2003 Honda Element Powertrain & Transmission Problems

The contact owns a 2003 Honda Element. The contact stated that after parking and turning off the vehicle, the vehicle would roll forward or backward. The contact stated that he restarted the vehicle and shifted into park(P), and the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving and unintendedly striking the gear shifter, the vehicle shifted out of gear. The contact stated that he would manually shift back into the intended gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the ignition switch had failed to turn and was repaired by a locksmith; however, the failure recurred. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired free of charge because it was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V364000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that the vehicle was undrivable. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 179,000. The VIN was unavailable.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ELEMENT. UPON PLACING THE GEAR SELECTOR IN PARK AND BRIEFLY EXITING THE VEHICLE, THE GEAR INDEPENDENTLY SHIFTED FROM PARK AND ROLLED INTO REVERSE. THE CONTACT WAS ALMOST RUN OVER. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT WAS SHAKEN BY THE EXPERIENCE AND RECEIVED MEDICAL TREATMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD ESCALATE THE MATTER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 158,425.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA ELEMENT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE. THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED A VOLUNTARY RECALL RELATED TO THE TRANSMISSION. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER TO VERIFY WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS ELIGIBLE FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000.

MY SON WAS DRIVING OUR 2003 HONDA ELEMENT TO HIS INTERNSHIP AS HE HAS DONE MANY TIMES. AS HE BEGAN UP A HILL AND AROUND A CURVE THAT TURNS SHARPLY TO THE LEFT, HE HEARD A LOUD CRACK. THE CAR VEERED OFF OF THE ROAD SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT, LESS THAN AN INCH DROPOFF. WHEN HE TRIED TO STEER THE CAR TO THE LEFT, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE THE CAR. AS THE CURVE IN THE ROAD BEGAN TO END, THE CAR MOVED QUICKLY TO THE LEFT BUT STILL WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE STEERING WHEEL. IT RAN OFF THE ROAD TO THE LEFT AND WENT INTO A DITCH ABOUT 18 INCHES DEEP. THEN, APPARENTLY THE RIGHT WHEEL BENT UP UNDER THE CAR. THE WHEEL BROKE IN TWO, AS DID THE ROTOR. THE WHEEL THEN DUG INTO THE PAVEMENT AND CUT A GROOVE INTO THE PAVEMENT ABOUT 8 FEET LONG. APPARENTLY THIS RAPID SLOWING DOWN OF THE RIGHT SIDE, COUPLED WITH THE CONTINUED MOVEMENT OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR, PROJECTED THE CAR OUT OF THE DITCH AND CAUSED IT TO ROLL OVER TWICE AND LAND ON ITS ROOF. THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. MY SON WAS ABLE TO DISENGAGE THE SEATBELT AND LOWER HIMSELF DOWN ONTO THE ROOF AND GET OUT OF THE SHATTERED DRIVER SIDE WINDOW. HE WAS UNINJURED EXCEPT FOR SOME SMALL SHARDS OF GLASS IN HIS RIGHT HAND AND FOREARM. WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR, WE SAW THAT THE RIGHT FRONT AXLE WAS SNAPPED IN TWO AT THE TRANSMISSION. BOTH THE WHEEL AND THE ROTOR WERE BROKEN IN HALF. THE CAR WAS DECLARED "TOTALED." MY CONCERN IS THAT WHATEVER SNAPPED OR CRACKED INITIALLY RENDERED THE CAR UNSTEERABLE. I WOULD LIKE AN INVESTIGATION THAT MIGHT PERHAPS PREVENT SUCH A THING HAPPENING TO ANYONE ELSE. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2003 HONDA ELEMENT IN JUNE 2003 OF WHICH HAD MANY MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS/FAILURES. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT OF THESE FAILURES PROVED TO BE WITH THE DRIVE TRAIN MECHANISM SPECIFICALLY CV BOOTS AND STEERING FUNCTION. LOUD NOISES DEVELOPED WHEN TURNING WHICH GREW LOUDER OVER TIME AS WELL AS A "GRINDING" SOUND AND VIBRATION FROM UNDERNEATH APPROX. AT MID-ALE LOCATION. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP OUT OF REVERSE WHILE MOVING INTO NEUTRAL AT WILL. THESE ISSUES CULMINATED IN MY STEERING CEASING TO OPERATE AS THOUGH "FROZEN" WHILE I WAS MAKING A SLOW LEFT HAND TURN CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A TREE ALONG SIDE OF A MAJOR STREET AND INTERSECTION. THE DRIVERSIDE AIR-BAG DID DEPLOY AND THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY IN-OPERABLE AND HAD TO BE FLAT BED TOWED DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF FRONT-END DAMAGE. I COMPLETED AND MAINTAINED ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE STOP REQUIREMENTS AND YET SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC DRIVE TRAIN FAILURE AT ONLY 82,000 MILES. MY RESEARCH ON THIS MAKE/MODEL FAILURES PROVED TO BE NUMEROUS IN NUMBER AS REPORTED ON VERIFIABLE/REPUTABLE WEBSITES. ONE OF WHICH WAS HONDA'S OWN - TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN'S SITE! *TR

2003 ELEMENT ROLLED BACKWARDS WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE AND KEYS IN HIS HANDS. *TS ***NO ANSWER REQUIRED*** *JB

THIS IS THE THIRD THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY INSTALLED INTO CAR SINCE PURCHASE. THE FIRST ONE WAS DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED WITH A NEW MODEL. THE SECOND WAS REPLACED DUE TO ELECTRICAL FAILURES, AND THE LAST ONE WAS REPLACED DUE TO THE DVD/NAV SYSTEM INSTALLED WHICH WAS CAUSING ELECTRICAL INTERFERENCE TO THE THROTTLE BODY, CAUSING IT TO FAIL. THE SYMPTOM STARTED WITH THE SHIFT NOT UNLOCKING WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THEN IT WILL NOT SHIFT GEARS, CAUSING THE CAR TO RUN AT 4500 RPMS. THEN VEHICLE HIT A BUMP IN ROAD, AND IT SHIFTED TO BETTER HIGHWAY SPEED. DEALER STATED THAT HE COULD NOT GET TROUBLE CODES FROM COMPUTER UNTIL ALL DVD/NAV WAS DISCONECTED. THEY REPLACED THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY, AND TOLD US NOT TO HOOK DVD/NAV SYSTEM UP UNLESS IT HAD ITS OWN FUSEABLE LINK LINE FROM BATTERY, AND NOT TO USE WIRE HARNESS TO CONNECT.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN IN THE SNOW 4-WHEEL DRIVE MECHANISM KICKED IN AUTOMATICALLY, VEHICLE SPUN OUT AND HIT A VENDER YARD POST.*AK

ABLE TO REMOVE IGNITION KEY WHEN TRANSMISSION IN GEAR.*AK

FOUR WHEEL DRIVE DOES NOT ENGAGE WHEN FRONT WHEELS SLIP OR SPIN. THE LEFT REAR WHEEL TURNED ONE ROTATION ON ONE INCIDENT. THAT IS THE ONLY MOVEMENT I'VE SEEN FROM THE REAR WHEELS. *NLM