2008 HONDA ELEMENT Complaints

BRAKES WERE SOFT ALMOST TO THE FLOOR,MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AND ENDED UP HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE. HAVE CONTACTED HONDA AND THEY ARE RECALLING MY MODEL OF CAR BUT NOT MINE FOR THE SAME REASON. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA ELEMENT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE CONTACT TRIED TO STOP ABRUPTLY TO AVOID HITTING A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM; HOWEVER, HE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE OTHER VEHICLE WHEN THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE SCENE. THE BODY DAMAGE WAS REPAIRED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20-25 MPH, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THEY FAILED TO ENGAGE AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF A VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DAMAGED BODY WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR RECALL 10V098000 (SERVICE BRAKES, AIR). POLICE REPORTS WERE FILED FOR EACH CRASH THAT OCCURRED. THE CONTACT DID NOT REPORT ANY INJURIES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 11,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 48,000.

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) I PURCHASED A NEW 2008 HONDA ELEMENT EX ALL WHEEL DRIVE [XXX] ON APRIL 24, 2009. FROM DOBBS HONDA, 2785 MENDENHALL, MEMPHIS TN. I RETURNED TO SERVICE DEPT IMMEDIATELY AFTER STOPPING AT 2ND TRAFFIC LIGHT BECAUSE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS SOFT AND WENT COMPLETELY TO FLOOR. SERVICE REP ADVISED ME THE SOFT PEDAL WAS NORMAL. RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP A COUPLE WEEKS LATER ON ANOTHER ISSUE AND COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SOFTNESS OF THE BRAKE PEDAL, AGAIN WAS TOLD IT WAS NORMAL. RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP ON JULY 20, 2009 AND PRESENTED THE SERVICE REP WITH A COPY OF HONDA SERVICE BULLETIN 07-045 TITLED " BRAKE PEDAL IS LOW AND FEELS SOFT" (EXACT SYMPTOMS I HAD DESCRIBED 3 TIMES). MY ELEMENT FALLS IN THE VIN #'S COVERED. I ASKED THAT THE SERVICE MGR ROAD TEST MY ELEMENT. THE WORK ORDER # 368081 WRITTEN NARRATIVE STATES "SERVICE MANAGER TEST DROVE THE VEH AND FOUND VEH OPERATING TO FACTORY SPEC AT THIS TIME). COMMENCING ON THE FIRST DAY I PURCHASED THE ELEMENT I HAVE BEEN COMPELLED TO PUMP THE BRAKE PEDAL AT LEAST ONCE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE STOPPING, WHEN I DEPRESS THE PEDAL AND IT FALLS TO THE FLOOR A SENSE OF PANIC IS FELT. I RECENTLY LEARNED FROM THE HONDA ELEMENT OWNERS CLUB WEB SITE THAT A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR LATE APRIL ALONG WITH AN IMMEDIATE STOP SELL ORDER ON 07 AND 08 ELEMENTS. APPARENTLY HONDA HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS BRAKE DEFECT SINCE 2007 (SB 07 INDICATES 2007 ISSUE DATE). BETWEEN APRIL 09 AND JULY 09 THE DEALERSHIP ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS DENIED ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE SOFT PEDAL AND PEDAL HITTING THE FLOOR ALTHOUGH THE SERVICE BULLETIN CLEARLY STATES THE NECESSARY PART #'S AND STEPS REQUIRED TO CORRECT THIS DEFECT. WHAT HAS TAKEN HONDA SO LONG TO ADMIT TO AND ISSUE A RECALL TO CORRECT THIS KNOWN UNSAFE BRAKE DEFECT? *TR

I OWN A 2008 HONDA ELEMENT AND THE BRAKE PEDAL HAS BECOME EVEN SOFTER AND THE PEDAL TRAVEL LONGER THAN IT WAS WHEN WE PURCHASED IT.....SIMILAR TO WHAT I NOTICED ON THE USED ELEMENT WE TEST DROVE PRIOR TO OUR PURCHASE. *TR

I AM AN OWNER OF A 2008 HONDA ELEMENT WHICH RECENTLY CAME OUT WITH A MEDIA RELEASE FROM HONDA THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH BRAKE FAILURE. ONE YEAR AGO I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH YOU REGARDING BRAKE FAILURE ON MY ELEMENT. THE DEALER AT THAT TIME FOUND THAT I HAD VERY SPONGY BRAKES AND AIR BUBBLES IN THE LINE BUT COULD NOT GIVE ME AN ANSWER OF WHY THIS WOULD HAPPEN AND NOT GUARANTEE THAT IT COULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. I HAVE WORRIED CONSTANTLY ABOUT THIS AND SO I STILL CONTINUED TO FEEL THE SPONGY BRAKES SO I TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT DEALER THAT CHECKED OUT AND SAID THAT IS JUST THE WAY HONDA ELEMENT BRAKES ARE. SO 2 MONTHS AGO THE BRAKES WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AGAIN ( I HAVE TO PUMP THEM QUICKLY SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY FINALLY GRAB) I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY ONCE AGAIN CHECKED IT AND FOUND NOTHING, WELL SINCE THIS MEDIA RELEASE CAME OUT THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE A RECALL ON 410,000 HONDA VEHICLES I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER HE WAS VERY APOLOGETIC AND SAID THAT WAS EXACTLY MY VEHICLE, AND AGREED WITH ME THAT IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE UNTIL THEY GET THE PARTS TO REPAIR IT; HE HAD ME CALL HONDA AN THEY TREATED ME VERY VERY RUDELY THEY TOLD ME JUST TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, I TOLD THEM I ALREADY HAD AND THAT IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE SINCE I'VE ALREADY EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WON'T GIVE ME A RENTAL CAR AND JUST KEPT REPEATING TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID THAT I COULD NOT BE CERTAIN THAT MY VEHICLE HAD THIS MALFUNCTION. I'M VERY FRUSTRATED THIS CAR IS NOT SAFE ON THE ROAD AND EVEN THE DEALER AGREES WITH ME ,IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY BUT HONDA BASICALLY JUST DOES NOT CARE AND THEY TREATED ME LIKE I'M MAKING A BIG DEAL ABOUT THIS. PLEASE HELP! *TR

0TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA ELEMENT LX. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF 10 MPH DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE BRAKE PEDAL FELL CLOSER TO THE FLOORBOARD THAN USUAL. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE BRAKE SEAL TESTED NORMAL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 13,000. UPDATED 05/10/10 *BF UPDATED 05/12/10.*JB

SOFT, MUSHY BRAKE PEDAL. WHEN STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, PEDAL SLOWLY GOES TO THE FLOOR AND MUST BE PUMPED TO MAINTAIN BRAKE PRESSURE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA ELEMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAS IMPROPERLY WELDED A FRONT BUSHING BRACKET ON THE LEFT TRAILING ARM OF THE REAR SUSPENSION. RECALL#08V349000, SUSPENSION:REAR BUT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED; THEREFORE, HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,400.

DUE TO LOOSE BRAKE, IT TAKES TIME TO STOP (AT SPEED OF 15 MPH). I FELT IT COULD BE DANGEROUS IF I WERE TO BE DRIVING FASTER. *TR

BOUGHT 2008 HONDA ELEMENT NEW IN DEC. 2009. AT ABOUT 5000MI. (8MO.) BRAKES BECAME INCREASINGLY MUSHY AND PEDAL SOFT. EVENTUALLY BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE UNTIL ABOUT AN INCH OFF FLOOR. DEALER CONFIRMED AND REPLACED BRAKE MODULE. WITHIN A WEEK THEY WERE BAD AGAIN. DEALER REBLED BRAKES SAID REAR PADS WERE WORN EXCESSIVELY AND UNEVENLY, ROTORS SHOWED SIGNS OF EXCESSIVE HEAT, THEY REPLACED PADS. SOLID WHEN PICKED UP, LASTED LESS THAN A WEEK. NOW CAR HAS PERIODS OF A FEW HUNDRED MILES OF SOLID BRAKING, THEN PERIODS OF SOFT, FADING BRAKING WITH WILD SWINGS OF RPMS FROM THE VACUUM BOOST. HAVE HAD SIX CLOSE CALLS DURING THESE PERIODS. *TR