Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||
| 12/15/2012 | 160000 | 1 | |
| I was driving around 12:15 in am, a vehicle from right came out of street and i could not avoid hitting the car. my honda hit the car, described as a t bone hit. i had no passengers,and was wearing seat belt. my passenger side front air bag activated, my driver side air bag did not activate. my honda car had severe damage on the left driver side, less on the right side. my head light was gone from the left side and right side was intact. my car was totaled as a loss by insurance company. the sensor located on my driver side did not react to deploy the air bag. the frame bar was bent and damage right next to the sensor. i received neck bruises, swelling and neck pain. my knee was cut and swollen. there are significant breaks in the plastic on both sides of the interior steering column, proving the intense of the force of the hit. the car was towed to an independent repair shop. my questions were not answered by honda as to why my driver side air bag did not employ. i spoke to honda customer service, with no satisfactory results. thank you, with much appreciation. *tr | |||
| 12/15/2012 | 160000 | ||
| I was driving around 12:15 in am, a vehicle from right came out of street and i could not avoid hitting the car. my honda hit the car, described as a t bone hit. i had no passengers,and was wearing seat belt. my passenger side front air bag activated, my driver side air bag did not activate. my honda car had severe damage on the left driver side, less on the right side. my head light was gone from the left side and right side was intact. my car was totaled as a loss by insurance company. the sensor located on my driver side did not react to deploy the air bag. the frame bar was bent and damage right next to the sensor. i received neck bruises, swelling and neck pain. my knee was cut and swollen. there are significant breaks in the plastic on both sides of the interior steering column, proving the intense of the force of the hit. the car was towed to an independent repair shop. my questions were not answered by honda as to why my driver side air bag did not employ. i spoke to honda customer service, with no satisfactory results. thank you, with much appreciation. | |||
| 12/07/2012 | 1 | ||
| My honda 2005 element's side air bag inadvertently deployed. i was exiting a parking lot and partially drove over a curb with the left front tire. as the tire rolled off the curb the driver's side air bag deployed. i heard a loud explosion sound and was completely freaked out. i looked to my left side and the driver side airbag had exploded out. it wasn't even inflated. fortunately, i was not injured. *tr | |||
| 12/07/2012 | |||
| My honda 2005 element's side air bag inadvertently deployed. i was exiting a parking lot and partially drove over a curb with the left front tire. as the tire rolled off the curb the driver's side air bag deployed. i heard a loud explosion sound and was completely freaked out. i looked to my left side and the driver side airbag had exploded out. it wasn't even inflated. fortunately, i was not injured. | |||
| 11/15/2011 | 185000 | 1 | |
| I was driving into the bank drive in teller and my left side airbag went off. *tr | |||
| 11/15/2011 | 185000 | ||
| I was driving into the bank drive in teller and my left side airbag went off. | |||
| 09/16/2011 | |||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2005 honda element. the contact was driving the vehicle when the passenger side air bag suddenly deployed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but they could not figure out why the air bag deployed without the vehicle being involved in a crash. the current mileage was 95,000. | |||
| 09/16/2011 | |||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 honda element. the contact was driving the vehicle when the passenger side air bag suddenly deployed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but they could not figure out why the air bag deployed without the vehicle being involved in a crash. the current mileage was 95,000. rvk | |||
| 09/16/2011 | |||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 honda element. the contact was driving the vehicle when the passenger side air bag suddenly deployed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but they could not figure out why the air bag deployed without the vehicle being hit. the current mileage was 95,000.rl | |||
| 03/17/2010 | 175000 | ||
| I was the driver of a honda element that was rear ended while i was stationary waiting to make a left turn into my driveway. the impact from the other car had broken the drivers seat and repositioned my head just a few inches from the floor and by then the spare tire securing mechanism had broken and the spare tire flew forward hitting me in the head and eventually coming to a rest in the passengers seat. with the back impact from the other car and then the front impact hitting the trees along side of the road did not release the airbags when the other car that hit the element had its airbags deployed. | |||
| 12/24/2009 | 80000 | 1 | |
| The car slipped on ice and hit an embankment head on and the airbags did not deploy. *tr | |||
| 06/04/2007 | 28000 | 1 | 03/10/2005 |
| My passenger side airbag deployed while the car was not moving. this is the airbag that located on the side of the seat. *tr | |||
| 06/24/2007 | 35000 | 1 | 12/26/2005 |
| I swerved to avoid hitting a car and hit an embankment. my car lifted off the ground and rolled 3 times. i got the element because it had very high safety ratings. it also had side airbags which i found especially important for an suv however none of them deployed. | |||
| 10/21/2006 | 27000 | 1 | |
| 2005 honda element's air bag inadvertently deployed. *cc the consumer was exiting a parking lot and partially drove over a curb with the right front tire. as the tire rolled off the curb the passenger's side air bag deployed. there were no injuries. the consumer drove the vehicle tot he closest honda dealer. after running the diagnostic test the technician informed the consumer that the air bags should not have deployed. the vehicle was taken back to the sales dealer who claimed that when the vehicle whet over the curd, the vehicle scraped the bracket for the step rail, which activated the sensor and the air bag,. the dealer denied any responsibility. *nm | |||
| 09/23/2006 | 8800 | 1 | 10/29/2005 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 2 mph over a speed bump through a parking lot in the rain, the front passenger side curtain airbag deployed from within the seat without warning. the passenger was not wearing a seat belt, and sustained minor injuries. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who determined the airbag deployed due to impact of one of the airbag sensors underneath the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified. | |||
| 02/20/2006 | 13000 | 1 | 06/28/2005 |
| I was driving my honda element down a fairly busy street at 45 miles an hour. a man pulled out of a strip mall parking lot right in front of me. although i honked my horn and slammed on the brakes, i could not avoid hitting him. my car has extreme front end damage and it was a high impact crash, however the air bags did not deploy. i am still waiting to hear if it will be determined to be totaled, but if it isn't, i do not feel safe driving this car in the future. *jb | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 05/09/2010 | 60300 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 honda element. while driving at 62 mph with the cruise control activated, the front driver side air bag suddenly deployed. the air bag did not inflate when it deployed. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop. the current and failure mileages were approximately 60,300. | |||
| 01/16/2010 | 76500 | 1 | |
| Accident involving a 2005 honda element. a front end crash when another vehicle ran a stop sign and we hit the vehicle in the drivers side causing major damage to both vehicles. our honda element sustained front end damage approximate speed 30mph. the airbag on the element did not deploy. have you had any other complaints on element airbags not deploying? we only sustained minor injuries. *tr | |||
| 11/26/2008 | 38400 | 1 | |
| Airbag self check light never lit in the time that we had car. driver only- with seatbelt. car hit pole with l front causing approximately $10k damage to car. right airbag deployed, left did not. sensors and control module replaced by body shop during damage repair. concerned that if there is another more serious accident, same thing will happen. *tr | |||
| 03/31/2009 | 50000 | 1 | |
| I rolled my 2005 honda element (2x drive) on i-95 at least four times according to fhp. my front airbag did not deploy, although my windshield was crushed in. and my drivers' side airbag deployed only partially (1/4). i was extracted from the vehicle and life-flighted to shand's emergency room in jacksonville, florida. i suffered multiple contusions; internal bleeding and severely fractured sternum. had my drivers side airbag deployed, i probably would have been spared much of this trauma. i have thoroughly documented with pictures to support my claim, and my insurance adjuster also confirms this. i am awaiting the florida highway patrol's report. *tr | |||
| 06/20/2006 | 8311 | 1 | |
| Started with pass. air bag light & pass. seatbelt beeper & light. have had it repaired 4 times but pass. beeper & light has not been fixed. spoke with honda america in ca regional mgr morris said it doesn't exist in the 2005 honda element the manual is a misprint. this is a safety issue which honda does not want to correct. it had worked before so my wife & i spoke to people with 1996 to 2008 honda elements and they all have a seatbelt light & beeper for the passenger front seat. could you please help with this safety issue that has been going on for four long years. i believe honda america is trying to deceive us. i even asked morris to put it in writing that it is a misprint in the manual but he said he could not do that. i also told him that i had spoken to other 2005 element owners who stated their passenger seatbelts have a light & beeper but still insists that my car does not. *tr | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | |||
| 05/11/2007 | 43605 | 1 | 03/25/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 honda element. the contact stated that the air bag srs light remains illuminated. the dealer stated that the vehicle is not under warranty and could not perform the repair. the contact stated that the entire system has failed. the engine size was unknown. the current mileage is 43,705 and failure mileage was 43,605. | |||
| 02/19/2007 | 59000 | 1 | 06/24/2005 |
| A week ago i was in a parking lot going 5-7 mph i had to swerve to the left to avoid a collision and when i did my left front tire hit a cement pole at which time my steering wheel air bag and passenger (i had 0 passengers) air bag deployed. i didn't know what happened. i had my seat belt on and it threw me towards the passenger seat causing back pain and it burned my arm so bad it was bleeding. it is in the shop right now getting the front end fixed and the air bags are costing $1500.00 to repair. i contacted the dealer the next day and i have not heard back from them. i wanted to know what kind of an impact would make the air bags deploy.*jb | |||
| 09/23/2006 | 8800 | 1 | 10/29/2005 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 2 mph over a speed bump through a parking lot in the rain, the front passenger side curtain airbag deployed from within the seat without warning. the passenger was not wearing a seat belt, and sustained minor injuries. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who determined the airbag deployed due to impact of one of the airbag sensors underneath the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified. | |||
| 10/20/2005 | 220 | 1 | 10/11/2005 |
| We purchased a new 2005 honda element ex 4wd and after driving it for only 200 miles, the srs airbag warning light came on indicating that the system was malfunctioning. when we took the car to the dealer, we were told that honda knows that when a cell phone or laptop is placed on the passenger seat this triggers the malfunction. we were then told by the service manager at poway honda, in poway, ca that this information was in the owner's manual, which it is not. they also did not know if this led to air bag malfunction. they only reset the sensor. when confronted about being told that this was in the manual, the manager of the dealership hung up on me. *jb | |||
| AIR BAGS - SIDE/WINDOW | |||
| 03/26/2011 | 77500 | ||
| I was driving to work on march 26, 2011 on the freeway and it was early and a clear day. i was on the highway and out of no where i heard a loud explosion sound and was completely freaked out. my right ear was ringing and i started to smell smoke. i looked to my right side and the passenger side airbag had exploded out. it wasn't even inflated and there was no one sitting on the seat thankfully. but since no one was on the seat the airbags should have been off, the honda element has a sensor on the seat. i called the honda customer service department and they told me i was responsible for the problem. that i should take my vehicle to a honda dealership and report it to my insurance so that they can take care of it for me. | |||
| 08/27/2010 | 111000 | ||
| Driving to work at 6:20am on 08/27/2010, while exiting the 91 freeway (going eastbound) and entering the 71n towards chino hills, my driver side airbag deployed out of nowhere. the deployment (or better, the explosion) hit the left side of my face, my left arm and jerked my head towards the other side (to the right/passenger seat). for a couple of seconds i had no idea what had happened and was partially deaf for about an hour. now my face and arm sting a little, my neck is a little stiff and i'm still hearing a little ring in my left ear. i contacted honda's corporate office in torrance, ca and was told that it was very likely honda would not be responsible for the financial burden since my car is a 2005 element, past the warranty. to that, all i have to say (or ask) is: once the car is out of the warranty, does the manufacturer cease to have responsibility over the overall safety of it's vehicles? to me it seems that is there was no accident, my car wasn't hit or it didn't hit anything, that my airbag shouldn't deploy. nobody has ever told me there is an expiration date on an airbag and my seats are in great condition (as is the rest of my car). ultimately, this deployment could have cost me my life, and i am not exaggerating. i was blown in the face on a major freeway, if i had lost control due to the explosion i could have slammed my car into a wall or another car. | |||
| 03/26/2010 | 82498 | ||
| I was leaving work, driving about 10 miles an hour and without warning there was a huge boom in my ear, powder was in the air, the left side of my face was numb (later, red from heated air), my left side was shoved forward and my left ear was ringing. my side impact airbag went off as i was taking a left turn! i thought i had been hit by a car...except there was no other cars around. i pulled over and couldn't figure out what had happened until i opened my door, stepped out and saw the airbag hanging out of the seat. scared the crap out of me! i am glad i wasn't on the freeway at a faster speed, i probably would have crashed! very sore now though. left side is sore, neck is very sore! i drove to the honda dealership afterward and spoke to the manager (neff) of the maintenance department. they had a technician (tim) hook up some data machine to my 2005 honda element 4wd - ex. i was advised to come back on monday and drop the car off so they could contact honda corporate hq and get a direction to proceed. the technician (tim), and manager (neff) advised me that until it was repaired, my other airbags would not work. they also stated that they had never seen something happen like this. after a google search of 'honda element airbag defects' it appears that it is a pretty prevalent problem. i have temporarily parked the car at my house until monday's maintenance appointment. | |||
| 11/07/2009 | 76259 | 1 | |
| I was driving my 2005 honda element on a smooth gravel road around 25mph when the drivers-side airbag in the chair deployed bruising the back of my left arm. it deployed fully and tore my seat. my vehicle is no longer under warranty, but i feel this could be a safety hazard if i was driving down the highway and something like this happened and could easily cause a serious accident. i would like to see honda acknowledge that they have a problem with the airbag system and take responsibility in fixing it, as i stand now i have to replace my airbag, airbag ecu, and have my seat repaired. *tr | |||
| 05/29/2009 | 59000 | 1 | |
| While driving on i95 northbound at approx. 60 miles per hour, my 2005 honda element side-driver's side airbag deployed unexpectedly; it felt like a bomb went off. my 12 month old daughter in the back car seat was completely traumatized by the severity of the event. my ears were ringing and my left rear shoulder was hit by the bag. nothing hit my car to cause the deployment. after regaining my composure i contacted honda usa who told me to contact my insurance company. my insurance company said they do not cover an event such as this because there was no apparent collision. honda usa then said to take it to a honda dealership for an inspection. the honda dealership inspected the element and found no problems or reason as to why the airbag deployed unexpectedly. honda usa assigned me a case #, but has yet to contact me. the honda dealership also refused to release my car because they now deem the car unsafe to drive. i can get the car if i sign a waiver stating that i will not sue the honda dealership if i get into an accident. my attorney has been contacted. also, my extended warranty does not cover deployed airbags. the situation still remains unresolved. *tr | |||
| 04/22/2009 | 52000 | 1 | |
| The passenger air bag, in the front passenger seatback, deployed accidentally in my 2005 honda element. we were driving very slowly on a gravel road. we thought we had been shot at, with the loud bang and my passenger's swearing and grabbing his arm. i am going to click below to say there was an injury, but it was only bruising to the upper arm. it was painful. *tr | |||
| 03/31/2009 | 64000 | 1 | |
| On 3/31/09, i rolled my honda element four times (according to fhp report) on i-95, to avoid a construction ladder. no other vehicles were involved. among other injuries, i suffered two full-width rotator cuff tears to my left shoulder. this was a direct result of the drivers side airbag only partially deploying. i have documented with several pictures or the bag still folded inside the seat fabric panel. the passenger side deployed fully, and you can clearly see the difference in deployment size difference of drivers side vs. passengers side. honda was notified, and denied any responsibility. *tr | |||
| 03/31/2009 | 50000 | 1 | |
| I rolled my 2005 honda element (2x drive) on i-95 at least four times according to fhp. my front airbag did not deploy, although my windshield was crushed in. and my drivers' side airbag deployed only partially (1/4). i was extracted from the vehicle and life-flighted to shand's emergency room in jacksonville, florida. i suffered multiple contusions; internal bleeding and severely fractured sternum. had my drivers side airbag deployed, i probably would have been spared much of this trauma. i have thoroughly documented with pictures to support my claim, and my insurance adjuster also confirms this. i am awaiting the florida highway patrol's report. *tr | |||
| 03/18/2009 | 107000 | 1 | |
| Driver side airbag deployed with for no reason. *tr | |||
| 10/25/2008 | 46000 | 1 | |
| My wife, mother in-law, and 8 month old son were driving on a gravel driveway to someones house when suddenly the drivers side airbag in my 2005 honda element deployed. there was no collision, no reckless driving, nothing to provoke an airbag to suddenly deploy. it only happened once, however, due to fighting w/ dealerships and honda's customer service center over the repairs; my wife is still driving the vehicle, as it is her only means of transportation. my 8 month old son also rides in this vehicle and i am very thankful that he and my wife were not hurt in the incident; my mother in-law however, received a severely bruised elbow as she was the one driving the vehicle. i took it to the dealership to have it repaired and was told that only the faulty sensor is covered under my warranty. they will not pay for replacement of the physical airbag, they will not pay to have the seat stitched back together were the airbag deployed from, and they will not pay to reset all of the other airbag sensors that apparently no longer work. it has been over a month since this occurred and the best advice honda has given me is to have my insurance company inspect the vehicle-pay for the repairs-and then contact honda for reimbursement. this is an outrage-my insurance company should have nothing to do with this-as there was no collision. my warranty should pay for this repair in full. i am so very thankful that my family was on a gravel road traveling under 10mph. it horrifies me to think of what would have happened if this occurred on the freeway-at freeway speeds. i feel that if something is not done to correct this problem-that someone will be seriously hurt or killed. honda needs to take responsibility for this and take the proper steps now to fix it before it's too late. *tr | |||
| 06/08/2008 | 75000 | 1 | |
| The driver's side airbag in 2005 honda element deployed while driving on driveway. no accident, nothing hit, no traveling through water, just deployed without cause and the dealer wants $2100 to repair. *tr | |||
| 11/25/2007 | 1 | 02/01/2007 | |
| I was driving down the road, and for no reason at all, my passenger side airbag deployed!!!!! scared me to death, glad i wasn't going very fast or i might have gotten into an accident! i am also lucky that it wasn't the drivers side airbag, or it could have broken my arm! *tr | |||
| 10/21/2006 | 25500 | 1 | 07/15/2005 |
| The passenger side airbag in my 2005 honda element deployed, but i was not in an accident. *jb | |||
| 08/15/2005 | 15000 | 1 | 03/10/2005 |
| While driving, the side impact airbag deployed for no reason. the vehicle was 6 months old at the time and still under warranty. i contacted the dealer and they have refused to replace the airbag because of the possibility that something may have hit the underside of the vehicle causing the side impact airbag to deploy. *jb | |||