Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 Honda Element submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA ELEMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE WINDOWS COLLAPSED INTO THE DOOR WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE WINDOW REGULATOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.
I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY STREET, QUITE SLOW (ABOUT 20-25 MPH) AND SMOKE STARTED TO BILLOW OUT OF MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE SWITCHES WHICH CONTROL MY WINDOWS. THE SMOKE GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE IN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME (30 SECONDS - 1 MINUTE). I WAS UNABLE TO OPEN MY WINDOWS TO LET THE BLACK SMOKE OUT. I OPENED MY CAR DOOR WHILE I DROVE INTO THE FIRST PARKING LOT I SAW. AS SOON AS I PARKED, I COULD SEE FLAMES UNDER THE WINDOW SWITCHES, WHICH MELTED THE PLASTIC AND CAUSED THE FLAMES TO GET LARGER. I WAS ABLE TO SMOLDER THE FIRE WITH A JACKET WHILE WAITING FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. A FIRE CLAIM WAS FILED. MY CAR WAS TOWED, SINCE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ADVISED ME NOT TO DRIVE IT. I AM NOW AWAITING WORD FROM THE MECHANIC IT WAS TOWED TO. I WORK FOR A HOME HEALTH CARE AGENCY, AND HAVE TO TRANSPORT SMALL OXYGEN TANKS ON OCCASION. I HAD ONE IN MY CAR AT THE TIME AND THIS ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. *TR
WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AT 40 MPH ON PAVED CITY STREETS, THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW SUDDENLY FELL INTO THE DOOR CAVITY AND WAS LEFT INOPERABLE. HAD TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE CAR IN COLD WEATHER WITHOUT A SIDE WINDOW. TOOK TO DEALER FOR REPAIR OF WINDOW REGULATOR. DEALER HAD VEHICLE FOR 24 HOURS. REPAIR WAS IT APPEARS THIS PREMATURE FAILURE COULD OCCUR AT ANY TIME, LEAVING THE CAR VULNERABLE TO WEATHER AND BREAK INS. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO A CAR OF THIS AGE. REPAIR WAS $244.32. *TR
ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2011, UPON STARTING THE IGNITION OF MY 2005 HONDA ELEMENT, I NOTICED SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE POWER WINDOW SWITCH ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. AFTER HEARING SOME CRACKLING NOISES FROM THE POWER WINDOW SWITCH, IT SOON POPPED INTO A SMALL FIRE WHICH WENT OUT ON IT'S OWN, PROCEEDED BY MORE CONTINUOUS SMOKE. *TR
3-5-08, IN MORNING, WHEN I GOT INTO MY ELEMENT, I NOTICED TWO LONG CRACKS IN THE WINDSHIELD, STARTING AT THE LOWER RIGHT- AND LEFT-HAND CORNERS, TRAVELING UPWARDS AT AN ANGLE, TOWARD THE CENTER, APPROX 15 INCHES LONG, EACH. I CALLED THE HONDA DEALER, AND THEY SAID I SHOULD CHECK MY WARRANTY. I DID. WINDSHIELD DAMAGE NOT COVERED. I CALLED HONDA MOTOR COMPANY. THEY TRIED TO TELL ME IT WAS NOT A DESIGN DEFECT (AS I BELIEVED). AFTER TELLING THEM I KNEW OF MANY REPORTS TO THE NHTSA, THEY FINALLY AGREED TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD, AS "...A ONE-TIME GOODWILL GESTURE." (I BIT MY TONGUE, AS I KNEW THAT THE PHONE REP KNEW IT WAS, IN FACT, A DESIGN FLAW.) *TR
WINDSHIELD CRACKED AFTER USING DEFROSTER. HONDA DEALER IN ALBANY, NY SAID IT WAS CRACKED DUE TO A TINY NICK IN THE GLASS RESULTING FROM A STONE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA ELEMENT. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH,THE CONTACT OBSERVED A CRACK IN THE FRONT WINDSHIELD 7 OR 8 MONTHS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN 10/2005. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35,000 ,AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000. THE WINDSHIELD HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK
WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITHOUT AN IMPACT BY FLYING OBJECT. *JB
MY 2005 HONDA ELEMENT WINDSHIELD JUST CRACKED. NOTHING HIT IT, THE WINDSHIELD JUST CRACKED. IT NOW HAS TWO SIGNIFICANT CRACKS FROM THE EDGE OF THE WINDSHIELD ACROSS. *JB
WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED 3 TIMES OVER A 6 MONTH PERIOD. *NM
I HAVE OWNED MY HONDA ELEMENT FOR TWO WEEKS NOW....FIRST TIME ON THE FREEWAY GOING AROUND 65-70 MILES PER HOUR. AT A SUBSTANTIAL FOLLOWING DISTANCE RECIEVED ONE CHIP AND ONE LARGE DING/CRACK IN MY WINDSHIELD FROM ONCOMING DEBRIS--ALL WITHIN THE SPACE OF ONE HALF HOUR. RESEARCHED INTERNET ONLY TO FIND THAT AMONG OTHER COMPLAINTS THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT PENDING RIGHT NOW ABOUT THIS VERY DESIGN FLAW IN THE HONDA ELEMENT--MANY SUGGEST IT CAN BE FIXED BY HONDA SIMPLY REINFORCING THE GLASS AND FLATTENING THE FLANGES AROUND THE WINDSHIELD TO PREVENT THE INORDINATE AMOUNT OF DINGS AND CRACKING. I CONTACTED MY DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS MY PROBLEM--BUT IVE DONE MORE RESEARCH ONLY TO FIND THAT HONDA HAS SENT TSB'S OUT TO MANY DEALERS ADVISING THEM TO FIX THIS PROBLEM FOR THE 2003-2004 MODELS. MY DEALER TELLS ME THEY CAN'T HELP ME. *NM
WINDSHIELD ON MY 2 MONTH OLD HONDA ELEMENT HAS A CRACK AND WE DO NOT THINK IT WAS HIT BY A ROCK. *NM
WINDSHEILD ON 2005 ELEMENT HAS 14 IN CRACK
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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