Windshield cracked due to stress at the bottom edge on 2004 honda element. Dealership and honda USA do not acknowledge the problem and refuse to repair it. Crack does not originate from a rock impact but honda USA policy is to rule all cracks as resulting from rock impact.
2004 Honda Element visibility complaints
Page 3 of 5: complaints 41 to 70 of 107, newest first, as owners wrote them.
About a month ago, I noticed a crack in the windshield of my honda element. The crack in the windshield is about 4 weeks old; it had started overnight - it wasn't there when I parked it, but was there the next morning. I thought that I would just have to deal with a small crack, but decided to do some research on problems with the honda element and found several incidences of a crack in the window starting in the same place. I even found a honda service bulletin (tsb 03-028) that addressed this exact problem. I purchased my 04 honda element in mid-december of 2004, and at the time of the crack the car had less than 10,000 miles. I have read that if there was an impact point that caused the crack, that impact points always have a star crack pattern around them. Mine has no crack pattern except the larger crack that moved upward and then towards the middle of my windshield - no star shape. I have also read about the surface of the windshield being uneven and that a high spot applies uneven pressure to the glass causing a stress crack. Further, that a stress crack is identified by a horizontal cracks originating in the lower corners of the and radiating toward the middle of the windshield. This is exactly my problem. I repeat, the pit was smaller than the size of a grain of salt and located directly under the wiper blade. I was told that it was under warranty, and was turned away when I tried to have my window repaired. This situation is not unique to my honda element. There are many other element owners that have encountered the same problem with the windshield cracking under the windshield wiper on the passenger side of the car. Honda has systematically ?found? That these cracks were caused by rocks, although admitting in a service bulletin to its dealers that this is a symptom of honda elements, and that it is probably caused by the windshield flange surface being uneven.
While parked in a secured parking lot windshield cracked overnight. The crack was in the lower right hand corner. Owner contacted the dealer, and was advised to buy another. Owner later contacted the manufacturer, and was informed that the manufacturer refused to fix the cracked windshield which is under warranty. Manufacturer believed that road debris was the cause of the crack. This was not the case.
Consumer's vehicle was having the same problem as stated in technical servic ebulletin 100929. A long crack in the middle of the front windshield appeared. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.
Windshield cracked after no apparent impact. It was a cold morning/afternoon. Car was garaged at home and at work. The crack was noticed upon returning to the vehicle after work. Crack started 12-14 inches from lower edge of passenger side. Extended from beneath window seal vertically for 5-6 inches and turned abruptly toward passenger side edge for 6-8 inches. Dealer identified it as a stress related crack with no apparent impact point. Replaced under warranty.
A crack started on the lower passenger side of the windshield just like other elements.
2004 honda element - driving on the highway (no gravel) in light-sunday traffic and heard a "pop". Next day, noticed a crack emerging from the bottom, passenger side of the windshield that arced about a foot across the windshield within two days. Joe marina honda said it was an impact issue and refused to repair.
2004 honda element, after about 2 months of ownership a crack in window started from lower right corner. Dealer claimed a small pebble must have struck it and refused to replace it. Had insurance replace it.*ak next day a second pebble strikes windshield and a star crack forms non my new winshield. Two weeks later and I hear a noise and another crack starts at the top of the windshield and grows about 12 inches in an hour. How many windshields will I need in a year?
I own a 2004 honda element. As with thousands of others, I have a stress crack in the windshield with no discernible cause. Honda refuses to fix the problem. The vehicle was not in accident nor is there a road stone incident. The crack goes from just under the left side windshield wiper, up and to the left to the side of the windshield. It has a vertical component of approx. 6 inches and then a horizontal component of 3 inches. The crack cannot be felt on the inside or outside of the windshield.
I am an owner of a 2004 honda element. Like many other element owners, I've just had my first cracked windshield, 3 months after purchase. I've also had my first experience trying to get honda to admit that there is a problem with the windshield in this vehicle. There is no impact mark, but a crack running from under the rubber seal , up and across the windshield on the drivers side. The service manager was very sure that an impact must have caused this, even though he could not find a specific mark using the imfamous "pen test". I've read numerous other complaints on this site and others about this issue. When is the federal safety agency going to force honda to admit they have a design problem?!?
The windshield is experiencing major cracks without any cause, which can at anytime break. Manufacturer has been contacted by consumer.
I have a 2004 honda element. It has less than 5000 miles on it. The windshield is cracked but nothing ever hit the windshield. The crack starts under the passenger side wiper goes up about 6-8 inches and then spreads toward the driver's side about 12 inches. This is a defect and honda should step up and take care of it. This is a safety hazard as this crack was not there last night when I parked my car, but was there this morning when I got back in my car.
Cracked windshield. Same complaint as everyone else. The vehicle was stationary in the garage and the windshield cracked from the seam half way up on the passenger side. The dealer insisted this was not a flaw of the vehicle and was due to a rock hitting the seam though there is absolutely no evidence of this. In the meantime, the left side has done the exact same thing. The windshield is on back order for over a month. After seeing all of the listings here I can see why there aren't any left. This is clearly a significant issue for many owners. Spoke to honda customer service again today and they still deny this is a design flaw and claimed they've not heard of this being a common problem. Very disappointing. This is my 4th honda and as a result of all the problems with this vehicle (this is minor in comparison) I won't be buying another honda again and will be getting rid of this one.
I own a 2004 honda element. It was subject a cracked windshield due to the fact that honda has a design flaw with its windshield installation. There are stress points which cause cracks in the bottom corners of the glass. This seems to be a common occurrence for the element as honda has released a service report for its dealers, but has not issued a recall.
2nd occurrence of windshield crack. 1st event on 12-05-04. Occurred while vehicle parked-vertical crack from under trim below driver side wiper; tee'd at 6" and went side to side horizontally. Dealer refused to even look at crack. Windshield replaced on 12-10-04. 2nd occurrence on 02-15-05 while vehicle parked in garage. Vertical crack from under trim below driver side wiper for 3" then tee'd and went from side to side horizontally. Contacted dealer by phone - again total lack of interest. Both events showed pinhead sized pit just below wiper. Jb
The windshield cracked twice, driver drove to the dealer on the last incident, and mechanic determined that the cause of the problem could not be determined at this time.
2004 honda element. We have owned the car less than 1 year and already there are 2 impact cracks and one in-explicable crack which comes from the lower passenger side of the windshield and curves up about 12 inches. Dealership states that there is an impact on the crack running from lower passenger side (said that ran a razor over crack which tells them there is an impact). Am writing a letter to honda and copying the federal safety agency.
Honda element 2004 windshield cracked. Checked out hondaelementscrack.com to find others with same problem. Claimed was fixed on the 2004, but 3 other cars in the service bay with similar cracks while awaiting mine to be serviced. All 2004 elements. They claimed indication of impact, but happened while garaged. Appeared perfectly consistent with stress fracture tsb from 2003. They agreed to pay for 1/2 and I was quoted 250 at the dealer for replacement. When they realized honda agreed to pay 1/2, they insisted now we must use the honda windshield to raise the price to 500 to drop it back to the original 250. What a joke. Although they insisted they must use honda windshields for safety reasons, they couldn't explain why not a single honda dealership in the country will deliver the labor. Its subbed out to god only knows who and I'm sure liability for future failures or injury during an accident is passed along as well. They did indicate if they changed tsb to include 2004, I would get my money back, but I presume I'd also have to pay 250 somehow else to get the 250 back and still have a fractured windshield.
Consumer concerned about windshield problem on honda element 2004. *bf based on complaints by other element owners the consumer is concerned that the windshield may shatter inward while driving. A service bulletin has been issued for this problem (sb 03-028).
2004 honda element with cracked windshield........nothing hit the windshield, just started to crack.
On two separate occasions the front windshield cracked for no known reason. The dealer replaced it on the first occasion. Now it has crack again. The dealer has been notified.
While driving 10 MPH consumer noticed that the windshield was cracked. This caused poor visibility. Vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic replaced the windshield twice. However, the problem recurred. *ak the consumer stated that both cracks where in her line of vision.
The windshield cracked under the driver side wiper while driving on freeway. I heard no impact. The dealer said rock hit it.
I never heard anything actually hit my windshield. I did hear the crack, which begins at the bottom of the passenger side under the wiper. The crack moves upwards about 4 inches and over towards the driver side another 5-6 inches. I have opened a case with american honda customer service trying to have it replaced under warranty since I understand this is a recurring problem with elements.
Windshield cracked below driver's side wiper with no impact noted.
Honda element windshield failure-crack.
Defective windshield in honda element. I had the honda element less than two weeks and developed my first chip in the windshield. I have now had it for 3 months and have already received another crack in the windshield. I am not the only honda element owner with this problem. I have owned my other cars for 8 and 11 years and have never had a problem like this with them. I really do believe this is a safety issue that honda needs to address.
Bought 2004 honda element ex in feb 2004. Since then have had 2 stone chips and now have a crack along the lower passenger side edge of the windshield. The car only has 6,000 miles on it. I've had cars that have lasted 100,000 miles with less damage.
I was driving on the parkway with no one in front of me, heard a pop and a 5" crack appeared on my windshield(drivers side). The crack has grown an additional 3-4 inches in the past week. There is "no evidence" of road or rock debris having hit it. *jb the dealership refused warranty coverage although a service bulletin was issued for this problem. *nm
The other day I was leaving from work, and upon entering my honda element I noticed a 4"-6" crack on the passengers side of the windshield, stretching from just below the wiper blade to approximately 4" up the pillar. Upon noticing this I immediately took my car to the dealership where I had purchased the element. The service manager came out and did the "pen test" and the "pen test found a small pit along the crack." the service manager explained to me that this pit was caused from possibly a rock that hit the windshield just on the edge of the weather striping. With this answer seeming a little strange to me I decided to investigate further. In searching the internet I found a large number of people complaining about the same problem. Even my coworker had the same problem but he didn't think twice about the honda element, trusting that the service manager was correct he turned it into his insurance. I also came across a class action suit that was filed august. 04, 2004 against honda sitting the same problems. On top of this finding I also noticed that may 6th, 2003 (only several months after the element was on the market for the public) honda issued a service bulletin sitting the same problem in only a select few of the elements. I feel that honda should be backing there product whether it be a design flaw, weak glass, or a rock that damaged my windshield due to un unseen amount of stress.
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