2006 Honda Element Interior & seats Problems

Chest clip won’t pull tight and tethered to pull on lower anchor malfunctions when you pull it is difficult to get tight

NHTSA ID

11751415

Incident

Jul 19, 2026

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT ROCKS DANGEROUSLY BACK AND FORTH. I ONLY WEIGH 108 POUNDS SO IT'S NOTHING I HAVE DONE TO CAUSE THIS. WHEN I LOOK ONLINE, THOUSANDS OF ELEMENT OWNERS HAVE THIS SAME COMPLAINT. IT IS PRETTY EXPENSIVE TO GET THE SEAT ASSEMBLY REPLACED. I HAVE DRIVEN HONDAS FOR 30 YEARS AND NEVER HAD THIS ISSUE. IT BEGAN A YEAR OR SO AGO AND HAS GOTTEN WORSE!

NHTSA ID

11338587

Incident

Apr 19, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA ELEMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT ROCKED BACK AND FORTH WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION NUMBER: 03032 (SEATS). THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 185,000.

NHTSA ID

11241088

Incident

Jul 15, 2019

Mileage

185,000 mi

DRIVER'S SEAT ROCKS BACK AND FORTH WHILE DRIVING AND BRAKING MY MECHANIC SAID BUSHINGS WORN/LOOSE. HE FIXED IT, BUT THE PROBLEM CAME BACK. A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN HAS BEEN RELEASED BY HONDA ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. A SERVICE ADVISER AT A HONDA DEALERSHIP COULD NOT HELP MY PROBLEM WITHOUT ME PAYING A COSTLY BILL. WHAT'S NEXT?

NHTSA ID

10915756

Incident

Sep 5, 2016

Mileage

80,000 mi

MY SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG CAME OUT AFTER RUNNING OVER A BRANCH THAT I COULD NOT AVOID. I CAME OVER A HILL ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET AND THE BRANCHES WERE ALL OVER THE ROAD. I GOT OUT OF MY CAR BECAUSE I SMELLED SMOKE. IT WAS ONLY UPON GETTING BACK IN MY CAR THAT I REALIZED THE AIR BAG WAS HANGING OUT. IT DID NOT INFLATE JUST CAME OUT. I RECENTLY HAD THE RECALL TAKEN CARE OF FOR THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE. EVERY AUTO BODY PERSON I HAVE SPOKE WITH SAYS THAT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED FOR SOMETHING LIKE A BRANCH. ALSO, MY SEAT BELTS ARE STILL WORKING WHICH IS UNCOMMON AFTER THE AIR BAG DEPLOYING. HONDA HAS NOT WANTED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE AIR BAG DEPLOYING WITHOUT TRUE CAUSE.

NHTSA ID

10795023

Incident

Nov 18, 2015

Mileage

196,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING DOWN MY OWN DRIVEWAY, WHEN THERE WAS A VERY LOUD EXPLOSION TO MY RIGHT. AFTER A MOMENT, I REALIZED THE PASSENGER SEAT SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NOTHING ON THE SEAT AT THE TIME. MY RIGHT EAR RANG FOR QUITE SOME TIME AFTER. LUCKILY, MY DOG WAS CRATED BEHIND ME. I ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOWS TO DISSIPATE THE POWDER FLOATING ABOUT. HONDA, BOTH THE LOCAL DEALER AND CORPORATE, HAVE BEEN LESS THAN HELPFUL IN THIS MATTER. I AM JUST HAPPY IT HAPPENED IN MY OWN DRIVEWAY ( WHICH I ALMOST DROVE OFF OF) RATHER THAN ON THE MAJOR HWY I HAD BEEN ON THE DAY BEFORE AS I SURELY WOULD HAVE CRASHED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10654860

Incident

Oct 13, 2014

Mileage

150,000 mi

DRIVER'S SEAT IS ROCKING BACK AND FORTH. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS CONDITION DURING DRIVING AS IT MAY AFFECT CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. SAFETY INSPECTOR ALSO SAYS THAT THE SEAT MAY COME LOOSE -- THEREFORE THAT VIRGINIA STATE INSPECTOR FAILED MY VEHICLE DURING ITS ANNUAL SAFETY INSPECTION. ALL OF THESE COMMON COMPLAINTS SHOULD BE SUBJECT OF A RECALL SINCE THE SEAT'S DESIGN WAS FAULTY. THIS IS EVIDENCED BY HONDA'S TSB STATING THAT AN ADDITIONAL SPACER SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE WORN OUT BUSHINGS TO PREVENT FUTURE OCCURRENCE OF THIS INCIDENT. ISN'T THAT EVIDENCE THAT THEIR DESIGN WAS DEFECTIVE FROM THE BEGINNING? NHTSA SHOULD LIKEWISE DO ITS JOB BY FORCING A RECALL OF THESE VEHICLES. WOULD THEY RATHER HAVE A CONSUMER ACCIDENT OCCUR FIRST BEFORE THEY DO THEIR JOB? *TR

NHTSA ID

10565898

Incident

Mar 1, 2013

Mileage

165,000 mi

2006 HONDA ELEMENT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT COMBINATION SWITCH WIRE HARNESS CONNECTOR RECALL NOTICE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED SHE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HER HEADLIGHTS AS NOTED IN THE RECALL. HOWEVER, THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED DUE TO THE VERY LOW FAILURE RATE IN THE ELEMENTS, THEY WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM CREATES OVERHEATING ON THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR AND UNEXPECTED LOSS OF LOW BEAM FUNCTIONALITY, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

NHTSA ID

10504048

Incident

Mar 1, 2013

MY DRIVER SEAT HAS BEEN CRACKING AND IT IS LIKE THE SEAT COVER THAT IT WAS MADE OUT OF WAS DRY ROTTED. I HAVE TALK TO OTHER HONDA ELEMENT OWNERS AND THEY ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. SOME WITH THE DRIVER SEAT, OTHERS WITH THE OTHER SEAT. SO, IT IS NOT BECAUSE THE DRIVER GET IN AND OUT MORE, BECAUSE IT IS NOT ONLY ON THAT SIDE OF THE SEAT BUT THE OTHER SIDE AS WELL AND BACK PART ON THE SIDES. JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY ALOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE SEAT COVERS AS CRACKING AND TEARING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10486687

Incident

Dec 9, 2008

2006 HONDA ELEMENT PROBLEMS: I BOUGHT THIS HONDA BECAUSE OF THE REPUTATION FOR A SOLID CAR WITH VERY LITTLE MAINTENANCE ISSUES. THIS CAR HAS HAD MORE MAINTENANCE ISSUES THAN ANY OTHER I'VE EVER OWNED! *TT 1. DRIVER'S SEAT ROCK. THE SEAT HAS ROCKED LEFT TO RIGHT SINCE ABOUT 30,000 MILES. I DON'T THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY $300 TO FIX A SAFETY ISSUE THAT HONDA OBVIOUSLY KNOWS ABOUT. 2. AT ABOUT 60,000 MILES THE AIR CONDITIONING STOPPED WORKING-THAT WAS A $700+ REPAIR FOR A NEW FAN MOTOR . 3. I HAVE GONE THROUGH ABOUT 5 WINDSHIELDS IN 90,000 MILES. GOOD THING I ALWAYS GET ZERO DEDUCTIBLE GLASS COVERAGE! THE LAST WASN'T EVEN DUE TO A CRACK, BUT BECAUSE IT BECAME SO PITTED IT WAS IMPAIRING VISIBILITY. 4. THIS VEHICLE HAS A HUGE BLIND SPOT IN THE DRIVER'S LEFT CORNER. I HAVE HAD COUNTLESS NEAR MISSES-ESPECIALLY PEDESTRIANS IN PARKING LOTS. THE BLIND SPOT IS LARGE ENOUGH TO BLOCK VISION COMPLETELY. *TT

NHTSA ID

10417208

Incident

Jan 1, 2008

Mileage

30,000 mi

I NOTICED THAT THE SIDE DOORS LATCH ALONG THE RUNNING BOARD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF MY 2006 HONDA ELEMENT HAD COME LOOSE. THE TWO SIZABLE BOLTS THAT SHOULD SECURE THE LATCH TO THE VEHICLE BODY FLOAT FREELY WHEN THE LATCH CAN BE MOVED BY HAND. VISUALLY, THE ONLY THING THAT SEEMS TO BE KEEPING THE LATCH FROM FALLING ONTO THE STREET IS THE BLACK PLASTIC INTERIOR STRIPS THAT OVERLAP THE FLANGE OF THE LATCH. LOOKS TO ME THAT IF THAT LATCH COMES FREE FROM THE VEHICLE THEN BOTH DOORS COULD POTENTIALLY SWING OPEN CREATING A DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10276351

Incident

Jul 1, 2009

Mileage

23,300 mi

DRIVER RAN INTO STOPPED CAR IN FRONT OF HIM. SPEED WAS SUFFICIENT TO FLATTEN THE CAR UP TO THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE - LITTLE DAMAGE BEHIND THAT. CAR IS 2006 HONDA ELEMENT. AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. SAFETY BELT DID NOT LOCK UP QUICKLY - DRIVER STRUCK THE STEERING WHEEL, AND CHEST WAS BRUISED BY TOP OF STEERING WHEEL. PASSENGER SEAT MOVED TO THE FULL FORWARD POSITION, ALMOST TOUCHING THE DASHBOARD. NO SIGNIFICANT INJURIES RESULTED, BUT SAFETY SYSTEMS DID NOT WORK AS EXPECTED.

NHTSA ID

10171794

Incident

Oct 23, 2006

Mileage

5,300 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH TO SEE CLEARLY DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. THE SERVICE DEALER RECOMMENDED TINTING ADDED TO THE FRONT SIDE WINDOWS AND THE TOP FEW INCHES OF THE WINDSHIELD. LED LIGHTS WERE INSTALLED INTO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE VISIBILITY WAS STILL POOR AND TOOK ATTENTION FROM THE ROAD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. UPDATED 10/04/06 *JB

NHTSA ID

10168663

Incident

Jul 8, 2006

Mileage

3 mi