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HONDA · vehicle model

HONDA ELEMENT

1,522 NHTSA complaints and 24 safety recalls across model years 2003–2011.

Complaints
1,522
Recalls
24
Model years
9

The HONDAELEMENT appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 1,522 consumer safety complaints and 24 recall campaigns across 9 model years (2003–2011). That averages roughly 169 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.

Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.

NHTSA has 1 investigation file tied to this model. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.

Complaints by Year

YearComplaints
201115
201039
200937
2008127
2007142
2006152
2005199
2004329
2003482

Complaint Filing Trend

NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).

Filings moved from 212 in 2017-2021 to 183 in 2022-2026, a fall of 13.7%. That is the 56th percentile of change across the 772 nameplates with enough filings in both windows to compare, where 0 is the steepest fall and 100 the steepest rise.

Filing volume, not a reliability verdict: counts also move with how many vehicles are on the road, how old they are, and whether a recall drew attention. Computed from this portal's NHTSA filing-year records over the same two windows the trend rankings use.

56
’03
185
’04
117
’05
61
’06
52
’07
45
’08
54
’09
101
’10
80
’11
50
’12
31
’13
97
’14
103
’15
95
’16
63
’17
55
’18
33
’19
28
’20
33
’21
23
’22
65
’23
52
’24
40
’25
3
’26

Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).

View all trending models →

Compare HONDAELEMENT to Similar Vehicles

HONDAELEMENT vs FORDFIVE HUNDRED → HONDAELEMENT vs MERCEDES-BENZE320 → HONDAELEMENT vs LEXUSES350 → HONDAELEMENT vs MERCURYMYSTIQUE →

NHTSA Investigations

EA09001Engineering AnalysisClosed2009-01-05

Ignition Shift Interlock

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is the HONDA ELEMENT?▼
The HONDA ELEMENT has received 1,522 NHTSA complaints spanning model years 2003 to 2011, with 24 recalls. That averages about 169 complaints per model year.
What years of HONDA ELEMENT are available?▼
PlainCars has complaint and recall data for the HONDA ELEMENT from 2003 to 2011 (9 model years). Select any year to see component-level complaint breakdowns and safety ratings.
Does the HONDA ELEMENT have safety ratings?▼
NHTSA safety ratings (NCAP 5-star program) are available for many HONDA ELEMENT model years from 2011 onward. Select a specific year to see front crash, side crash, and rollover ratings where available.
What are the most common HONDA ELEMENT complaints?▼
NHTSA complaints for the HONDA ELEMENT are categorized by component, common areas include engine, transmission, electrical system, airbags, and brakes. Select a model year for a detailed component-by-component breakdown.
How do I check if my HONDA ELEMENT has been recalled?▼
Visit the year-specific page on PlainCars to see all recalls for your model year, or enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov for official recall status and available remedies.
Data sources

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. HONDA ELEMENT totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.