Owners have filed 482 complaints
about the 2003 Honda Element with NHTSA between 2003 and 2025.
The largest single group is the windows, mirrors & wipers.
Across this model's run it ranks 1 of 9 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 100
Against the median year of the Honda Element. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 74
14.3% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 94
55% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
NHTSA files every complaint against a named sub-assembly, not just a
system. This is the difference between knowing it was "the engine" and
knowing which part of it — the list to hand a mechanic.
Windshield
21783.5%
Body
145.4%
Side/Window
62.3%
Door
62.3%
Glass, Side/Rear
51.9%
Automatic Transmission
51.9%
Horn
41.5%
Switch
31.2%
When it fails
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
Under 1,000 miles
175.5%
1,000 – 9,999 miles
7825.4%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
5116.6%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
4013.0%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
278.8%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
299.4%
100,000 – 149,999 miles
289.1%
150,000+ miles
3712.1%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Jun 2003peak 29Nov 2025
NHTSA investigations into the 2003 Honda Element
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.C...
EA15001Opened 24 Feb 2015Still openAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag systems.During the course of PE14-016, ODI determined that five additional vehicle manufacturers used inflators of a similar design and vintage also supplied by Takata. No evidence of field fai...
PE14016Opened 11 Jun 2014Closed 2 Mar 2015AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag systems.During the course of PE14-016, ODI determined that five additional vehicle manufacturers used inflators of a similar design and vintage also supplied by Takata. No evidence of field fai...
EA09001Opened 5 Jan 2009Closed 14 Oct 2010ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE
Ignition Shift Interlock
On August 4, 2010, American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA regarding a ignition interlock defect in approximately 384,220 model year (MY) 2003 Honda Accord and Civic and MY 2003 and 2004 Honda Element vehicles with automatic transmissions (Recall 10V-364).In a September 22, 2010 supplemental DIR, Honda expanded the scope of the recall population based on manufacturing and complaint data.The total population for the complete recall is approximately 551,498 vehicles.The information listed in this closing report refers only to the subject vehicles, MY...
Recalls on the 2003 Honda Element
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 202102412,641 units in Canada
Structure
Issue: On certain vehicles, the rear frame could rust. In extreme cases, this could result in a rear trailing arm separating from the vehicle. This recall applies to vehicles originally sold or currently registered in areas of heavy road salt usage (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador). Safety Risk: A rear trailing arm that separates could cause a loss of control and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Honda will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer for an inspection of the rear trailing arm front mount bolts. If the vehicle passes the inspection, the dealer will apply corrosion protection and install support braces. Honda will offer to repurchase vehicles that do not pass the inspection. In the event the repurchase is declined by an owner, a secondary inspection and body shop repair method may be possible.
Recall 2019323222,662 units in Canada
Airbag
Issue: On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the propellant contained in the airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. If the airbag inflator ruptures, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants or cause damage to the airbag assembly, preventing its proper function. Note: This is a new recall campaign that includes vehicles that had an airbag inflator replaced under a previous recall or had a replacement airbag installed. The previous recall provided an interim (short-term) repair. Interim repair parts must be replaced with the final repair parts provided in this recall. Safety Risk: If the vehicle is involved in a crash requiring an airbag deployment, the airbag inflator could rupture and create a risk of injury. Corrective Action: Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to replace the driver and/or passenger-front airbag inflator. Note: The Canadian climate results in the propellant degrading slowly. This recall is being conducted as a precaution to address future risk. It is expected that all airbag inflators will be replaced before their function would be affected.
Recall 201911783,977 units in Canada
Airbag
Issue: On certain vehicles, there could be a problem with the driver-front airbag inflator. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. If the airbag inflator ruptures, pieces could be propelled toward the occupants. This could also cause damage to the airbag assembly and prevent it from inflating properly. Note: This recall only affects certain vehicles that had a Takata airbag inflator installed during a previous airbag recall or collision repair. Safety Risk: In a crash where the airbag deploys, there could be an increased risk of injury. Corrective Action: The company will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to have the driver-front airbag inflator replaced.
Recall 201624928,929 units in Canada
Airbag
On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, could eventually degrade the propellant contained in the passenger frontal airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. As a result, if the vehicle were involved in a collision that warrants airbag deployment, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants, and the airbag assembly could be damaged, preventing proper function. These issues could increase the risk of injury. Correction: Dealers will replace the airbag inflator. Note: Canadian climate results in the propellant degrading slowly. The recall is being conducted as a precaution to address future risk, and is expected to replace airbag inflators before their function would be affected.
Recall 2015225704,770 units in Canada
Airbag
On certain vehicles, the driver frontal airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause the inflator to rupture, which could allow fragments to be propelled toward vehicle occupants, increasing the risk of injury. This could also damage the airbag module, which could prevent proper deployment. Failure of the airbag to fully deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of personal injury to the seat occupant. Note: This recall supersedes special service campaign 2014567. Correction: Dealers will inspect/replace the driver's frontal airbag inflator. All vehicles having received a replacement inflator as part of any previous driver's inflator campaign will have a replacement inflator installed. Note: Honda Canada has created a special Airbag Inflator Hotline for immediate assistance. For more information, please contact: For Honda Owners: 1-877-445-7754 For Acura Owners: 1-877-445-9844
Recall 2014567704,770 units in Canada
Airbag
Honda Canada is conducting a voluntary Safety Improvement Campaign concerning the driver's airbag inflator on certain vehicles equipped with Takata airbags. Honda will replace the driver's inflator on affected vehicles. This action is not being conducted under the requirements of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Note: This special service campaign was replaced by recall 2015225. Please see recall 2015225 for more information: <a href="http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/7/VRDB-BDRV/search-recherche/detail.aspx?lang=eng&&rn=2015225">Click here for more information</a>
Recall 2014242168,968 units in Canada
Airbag
On certain vehicles, the passenger (frontal) airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause the inflator to rupture, which could allow fragments to be propelled toward vehicle occupants, increasing the risk of injury. This could also damage the airbag module, which could prevent proper deployment. Failure of the passenger airbag to fully deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of personal injury to the seat occupant. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger airbag inflator. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 2013111. Honda Canada has created a special Airbag Inflator Hotline for immediate assistance. For more information, please contact: For Honda Owners: 1-877-445-7754 For Acura Owners: 1-877-445-9844
Recall 201026458,292 units in Canada
Powertrain
On certain vehicles the interlock lever of the ignition switch may wear prematurely, which can allow the interlock function to be defeated if the driver does not follow the typical shut-down procedure of shifting the gear selector to the PARK position before rotating the ignition key to the OFF position. Removal of the ignition key when the gear selector of a vehicle with an automatic transmission has not been shifted to the PARK position can allow the vehicle to roll away, increasing the risk of a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will replace the original interlock pin and lever within the ignition switch with updated versions.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Danbury, CTCrash
SUSPENSION
in 2023 while driving my 2003 Honda Element the control arm ripped out of the frame I had it fixed to the tune of $1800. Fast forward to this week when servicing my Element I found a major rust spot on the other trailing arm bracket. After more research there is a recall in Canada to fix this but not in US. how can this be? It is a major flaw and concern that at high speeds the arm can rip out. Honda has a fix, but it is not offered in the US. please help!
NHTSA complaint #11633928 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Myrtle Point, OR1 injured
AIR BAGS
While driving on a rough road the driver's seat airbag deployed injuring my arm (big bruise and tennis-ball size laceration). I plan to take the vehicle into the dealership to find out why this happened.
NHTSA complaint #11569257 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sarasota, FLCrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
Seems Honda is hiding specific vin needing recal replacement of airbag fue to fact it's deployed. Attempt to cover up recall regarding this specific vin possibly aware that damage is done and if airbag deployed, vin check results "no current recalls" for vehicle. 2003 Honda Element had first recall replacement done. At that time Honda had person come to house to notify. This time, second recall, too late. It deployed and air bag is on recall list. Please provide honest facts. Correct me please if I misunderstood.
NHTSA complaint #11518170 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sarasota, FLCrash1 injured
STRUCTURE:BODY
Seems Honda is hiding specific vin needing recal replacement of airbag fue to fact it's deployed. Attempt to cover up recall regarding this specific vin possibly aware that damage is done and if airbag deployed, vin check results "no current recalls" for vehicle. 2003 Honda Element had first recall replacement done. At that time Honda had person come to house to notify. This time, second recall, too late. It deployed and air bag is on recall list. Please provide honest facts. Correct me please if I misunderstood.
NHTSA complaint #11518170 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sarasota, FLCrash1 injured
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Seems Honda is hiding specific vin needing recal replacement of airbag fue to fact it's deployed. Attempt to cover up recall regarding this specific vin possibly aware that damage is done and if airbag deployed, vin check results "no current recalls" for vehicle. 2003 Honda Element had first recall replacement done. At that time Honda had person come to house to notify. This time, second recall, too late. It deployed and air bag is on recall list. Please provide honest facts. Correct me please if I misunderstood.
NHTSA complaint #11518170 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Gloversville, NYCrash
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The car was being driven at a low speed across a school parking lot when there was a loud bang, the car dropped in the back and stopped movong. The rear trailing arm came apart from the body causing it to be inoperable. If I the car wasn't in a school zone and traveling at a high rate of speed this could have been a very serious accident. If there was a vehicle behind they would have rear ended the honda. If this happens on going down a hill it would have rolled over. If this happened on a busy highway it would have caused a multi car accident. Honda is aware of this issue in Canada but has done nothing to address it here in the United States. The vehicle is available for inspection for now. I can't have a vehicle sitting in my driveway that's inoperable due to city codes. The safety of the driver, passengers, pedestrians walking and other vehicles on the road are in danger. This is a very top heavy vehicle that could easily flip and roll over causing seriously injury even death. I had the vehicle towed from where it broke, the tow truck driver is a mechanic who looked at it. He said what broke. I had another mechanic stop and look because he is a welder and said it can't be repaired at this point. There were no warning lights or signs of this happening. Unless you live in Canada where they sent owners a recall in the mail as long as they live in areas that have high salt usage on their roads.......not sure why that just pertains to Canada because, Michigan, New York, Vermont, new hampshire, Maine all get bad winters where salt is used. A vehicle should not disintegrate and fall apart like the hondas are. They are a danger on the road right now. This is the recall for this exact same problem in Canada https://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/7/VRDB-BDRV/search-recherche/detail.aspx?lang=eng&mk=1954!4785!35936!42257!39379&mkName=HONDA&md=ELEMENT&fy=2003&ty=2003&ft=&ls=0&sy=0&syName=All%20Systems&all=0&rn=2021024&cf=SearchResult&pg=0
NHTSA complaint #11489730 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
at 115,000 milesPearl River, NY
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Element. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact discovered that the rear trailing arm was severely corroded. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the rear trailing arm had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
NHTSA complaint #11698521 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Washington, DC
SUSPENSION
Please see attachment:
NHTSA complaint #11697330 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bloomington, MN
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The trailing arm connection that connects to the subframe has completely rusted make the car unsafe to drive. Parts will break and driver will lose control of the car. These same parts were recalled in Canada many years ago.
NHTSA complaint #11691501 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bloomington, MN
SUSPENSION
The trailing arm connection that connects to the subframe has completely rusted make the car unsafe to drive. Parts will break and driver will lose control of the car. These same parts were recalled in Canada many years ago.
NHTSA complaint #11691501 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bloomington, MN
STRUCTURE:BODY
The trailing arm connection that connects to the subframe has completely rusted make the car unsafe to drive. Parts will break and driver will lose control of the car. These same parts were recalled in Canada many years ago.
NHTSA complaint #11691501 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Marquette, MI
SUSPENSION
Rear driver side trailing arm separating from body non repairable. Needs professional inspection. Northern state purchased Michigan driven in salt conditioned roadways. Canadian recall for same issue. Recall Details Transport Canada Recall Number2021-024 Recall Date2021-01-26 Last Updated2023-07-07 Notification TypeSafety TC SystemStructure Issued byHONDA Manufacturer Recall NumberHO65 Units Affected The number of vehicles or components affected by the recall.12,641 CategorySUV Recall Description Issue: On certain vehicles, the rear frame could rust. In extreme cases, this could result in a rear trailing arm separating from the vehicle. This recall applies to vehicles originally sold or currently registered in areas of heavy road salt usage (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador). Safety Risk: A rear trailing arm that separates could cause a loss of control and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Honda will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer for an inspection of the rear trailing arm front mount bolts. If the vehicle passes the inspection, the dealer will apply corrosion protection and install support braces. Honda will offer to repurchase vehicles that do not pass the inspection. In the event the repurchase is declined by an owner, a secondary inspection and body shop repair method may be possible. MakeModelModel Year(s) Affected HONDAELEMENT2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Manufacturer NameContact NumberWeb Site HONDA1-888-946-6329CHECK IF THIS RECALL APPLIES TO Y
NHTSA complaint #11681494 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUN City Center, FL
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
I was driving and my odometer light and dash lights went dim on me. I changed the bulbs it didn't make a difference. I had to replace the instrument cluster. Other complaint is drivers seat keeps loosening from the floor
NHTSA complaint #11674334 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUN City Center, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I was driving and my odometer light and dash lights went dim on me. I changed the bulbs it didn't make a difference. I had to replace the instrument cluster. Other complaint is drivers seat keeps loosening from the floor
NHTSA complaint #11674334 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Philadelphia, PA
WHEELS
Rust corrosion
NHTSA complaint #11673474 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Philadelphia, PA
SUSPENSION
Rust corrosion
NHTSA complaint #11673474 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Philadelphia, PA
STRUCTURE:BODY
Rust corrosion
NHTSA complaint #11673474 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Danbury, CTCrash
SUSPENSION
in 2023 while driving my 2003 Honda Element the control arm ripped out of the frame I had it fixed to the tune of $1800. Fast forward to this week when servicing my Element I found a major rust spot on the other trailing arm bracket. After more research there is a recall in Canada to fix this but not in US. how can this be? It is a major flaw and concern that at high speeds the arm can rip out. Honda has a fix, but it is not offered in the US. please help!
NHTSA complaint #11633928 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Baraboo, WI
SUSPENSION
Vehicle has extreme corrosion of the frame near the rear trailing arm which is nearing catastrophic failure. Trailing arm is in danger of separating from the frame. This is similar to NTSB Campaign # 23V-22800 for the CR-V which shares suspension parts with the Element on these model years. If the trailing arm separates at highway speeds it could be fatal. This is a pre-emptive report of failure/loss, as I just attempted to jack up my vehicle on the drivers' side in the rear and had a great deal of the rusted frame detach near the point of the trailing arm attachment. I fear that it won't be long before the rest of the frame rusts through and if this occurs, that it may occur at highway speed and cause injury or death.
NHTSA complaint #11614604 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Baraboo, WI
STRUCTURE:BODY
Vehicle has extreme corrosion of the frame near the rear trailing arm which is nearing catastrophic failure. Trailing arm is in danger of separating from the frame. This is similar to NTSB Campaign # 23V-22800 for the CR-V which shares suspension parts with the Element on these model years. If the trailing arm separates at highway speeds it could be fatal. This is a pre-emptive report of failure/loss, as I just attempted to jack up my vehicle on the drivers' side in the rear and had a great deal of the rusted frame detach near the point of the trailing arm attachment. I fear that it won't be long before the rest of the frame rusts through and if this occurs, that it may occur at highway speed and cause injury or death.
NHTSA complaint #11614604 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 200,000 milesSammamish, WA
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Element. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V370000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the recall repair was completed. The contact stated that the vehicle was at the dealer for a week for the recall repair. The contact stated that while the vehicle was still at the dealer, the vehicle was started, and the air bag warning light illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that a diagnostic test was needed to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
NHTSA complaint #11598053 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 180,000 milesGreenwood, MO
SUSPENSION
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Element. The contact stated that while the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the trailing arm fractured. In addition, the rear of the vehicle dropped to the ground and the driver's rear side of the vehicle was dragging on the ground. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
NHTSA complaint #11576696 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 180,000 milesGreenwood, MO
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Element. The contact stated that while the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the trailing arm fractured. In addition, the rear of the vehicle dropped to the ground and the driver's rear side of the vehicle was dragging on the ground. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
NHTSA complaint #11576696 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Laporte, IN
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The drivers side mount for the rear trailing arm has rusted to the point it may be unsafe to drive according to my mechanic. I looked online and saw that Honda has issued a recall campaign in Canada but not the US. I do know from my local dealer that Honda did have them bring in several customer cars for inspection and several of those also had the same problem. These cars that have been affected certainly are not safe to drive in my opinion.
NHTSA complaint #11571316 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Laporte, IN
SUSPENSION
The drivers side mount for the rear trailing arm has rusted to the point it may be unsafe to drive according to my mechanic. I looked online and saw that Honda has issued a recall campaign in Canada but not the US. I do know from my local dealer that Honda did have them bring in several customer cars for inspection and several of those also had the same problem. These cars that have been affected certainly are not safe to drive in my opinion.
NHTSA complaint #11571316 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Myrtle Point, OR1 injured
AIR BAGS
While driving on a rough road the driver's seat airbag deployed injuring my arm (big bruise and tennis-ball size laceration). I plan to take the vehicle into the dealership to find out why this happened.
NHTSA complaint #11569257 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 200,000 milesNorth Branch, MN
SUSPENSION
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Element. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at approximately 25 MPH, the rear driver’s side tire detached from the vehicle. Despite the failure, the contact's daughter managed to drive the vehicle to the residence. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the rear trailing arm had detached from the vehicle. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA complaint #11558282 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hopkinton, MA
SUSPENSION
Inspection of the underbody revealed complete rusting away of the frame mount point for the passenger side lower control arm. The mounting has not failed yet, but the metal surrounding the bolt point is no longer providing any structure. I would not ordinarily have thought inform the NHTSA of this failure, but Internet searching has turned up many other owners of Elements experiencing this same failure and Honda has issued a recall in Canada for Elements for this problem. CR-Vs in the US that use the same chassis have had a recall for the same problem. Why has the recall not been extended to US Elements that are exposed to road salt? I have not yet contacted Honda regarding this issue.
NHTSA complaint #11553566 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hopkinton, MA
STRUCTURE:BODY
Inspection of the underbody revealed complete rusting away of the frame mount point for the passenger side lower control arm. The mounting has not failed yet, but the metal surrounding the bolt point is no longer providing any structure. I would not ordinarily have thought inform the NHTSA of this failure, but Internet searching has turned up many other owners of Elements experiencing this same failure and Honda has issued a recall in Canada for Elements for this problem. CR-Vs in the US that use the same chassis have had a recall for the same problem. Why has the recall not been extended to US Elements that are exposed to road salt? I have not yet contacted Honda regarding this issue.
NHTSA complaint #11553566 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brooklyn Park, MN
SUSPENSION
Same as the recalls for Honda ELEMENT of Canada and American Honda CRV of America In Honda’s words: SUMMARY: American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain 2007-2011 model year CR-V vehicles. In salt-belt states where de-icing agents are used to maintain the roadway, the de-icing agents, along with mud and water, could enter the rear frame through drainage/positioning holes when the vehicle is driven through flooded areas or puddles at high speeds. Over time, the accumulated de-icing agents/mud/water mixture could cause corrosion to the frame's internal structure. If this occurs, the rear trailing arm can fall off. SAFETY RISK: The corrosion to the frame's internal structure can cause the rear trailing arm to fall off, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
NHTSA complaint #11552502 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brooklyn Park, MN
STRUCTURE:BODY
Same as the recalls for Honda ELEMENT of Canada and American Honda CRV of America In Honda’s words: SUMMARY: American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain 2007-2011 model year CR-V vehicles. In salt-belt states where de-icing agents are used to maintain the roadway, the de-icing agents, along with mud and water, could enter the rear frame through drainage/positioning holes when the vehicle is driven through flooded areas or puddles at high speeds. Over time, the accumulated de-icing agents/mud/water mixture could cause corrosion to the frame's internal structure. If this occurs, the rear trailing arm can fall off. SAFETY RISK: The corrosion to the frame's internal structure can cause the rear trailing arm to fall off, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
NHTSA complaint #11552502 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.