Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||||
| 06012004 | 06/01/2004 | 10014181 | Rear differential moans moans with brakes applied at low speed. (4wd) *sc | 04/28/2005 | |
| 105 | 05/16/2004 | 10014132 | Shift lever won't come out of park. *sc | 04/28/2005 | |
| 704 | 07/16/2004 | 10014105 | Pop, groan or click noise from rear when backing. *sc | 04/28/2005 | |
| 604 | 06/16/2004 | 10014146 | Shift lever won't come out of park after throttle body r&r. *nm | 04/28/2005 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||||
| SB-06-041 | 07/21/2011 | 10039537 | Honda: the vehicle moves faster than expected with the transmission in gear, foot off the brake, and foot off the throttle. software is causing extra engine torque after a cold start. *rm | 08/02/2011 | |
| SB-06-041 | 07/21/2011 | 10039537 | Ready | 08/02/2011 | |
| 405 | 04/16/2005 | 10016346 | Automatic transmission fluid (atf) leaks. honda tech line summary. *tt | 09/08/2005 | |
| 11162004 | 11/16/2004 | 10014512 | Harsh 3-2- and or 2-1 downshift. *eh | 05/04/2005 | |
| 09162004 | 09/16/2004 | 10013844 | Transmission solenoid replacement criteria. *eh | 04/26/2005 | |
| 10012004 | 10/01/2004 | 10013607 | Automatic transmission solenoid replacement criteria. *tt | 04/22/2005 | |
| 04012004 | 04/01/2004 | 10009030 | Repairing atf leaks under warranty. honda. servicenews. april 2004. *tt | 09/08/2004 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - COLUMN SHIFT | |||||
| 07012004 | 07/01/2004 | 10014021 | A/t stuck in park after throttle body replacement. *eh | 04/27/2005 | |
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY - PEDAL/LINKAGE | |||||
| 02002 | 01/11/2005 | 02002 | 629094 | Squeak or twang condition when the clutch pedal is pressed. *tt *mj this bulletin replaces previous bulletin dated 3/16/2004. *tt | 03/27/2002 |
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 204 | 02/16/2004 | 10014230 | 2nd to 5th or 3rd to 5th gear upshift. *nm | 04/29/2005 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 01/01/2005 | 5 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 honda element. the contact stated that he heard a clunking noise coming from the transmission while driving at all speeds. the contact also stated that the vehicle occasionally experienced difficulty shifting out of park. the vehicle was not taken to have the failures diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 5. the vin was unavailable. | |||
| 01/01/2005 | 5 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 honda element. the contact stated that he heard a clunking noise coming from the transmission while driving at all speeds. the contact also stated that the vehicle occasionally experienced difficulty shifting out of park. the vehicle was not taken to have the failures diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 5. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 10/17/2011 | 154000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 honda element. the contact stated that the vehicle was unable to be shifted from drive to park. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where dealer confirmed that the gear shift cable and bushings needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 154,000 and the current mileage was 156,000. kmj | |||
| 10/17/2011 | 154000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 honda element. the contact was not able to place the vehicle in the drive position from park properly. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and dealer confirmed the gear shift cable and bushings needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 154,000 and the current mileage was 156,000. rds | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 05/01/2009 | 80000 | ||
| 2004 honda element: (i have 2 and both have the following exact problems)1. airbags warning lights indicating problems 2. drivers seat is loose and rocks 3. passenger seat causes extreme discomfort to hip and back on long tips (this is occurs with all passengers, young and older) 3. under carriage brushes failure 4. a/c air compressor failure 5. straps in back seats pulled out and seat cannot be reclined 6. engine decelerates without warning. power cutback during passing makes this very dangerous. 7. drivers seatbelt buckle is difficult to secure (only 1 car with this problem) 8. loud clanking noise when cars are being turned. | |||
| 04/12/2009 | 1 | ||
| My mother arrived at my home in her element to pick up my children. she was going to drop off some items in the house while my children proceeded to get in the car to get in their car seats. the car rolled backward into the pond and the two children ages 3 and 6 (thank the lord) were rescued alive while the car quickly sank. when the car was pulled from the pond it was in neutral and the keys were on the floor. my complaint is twofold: my mother was able to shut off the car and remove the keys with the car in neutral. the gear shift on the floor does not have any visual indicator (a red line or an arrow) to indicate the gear the car is in. once the car is shut off- the indicator on the dashboard would not have been lit. i believe that the eye-hand disconnect between the shifter on the floor and the indicators on the dash is a pitfall for user-error. had she not been able to remove her keys with the car in neutral, it would have been clear to her that she had not parked the car correctly. *tr | |||
| 11/20/2004 | 1 | ||
| Weeks after purchasing this vehicle new from the dealer. it began to leak transmission fluid. i took it to the dealer with the complaint. they said they'd take a look at it, but it was a waste of time. they claimed it could not possibly be leaking and any fluid i saw was condensation from the ac. the gave it back to me in a few hours claiming it was fine and again said the fluid was condensation. i argued and said it was oily. they claimed this was because my garage floor was oily. the response to me was: i'm so confident it is water i'll come over and lick of the garage floor. new cars don't leak. well, it did leak and loads of transmission fluid. i had to mop up the fluid and return with the soaked rag and the vehicle to get them to take a closer look. i had to have an entirely new transmission installed. this is my 4th honda. i've never had so many problems with a vehicle as i've had with this element. i've only had it 3 months now. very disappointing. *nm | |||
| 09/28/2004 | 25 | 40 | 09/16/2004 |
| With vehicle in drive and with engine running, the car will roll backward down hill. my driveway has a small incline - vehicle rolls backward while in gear (drive) with engine running. 2004 honda element ex. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - PARK/NEUTRAL START SWITCH | |||
| 11/10/2002 | 1 | ||
| Could not get the car to go in gear. turned off the car and then restarted it.still could not get the car to go into gear. the next day the car worked fine. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE | |||
| 05/15/2006 | 40000 | 1 | |
| Honda issued a service bulletin on the crv model honda. the element has the same running gear, but no bulletin was issued for there element....the service bulletin was necessary because the rear axle differential lubricant is failing at about 30,000 miles; causing a partial lock up of the rear differential. the service manual calls for replacement of the rear differential fluid at 90,000 miles for normal service and 60,000 miles for severe service.. one notices a judder on turning the vehicle at slow speeds, as the differential clutches bind with the failed lubricant. i see a potential sever safety problem as a result of the failed lubricant and a locked up differential. if the differential is only partially binding, this forces the vehicle to attempt to always go in a straight line, as no differential action is occurring , not compensating for the different track of the inside when turning through a curve. at the most severs situation - wet slick,or icy roads, this locked differential will cause the c=vehicle to track in a straight line, instead of turning through a curve; causing the vehicle to leave the road and potentially crash, injuring the occupants. i called honda service and expressed my concerns. they agreed such could happen, but felt the bulletin issued on the crv was satisfactory to cover the element. i disagree, as owners were not contacted and notified of the potential serious problem, and the need to replace the oil at the earlier mileages. i suggest that honda must be required to notify all owners of the el;emanate version, about the need for replacement of the require differential oil, and the potential of a serious incident if the rear differential locks up from the failed differential oil. i first noticed this when the differential became noisy as i turned through a u turn. on calling my dealer, i was told about the crv bulletin.....though it did not apply to the element, the dealer was aware of the potential problem. *tr | |||