2003 Honda Element Visibility Problems
Owners have filed 226 complaints with NHTSA about visibility problems on the 2003 Honda Element, 53% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 9,440 miles. The words owners use most often: “windshield cracked” (33% of reports).
- 226visibility complaints
- 9,440median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $880typical repair cost reported by owners
- 60%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Windshield cracked: mentioned in 74 of 226 complaints (33%)
- Crack appeared: mentioned in 18 of 226 complaints (8%)
- Wiper blade: mentioned in 14 of 226 complaints (6%)
- Lower corner: mentioned in 12 of 226 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical visibility repair on the 2003 Honda Element at $880, and half of them between $700 and $1,400.
Based on 5 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2003–2004), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do visibility problems happen?
Based on 156 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 226 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 1 a fire.
Honda Element visibility complaints by model year
| Model year | Visibility complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 Element | 2 | 18% | 40,600 |
| 2010 Element | 2 | 7% | 3,078 |
| 2009 Element | 1 | 3% | 7,000 |
| 2008 Element | 6 | 5% | 20,527 |
| 2007 Element | 7 | 6% | 18,550 |
| 2006 Element | 12 | 10% | 23,000 |
| 2005 Element | 12 | 8% | 12,000 |
| 2004 Element | 106 | 38% | 10,000 |
| 2003 Element | 226 | 53% | 9,440 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists visibility for the 2003 Honda Element. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Windshield leaked water, dealership refused to fix. Windshield cracked and was cited by police officer for not fixing, dealership refused to fix. Upon replacement the repair guys just laughed and said that that glass was seated improperly and asked who had replaced it. I responded that it was the…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda element. The contact started the ignition and the windshield wipers failed to function when they were engaged. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated the windshield wiper motor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. There was a…
2003 honda element windshield cracked at bottom of passenger side while sitting in my driveway so i had it replaced. A couple months later cracked same location and eventually split all the way across the windshield blocking view. Called mfg and was told due to being over 60,000 miles i will have…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Honda Elements have visibility problems?
No. NHTSA has 226 owner complaints about visibility for the 2003 Honda Element (53% of the 423 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Honda Element visibility?
No recall currently lists visibility for this vehicle.
At what mileage do visibility problems start?
The median reported mileage is 9,440 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix visibility problems on the 2003 Honda Element?
Owners report a typical cost of $880 (half paid between $700 and $1,400), from 5 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about visibility problems on the 2003 Honda Element?
The most frequent phrase is “windshield cracked”, in 74 of 226 complaints, followed by “crack appeared” (18).
See all 2003 Honda Element problems or visibility problems across all Element years.