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 2006 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
THE SUN VISOR MOUNT HAS LOOSENED UP OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO. TODAY, I PULLED DOWN THE SUN VISOR TO BLOCK THE SUN AND WHEN I ACCELERATED THE ENTIRE THING FELL ON MY FACE WHILE I WAS DRIVING, TEMPORARILY BLOCKING MY VISION. THE ENTIRE MOUNT AND VISOR CAME OUT OF THE CEILING OF MY CAR AND FELL ON ME. *TR
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
BROKEN WINDOW REGULATOR: WE WERE REFUELING AT THE GASOLINE STATION WHEN SUDDENLY THE GLASS OF THE WINDOW (FRONT PASSENGER SIDE) FELL DOWN. CULPRIT WAS BROKEN WINDOW REGULATOR.
HONDA ELEMENT (2006) HAS A POWER WINDOW REGULATOR FAILURE, DRIVER'S SIDE (FRONT LEFT). DIAGNOSED AS A PROBLEM WITH THE WINDOW REGULATOR CABLE. REPAIR EXPECTED TO BE AROUND $300 - $400 AT A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP ($500 PLUS AT THE DEALERSHIP). THIS SAME HONDA ELEMENT HAS A CRACKED WINDSHIELD THAT SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED WHILE DRIVING DOWN A TOLL ROAD WITH NO OTHER CARS WITHIN 20 CAR LENGTHS AND NO VISIBLE ROCKS OR OTHER OBJECTS IN THE ROADWAY. HONDA ACCORD (1998) HAS ALL FOUR WINDOWS WITH POWER WINDOW REGULATOR FAILURE. EACH REPAIR IS JUST UNDER $500 WITH TAX AT THE DEALERSHIP. *TR
WINDSHIELD ON 2006 HONDA ELEMENT CHIPS VERY EASILY AND CRACKS APPEAR WITHOUT ANY IMPACT. *TR
POWER WINDOW REGULATOR ON FRONT LEFT WINDOW HAD TO BE REPLACED 11/2009. POWER WINDOW FAILED TO GO UP, DIAGNOSED AS BROKEN WINDOW REGULATOR CABLE. 5/2010 FRONT RIGHT WINDOW FAILED TO LIFT. SEEMS TO BE SAME PROBLEM WITH POWER WINDOW MECHANISM. *TR
I NOTICED A HORIZONTAL CRACK IN MY HONDA ELEMENTS WINDSHIELD, ABOUT 7 INCHES IN LENGTH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, ABOUT HALFWAY UP STARTING AT THE RIGHT SIDE PILLAR. I TOOK IT TO THE GLASS PLACE AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT STOP IT FROM SPREADING. I THEN NOTICED THAT ANOTHER CRACK WAS STARTING ON THE LEFT SIDE HALF WAY UP. THE CRACKS HAVE MET IN THE MIDDLE ALMOST TOUCHING. IT HAS NOT BEEN IN ANY KIND OF ACCIDENT. *TR
I HAVE A 2006 HONDA ELEMENT. THE LAST FEW MONTHS I'VE HAD TO REPLACE BOTH POWER SIDE WINDOWS BECAUSE THE WINDOW REGULATOR 'CAME APART.' THE CAR IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD AND FOR BOTH WINDOWS TO STOP WORKING AROUND THE SAME TIME MAKES ME THINK IT'S A MANUFACTURING SITUATION. *TR
ON NOVEMBER 12, 2007, I NOTICED A HORIZONTAL CRACK IN MY HONDA ELEMENT'S WINDSHIELD, ABOUT 7 INCHES IN LENGTH ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE, ABOUT HALFWAY UP STARTING AT THE LEFT SIDE PILLAR. I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW AND IT HAS NOT BEEN IN ANY KIND OF ACCIDENT. I DROVE IN TO WORK AND DID NOT NOTICE THE CRACK. I DID NOTICE IT WHEN GOING TO LUNCH THAT SAME DAY. THE CRACK WAS CLEARLY VISIBLE AS IT IS IN MY DIRECT LINE OF SIGHT. IT LITERALLY APPEARED OUT OF NOWHERE. *TR
I PURCHASED A CERTIFIED 2006 HONDA ELEMENT EX-P IN MARCH OF 2007 FROM HONDA OF FAYETTEVILLE, AR. I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO SPRINGFIELD, MO AND PARKED IT IN A GARAGE. THE NEXT MORNING I FOUND A 4 INCH CRACK IN THE TOP MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. IN A DAY OR TWO THE CRACK BECAME SO BAD THAT I HAD TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD. THERE WAS NO APPARENT ROCK STRIKE OR OTHER DAMAGE OTHER THAN THE CRACK. AT THE TIME I DID NOT KNOW THAT HONDA HAD SETTLED A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT ALLEGING DESIGN DEFECTS WITH 2003 AN 2004 HONDA ELEMENTS. I DID NOT REPORT THE DAMAGE TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY BECAUSE THERE WAS NO EXTERNAL DAMAGE. I HAD THE OEM WINDSHIELD REPLACED WITH A PPG WINDSHIELD AT MY OWN EXPENSE. I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO OUR HOME IN JUNEAU, ALASKA AND ARRIVED LAST WEEK. THIS AFTERNOON WHILE FUELING THE VEHICLE I NOTICED ANOTHER CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD, THIS ONE STARTING AT THE TOP AT THE EXTREME RIGHT (PASSENGER) SIDE. THIS CRACK IS NOW ABOUT 8 INCHES LONG, AND WILL SOON BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. HONDA DOES NOT SEEM TO WANT TO REPLACE THIS WINDSHIELD BECAUSE ONLY 2003 AND 2004 HONDA ELEMENTS WERE INCLUDED IN THE CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A DESIGN OR ENGINEERING FLAW IN ALL ELEMENTS, NOT JUST THE 2003 AN 2004 MODEL YEARS. IN CHECKING ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AFFECTING THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF ELEMENTS. WHEN I HAD THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED IN SPRINGFIELD, MO., I WAS TOLD THAT HONDA ELEMENTS CONSTITUTE A LARGE PORTION OF THEIR WORKLOAD, AND THAT SOME ELEMENT OWNERS HAVE REPLACED THEIR WINDSHIELDS FIVE OR SIX TIMES! HONDA HAS A REAL PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE TO RECALL AND CORRECT THIS PROBLEM COMMON TO ALL ELEMENTS. AK
2006 HONDA ELEMENT PARKED IN DRIVEWAY, NO VISIBLE IMPACT POINTS DAY BEFORE. IN THE MORNING CAR HAD CRACK ON PASSENGER SIDE, ABOUT 2-3 INCHES UP, 3-4 INCHES LONG. DEALER ADVISED HIT BY STONES AT SOME POINT PRIOR, LEAVING NO MARK AT FIRST BUT CAN LATER APPEAR, BUT DID CAUSE CRACK. GLASS TECHNICIAN SAID STRESS CRACK FROM MANUFACTURER. *NM
A CRACK OCCURRED IN THE WINDSHIELD OF MY NEWLY PURCHASED HONDA ELEMENT, IN THE LOWER PASSENGER SIDE. THERE IS A SMALL "PIT" THOUGH I DO NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING IMPACTED THE WINDSHIELD. AFTER READING MANY OTHERS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE ONLINE, I DECIDED TO FILE COMPLAINT. MOST PEOPLE ARE BEING TOLD THEIR CRACKS ARE DUE TO AN IMPACT AND THUS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE WINDSHIELD HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. *JB
2006 HONDA ELEMENT WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITHOUT IMPACT. DEALER REFUSES TO REPAIR STATING THAT THIS TYPE OF DAMAGE IS "USUALLY" CAUSED BY ROAD DEBRIS. *NM
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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