Honda Element Complaints (2003)

424 consumer complaints on file.

#10060694March 8, 2004
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
PIN-PRICK SIZE ROCK IMPACT RESULTED IN A 12 INCH CRACK IN 24 HOURS. OTHER HONDA MODELS AS WELL AS OTHER MANUFACTURES DO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. COMPARE THE NUMBER OF VISIBLITY COMPLAINTS WITH THE ELEMENT TO OTHER MAKES AND MODELS. *AK *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10060395March 4, 2004
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
SPONTANEOUS STREES CRACK IN LOWER RIGHT CORNER OF WINDSHEILD. NO CHIPPING OR OTHER DAMAGE FROM ROAD DEBRIS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10060266March 3, 2004
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
WINDSHIELD CRACKS VERY EASILY. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY (NO SURROUNDING TRAFFIC) WE HEARD A POP AN A CRACK APPEARED JUST TO THE LEFT OF THE REARVIEW MIRROR, ORIGINATING FROM THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE CRACK HAS NOW GROWN TO ABOUT 6".*AK UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I CANNOT LOCATE ANY POINT OF IMPACT. IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS SIMPLY A STRESS CRACK.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10060087March 1, 2004
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD. THESE WERE ACTUALLY TWO EVENTS IN FEBRUARY, 2004. ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS APART. BOTH INVOLVE WHAT APPEAR TO BE STRESS FRACTURES OF WINDSHIELD. EACH EMANATES FROM THE VERY BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD BELOW THE WIPER COWL ON OUTER WINDSHIELD. BOTH RISE DIRECTLY VERTICAL UPWARD ABOUT THREE INCHES THEN VEER TOWARD SIDE PILLARS. BOTH NEAR CENTER OF WINDSHIELD. FIRST ONE WAS TOWARDS PASSEGER SIDE AND VEERED TO PASSENGER PILLAR. SECOND ONE WAS TOWARDS DRIVER SIDE AND VEERED TO DRIVER PILLAR. DEALER CLAIMS TINY FLECK IN EACH LINE NEAR BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD AND BEHIND WIPER ARM MECHANISM/BLADE IS ROCK HIT AND IS CAUSE AND WILL NOT WARRANTY. BOTH OF THESE HAPPENNED IN THE MOUNTAINS DURING FREEZING TEMPERATURES. I SUSPECTED THAT WINDHIELD WASHER FLUID WAS COLLECTING BETWEEN THE OUTER WIPER COWL AND BASE OF WINSHIELD AND FREEZING/EXPANDING AND CAUSING FRACTURE LINES. NO "STAR" EFFECT NORMALLY ASSOCIATED WITH ROCKHITS. MY SECOND SUSPICION IS THAT THE CURVE IN THE LOWER WINDHIELD IS IN OPPOSITION TO THE STAIGHTNESS OF THE UPPER WINDHIELD AND CAUSING STRESS ON BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD. IF THOSE ARE ROCK HITS AT THE BOTTOM (AND NOT FLAKEAGE FROM THE EFFECT OF THE CRACKS) THEY SHOULD HAVE NEVER CAUSE THESE SIGNIFICANT FRACTURE LINES OR ANY CRACK AT ALL. IN FACT I NEVER HEARD A ROCK HIT AND THE SECOND CRACK HAPPENNED WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A SKI AREA PARKING LOT AND THE CRACK WAS NOT THERE WHEN I PARKED THE CAR BUT WAS FULLY 8-12 INCHES LONG WHEN I RETURNED. HONDA HAS EITHER A DEFECTIVE DESIGN OR PERHAPS THAT URETHANE RIMMING THE WINDOW HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT. EITHER WAY THEY NEED TO WARRANTY LIFETIME FREE GLASS REPLACEMENT OR FIX THIS DEFECT. THIS IS LIKELY TO HAPPEN AGAIN AFTER I REPLACE THIS WINDSHIELD. COMPEL HONDA TO RECTIFY THIS MATTER PLEASE.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10060094March 1, 2004
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
2003 HONDA ELEMENT EX 4WD - WINDSHEILD CRACKED AT APPROX 6000 MILES. NO SIGN OF IMPACT. CRACK ORIGINATED ON DRIVER'S SIDE OF WINDSHIELD. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10059092February 27, 2004
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
WINDSHILED CRACK. ORIGION OF CRACK IS BOTTOM OF PASSENGER SIDE OF WINDSHILED. WINDSHIELD HAD BEEN REPLACED 2 MONTHS PRIOR DUE TO IDENTICAL CRACK IN IDENTICAL LOCATION.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10055423February 26, 2004
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
WINDSHIELD HAS A STRESS CRACK IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER. MANUFACTURER HAS AGREED TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITHOUT COST TO THE OWNER. *AK DUE TO MALFUNCTIONING AND IMPROPERLY FINISHED RIVETS IN THE LOWER SECTION OF THE WINDOW FRAME. *SC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10058933February 25, 2004
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
DEFECT IN WINDSHIELD ON 2003 HONDA ELEMENT. CRACK APPEARS IN BOTTOM MIDDLE OF WINDSHIELD AND THEN MOVES UPWARD AND THE ACROSS TOWARDS THE PASSENGER SIDE.*AK HONDA DEALER SAID IT WAS A ROCK IMPACT, HOWEVER, IT IS NOT PITTED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10058916February 24, 2004
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
DROVE VEHICLE HOME SATURDAY NIGHT NO PROBLEM. SUNDAY MORNING DISCOVERED 8 INCH CRACK IN WINDSHIELD ORIGINATING UNDER DRIVER SIDE WINDSHILD WIPER AND TRAVELING UPWARDS TO THE LEFT. DEALER CLAIMS IT IS AN IMPACT CRACK NOT COVERED UNDER WARRENTY, BUT I AM SURE THERE WAS NO IMPACT SATURDAY NIGHT. I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET OF OTHERS HAVING THIS IDENTICAL PROBLEM.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10058797February 23, 2004
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
I HAVE A 2003 ELEMENT. I HAVE HAD TWO BROKEN WINDOWS ALREADY. THE MOST RECENT DOCUMENTED BELOW. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10058709February 22, 2004
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
CRACKED WINDSHIELD: CONSISTENT WITH HUNDREDS OF OTHER HONDA ELEMENT OWNERS, ON ONE PARTICULARLY COLD (BY CA STDS. ANYWAY) MORNING, I TURNED ON MY DEFROSTER AND THE WINDSHIELD STARTED CRACKING FROM THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER. THE CRACK HAS TRAVELED ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF THE GLASS IN A PATTERN THAT MIRRORS THAT OF THE DEFROSTER OUTLETS. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10059125February 13, 2004
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD, AND CONSUMER HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES VERY HARD IN ORDER TO STOP VEHICLE. THIS OCCURRED WHEN VEHICLE WAS SLOWING DOWN. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10058122February 13, 2004
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
THE WINDSHIELD HAS CHIPPED AND CRACKED NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE 9 MONTHS WE HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE. IT WAS BRAND NEW AND THERE IS A DEFECTIVE PART THAT THE DEALER WILL NOT REPLACE.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10056749February 7, 2004
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
SAND CRACKED WINDSHIELD BOTTOM PASSENGER SIDE CORNER. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10056647February 6, 2004
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
ELEMENT BOUGHT JULY 2003. I DRIVE ALOT OF HIGHWAY MILES, ALLREADY 28,000 MILES. I HAVE PROBABLY DROVE CLOSE TO 800,000 MILES IN MY 25 YEARS OF DRIVING. ONCE THAT I KNOW OFF DID A WINDSHIELD CRACK.....MAYBE TWICE. I HAVE FOUR INCIDENTS OF ROCK CHIPS ALLREADY. ONE OF THE CRACKS SPANS THE WIDTH OF THE WINDOW. AS A STATISTICAL MANAGER FOR MY JOB, THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY A PURCHASING MESS UP WITH SUB-STANDARD GLASS QUALITY. THERE HAS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS WINDSHIELD TO AN UPGRADED QUALITY OF GLASS. IT IS NOT SO MUCH THE SAFETY FACTOR AS IT IS THE $500 REPLACEMENT AND INSURANCE COSTS. SOMEBODY MADE A MAJOR MISTAKE IN A VENDOR AND MOST LIKELY IS NOT SUPPLYING WINDSHIELDS TO HONDA ANYMORE AND IS PROBABLY OUT OF BUSINESS OR CHANGED THEIR NAME FOR LIABILITY SAKE. THIS ISSUE WILL NOT GO AWAY!! *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10056569February 5, 2004
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
CRACKED WINDSHIELD.....AGAIN. 2ND CRACKED WINDSHIELD IN TWO MONTHS. TOLD THIS WAS IMPACT DAMAGE FROM DEALER. DEALER POINTED OUT MICROSCOPIC "CHIP" AT THE SEAL LINE. 20+ YEARS OF DRIVING NEVER HAD A CRACKED WINDSHIELD NOW HAVE TWO. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10056633February 5, 2004
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
WHILE SITTING IN A HOSPITAL PARKING RAMP MY WINDSHIELD STARTED CRACKING AND SPREAD UNTIL IT WENT FROM DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GLASS UP ABOUT FOUR INCHES AND ACROSS TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AND BACK DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE GLASS. BETWEEN MY WIFE AND MYSELF WE HAVE OWNED CLOSE TO TWENTY VEHICLES AND NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10056469February 3, 2004
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
AFTER A LOT OF COMPLAINING, TO SEVERAL DEALERS AND HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE, I FINALLY HAD MY WINDSHIELD REPLACED AFTER A 12" CRACK APPEARED FROM UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER'S SIDE WIPER BLADE ONE NIGHT IN JUNE 03. IT TOOK UNTIL DECEMBER 03 TO GET THIS ISSUE RESOLVED. HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE (800 NUMBER) WAS TERRIBLE AND AFTER A WHILE THEY JUST KEPT REPEATING THE SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER AGAIN. MY DEALERSHIP STEPPED UP AFTER I COMPLAINED TO THE SALES MANAGER AND LET HIM KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ASK ABOUT THE CAR AND EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GOING TO START TELLING THEM-THAT WE WERE GETTING TREATED POORLY BY HONDA. THEY REPLACED IT UNDER "GOODWILL". A FEW WEEKS AGO THERE WAS A SMALL DING IN THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD, NO STAR, AND WE TURNED ON THE DEFROST AND THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM CORNER TO CORNER BEFORE OUR EYES. DEALER CLAIMS THIS IS TOTALLY NORMAL BEHAVIOR FOR A WINDSHIELD. I LET STATE FARM KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON AND THEY'RE LOOKING INTO IT. WE ARE REALLY DISAPPOINTED--NO, IRATE--WITH HONDA, AND NOT AFRAID TO TALK ABOUT IT UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS TAKEN CARE OF FOR GOOD.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10056338February 2, 2004
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
A CRACK DEVELOPED IN THE PASSENGER'S SIDE LOWER CORNER AT THE BASE BEHIND THE WINDSHIELD WIPER THAT EVENTUALLY SPREAD UP 8 INCHES AND ACROSS 8 INCHES AND BACK DOWN TO THE BASE. THERE WAS NEVER ANY TYPE OF EVIDENCE OF ANY TYPE OF ROCK CHIPPING OR DAMAGE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, AND THEY ASSURED ME THAT IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD. THE DAY IT WAS TO BE REPLACED THEY CALLED AND SAID THERE WAS A PROBLEM. NOW THERE IS EVIDENCE OF SOME MAGIC "ROCK CHIP" AND THEY WENT AHEAD AND INSTALLED THE NEW WINDSHIELD ANYWAY WITHOUT MY CONSENT. NOW THEY WANT THEIR $553.00. GO FIGURE. I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT THIS IS THE THIRD SUCH CRACK IN UNDER 7 MONTHS OF OWNING MY HONDA ELEMENT. MY VIN FALLS UNDER THE HONDA SERVICE BULLETIN # 03-028 AS HAVING THE DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD AS WELL. IT'S ALL A SCAM! THEY WANT YOU TO CLAIM IT ON YOUR INSURANCE SO THEY DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR ALL OF THESE REPAIRS. THEN THEY TRY TO HOLD YOUR VEHICLE HOSTAGE IF YOU DON'T PAY THEM IMMEDIATELY. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THESE GESTAPO TACTICS. THEY KNOWINGLY SOLD ME A DEFECTIVE VEHICLE, AND NOW THEY WANT TO PASS THE BUCK TO WHOMEVER WILL PAY EXCLUDING THEMSELVES. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10056281February 1, 2004
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
WINDSHIELD ON 2003 HONDA ELEMENT FOUND IN GARAGE WITH A CRACK NEAR THE BOTTOM CORNER ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE HONDA DEALER AND REGIONAL SERVICE MANAGER REFUSED TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD UNDER WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO DAMAGE FROM ANY IMPACT. THIS HAS BECOME A GROWING PROBLEM WITH MANY OF THESE VEHICLES WHICH HONDA HAS THUSFAR NOT TAKEN CARE OF. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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