There are 5 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2004 Honda Elementin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
BRAKES KEEP GRINDING AND SQUEALING. HAVE REPAIRED BRAKES AND MECHANISM ASSOCIATED WITH IT A TOTAL FOR FOUR TIMES. REAR PASSENGER BRAKE KEEPS GOING OUT. GRINDING AWAY PART OF THE ROTAR AND BRAKE KEEPS STICKING TO DISC.
BRAKE PEDAL WAS SOFT, COULD BE PUSHED TO THE FLOOR DESPITE BLEEDING OF THE BRAKE LINES. REPLACING THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM WHETHER DRIVING OR STATIONARY. BLEEDING THE ABS MODULATOR WOULD TEMPORARILY IMPROVE BRAKING, BUT TURNING THE IGNITION ON AND OFF 6 TIMES WOULD INTRODUCE AIR INTO THE ABS MODULATOR. REPLACING THE ABS MODULATOR SEEMED TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
2004 HONDA ELEMENT. REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WEARING AWAY REPEATEDLY. PADS REPLACED/ROTORS RESURFACED TWICE BETWEEN 48,000 AND 65,000. AT 65,000, PADS 95% WORN AWAY AGAIN AND ROTORS DAMAGED. REAR PADS AND ROTORS REPLACED FOR THE THIRD TIME IN 15K MILES. DEALER CONFIRMS THAT PADS WERE PROPERLY INSTALLED, CLAIMS TO NOT KNOW WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. WEB SEARCHES ON WWW.ELEMENTOWNERSCLUB.COM FINDS MANY INSTANCES OF THE SAME PROBLEM, WITH MANY OWNERS COMPLAINING OF THE ROTORS RUSTING PREMATURELY AND OFTEN, THE CALIPERS STICKING, AND HONDA REFUSING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. IN SOME CASES, PROBLEMS BEGIN UNDER THE 10K MARK, AND UPWARDS FROM THERE. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A SCREECHING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE REAR BRAKES WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AT SPEEDS OF 2 MPH AND ABOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR AN INSPECTION DUE TO THE NOISE. THE INSPECTOR DETERMINED THE BRAKE PADS WERE WORN AND THE ROTORS WERE SCORED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE REAR BRAKE PAD AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED. HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THE TIRES WERE WORN AROUND THE TREAD ALTHOUGH, NO INCIDENTS OR PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED ABOUT THE TIRES PREVIOUSLY. THE MANUFACTURER DETERMINED, THIS WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ON THE VEHICLE AND THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS A PART OF REGULAR MAINTENANCE. THE REAR ABS ROTOR WAS BADLY WORN. THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE TIRE BECAUSE IT WAS LOOSING AIR DUE TO A SCREW. UPDATED 03/09/06
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA ELEMENT. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKES FROM ANY SPEED, THE BRAKES WOULD ABNORMALLY SQUEAK. THE DEALER REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKES. THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN NINE MONTHS. THE DEALER THEN REPLACED THE REAR DRIVER SIDE BRAKES. THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN ONE YEAR AND A HALF. THE CONTACT THEN HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKES, ROTORS AND CALIPERS. THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN EIGHT MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 38,000. UPDATED 11/03/10. *LJ UPDATED 11/04/10*JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026