Everything NHTSA's vPIC database knows about this exact vehicle:
Decoding from NHTSA…
Vehicle history — accidents, title & owners
The decode above is what this vehicle is. For what it's been through — accidents, title brands, odometer, theft/total-loss and previous owners — pull a full history report.
NHTSA publishes the first 11 characters of the VIN with every complaint — that identifies the plant, model year, body and engine. So these are reports from cars built exactly like this one, not an average across the whole model.
5J6YH28543L••••••2003 Honda ELEMENT
This build draws 4.5× more complaints than the average 2003 Honda ELEMENT build (19 vs 4).
19on this build
326on the model
77builds in total
Most reportedVisibility 16Vehicle Speed Control 1Service Brakes 1Hydraulic 1
What owners of this build wrote
Latches/locks/linkagesNov 2013
The contact owns a 2003 honda element. The contact stated the front driver's side door was inaccessible because the door could not be locked or unlocked. The contact stated that she had to enter the vehicle through the front passenger's side door. The vehicle was taken to the…
Air BagsJun 2013
The contact owns a 2003 honda element. The contact stated that the air bag warning lamp flashed and remained illuminated for an extended period of time. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14V351000 (air bags) months ago and stated that the part was not…
VisibilityMay 2005
Dt: consumer stated that her vehicle's windshield cracked from the bottom and the crack moved up about one foot. The consumer indicated that there did not appear to be a starting point to the crack. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who said that they found a ding that…
Service BrakesJan 1901
2003 honda element with brakes problems. Consumer requests issue to be fixed , cost of repair and cost of replacement. *tgw the consumer stated the brakes and rotors had to be replaced several times due to abnormal brake wear
VisibilityMar 2005
This is the second windshield that cracked in less than two years, they both apeared to be stress cracks. Both times I was not in the car when crack appeared and both times the crack is on the passanger side
Read all 19 complaints on this exact buildFull text, search by keyword, and the systems that fail most on cars built like yours.Unlock with Pro →
Owner complaints…
Now the whole model — all 77 builds of it, not just this build. Same NHTSA reports, wider net:
Loading owner complaints…
PRO
Upgrade to Pro
You know what it is. Find out what it's worth.
Exact value for this VIN, adjusted for mileage
The original window sticker and factory options
Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
Decoded via NHTSA vPIC. Recalls, complaints and safety from NHTSA; MPG from EPA fueleconomy.gov. Full history reports from our partner. VIN 5J6YH28543L034057 · decoded Oct 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.