2003 HONDA ELEMENT Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ELEMENT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V700000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED. UPDATED 7/6/2015*JS

RECALL FOR AIR BAG, NO PARTS AVAILABLE. VECHICLE NOT SAFE TO DRIVE ? CALLED HONDA ABOUT CONCERNS FOR CHILDREN IN VEHICLE. *TR

BATTERY DIES AFTER 10 TO 12 HOURS OF NOT USING CAR, ON 3RD BATTERY IN 3 YEARS, BATTERY IS DRAINED DEAD. *TR

HONDA HAS FAILED TO FIX THE TWO OPEN RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES FOR REPAIR AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. I INITIALLY CONTACTED THE DEALER IN EARLY JANUARY AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE A FEW WEEKS UNTIL PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. I THEN CALLED IN FEBRUARY AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE MID-MARCH. AGAIN THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. IT HAS NOW BEEN NEARLY 3 MONTHS SINCE INITIAL CONTACT AND THE TWO RECALLS HAVE NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *TR

RE: TIRES MICHELIN XCX/APT 215/70 R16 DOT HNXO EKFX 4405 WHEN PUTTING AIR IN MY TIRES ON 3/21/2015 I FOUND ALL FOUR TIRE SIDEWALLS HAD A LOT OF CRACKS (ONE INCH AND BIGGER) PLUS A LOT OF OTHER TIRE FAILURE PROBLEMS. THESE WERE NOT NOTICE BY HONDA DEALER GARAGE ON TIRE ROTATION THAT WAS PERFORMED WITHIN THE LAST SIX MONTHS. NEITHER HAD I NOTICE THIS SINCE THAT ROTATION, THE TIRE TREAD ON THESE TIRES ARE STILL GOOD. I AM AWARE THAT THERE WERE NO RECALL AND THESE TIRES HAVE "EXPIRED" SO TO SPEAK. MY CONCERN IS THAT MICHELIN TIRES HAD NOT WARNED ME OF THIS POSSIBLE PROBLEM PUTTING MY FAMILY, MYSELF AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD IN DANGER. I WANT MICHELIN TO REPLACE THOSE TIRES. ANYONE ELSE HAVING THESE TIRES SHOULD BE TOLD. I HAVE PHOTOS. *TR

I VISITED THE RECALL WEB SITE AFTER HEARING ABOUT THE AIRBAG CONCERNS WITH MY VEHICLE. I THEN MADE AN APPOINTMENT AND HAD MY DRIVERS AIRBAG/BECAUSE OF A RECALL, REPLACED ON NOV 26, 2014. I REQUESTED A VEHICLE FOR THE DAY SINCE THE RECALL IS NOT A PERSONAL PROBLEM BUT A PROBLEM OF THE MANUFACTURE. I WAS DENIED A DAY USE CAR. I WAS TOLD THAT DAY THAT THE PASSENGERS AIRBAG WAS ON BACKORDER, I HAVE SINCE CONTACTED THE DEALER WHO DID NOT RETURN MY CALL. I THEN WENT TO THE DEALER WEB SITE AN E-MAILED THEM MY CONCERNS. SOMEONE DID CALL ME AND STATED THAT THE AIRBAGS WERE ON BACKORDER. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT IT IS TAKING SO LONG TO GET MY PASSENGERS AIRBAGS REPLACED. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE LOCAL DEALER DOES NOT RETURN PHONE CALLS. LOCAL DEALER IS HONDA OF FORT MYERS FL. *TR

LETTER FROM SENATOR NELSON ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE 2003 HONDA ELEMENT AIRBAG. *SMD THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A LOANER VEHICLE, DUE TO THE FACT, THE RECALL FIX WILL TAKE THREE HOURS TO COMPLETE. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE PART NEEDED TO BE ORDERED.*JB

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR LOCK TUMBLERS SEIZED MY KEY WHEN I TRIED TO UNLOCK THE CAR. THEY KEY WAS STUCK MIDWAY - I COULD NOT REMOVE THE KEY NOR TURN IT EITHER WAY. SINCE THE KEY WAS CAUGHT IN THE LOCK, THE KEY FOB WOULD NOT OPEN THE PASSENGER'S DOOR OR REAR LATCH. I WAS LOCKED OUT OF THE CAR WITH MY LITTLE GIRL TRAPPED INSIDE. AFTER A POP-A-LOCK VISIT, I WAS ABLE TO GET MY SPARE KEY TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, BUT I STILL HAD THE ORIGINAL KEY STUCK IN THE DOOR LOCK. I DROVE TO HONDA SERVICE CENTER; THEY WERE UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY ALSO. THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $450 TO HAVE THE LOCK TUMBLER REPLACED. I ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD REMOVE THE DOOR PANEL BECAUSE THE KEY IN THE DOOR WAS A THEFT ISSUE. THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $112.50 FOR THEM TO REMOVE THE PANEL. WHEN I ASKED IF THEY WOULD REMOVE THE PANEL FOR FREE SO I COULD TRY TO REMOVE THE KEY, THEY REFUSED, CITING LIABILITY ISSUES. THE SERVICE CENTER IS ONLY WILLING TO HELP WHEN PAID ASTRONOMICAL RATES LIKE $112.50 TO REMOVE A DOOR PANEL (WITHOUT BEING ASKED TO PUT IT BACK ON) AND $450 TO REPLACE A $40 PART THAT IS MALFUNCTIONING. I HAVE NEVER HEARD ANY OTHER CAR MANUFACTURERS' CARS SEIZING A KEY IN THE DOOR LOCK EVER IN MY LIFE! WE COULD HAVE BEEN IN GREAT DANGER IF WE HAD BEEN IN A REMOTE AREA OF IF IT HAD BEEN NIGHTTIME. HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE REFUSES TO FIX MY PROBLEM BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECALL, DESPITE THE PROBLEMS OF OTHERS. EVEN WHEN I ASKED THAT THE REPAIR BE DONE AS "GOODWILL' THE REPRESENTATIVE REFUSED TO CONSIDER. POOR QUALITY WORKMANSHIP ON DOOR LOCKS -- SOMETHING AS INEXPENSIVE AND LOW TECH AS A LOCK, YET SO CRITICAL TO SAFETY AND THEFT -- REFLECTS POORLY ON HONDA AND DRAWS INTO QUESTION THEIR REPUTATION FOR QUALITY. THAT HONDA REFUSES TO STAND BY THEIR WORK WHEN THEIR POOR QUALITY ENDANGERS DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS, DEMONSTRATES THEIR DISREGARD OF HUMAN BEINGS SAFETY. PROFIT OVER PEOPLE IS HONDA'S MOTTO. *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR LOCK HAS MALFUNCTIONED AND WOULD NOT UNLOCK. SOMETIMES WOULD NOT LOCK. I HAD SAME PROBLEM SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND HAD LOCK REPLACED AT HONDA DEALER HOWEVER RECENTLY IT STARTED AGAIN. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON HONDA PROBLEM. I REALLY LIKE THE ELEMENT HOWEVER THESE TYPES OF PROBLEMS LEAVE ME TO PROBABLY NEVER BUY ANOTHER HONDA. NOW THE AIRBAG RECALL WHICH HAS NOT EVEN RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO REPLACE IN WV. *TR

HAPPENED IN NYC, AFTERNOON, WEATHER DRIZZLING/RAINING AND HUMID. SLID ON AN OIL SLICK ON THE ROAD, SWERVED SIDEWAYS AND HIT AN EXIT RAMP CONCRETE BARRIER FULL FRONT (W/ MY FRONT AGAINST IT, PERPENDICULAR TO THE BARRIER). PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, MINE DID NOT. THE THING IS, I WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE CAR, THERE WAS NO PASSENGER IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. CAR WAS ALWAYS DRIVEN IN NY, I AM ORIGINAL OWNER. DIDN'T REPORT IT EARLIER BEC NEWS ALWAYS SAID IT'S ONLY AN ISSUE W/ CARS IN THE SOUTH, AND ELEMENT DIDN'T APPEAR IN THE RECALL LISTS IN THE PAPERS (ONLY SAW IT LISTED THIS MINUTE ON THE GOV SITE, AFTER HEARING SO MUCH TALK ABOUT IT ON THE NEWS AND DECIDED TO CHECK). I THINK THE CAR MANUF'S SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED ALL OWNERS OF THAT AIRBAG OF THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ISSUE, EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T LIVE IN THE SOUTH, JUST IN CASE, IT'S NOT EXPENSIVE TO DO, JUST A STAMP. ANYWAY, THAT'S MY FEELING. *TR