2004 Honda Element transmission problems

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2004 Honda Element. The contact stated that after the vehicle was shifted into park(P), the vehicle would roll forward or roll backward. Additionally, the key would remain stuck in the ignition, causing the contact to have to maneuver the key to release the key from the ignition switch. The failure occurred intermittently; however, the key was still stuck in the ignition. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 167,000.

NHTSA complaint #11492053 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA ELEMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION WHILE DRIVING AT ALL SPEEDS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE OCCASIONALLY EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY SHIFTING OUT OF PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURES DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5. UPDATED 08/28/12*LJ UPDATED 09/05/2012

NHTSA complaint #10468301 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA ELEMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE SHIFTED FROM DRIVE TO PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT CABLE AND BUSHINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 156,000.

NHTSA complaint #10432179 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

2004 HONDA ELEMENT: (I HAVE 2 AND BOTH HAVE THE FOLLOWING EXACT PROBLEMS)1. AIRBAGS WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING PROBLEMS 2. DRIVERS SEAT IS LOOSE AND ROCKS 3. PASSENGER SEAT CAUSES EXTREME DISCOMFORT TO HIP AND BACK ON LONG TIPS (THIS IS OCCURS WITH ALL PASSENGERS, YOUNG AND OLDER) 3. UNDER CARRIAGE BRUSHES FAILURE 4. A/C AIR COMPRESSOR FAILURE 5. STRAPS IN BACK SEATS PULLED OUT AND SEAT CANNOT BE RECLINED 6. ENGINE DECELERATES WITHOUT WARNING. POWER CUTBACK DURING PASSING MAKES THIS VERY DANGEROUS. 7. DRIVERS SEATBELT BUCKLE IS DIFFICULT TO SECURE (ONLY 1 CAR WITH THIS PROBLEM) 8. LOUD CLANKING NOISE WHEN CARS ARE BEING TURNED.

NHTSA complaint #10348937 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

SUDDEN DEPRESSION OF ACCELERATOR, WITH A RAPID RPM TO 7000. SECOND OCCURRENCE, MULTIPLE EPISODIC OCCURRENCE, DEFEATING THE POSSIBILITY OF DRIVER ERROR. RAPID SHIFT TO NEUTRAL SETTING HELPED TO REDUCE THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. IT MAY BE A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM AKIN TO TOYOTA. THE ACCELERATOR PROBLEM MAY AN ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING PROBLEM. THE CAR IN QUESTION IS A HONDA ELEMENT 2004. THE CAR SHOULD BE INSPECTED AND EXAMINED IN ORDER TO ISOLATE AND DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS INDEED A SYSTEMIC PRODUCT DEFECT. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO HONDA. THEIR BRUSQUE AND CURSORY ANSWER DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM REPORTED EARLIER. I HAVE LOST CONFIDENCE IN THIS AUTOMOBILE'S SAFETY. AS A CUSTOMER OF SEVERAL HONDA CARS SINCE 1980, THESE PROBLEMS SHOULD BE ANALYZED AND SOLVED SO NEXT GENERATIONS OF HONDA OWNER DOES NOT EXPERIENCE SUCH A DISTRESSING AND HAZARDOUS CONDITION.

NHTSA complaint #10336921 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE

HONDA ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE CRV MODEL HONDA. THE ELEMENT HAS THE SAME RUNNING GEAR, BUT NO BULLETIN WAS ISSUED FOR THERE ELEMENT....THE SERVICE BULLETIN WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE THE REAR AXLE DIFFERENTIAL LUBRICANT IS FAILING AT ABOUT 30,000 MILES; CAUSING A PARTIAL LOCK UP OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. THE SERVICE MANUAL CALLS FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL FLUID AT 90,000 MILES FOR NORMAL SERVICE AND 60,000 MILES FOR SEVERE SERVICE.. ONE NOTICES A JUDDER ON TURNING THE VEHICLE AT SLOW SPEEDS, AS THE DIFFERENTIAL CLUTCHES BIND WITH THE FAILED LUBRICANT. I SEE A POTENTIAL SEVER SAFETY PROBLEM AS A RESULT OF THE FAILED LUBRICANT AND A LOCKED UP DIFFERENTIAL. IF THE DIFFERENTIAL IS ONLY PARTIALLY BINDING, THIS FORCES THE VEHICLE TO ATTEMPT TO ALWAYS GO IN A STRAIGHT LINE, AS NO DIFFERENTIAL ACTION IS OCCURRING , NOT COMPENSATING FOR THE DIFFERENT TRACK OF THE INSIDE WHEN TURNING THROUGH A CURVE. AT THE MOST SEVERS SITUATION - WET SLICK,OR ICY ROADS, THIS LOCKED DIFFERENTIAL WILL CAUSE THE C=VEHICLE TO TRACK IN A STRAIGHT LINE, INSTEAD OF TURNING THROUGH A CURVE; CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LEAVE THE ROAD AND POTENTIALLY CRASH, INJURING THE OCCUPANTS. I CALLED HONDA SERVICE AND EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS. THEY AGREED SUCH COULD HAPPEN, BUT FELT THE BULLETIN ISSUED ON THE CRV WAS SATISFACTORY TO COVER THE ELEMENT. I DISAGREE, AS OWNERS WERE NOT CONTACTED AND NOTIFIED OF THE POTENTIAL SERIOUS PROBLEM, AND THE NEED TO REPLACE THE OIL AT THE EARLIER MILEAGES. I SUGGEST THAT HONDA MUST BE REQUIRED TO NOTIFY ALL OWNERS OF THE EL;EMANATE VERSION, ABOUT THE NEED FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE REQUIRE DIFFERENTIAL OIL, AND THE POTENTIAL OF A SERIOUS INCIDENT IF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL LOCKS UP FROM THE FAILED DIFFERENTIAL OIL. I FIRST NOTICED THIS WHEN THE DIFFERENTIAL BECAME NOISY AS I TURNED THROUGH A "U" TURN. ON CALLING MY DEALER, I WAS TOLD ABOUT THE CRV BULLETIN.....THOUGH IT DID NOT APPLY TO THE ELEMENT, THE DEALER WAS AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10277241 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE NEW FROM THE DEALER. IT BEGAN TO LEAK TRANSMISSION FLUID. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WITH THE COMPLAINT. THEY SAID THEY'D TAKE A LOOK AT IT, BUT IT WAS A WASTE OF TIME. THEY CLAIMED IT COULD NOT POSSIBLY BE LEAKING AND ANY FLUID I SAW WAS CONDENSATION FROM THE AC. THE GAVE IT BACK TO ME IN A FEW HOURS CLAIMING IT WAS FINE AND AGAIN SAID THE FLUID WAS CONDENSATION. I ARGUED AND SAID IT WAS OILY. THEY CLAIMED THIS WAS BECAUSE MY GARAGE FLOOR WAS OILY. THE RESPONSE TO ME WAS: "I'M SO CONFIDENT IT IS WATER I'LL COME OVER AND LICK OF THE GARAGE FLOOR. NEW CARS DON'T LEAK." WELL, IT DID LEAK AND LOADS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID. I HAD TO MOP UP THE FLUID AND RETURN WITH THE SOAKED RAG AND THE VEHICLE TO GET THEM TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK. I HAD TO HAVE AN ENTIRELY NEW TRANSMISSION INSTALLED. THIS IS MY 4TH HONDA. I'VE NEVER HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH A VEHICLE AS I'VE HAD WITH THIS ELEMENT. I'VE ONLY HAD IT 3 MONTHS NOW. VERY DISAPPOINTING.

NHTSA complaint #10112109 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO GO IN GEAR. TURNED OFF THE CAR AND THEN RESTARTED IT.STILL COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO GO INTO GEAR. THE NEXT DAY THE CAR WORKED FINE.

NHTSA complaint #10102305 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

WITH VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND WITH ENGINE RUNNING, THE CAR WILL ROLL BACKWARD DOWN HILL. MY DRIVEWAY HAS A SMALL INCLINE - VEHICLE ROLLS BACKWARD WHILE IN GEAR (DRIVE) WITH ENGINE RUNNING. 2004 HONDA ELEMENT EX.

NHTSA complaint #10097971 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.