH CRACK IN WINDSHIELD ORIGINATING FROM DRIVER'S SIDE COWL BRANCHING UPWARDS. A COPY OF HONDA TSB 03-028, INDICATING THAT THE WINDSHIELD MAY CRACK IN THE LOWER CORNERS, WAS SHOWN TO THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY WERE UNAWARE OF THE TSB AND STATED THAT A GRAIN-SIZED "PIT" IN THE GLASS UNDER THE WIPER BLADE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE CRACK. AS MY AUTO FALLS WITHIN THE VIN # RANGE OF AFFECTED VEHICLES, THIS WOULD INDICATE THAT MY SUV IS SUCEPTIBLE TO WINDSHIELD CRACKING. I CAN UNDERSTAND IF A LARGE ROCK CAUSED THE DAMAGE, BUT THE "PIT" IN THE WINDSHIELD WAS NO LARGER THAN THE PERIOD AT THE END OF THIS SENTENCE. THIS WINDSHIELD APPEARS WEAKER THAN THE INDUSTRY NORM AND CANNOT HANDLE EVEN MINUTE STRESSES. HONDA NEEDS TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, NOT KEEP HAVING THEIR CUSTOMERS CONTINUALLY PAY FOR NEW WINDSHIELDS.*AK

MY 2003 HONDA ELEMENT HAS A SULPHUR SMELL THAT IS BEYOND ANNOYANCE. THE SMELL IS SO INTENSE THAT IT TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY. MY DEALER IS UNABLE TO REPAIR AND HONDA SEEMS INDIFFERENT TO THE PROBLEM. WHILE NOT LIFE THREATENING, IT COULD, I BELIEVE BE DETRIMENTAL TO MY HEALTH AS WELL AS THE HEALTH OF MY PASSENGERS.*AK

ON 1/24/04, I NOTICED A CRACK IN MY WINDSHIELD WHILE PARKED. THE CRACK IS IN THE LOWER RIGHT PORTION OF THE WINDSHIELD, BEGINNING APPROXIMATELY 4 INCHES FROM THE BOTTOM, EXTENDS 2 INCHES TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD, THEN MAKES A 90 DEGREE BEND STRAIGHT DOWN TO THE BOTTOM. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BASED ON THE TSB REGARDING THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF WINDSHIELDS ON '03 HONDA ELEMENTS. THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION CREATES UNDUE STRESS THAT RESULTS IN CRACKING. THE SERVICE MANAGER IDENTIFIED A PINHEAD SIZE IMPACT MARK UNDER THE SIDE MOLDING STRIP THAT HE SAYS CAUSED THE DAMAGE. EVEN WITH THE TSB THAT I BELIEVE CAUSED THE CRACK TO SPREAD BEYOND REPAIR, THE DEALER REFUSES TO REPLACE THE GLASS AND REPAIR THE DEFECT UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

LESS THAN A 1000 MILES ON THE CAR - CRACKED WINDSHIELD PASSENGER SIDE BOTTOM CORNER- DID NOT PASS THE "PEN" TEST DONE AT A DEALER. NO COVERAGE SO WE REPLACED WINDSHIELD AT OUR OWN COST- *AK

WINDSHIELD CRACKED UNDER WIPER ON RIGHT HAND SIDE. MY DEALER SAID THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT UNDER WARRINTY, SAID THERE IS A SMALL PIT IN CRACK FROM ROCK. THE WINDSHIELD IS FULL OF SMALL PITS. THERE IS SO MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE ELEMENT MESSAGE BOARDS ABOUT CRACKED WINDSHIELDS MORE THAN ANY THING ELSE THERE MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE DESIGN.*AK

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA ELEMENT. IT HAS APPROXIMATELY 2400 MILES ON IT. MY WINDSHIELD HAS A CRACK, APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES LONG, THAT BEGAN UNDER THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER AND CURLS TO THE RIGHT. *CB

WINDSHIELD CRACK OF ABOUT 3-4 INCHES FROM BOTTOM UNDER PASSENGER WINDSHIELD WIPER WAS "JUST THERE" IN THE MORNING AFTER HEAVY SNOWFALL AND MAJOR DEFROSTER USE. IN TWO DAYS, BEFORE I GOT TO DEALER TO HAVE IT INSPECTED, IT HAD EXTENDED UPWARDS ABOUT 6 MORE INCHES, IN TWO MORE DAYS, ALL THE WAY ACROSS WINDSHIELD TO WITHIN 2 INCHED OF WINDSHIELD EDGE ON DRIVER'S SIDE. NOW EXTENDED TO LOWER DRIVER'S SIDE CORNER. THERE WAS COLD WEATHER THROUGH OUT. DEALER POINTED OUT MINISCULE PIT ON CRACK BELOW PASSENGER WINDSHIELD WIPER, SAID NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE CAUSE BY ROCK CHIP, ETC. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A MINOR IMPACT THERE, WHO IS TO SAY, BUT THE "EVIDENCE" NEARLY REQUIRES MAGNIFYING GLASS TO SEE&IN FACT I SCRAPED ICE AWAY ON WINDSHIELD THAT VERY MORNING. IN FACT THERE ARE MANY OTHER "PITS ON WINDSHIELD, INCLUDING OTHERS ON CRACK. A PIECE OF GRIT/TINY GRAVEL MAY HAVE IMPACTED, NEAR ORIGINAL AREA OF CRACK, BUT SHOULD NEVER HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE THAT ENSUED. THERE IS A MANUFACTURER'S SERVICE BULLETIN FOR WINDSHIELD CRACKS STARTING AT LOWER CORNERS CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE STRESS DUE TO DESIGN OR INSTALLATION OF WINDSHIELD/FLANGES, HOWEVER MY VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE THE VIN RANGE FOR THAT BULLETIN. MY OBSERVATION OR BELIEF IS THAT EXCESSIVE STRESS MAY STILL A FACTOR, MAKING WINDSHIELD UNACCEPTABLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO CRACKING DURING SCRAPING ICE OF WINDSHIELD AND/OR IF THERE ARE CHANCES OF EXTREMELY MINOR IMPACTS THAT WOULD IN OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES NOT CAUSE PROBLEMS. *CB

WINDSHIELD PIYS AND CRACKS. I HAVE 2 CRACKS IN LESS THAT 1 MONTH OF OWNERSHIP. THE GLASS IS EASILY PITTED AS I HAVE DRIVEN MINE ON SANDED ROADS BRIEFLY AND HAVE SEVERAL HUNDRED SMALL PITS, THIS IS FAR IN EXCESS OF ANY CAR OR TRUCK I HAVE OWNED IN OVER 30 YEARS OF THRIVING AND OWNERSHIP. THESE WINDSHIELD ARE STICKING POOR!!! *CB

WINDSHIELD CRACKED BELOW BOTH WIPERS. STARTED BELOW PLASTIC TRIM, BOTH WENT VERTICAL, AND FINALLY A HORIZONTAL CRACK CONNECTED THEM. WINDSHIELD HAS OTHER "STAR" CRACKS THAT HAVE REMAINED STATIC. DEALER IS REPLACING IS AS "GOODWILL," SAYS ITS NOT THE SAME AS LISTED IN THE HONDA TSB. *CB