Honda Element Visibility Problems
Owners have filed 374 complaints with NHTSA about visibility problems on the Honda Element across 9 model years. The 2003 model year has the most (226). The words owners use most often: “windshield cracked” (29% of reports).
- 374visibility complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $760typical 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 110 of 374 complaints (29%)
- Crack appeared: mentioned in 25 of 374 complaints (7%)
- Service bulletin: mentioned in 23 of 374 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical visibility repair on the Honda Element at $760, and half of them between $390 and $1,400.
Based on 9 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2003–2013), 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 258 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 374 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 3 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 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.
Driver side window regulator went out. Window dropped down on it's own.
The front passenger window regulator went out. Window dropped down into the door panel.
For no reason at all the driver side window just fell to the bottom of the driver side door housing. *tr
Sun visor will not stay up and is blocking visibility of the road ahead. After looking online i see that this is an ongoing issue with similar models of honda. It should be a safety recall for honda as it may cause an accident. *js
The driver side, front window spontaneously exploded in on me while driving on the highway. There was no evidence that any object struck the window. It just exploded. *js
Frequently asked questions
Do all Honda Elements have visibility problems?
No. NHTSA has 374 owner complaints about visibility for the Honda Element. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Honda Element visibility?
No recall currently lists visibility for this vehicle.
How much does it cost to fix visibility problems on the Honda Element?
Owners report a typical cost of $760 (half paid between $390 and $1,400), from 9 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about visibility problems on the Honda Element?
The most frequent phrase is “windshield cracked”, in 110 of 374 complaints, followed by “crack appeared” (25).
Other Honda Element problems
- Air Bags problems (322)
- Suspension problems (117)
- Electrical System problems (111)
See all Honda Element problems.