First day of our vacation, we made our first stop for gas. I went in to bathroom while my husband filed tank. When we got back in car, we noticed 5" crack coming up from under trim strip,left of center near wiper attachment. Nothing had impacted windshield during 2hr drive from home to this point. The car was parked under a canapy & my husband or I were with car the entire time it was at the station. During the rest of our 5,000 mile trip, the crack spread slowly. We took it to the dealer we purchased it from. They say it was caused by impact of rock or bug. We searched internet & found a service bulletin from honda sent out in 2003 for on how to fix windshields in 03 models as they were having problems w/stress cracks in same place ours cracked. We informed our dealer of this-still no word on repair/repacement of ours.
2004 Honda Element visibility complaints
Page 4 of 5: complaints 71 to 100 of 107, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Cracked windshield
Cracked windshield. No apparent impact occured.
Driving on the road and again my windshield cracked. This will be my fourth windshield in 12k miles. Obvious a design flaw since I have been driving for over 30 years and during that time only one windshield needed to be replace. Honda states that the windshield is upright and cannot deflect road hazzard like a car can I gues I need to replace a windshield every 3k miles or not drive it on the highways. This is a dangerous situation and honda needs to take respsibilty for thier design flaw.
Windshield damage. Honda case number #n012004092702375 (complain filed 9/12/04). Driving on the highway when my windshield got a ding bottom left then immediately the glass cracked about 12 inches. Honda 2004 element with less than 3,700 miles.
Crack in windshield begins under driver's side windshield wiper grows upward and the flares off in direction of passenger wiper. No impact, crack appears while car is parked. Car 3 weeks old with 1100 miles. After much discussion with service department, windshield replaced but said it would be a one time only replacemment basis as a good will gesture.
The windshield on my element cracked as I was driving down the street. As there were few cars on the road and none in front of me for perhaps a 1/4 mile, I am confident that there was no road debris or anything else which hit the windshield. Over the course of the next 30 minutes I watched as the crack expanded an additional 3 inches, totalling about 7 inches. This is troubling since there are reports of this being a problem with honda elements and honda denies that there is a problem.
Very small stone hit the windshield of my 2003 honda element, and the windshield cracked.
Today, I found an 8 inch crack on my windshield of my 2004 honda element. I don't recall anything hitting my windshield recently and there is no star or chipping on the windshield, indicating an impact. I have another car that had windshield damage, but that was due to a bolt that came flying at the car. The crack seems to start on the edge (under the rubber seal) about 6 inches above the bottom and extends up in a "j" shape. I believe this is due to the defective windshield problem I have read about.
Recurring cracks and chips in windshield of honda element... Had windshield replaced after 1 week of owning vehicle... Multi-chips in windshield again... Many element owners have reported the same... There is even a website called elementcracks.com where owners have reported the same problems.
Parked the car in the garage and there was no issue. I got in the car the next morning to find a 2" crack in the windshield starting at the top with no sign of impact. Crack has since grown to almost the entire windshield height with no extreme changes in temperature or light (I have been out of the country for the last few weeks and the car has been in my garage.
Honda element 2004 - had for about 3 weeks, crack developed under windshield wiper, driver side. Started from bottom, came up about 3 inches, miniscule starburst, then another ten or so inches. Honda dealer refused to repair under warranty or goodwill claim.
Windshield cracked (in 2 separate places!?!) with no apparent rock chip or damage. I have owned the car less than 6 months when this happens. Apparently a defect that many others have complained about. No cooperation from the dealership I purchased at. Won't make my next car a honda because of thier failure to acknowledge the problem.
Crack in windshield that starts at corner, passenger side, and continues at 45 degree angle (approx) 16". No identifiable impact point. Obvious stress failure due to windshield or mounting flange defect. Have not yet contacted purchaseing dealer. Car is 3 months old with 12,000 miles.
My windshield cracked on the lower passenger side area around the wiper. Nothing hit the windshield and it appears to be a pressure crack. We only have around 1400 miles on the element. It is the 2004 model.
The front windshield had to be replaced 3 times because of stress cracks. The crack are on the pillar on the driver side. The cause of the stress crack is undetermined. *mr
The windshield of a 2004 honda element I've had for about a month developed a crack while parked in the driveway. The crack appears to have started at the base of the windshield. It goes up and then curves out toward the left side of the car (facing forward outside the car).
Very small grain of salt like ping in windshield. Proceeded to crack from just under the drivers windshield wiperand across. I had a new windshield put in and now less then 1 month later I now have a new small crack.
Crack in windshield originating at lower driver's side. Small pit observed in blackened area of windshield - about 2" above bottom of windshield. Crack developed while vehicle was parked. No impact noted that would cause small pit area, crack is 5" in length.
Idrove the my new honda element home and watched the windshield crack as it sat in my driveway. There is no impact point. I believe it is due to a mfrs. Defect in the windshield channel. A spur perhaps.
Windshield cracked on the lower driver's side close to where the windshield wiper is connected. Crack started from under the plastic cover and grew to a length of over a foot within a week. Car was sitting in a garage at the time crack occurred. Dealer refused to replace under warranty claiming road debris caused the crack.
Woke up this morning and found crack just like many others before me under the passenger side wiper creeping up and then to the left.
Windshield cracked below passenger side wiper. Just as everyone else.
Crack appeared from base of windshield overnight, with no apparent impact. Has grown to 15" and is an obstruction to vision. Car less than one month old, dealer has stated cracks from little or no impact are frequent and can be expected with the element, and would not replace under warranty.
2004 honda element 4wd, a/t factory new vehicle developed a 10" crack in windshield originating from the passenger side lower left corner of vehicle. No impact to windshield. Vehicle was entering a driveway when the crack was heard (approx 5 MPH) vehicle has only 250 miles contacted dealer, they are willing to replace under honda warranty. But asked me to sign a waiver because "all of the glass received from honda has a 1.5" scratch in the center portion of the windshield above the rearview mirror" I refused to sign such an agreement. Contacted honda customer support center 1.800.999.1009 in ca. Zone manager assigned to my case. I feel very unsafe in this vehicle now!! I hope that no one is injured or hurt because of this ongoing (since 2003 model year) defect in the windshield frame/flange. Dealer should have notified customers before purchase!
Crack in windshield beginning at the driver's a pillar of one month old element spontaneously appeared while car was parked and eventually snaked across driver's field of view to a length of approximately 18 inches over the next two weeks, while waiting for warranty vs. Private insurance resolution and replacement. A second crack spontaneously appeared, again overnight, rising vertically from beneath the driver's windshield wiper and gradually growing to snake off to the right, running parallel to the original crack.
Crack appeared in my windshield of my 2004 element less then a month after taking delivery. On drivers side under windshield wipers. Came up from dashboard. Had been driving in the snow on snow covered road. Windshield replaced. New crack appeared march 9th 2004 while parked in parking lot at mall. Day was cold. Crack on windshield on drivers side coming out half way up the pillar on side. Waiting on dealer to replace.
The front windshield developed a crack in the driver's side corner near the bottom. *ak the crack occurred spontaneously without an impact from an object.
Consumer had problem with the front windshield on cold weather it cracked. Dealer replaced the front windshield about one month ago. Once again the windshield cracked, but a this time dealer refused to replace the windshield.
Structural defect with windshield. 17 day old element developed 16 inch crack in windshield overnight. Started at gap in molding under wipers, continued up for 3" and then 13" towards driver side a-pillar. Sales dealer said may have been caused by pebble and would have to pay out of pocket, ie, no warranty or goodwill. After complaint letter to dealer, service manager told me they might be able to replace it as goodwill one time only. Went to glass experts who found "bubble and burr"/structural defect around windshield causing stress fracture. Had them replace with honda glass. Second windshield had hundreds of pits in glass. Third honda windshield now installed. Scared to have family drive in car due to "soft" honda windshields, as windshield is integral structural component in airbag deployment and rollover. I don't want to be the first plaintiff in a class action lawsuit ala ford/firestone. Please help us element owners.
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