Honda Element Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 2003 draws 4.23 complaints per run and the 2006 1.8, a 2.4-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age, so 59.3% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Visibility, with 279 complaints, typically at 1.3 years.

Honda Element years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Honda Element — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2011	1.14	8	7	yes
2010	1.37	26	19	yes
2009	1.19	31	26	yes
2008	2.08	108	52	yes
2007	2	102	51	yes
2006	1.8	106	59	yes
2005	2.62	131	50	yes
2004	2.79	215	77	yes
2003	4.23	326	77	yes

ROWS 9·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Does the market discount it? In our listings a 2003 Element asks a median $4,950, against $5,950 for a 2004, the next model year: about 17% less, so sellers do price some of the trouble in.

Among the 5 Honda Element years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2003, 2004, 2008; the three worth hunting are 2006, 2007, 2008.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Honda Element — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	146	15.8%	covered
1 year	149	31.9%	covered
2 years	82	40.7%	covered
3 years	35	44.5%	you pay
4 years	44	49.2%	you pay
5 years	43	53.9%	you pay
6 years	43	58.5%	you pay
7 years	51	64%	you pay
8 years	53	69.8%	you pay
9 years	43	74.4%	you pay
10 years	43	79%	you pay
11 years	53	84.8%	you pay
12 years	43	89.4%	you pay
13 years	39	93.6%	you pay
14 years	25	96.3%	you pay
15 years	34	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 40.7% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 59.3% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for few of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Honda Element, the early trouble is Visibility and Service Brakes — reported at around 1.3 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Air Bags at 8.2 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Honda Element — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Visibility	279	1.3 yrs	2	3
Air Bags	278	8.2 yrs	44	1
Suspension	112	10.1 yrs	7	—
Electrical System	91	6.9 yrs	2	5
Structure	84	7.7 yrs	11	—
Service Brakes	78	3.7 yrs	5	—
Unknown Or Other	43	8.2 yrs	2	—
Seats	43	7.2 yrs	4	—

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Element's vehicle class. Per production run, the Subaru Outback draws 3.64, the Toyota Land Cruiser 1.49 and the Subaru Forester 3.35, against 2.57 for the Element.

FIG.05·Honda Element — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Element	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Subaru Outback	8,587	159	2005–2026
Toyota Land Cruiser	257	85	1981–2026
Subaru Forester	6,521	121	1998–2026
Chevrolet Trailblazer	8,447	57	2002–2026
Jeep Liberty	8,880	80	1993–2013
Toyota FJ Cruiser	907	65	2007–2014

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Everything on the Honda Element

Recalls100 campaigns Fuel economy22 mpg best Common problems1,308 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Used prices1,181 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car2003–2011

Frequently asked questions

Is the Honda Element reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 2.57 against 3.73 for the average car, and in the middle of its class rivals.

Which Element years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2003, 2004, 2008. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2006, 2007, 2008. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Element problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age. The most reported system is Visibility, typically at 1.3 years, followed by Air Bags.

Will the warranty cover Element problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 40.7% of reported failures fall inside it.

Is the Element more reliable than the Subaru Outback?

Yes: 2.57 complaints per production run for the Element against 3.64 for the Subaru Outback.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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