Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 205 | 02/16/2005 | 10015293 | Timesert 11mm head bolt thread repair kit. *tt | 07/13/2005 | |
| 10162004 | 10/16/2004 | 10014491 | Accessory belt noise. *eh | 05/03/2005 | |
| 06012004 | 06/01/2004 | 10014187 | Balancer shaft buzz or rattle is normal. *sc | 04/28/2005 | |
| 07012004 | 07/01/2004 | 10014017 | Poor a/c cooling during hard acceleration. *eh | 04/27/2005 | |
| 09162004 | 09/16/2004 | 10013862 | Accessory belt noise. *eh | 04/26/2005 | |
| 11132003 | 11/13/2003 | 10010929 | Engine oil leakat the head cover, the rear seal, or the oil pan. *eh | 12/16/2004 | |
| 9971 | 06/04/2003 | 10002091 | Coolant in the engine oil pan. *tt | 08/13/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||||
| 11012003 | 11/01/2003 | 10009278 | Heater blower motor gets hot or blows a fuse. honda. servicenews. *tt | 09/21/2004 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 08012005 | 08/01/2005 | 10018003 | Troubleshooting a stalling engine? take a snapshot with the hds. honda servicenews. *tt | 12/13/2005 | |
| 05162005 | 05/16/2005 | 10016295 | Engine-cranks won't start, immobilizer light flashes. *sc | 09/06/2005 | |
| 1203 | 12/16/2003 | 10014201 | Updating replacement ecm/pcm software. *nm | 04/29/2005 | |
| 604 | 06/16/2004 | 10014141 | Update ecm/pcm for diagnostic trouble code p0420, catalyst below threshold. *nm | 04/28/2005 | |
| 111303 | 10/26/2004 | 10005345 | Request for visit. engine oil leaks at the head cover, the rear seal, or the oil pan. *tt leaks anywhere in the engine water passage, excluding the radiator. *mj leaks at the oil pump or spool valve only. *tt | 02/23/2004 | |
| 903 | 09/16/2003 | 10005017 | Diagnostic trouble code (dtc) after jump-starting. tech line summary. *tt | 01/26/2004 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||||
| 06282004 | 06/28/2004 | 10008038 | Request for visit: accessory belt noise. *mj | 07/20/2004 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||||
| 060103 | 06/01/2003 | 10002701 | Vehicle's emission type. *tt | 09/11/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||||
| 03031 | 07/08/2003 | 03031 | 10003479 | Malfunction indicator lamp comes on with diagnostic trouble code p0420 (catalyst system efficiency below threshold). *tt | 10/21/2003 |
| 03031 | 06/03/2003 | 10002097 | Malfunction indicator lamp on and diagnostic trouble code p0420 (catalyst system efficiency below threshold) is set. *tt | 08/13/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||||
| 060105 | 06/16/2005 | 10018160 | Snapping, cracking noise after shutting engine off. *jb | 12/16/2005 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | |||
| 01/02/2012 | 65000 | 1 | |
| Excessive vibration where you can see the stick shift shimmy and shake. both driver and passenger can feel car vibrating like it has a bad wheel alignment but wheels have brand new tires and are aligned. mechanic says it seems to be a broken motor mount. i have read on several honda and honda element community forums reporting that motor mounts break with low mileage. i believe this is a defect. *tr | |||
| 01/02/2012 | 65000 | ||
| Excessive vibration where you can see the stick shift shimmy and shake. both driver and passenger can feel car vibrating like it has a bad wheel alignment but wheels have brand new tires and are aligned. mechanic says it seems to be a broken motor mount. i have read on several honda and honda element community forums reporting that motor mounts break with low mileage. i believe this is a defect. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 06/03/2011 | 82000 | ||
| While driving on i-5 going through grants pass in oregon uphill, my 2003 honda element suddenly decelerated from 65mph to barely 35 mph. car has been in the shop for two days, there were no codes indicating an issue with the transmission. the mechanic recommended it be seen by a engine mechanic. car is still experiencing the issue after a transmission flush, new spark plugs, fuel system cleaning. this is a major safety issue, the car only has 82500 miles on and has never been placed in storage. | |||
| 08/31/2011 | 80000 | ||
| Tumblers in ignition becomes mal aligned, key will not insert or turn, engine will not start. this is not part of the current active recall on the ignition system. i have replaced the ignition lock cylinder twice in 3 years. it is a common occurrence, ask any one who drives a 2003 element, they've replaced this part too. honda only warranties the part for one year. | |||
| 01/09/2008 | 50000 | 2 | 11/11/2003 |
| Poor heating due to restricted heater core. an identical problem was identified in the 2004,and 2005 element (ref. honda service bulletin 07-076 dated 11/28/2007) and the heater core is thus replaced under the normal warranty. although the problem began on my 2003 element in 2006 and the vehicle is still covered under warranty, honda service personnel refuse to recognize the trouble as a factory defect and will charge in excess of $1,500 dollars to replace the heater core. *tr the consumer stated a tsb had been issued regarding contamination of the engine coolant which could cause restrictions in the heater core and radiator and sometimes corrosion. updated 03/05/09. *jb | |||
| 01/01/2005 | 6 | 06/07/2003 | |
| The consumer has had consistent problems with the vehicle's factory installed horn and alarm. *nm the dealer was unable to remedy the communication system. other problems were; the bumper cover would pop out intermittently, the right side corner piece was loose, the horn sound was abnormal and anti-freeze was leaking. *sc | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 09/04/2003 | 1 | 1 | 02/22/2003 |
| My 2003 honda element has a sulphur smell that is beyond annoyance. the smell is so intense that it takes your breath away. my dealer is unable to repair and honda seems indifferent to the problem. while not life threatening, it could, i believe be detrimental to my health as well as the health of my passengers.*ak | |||