This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
I was just driving my 2007 Honda Element to work in the North end of seattle, and all of the sudden my vehicle started jerking and the check engine light, vsa and steering light came on the "triangle with a lightning bolt in it" it started running rough. When I would step on the gas it would cause the car to jerk and the speedometer would idle up and down. It was very intense. I would lift off the gas patel and try to let it smoothin out. It definitely is a safety issue. I looked online and saw a recall on the 2007 and 2008 Honda Element, over 68,000 of them. I went to Honda of seattle and they told me there wasn't a recall, I then told him to look online and he tried to tell me that my car wasn't covered. He started to quote some numbers of what the diagnostic would cost and then they would go from there. I then told them to return my vehicle and brought it to my mechanic. The total cost to fix what Honda wouldn't even though it is a recall is $450. This is unfair and Honda needs to make this right!
While the vehicle moving slowly, suddenly the ABS, vsa (vehicle stability assist) and traction control lights all came on at the same time and stayed on. A Honda dealership later diagnosed the issue as a faulty vsa modulator, an expensive part which controls the ABS and traction control systems. The fault our vehicle experienced prevents all these systems from functioning. I contacted other Honda Element owners and found several who had the exact same issue with 2007 and 2008 Elements - all three lights illuminated with no apparent cause and then dealer diagnosis turned up a faulty vsa modulator. In several cases, these people contacted Honda of America and Honda offered to pay for the vsa modulator replacement (even outside of warranty), presumably due to the safety issue of having this critical part fail that disables the ABS and vehicle stability systems. I contacted Honda of America and they would not replace provide assistance in the replacement of the part on my vehicle. Before this incident, I had not experienced any issues with the vsa modulator and had very rarely been in a low-traction environment where either the vsa or ABS systems would engage. Interestingly, a few months before this incident a Honda dealership performed a vsa modulator-related recall to remove air that could accumulate in the modulator (recall #10V098000); the dealership insisted that work and this failure were unrelated. This is a major safety issue for braking and vehicle stability on a sealed part with other open recalls against it. This part should last the life of the vehicle, and yet it is failing spontaneously without any external mechanism of failure. Honda should replace faulty vsa modulators at no charge.
We have had to replace our brakes & rotors every year, starting in year 3. (I drove only 3,000 miles a year) then gave it to my husband who drives to work. When the miles got up to 14,000 - that was the first brake & rotor replacement. Asked Honda about this while under warranty and no word about problems, just their answer that it was from a 'street sweeper' or 'the way we drove.' Several times the rotors were so bad, that the car screeched. 2 years ago, had to have them replaced twice in the same year-in March and again in October twice now our calipers had to be changed as well as the brakes & rotors. Have put a lot of $ out for all these repairs. Not happy with Honda or their customer service anymore.
This vehicle was purchased new in 2007, since then we have had to replace the brakes every year. We had the vsa modulator recall repairs done in April 2010 and the soft brake, excessive brake wear continues. The brakes make noise, are soft, and have to be applied heavily to stop the vehicle. I have had repairs done by the dealer the first five years with no explanations to my complaints of excessive failure. We continue to have to have the brakes re-done every year. Each time shortly after having them re-done they begin to quickly degrade and do not stop the vehicle properly.
The Honda Element has a recall for a soft, spongy brake pedal that has to be pushed to the floor to get the brakes to engage. There is a recall for this symptom, related to the vehicle stability assist module. The recall work was done, and the pedal feel improved, but after time, the issue returns. My brakes are soft and spongy and I get no brakes unless the pedal goes most of the way to the floor. It feels as if the car is not going to stop each time I brake.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Lynnwood, WA, USA