The Honda Element has 24 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 2003–2011. On average a defect was admitted 8.43 years after the car was built, the slowest took 16 years. The most recalled system is Air Bags (12 campaigns). Owners also filed 1,049 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Honda Element
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Air Bags 12 Read
What's wrong. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2011 Acura RL, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2006-2011 Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or that have ever been registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Honda is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2008 Acura RL, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2003-2008 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2003-2008 Pilot,…
Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death
Fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 27, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KA0, KA1, KA2, and KA3
What's wrong. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2006 Ridgeline, 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2003-2006 Acura MDX, and 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion and other factors, including manufacturing variability that, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death
Fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-800-382-2238, select option 4. Note: Vehicles that have had their driver…
What's wrong. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura MDX and Honda CR-V vehicles, 2005-2011 Honda Element vehicles, 2005-2012 Acura RL vehicles, 2006-2012 Honda Ridgeline vehicles, 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles and 2005-2008 Honda Pilot vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, if not included in "Zone A" above, Honda is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura MDX and Honda CR-V vehicles, 2005-2009 Acura RL and Honda Element vehicles, 2007-2008 Honda Fit…
Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death
Fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall bagan March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KD9 and KE0
Electrical System 2 Read
What's wrong. Honda is recalling certain model year 2007 through 2011 Element passenger vehicles equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness. The wire that supplies power to the trailer turn signal lights was inadvertently switched with the stop lamp wire. As a result the turn signals only illuminate when the brake lamps are illuminated. This does not comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk. Without trailer turn signal illumination, the driver's intent is not communicated, potentially increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on September 20, 2012. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009
What's wrong. Honda is recalling certain model year 2007 through 2011 Element passenger vehicles equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness. The wire that supplies power to the trailer turn signal lights was inadvertently switched with the stop lamp wire. As a result the turn signals only illuminate when the brake lamps are illuminated. This does not comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk. Without trailer turn signal illumination, the driver's intent is not communicated, potentially increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on September 20, 2012. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009
What's wrong. Honda is recalling certain model year 2007 through 2011 Element passenger vehicles equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness. The wire that supplies power to the trailer turn signal lights was inadvertently switched with the stop lamp wire. As a result the turn signals only illuminate when the brake lamps are illuminated. This does not comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk. Without trailer turn signal illumination, the driver's intent is not communicated, potentially increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on September 20, 2012. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009
Power Train 2 Read
What's wrong. Honda is recalling certain model year 2010 element automatic transmission vehicles manufactured from april 1, 2010 through june 25, 2010. During assembly process, the cable that connects the shift lever to the transmission was not set correctly at the shift lever bracket. As a result the driver may move the gear shift lever but the transmission may not be placed in the selected gear
Risk. This can cause the key to be stuck in the ignition switch, an inability to shift into or out of park, or an inability to shift into reverse, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Honda has contacted some owners by phone and arranged to, have, or has had, their vehicles repaired free of charge. All other owners will be notified by mail. Dealers will correctly set the shift cable bushing. The safety recall began on august 9, 2010. Owners may contact honda at 1-800-999-1009
What's wrong. Honda is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 accord, 2007-2010 cr-v, and 2005-2008 element passenger cars manufactured from july 1, 2004, through september 3, 2010. The outer race of the secondary shaft bearing may be broken during certain driving styles. A broken outer race may cause abnormal noise, the malfunction indicator light to turn on, and allow contact between the transmission idle gear and an electronic sensor housing within the transmission
Risk. This could result in a short circuit causing the engine to stall. Additionally, broken pieces of the outer race or ball bearing from the secondary shaft may become lodged in the parking pawl resulting in the vehicle rolling after the driver has placed the gear selector in the park position. Engine stall and unexpected…
Fix. Honda will notify owners and dealers will update the automatic transmission control module software free of charge. The safety recall began on august 27, 2011. Owners may contact honda automobile customer service at 1-800-999-1009
What's wrong. Honda is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 accord, 2007-2010 cr-v, and 2005-2008 element passenger cars manufactured from july 1, 2004, through september 3, 2010. The outer race of the secondary shaft bearing may be broken during certain driving styles. A broken outer race may cause abnormal noise, the malfunction indicator light to turn on, and allow contact between the transmission idle gear and an electronic sensor housing within the transmission
Risk. This could result in a short circuit causing the engine to stall. Additionally, broken pieces of the outer race or ball bearing from the secondary shaft may become lodged in the parking pawl resulting in the vehicle rolling after the driver has placed the gear selector in the park position. Engine stall and unexpected…
Fix. Honda will notify owners and dealers will update the automatic transmission control module software free of charge. The safety recall began on august 27, 2011. Owners may contact honda automobile customer service at 1-800-999-1009
Exterior Lighting 2 Read
What's wrong. Dope, inc. Is recalling 42,540 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors
Risk. Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash
Fix. Dope, inc. Will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on july 28, 2009. Owners may contact dope, inc. At 1-626-272-1798
What's wrong. Dope, inc. Is recalling 42,540 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors
Risk. Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash
Fix. Dope, inc. Will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on july 28, 2009. Owners may contact dope, inc. At 1-626-272-1798
What's wrong. Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors
Risk. Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash
Fix. Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589
Equipment 2 Read
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles and motorcycles, the owner's manuals contain incorrect contact information for the national highway traffic safety administration's (NHTSA) vehicle safety hotline
Risk. The language in the owner's manuals is not in accordance with the current mandatory requirements
Fix. Honda will send a postcard to dealers and owners with the correct NHTSA vehicle safety hotline information and with instructions to insert the card into the "reporting safety defects" section of the owner's manual. The recall began on august 2, 2006. Owners may contact honda at 1-800-999-1009, acura at 1-800-382-2238…
What's wrong. Certain honda accessory trailer harness kit, p/n 08l91-scv-102, manufactured between november 24 and december 18, 2004, sold for use on my 2005 honda element vehicles manufactured between december 20, 2004, and april 29, 2005. The wire harness of the trailer hitch kit has an incorrectly wired connector. As a result, the trailer brake lamps and turn signal lamps could operate incorrectly, or a fuse could blow causing a sudden loss of brake and turn signal lamp function
Risk. Improper signaling or a loss of trailer warning lamp function without warning could cause a vehicle crash, possibly resulting in injuries
Fix. Honda will notify its customers and instruct them to bring their vehicle to a honda dealer. The dealer will correct the connector wiring free of charge. The recall began on may 17, 2005. Owners may contact honda at 310-783-2000
Vehicle Speed Control 1 Read
What's wrong. Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain Accelerator Pedal Assemblies part numbers 699-114 and 825-5029-1, sold as replacement parts for 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2004-2008 Acura TL and TSX, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2007-2011 Honda Element, 2005-2008 Honda Pilot and 2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The rotating portion of the accelerator pedal assembly may bind. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 124, "Accelerator Control Systems."
Risk. If the accelerator pedal binds, the engine may not quickly return to idle after the pedal is no longer pressed, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Dorman will notify owners, and qualified service facilities will replace the affected accelerator pedal assemblies, free of charge. The recall began December 9, 2019. Owners may contact Dorman customer service at 1-800-523-2492, using option 5. Dorman's number for this recall is AS1019XXXX
What's wrong. Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain Accelerator Pedal Assemblies part numbers 699-114 and 825-5029-1, sold as replacement parts for 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2004-2008 Acura TL and TSX, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2007-2011 Honda Element, 2005-2008 Honda Pilot and 2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The rotating portion of the accelerator pedal assembly may bind. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 124, "Accelerator Control Systems."
Risk. If the accelerator pedal binds, the engine may not quickly return to idle after the pedal is no longer pressed, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Dorman will notify owners, and qualified service facilities will replace the affected accelerator pedal assemblies, free of charge. The recall began December 9, 2019. Owners may contact Dorman customer service at 1-800-523-2492, using option 5. Dorman's number for this recall is AS1019XXXX
What's wrong. Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain Accelerator Pedal Assemblies part numbers 699-114 and 825-5029-1, sold as replacement parts for 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2004-2008 Acura TL and TSX, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2007-2011 Honda Element, 2005-2008 Honda Pilot and 2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The rotating portion of the accelerator pedal assembly may bind. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 124, "Accelerator Control Systems."
Risk. If the accelerator pedal binds, the engine may not quickly return to idle after the pedal is no longer pressed, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Dorman will notify owners, and qualified service facilities will replace the affected accelerator pedal assemblies, free of charge. The recall began December 9, 2019. Owners may contact Dorman customer service at 1-800-523-2492, using option 5. Dorman's number for this recall is AS1019XXXX
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility 1 Read
What's wrong. All in one mobility is recalling certain model year 1997 through 2008 conversion vans equipped with vmi/ricon 6-way power seat bases. There is a possibility of a defective weld at the joint between the pivoting plate and the pivoting plate pin
Risk. The seat occupant may be injured if the seat base pin were to break
Fix. All in one mobility will notify owners and the vehicles will be repaired free of charge. The safety recall began on june 22, 2010. Owners may contact all in one mobility at 1-503-255-5005
Suspension 1 Read
What's wrong. Honda is recalling 241 my 2008 element vehicles. The front bushing bracket of the left trailing arm of the rear suspension may have been improperly welded and could separate from the trailing arm
Risk. A separated bushing bracket could cause the suspension to release the lower portion of the wheel hub, causing a loss of control and damage to the brake system which could lead to a crash
Fix. Owners will be contacted by phone and advised to stop driving their vehicles until they have taken their vehicle to a dealer for inspection. Dealers will inspect the left rear trailing arm and, if necessary, replace it free of charge. The recall began on july 25, 2008. Owners may contact honda at 1-800-999-1009
Service Brakes, Air 1 Read
What's wrong. Honda has notified NHTSA of a defect in certain model year 2007 and 2008 odyssey and element passenger vehicles manufactured between july 28, 2006 and august 21, 2008. Air can enter the vsa modular pump during an initial self-check process that occurs shortly after each time the engine is started. It is possible for enough air to enter the system to result in a brake pedal that feels soft or lower to the floor
Risk. If the owner does not have any brake service or maintenance performed over a period of months or years, the system can continue to accumulate enough air to affect braking performance, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Honda will notify owner and honda dealers will repair the vsa modulator by removing any existing air in the brake system then apply sealant and caps to prevent air from entering the brake system free of charge. The safety recall began on may 3, 2010. Owners may contact honda at 1-800-999-1009
What's wrong. Honda has notified NHTSA of a defect in certain model year 2007 and 2008 odyssey and element passenger vehicles manufactured between july 28, 2006 and august 21, 2008. Air can enter the vsa modular pump during an initial self-check process that occurs shortly after each time the engine is started. It is possible for enough air to enter the system to result in a brake pedal that feels soft or lower to the floor
Risk. If the owner does not have any brake service or maintenance performed over a period of months or years, the system can continue to accumulate enough air to affect braking performance, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Honda will notify owner and honda dealers will repair the vsa modulator by removing any existing air in the brake system then apply sealant and caps to prevent air from entering the brake system free of charge. The safety recall began on may 3, 2010. Owners may contact honda at 1-800-999-1009
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 8.43 years |
| Slowest campaign | 16 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 81% |
| Campaigns on record | 24 |
Which Element years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Electrical System | |
| 2010 | Power Train | |
| 2009 | Electrical System | |
| 2008 | Suspension | |
| 2007 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 2006 | Equipment | |
| 2005 | Equipment | |
| 2004 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 2003 | Exterior Lighting |
Check your own car
Each of these 24 campaigns covers a range of production, not every Honda Element ever built — two cars of the same year can differ by a single week at the plant. Whether yours is among them, and whether the free repair was already carried out, is answered only by the number on its windscreen: check this Element by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
A campaign on one model says little about the brand as a whole — see how the Honda Element compares in the full recall check by make and model →
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
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- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Honda Element have?
24 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 2003–2011. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my Element still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 8.43 years, and the slowest campaign came 16 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.
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