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.
Brakes "repaired" in '11 at dealer after '07 Element brake recall. No noticeable difference in brake softness, brakes are still soft and require a lot of muscle to stop the car. Scared, and refuse to drive '07 Element with my children in the car for fear of not being able to stop on time. Own a 2011 Accord, after driving the '07 Element for a day or two, I am "slamming" on the brakes of the Accord due to habit of having to "floor/mash" the brakes to stop at a stop sign. Thank goodness for good Accord seat belts. :) please fix this issue. Many teenagers will be receiving this car as first time driving car. Very dangerous. Not safe with current corporate approved fix.
I was traveling approximately 20 mph, brakes were not applied before incident, and the driver and passenger side curtain airbags and the driver seat air bag deployed. When the airbags deployed I attempted to apply the brakes and they were not functioning for approximately 1/2 miles of travel.
This complaint is about my 2007 Honda Element ex. In 2008 I started experiencing very soft brakes, and complained to the dealer. The dealer proceeded to replace the vsa modulator twice, and bleed the brakes over 12 times and it came back worse than when I took it in. Took it to another dealer who replaced the modulator again, bled brakes, felt better temporarily but the issue returned. Honda finally issued a recall for the soft brake pedal issue that involved simply gluing caps over vents on the vsa modulator (not redesigning a critical part of the vehicle's safety system mind you). I had the recall performed and my brakes have again become soft (sometime dangerously soft). This was all while my car was under warranty. My car is now no longer under warranty and Honda of North America doesn't seem to have an issue with the fact their "fix" didn't fix anything. I've got a baby on the way and don't feel safe having my wife drive my car. This is a serious issue that Honda isn't taking seriously, especially in light of other companies recent quality control issues and recalls.
Honda's recall service for soft brakes was not performed properly by the Honda dealer. Steps 13 and 14 on service bulletin, pertaining to installation of the caps where the air intrusion is believed to come from calls for a continuous bead of white silicone to be spread around the outside of replacement caps using a special tool. The white silicone should be visible around both caps on the modulator. According to the service manager and tech they put just enough silicone to affix the cap and didn't see a need for any more. I can only assume the other steps in the service bulletin were performed but am not confident to what extent. The brake fluid was left low so it was evident at least some bleeding of the brakes was performed. The power steering reservoir was removed to access the modulator and had only a small amount of fluid left in the reservoir when the vehicle was returned to me. I have made a request to Honda America to address my concerns.
The contact owns a 2007 Honda Element. While driving at various speeds, the contact noticed the brake pedal would fall into the floorboard intermittently. The dealer made unknown repairs to the vehicle yet the failure persisted. The contact stated the vehicle had been to the dealer several times in an attempt to correct the failure to no avail. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 900 and the current mileage was 16,900.
- North Myrtle Beach, SC, USA
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Premature failure of rear passenger disc brake at 22000 miles. Loud grinding noise noticed coming from rear passenger wheel. Brought to dealer immediately. Rear passenger rotor and both rear pads needed to be replaced, front brakes fine upon inspection. After arguing with the service department got the repair bill down from $505 to $65. Upon further research, I feel that the dealer just treated the symptom and not the cause of the problem and this is likely to occur again. Not sure if this is related to the recent braking recall for Honda Elements and oddysseys or not, but just wanted to make a record of my experience for those who may have had to cover the full cost of their repair.
Travel West on va route 50 @ speed of 55 mph, attempting to slow down for traffic light. Applied brakes, they did not slow down car. Slammed brake pedal to floor, car skidded to stop just shy of hitting car in front of me.
Driver side rear brake premature failure / wear. Was driving and heard terrible noise from rear of vehicle. Smoke coming from rear brake on driver side. Pad had worn completely through only after 27,000mi. Pass. Side rear brake was ok when inspected. Appears rear driver side caliper froze causing uneven wear.
Brakes are spongy on 2007 Honda Element. Brake pedal travel has increased, especially on hard braking. This has developed mostly in the last couple of months. No accidents, but a couple of close calls because the car does not stop as quickly as it should.
Braking system premature wear and soft, "mushy" brake pedal. This issue was addressed by me with 5 Honda dealerships, all claiming no manufacturer responsibility. Their statement: "user variances; driver sensitive" dates, names and parts, as well as photographs, are available. Specifics: 2007 Honda Element SC. At 30K miles, rear brakes needed complete re-do, including rotor turn. At 23K miles, same, to fronts. On rear, March, 2009, on rear system, 1 pad of 4 pads found to be seized to caliper housing by corrosion; lack of lubricant. Intensive communications with Honda, torrance ca. Indicated they feel no responsibility. Later, investigations into soft, ineffective brake pedal found fp# not admitted by Honda at any time; inter net investigation through Element owners forum found fp#57110-scv-A72, and tsb 07-045. Modulator, brakes, part # 9125782. My contention: My feeling is that this modulator, responsible for sending the proper fluids to each wheel caliper for proper braking and mechanical performance, has caused thousands if not millions of brake systems to wear unevenly and prematurely, and same number of customers to pay for these repairs themselves due to a Honda part failure in the system. Safety: Further, vehicle stability and anti lock brake mechanisms are affected negatively, while Honda denies responsibilities for their part and manufacturing. Note: My vehicle is to be repaired today, April 14, 2009, at Honda expense. I have already paid in excess of $ 200 for repairs on the vehicles brake system; negotiations continue for reimbursement to me, with total Honda denial.
The contact owns a 2007 Honda Element. The contact stated that the braking system is poor on his vehicle. The brakes only work for the front wheels. The contact has taken the vehicle to several dealers and they have changed the rear brake pads, front brake pads, and the master brake pump. However, the failure persists. The vehicle was taken to a brake shop and was told that the cause of failure was the electronic power brake system. The current and failure mileages were 4,700. Updated 02-01-08 updated 02/01/08
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- Tabor City, NC, USA