Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Honda Element submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 35 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 35, in the owner's own words
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
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Element. The contact stated that after parking and turning off the vehicle, the vehicle would roll forward or backward. The contact stated that he restarted the vehicle and shifted into park(P), and the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving and unintendedly striking the gear shifter, the vehicle shifted out of gear. The contact stated that he would manually shift back into the intended gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the ignition switch had failed to turn and was repaired by a locksmith; however, the failure recurred. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired free of charge because it was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V364000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that the vehicle was undrivable. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 179,000. The VIN was unavailable.
2003 HONDA ELEMENT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG AND IGNITION SWITCH SAFETY RECALL. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS IMPROPERLY REPAIRED DURING THE RECALL REPAIR PROCESS. *JS THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT, DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE.*JS *JS
2003 HONDA ELEMENT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO HONDA SAFETY RECALL CONCERNING IGNITION INTERLOCK SYSTEM FAILURE. *AS THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE COST OF REPAIRS.*JS
DRIVERS SIDE DOOR KEY CEASED TO WORK AS STATED NUMEROUS TIMES BY OTHERS. ONLY WAY TO GET IN AND LOCK THE DOOR IS FROM PASSENGER SIDE...PLACING DRIVER IN UNSAFE AND VUNERABLE POSITION. ALSO WHEN DRIVING SLOWLY APPROX 10 MPH CAR HAS FREQUENTLY IRRACTICALLY ACCELERATED OF ITS OWN ACCORD. HAVE TO STAND ON THE BRAKES TO GET CAR TO STOP. WITH THE CAR AT A STOP, AND IN DRIVE IT WILL SELF ACCELERATE...VERY DANGEROUS!!! AS OTHERS HAVE NOTED THERE IS A SERIOUS ELECTRICAL SHORT?? AS DASH LIGHTS ARE DULL THEN AND HAVE TO HIT DASH TO GET THEM TO LIGHT UP. HEADLIGHTS ARE CONSTANTLY SURGING FROM LIMITED LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO NORMAL.
DEFECTIVE DASH GAUGE CONTROLS KEEP THE CAR FROM STARTING. IT'S A KNOWN DEFECT AND HONDA KNOWS IT ALSO
IGNITION WILL ALLOW KEY TO BE REMOVED WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION. WAS TAKEN IN FOR RECALL ON 11/13/15 AND PROBLEM STILL PERSISTED AND NOW IGNITION SWITCH IS INOPERABLE. CONTACTED DEALER AND THEY SAID PROBLEM WAS FIXED AND NOT WILLING TO LOOK OVER IT AGAIN. WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT COOPERATE NUMBER AND THEY JUST TRIED TO TALK CIRCLES AROUND ME ABOUT IT. JUST OVER A YEAR LATER AND RECALL IS WORSE.
DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCK NO LONGER WORKING WHEN ALARM IS ACTIVATED. KEY GETS STUCK SOMETIMES IN THE LOCK. I THEN HAVE TO GO AROUND TO PASSENGER SIDE TO GET IN TO OPEN DRIVER SIDE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ELEMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE COULD REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION IN ANY GEAR WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V364000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 169,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ELEMENT. AFTER THE IGNITION KEY WAS TURNED TO THE START POSITION, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V364000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
2003 HONDA ELEMENT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO UNSATISFACTORY CUSTOMER SERVICE AT DEALERSHIP WITH IGNITION SWITCH AND AIRBAG REPAIRS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON OCCASIONALLY. ALSO, THE KEY WOULD GET STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AT TIMES WHEN THE CONSUMER TURNED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. *JB
WHILE DRIVING THE SRS/AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASH. HAD IT RESETTED BUT DOESNT GO AWAY. CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED ABOUT RECALLS ON THE AIRBAGS AND IGNITION SWITCH. NOTHING ABOUT THE AIRBAG LIGHT. IVE REVIEWED MANY FORM WHICH COUNTLESS PEOPLE COMPLAIN OF THIS ISSUE. PLEASE UPDATE ME ON ANYTHING REGUARDING THIS ISSUE! IM SCARED THE AIRBAGS MAY DEPLOY AS IM DRIVING, OR NOT DEPLOY WHEN NEEDED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ELEMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY BECAME STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND FAILED TO TURN OVER IN ORDER TO START THE VEHICLE. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO START. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE IGNITION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING THE FAILURE IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V364000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ELEMENT. UPON ENTERING THE VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTING TO PLACE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE KEY FAILED TO ENGAGE WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. OCASIONALLY, IT TOOK THE CONTACT TEN MINUTES TO GET THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. MA 10/25/15
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ELEMENT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 10V364000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), 14V351000 (AIR BAGS), AND 14V700000 (AIR BAGS). THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE WITHIN A REASONABLE TIMEFRAME TO SCHEDULE THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE DEALER DID NOT GIVE A SPECIFIC DATE FOR WHEN THE PART WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT PROVIDE AN ESTIMATED DATE FOR WHEN THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WOULD RECEIVE THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
BATTERY DIES AFTER 10 TO 12 HOURS OF NOT USING CAR, ON 3RD BATTERY IN 3 YEARS, BATTERY IS DRAINED DEAD. *TR
THE DRIVER'S-SIDE KEY LOCK ROUTINELY DOES NOT ACCEPT THE KEY WITHOUT MULTIPLE EFFORTS. SOMETIMES THESE EFFORTS FAIL, AND I MUST TRY THE BACK HATCH OR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. AS A SINGLE FEMALE, I FIND THIS DISTURBINGLY DANGEROUS. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT I CAN'T GET INTO THE CAR, MARKING ME AS VULNERABLE. THIS BASICALLY SETS ME AFOOT, OFTEN AT NIGHT, OFTEN IN UNCERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. SHOULD I FIND MYSELF NEEDING TO MOVE THE CAR FOR ANY EMERGENCY WHATSOEVER, A GREAT DEAL OF TIME WILL BE LOST AS I STRUGGLE WITH ENTRY. UNTIL I CHECKED FOR THE AIRBAG RECALL, I HAD NOT KNOWN ABOUT THIS SITE. I AM APPALLED TO FIND THAT THIS KEY FAILURE IS A COMMON ISSUE. MY NEXT CAR WILL BE A TOYOTA, THE BRAND I DROVE FOR MANY, MANY MILES AND YEARS WITHOUT TROUBLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ELEMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC DOOR SYSTEM FAILED TO OPEN OR LOCK THE DOORS, AND THE DOORS COULD NOT BE OPENED WITH THE KEY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.
I WAS DRIVING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT OF MY CONDO, WHEN MY KNEE TAPPED THE KEYS ON MY IGNITION INWARDS. AS THIS HAPPENED THE CAR SHUT OFF. I WAS WORRIED BUT HAD TO GO ON WITH MY DAY. AFTER HEARING ABOUT THE GM ISSUES I BECAME CONCERNED BECAUSE THE ISSUE WITH THEIR IGNITION WAS THE SAME ONE I WAS HAVING WITH MY HONDA ELEMENT. I CALLED HONDA ON JULY 1, 2014 AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I WAS TOLD I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE INSPECTION AT THE DEALERSHIP AND WOULD HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT ON MY OWN. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THE IGNITION ON MY HONDA HAS HAD AN ISSUE. A RECALL WAS INITIATED BY HONDA REGARDING THE IGNITION ALLOWING A CAR TO ROLL AWAY IF NOT ON PARK. I FOLLOWED DIRECTION AND HAD MY CAR INSPECTED BY A HONDA AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE DEALER. THE PROBLEM WAS ADDRESSED, BUT NOW WITH A LIGHT BUMP ON THE KEY THE IGNITION TURNS OFF. I AM VERY WORRIED I AM NOT THE ONLY CONSUMER WITH THIS ISSUE AND THAT HONDA DOES NOT TAKE THIS CONCERN SERIOUSLY, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THE GM ISSUES GOING ON. PLEASE HELP. *TR
I HAVE A 2003 HONDA ELEMENT AND I HAVE TO PAY OVER $700 FOR A NEW IGNITION AND MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR DOES NOT WORK WITH A KEY OR THE KEYLESS REMOTE. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE AND HONDA SHOULD DO A BLANKET RECALL. I CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR AT THIS TIME. IT IS EMBARRASSING AND UNACCEPTABLE AND IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. COME ON HONDA! NOW I WILL HAVE TWO KEYS, ONE FOR THE IGNITION AND ONE FOR THE DOORS. WHEN I GET MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR FIXED, I WILL HAVE THREE KEYS TO USE. URG. *TR
KEYLESS REMOTE WILL NOT WORK FOR ANY DOORS. KEY WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO MANUALLY TURN WITHOUT GETTING STUCK OR JAMMED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE (FROM THE OUTSIDE). THE DOOR WILL ONLY LOCK IF YOU CRAWL THROUGH FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE AND LOCK IT MANUALLY. THIS IS INCONVENIENT, UNACCEPTABLE AND A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG HONDA ELEMENT OWNERS. THIS ISSUE SHOULD CAUSE A RECALL FOR HONDA TO FIX. *TR
DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN WITH KEY. HAD TO USE PASSENGER'S SIDE. SINCE THAT TIME, ALL OF THE DOOR KEYS (INCLUDING BACK) HAVE BECOME DIFFICULT TO OPEN. HAVE TO MOVE KEY UP AND DOWN TO GET IT TO SLIDE IN. NOW THE IGNITION IS ALSO BECOMING PROBLEMATIC. *TR
NHTSA RECALL 10V364000 I TOOK MY ELEMENT INTO BOB BOYT HONDA; BRANDON, MS FOR THIS RECALL. THEY TOOK THE CAR, REPLACED SOME LITTLE PLASTIC PART. I TOOK THE CAR HOME AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I COULD STILL REMOVE THE KEY AND WALK AWAY FROM THE CAR WITH THE CAR IN GEAR. WHEN THE CAR SHIFT IS IN THE DRIVE POSITION AND TURNED OFF, IT WILL STILL ROLL,LIKE IT WOULD IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL. I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP, LEFT IT, THEY TRIED AGAIN. BUT THE PLASTIC PART WOULD NOT FIX THE CAR. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS SOME SOLENOID NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND IT WOULD COST HUNDREDS TO FIX THE PROBLEM AS THAT PART WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. I LEFT AND THE CAR IS NOT FIXED. WAS MY CAR SUPPOSED TO BE FIXED, REGARDLESS OF THE PART REQUIRED? THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I'VE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS DEALERSHIP AND RECALLS ON THIS CAR. *TR
THE DASHBOARD LIGHT OF THE HONDA ELEMENT GOES DARK INTERMITTENTLY. AT THE BEGINNING I THOUGHT THIS WAS AN ISOLATED EVENT - BUT FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE ON INTERNET FORUMS. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE PROBLEM IS SO INCONSISTENT THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE IT. FROM READING THE COMPLAINT OF THE OTHER ELEMENT OWNERS IT SEEMS THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE ELECTRICAL WIRING SYSTEM OF THE ELEMENTS. I REQUEST THE NHTSA TO PERFORM A DETAILED INVESTIGATION INTO THIS -AS THIS POSES A SERIOUS RISK WITH THE INSTRUMENTS CLUSTER FAILING RANDOMLY. *TR
TUMBLERS IN IGNITION BECOMES MAL ALIGNED, KEY WILL NOT INSERT OR TURN, ENGINE WILL NOT START. THIS IS NOT PART OF THE CURRENT ACTIVE RECALL ON THE IGNITION SYSTEM. I HAVE REPLACED THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER TWICE IN 3 YEARS. IT IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE, ASK ANY ONE WHO DRIVES A 2003 ELEMENT, THEY'VE REPLACED THIS PART TOO. HONDA ONLY WARRANTIES THE PART FOR ONE YEAR. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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