Suspension Problems of Honda Element - part 1

The contact owns a 2008 Honda Element. The contact stated that while reversing out of a parking spot, the driver’s side rear trailing arm fractured. There were no warning lights illuminated. Upon researching the failure, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 08v349000 (suspension). The vehicle was towed to the husband's place of employment. The contact called the local dealer, who confirmed there was no recall coverage on the VIN for the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

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Rear driver side trailing arm separating from body non repairable. Needs professional inspection. Northern state purchased michigan driven in salt conditioned roadways. Canadian recall for same issue. Recall details transport canada recall number2021-024 recall date2021-01-26 last updated2023-07-07 notification typesafety tc systemstructure issued byhonda manufacturer recall numberho65 units affected the number of vehicles or components affected by the recall. 12,641 categorysuv recall description issue: on certain vehicles, the rear frame could rust. In extreme cases, this could result in a rear trailing arm separating from the vehicle. This recall applies to vehicles originally sold or currently registered in areas of heavy road salt usage (ontario, quebec, new brunswick, nova scotia, prince edward island, and newfoundland & labrador). Safety risk: a rear trailing arm that separates could cause a loss of control and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective actions: Honda will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer for an inspection of the rear trailing arm front mount bolts. If the vehicle passes the inspection, the dealer will apply corrosion protection and install support braces. Honda will offer to repurchase vehicles that do not pass the inspection. In the event the repurchase is declined by an owner, a secondary inspection and body shop repair method may be possible. Makemodelmodel year(s) affected Hondaelement2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 manufacturer namecontact numberweb site Honda1-888-946-6329check if this recall applies to y.

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The contact owns a 2005 Honda Element. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle began to tilt sideways while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled off to the shoulder of the roadway. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact discovered that the rear driver’s side control arm had separated from the frame of the vehicle, causing the rear wheel to tuck in underneath the wheel hub. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it remained undiagnosed. The dealer was contacted and stated that based on the pictures, the entire suspension needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 124,000.

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I live in minnesota and my Elements rear trailing arms are badly rusted. There is a recall for the same issue in canada but not in the us. This is my 2006 Honda Element with 96k miles. I would love to be able to get another at least 100k miles if not lots more. These cars can go to 400k if maintained well.

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Rust corrosion.

My control arm mount and frame of my Element is rusted out, it is an ongoing problem with the Honda Element as I am seeing a lot of people online with similar issues. If this fails, it could put people at risk, I also see other Elements on the road with a camber'd out back tire on the driver side. I believe these wheels would fall into the car causing an accident. There are no warning lights that pop on, this is hard to get a look at until you get under the vehicle. They have done recalls on this exact problem in canada already, we need it here as well in the USA. The crv has also had the same issues and was given a recall in USA. I am very concerned with the amount of these cars on the road that many do not know the danger they are in.

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Trailing arm mount rotting out from rust.

Just like the same era's Honda cr-v (the Honda Element's sibling car with many of the same components), the undercarriage rust on my vehicle is excessive: as described in the same era Honda cr-v's NHTSA recall (23v-228). Large sections of my car’s rear frame are completely missing, as shown in the photographs. My car is now undriveable. I had it towed to two Honda dealerships at my expense and both refused to even look at the car's rust, when I explicitly asked them to determine if the car was safe to drive. Niether dealership would confirm. Honda corporate cited that they were unable to assess the photographs that I sent to it because it does not physically inspect the cars. Honda corporate also insisted that it could not do anything about any dealership’s behavior as they are allegedly completely independent from Honda of north America. Honda corporate also looked up the history of my Hondas that I have owned and Elements that I still own and actually asked me, if I purchased them just to try to have Honda fix them for free. Just like with the cr-v, a recall for the rear frame corrosion first occurred in canada and then in the see NHTSA recall 23v-228’s chronology. The Honda Element's canadian recall is as follows: "transport canada recall - 2021024 – Honda". As of today, there is no NHTSA recall for rear frame corrosion for Honda Elements. I am submitting this complaint for this car now, and also contemporaneous will submit less detailed complaints under different vins for my other Elements with rust problems: every Honda Element that I have ever owned, even one that had spent its entire 14 year life as a new mexico, arizona, and texas car has had rust problems. In other words, no matter what environment these Elements (which were made for the model years 2003-2011) are in, they corrode right away (within any factory warranties), and eventually become dangerous.

See all problems of the 2009 Honda Element 🔎.

Just like the same era's Honda cr-v (the Honda Element's sibling car with many of the same components), the undercarriage rust on my vehicle is excessive: as described in the same era Honda cr-v's NHTSA recall (23v-228). Sections of my car’s rear frame are rusty. Just like with the cr-v, a recall for the rear frame corrosion first occurred in canada and then in the see NHTSA recall 23v-228’s chronology. The Honda Element's canadian recall is as follows: "transport canada recall - 2021024 – Honda". As of today, there is no NHTSA recall for rear frame corrosion for Honda Elements. I am submitting this complaint for this car now, and also contemporaneously am submitting other complaints under different vins for my other Elements with rust problems: every Honda Element that I have ever owned, even this Element for this complaint that I am submitting right now, that had spent its entire 14 year life as a new mexico, arizona, and texas car has had rust problems. In other words, no matter what environment these Elements (which were made for the model years 2003-2011) are in, they corrode right away (within any factory warranties), and eventually become dangerous.

Just like the same era's Honda cr-v (the Honda Element's sibling car with many of the same components), the undercarriage rust on my vehicle is excessive: as described in the same era Honda cr-v's NHTSA recall (23v-228). Large sections of my car’s rear frame are completely missing, and as shown in the photographs even the rear bumper fell off because of all of the rust. Just like with the cr-v, a recall for the rear frame corrosion first occurred in canada and then in the see NHTSA recall 23v-228’s chronology. The Honda Element's canadian recall is as follows: "transport canada recall - 2021024 – Honda". As of today, there is no NHTSA recall for rear frame corrosion for Honda Elements. I am submitting this complaint for this car now, and also contemporaneously am submitting complaints under different vins for my other Elements with rust problems: every Honda Element that I have ever owned, even one that had spent its entire 14 year life as a new mexico, arizona, and texas car has had rust problems. In other words, no matter what environment these Elements (which were made for the model years 2003-2011) are in, they corrode right away (within any factory warranties), and eventually become dangerous.

Rear trailing arm rusted out, car can not be repaired per two citified mechanics.

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Left rear trailing arm rusted right out of the mount while driving. I was driving about 10 mph off of a two-way stop, crossing the intersection of [xxx] (straight, no turn) as I got through the intersection the back left end dropped, something metal scraped and halted my vehicle. I did not run over any bumps or potholes. It just happened with no external cause. It was my rear tailing arm dragging on the road (see pictures). Which had detached from the arm mount above. Luckily, I was no longer on the highway when it happened. Had I been driving at 55 or 60mph it would have caused a serious accident, which is very scary. The vehicle is in great condition otherwise. It recently had new tires put on and an oil change, so I know folks were under there less than 3 months prior. After research, I now know that this issue is a regular complaint of those who own Honda Elements in northern climates, so much so that in canada there was a recall on the models 2003-2010. I don't know why there hasn't been a recall or lawsuit in the united states, as this was a very rapid, dangerous on-the-road failure. There were no visible warning signs or statements issued by Honda to be on the lookout for this, and the most troubling aspect is that it was likely rusting from the top of the mount down, which is why it doesn't spark alarm by repair shops and tire changes. I am calling my insurance today to talk it over. I'm grateful for my safety and others in this situation, but fear that it has not worked out that way for someone else. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2010 Honda Element 🔎.

My mechanic informed me that this car will no longer pass nys inspection due to body rust/corrosion holes where the rear trailing arms attach to the car's body. Honda has issued a recall for the same model year cr-v, which has a nearly identical trailing arm attachment design, due to the risk of losing control of the vehicle if the trailing arm mount separates from the body.

The driver side rear trail arm broke off bending the strut with the tire hanging, it happened in my apartment parking lot, I could have lost my life if this had happened at high speeds or killed somebody else. I’m very lucky to be alive!! currently it is not inspectable due to the damage. The problem has not been reproduced by a dealer or an independent service centre. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone or manufacturer. No warning light were present before the failure.

Vehicle has extreme corrosion of the frame near the rear trailing arm which is nearing catastrophic failure. Trailing arm is in danger of separating from the frame. This is similar to ntsb campaign # 23v-22800 for the cr-v which shares suspension parts with the Element on these model years. If the trailing arm separates at highway speeds it could be fatal. This is a pre-emptive report of failure/loss, as I just attempted to jack up my vehicle on the drivers' side in the rear and had a great deal of the rusted frame detach near the point of the trailing arm attachment. I fear that it won't be long before the rest of the frame rusts through and if this occurs, that it may occur at highway speed and cause injury or death.

While driving up my driveway on the way home the left swing arm seperated from the unibody allowing the left rear wheel to move aft jamming the left rear tire into the rear inside fender effectively locking that wheel at about a 20 degree angle.

The contact owns a 2005 Honda Element. The contact stated while inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the rear trailing arm mount was severely rusted. The vehicle was taken to an independent frame mechanic, where the contact was informed that the rear trailing arm mount could fracture. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in an unknown recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

Left rear trailing arm completely broke off while I was on the highway. Very unsafe. This Element needs to be recalled, like the crv. It was recalled in canada. This is absolutely dangerous and I could have died.

The trailer arm rusted at the mount. I was told it was not safe to drive. I have learned that this is a common problem with this vehicle and Honda has issued a recall in canada, but not the USA. I also learned that there is a similar issue with I believe the Honda crv and that has been in recall from Honda in I believe both canada and the us. I found a place to do the repair and he said he has seen a lot worse than mine and has done many of these repairs. . The total repair cost is $1500. I also learned that due to its design water gets trapped in the mount and causes the rust, which sounds definitely like a design flaw. The repair entails fabrication a whole new mount for the trailer arm. I discovered it on June 7th when I was doing some under body clean up.

The contact owns a 2009 Honda Element. The contact stated there was an extreme amount of rust on the vehicle. The contact stated that the trailing arm was corroded and had several holes. The tpms warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to assist with the repairs. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 274,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Honda Element. The contact stated while driving 20-30 mph over a bump, the vehicle started fish tailing. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that he noticed that the rear driver's side tire was sideways. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under NHTSA campaign number: 08v349000 (suspension) because the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 225,000.

The rear left trailing arm mounting point is completely corroded through, making the car unsafe to drive. If it were to fall off during driving the chances of it creating an accident are high. There are many other Elements with this specific spot rusting through.

In 2023 while driving my 2003 Honda Element the control arm ripped out of the frame I had it fixed to the tune of $1800. Fast forward to this week when servicing my Element I found a major rust spot on the other trailing arm bracket. After more research there is a recall in canada to fix this but not in us. How can this be? it is a major flaw and concern that at high speeds the arm can rip out. Honda has a fix, but it is not offered in the us. Please help!.

My name is mike klein and I am the owner of this vehicle. On April 23, 2024, my daughter was driving this vehicle at approximately 30 miles per hour when the drivers side rear trailing arm separated from the frame and caused the tire/wheel to destabilize and hung crooked from the side of the rear of the vehicle. It appears that the frame around the trailing arm mount rusted completely away. My daughter lost control and luckily was able to maneuver the vehicle to the side of the road. Evidently, there is a recall from Honda in canada for this issue, but not in the u. S. This is very dangerous and my daughter is very lucky that the catastrophic failure didn't happen when she was on the highway.

I took my very well maintained Honda Element into the shop for routine maintenance and a pre-spring/summer driving check. They indicated that the driver's side subframe where it meets the rear trailing arm has a dangerous hole and that I should not drive this car any more. We live in michigan where snow/salt are factors. This specific area has been known to fail in Elements and cr-v's and there was a recall on this specific issue for Honda Elements in canada and cr-v owners in the us and canada: "the 2007-2011 Honda cr-v is being recalled because the rear trailing arm can fall off due to excessive corrosion, the NHTSA disclosed Thursday. In some cases, the rear frame may be so corroded that Honda will offer to buy the vehicle back from owners to get the safety hazards off the road. " why have the us Elements not been recalled when this is a known safety hazard and the exact same issue as the cr-v's? I am in numerous online forums of Element owners and have seen photographs where this caused life-threatening issues while people were driving. Thankfully, we caught it before that happened to us, but now my loved daily driver is out of commission for a known safety hazard. No one in our family was harmed, but this could have been life threatening if it had not been discovered. The area has not been inspected by police or insurance. Only by our mechanic who specializes in servicing Hondas, toyotas and subarus. There were no warning lamps or other warning signs. It just happened to be discovered during routine inspection/service.

The contact owns a 2008 Honda Element. The contact stated that while driving at 55 mph, the contact lost control of the vehicle without warning. The contact managed to regain control of the vehicle and pulled over to the shoulder of the road. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the rear driver side tire was leaning outward from the vehicle. The contact called a friend with a trailer and had the vehicle towed to the friend's home. Upon further inspection, it was discovered that the front mounting bracket on rear trailer arm had become severely corroded which led to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle; they offered no further assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

Rear unibody rust through allowing the drivers side rear trailing arm to become detached. Pulling up to stop sign very slowly luckily. At speed this failure would have assuredly led to a crash from loss of control. Calls have been placed to local Honda dealer as well as american Honda where I was informed there was no recall for this problem in the USA.

Was just about to drive on a 55mph road when the drivers side rear trailing arm fell off from the frame, no prior indication of failure as it passed inspection the previous year. Had checked by my mechanic and says it is not repairable. Excessive corrosion into frame. Searched internet and found recall in canada for this specific issue. We are lucky it happened when it did otherwise it would have been fatal.

The rear trailing arms are rusting faster than anything else on my beloved Honda. Honda has recalled the Elements of similar model years in canada for this problem, and the crv of similar model years in us for this exact problem. This suspension issue could cause a catastrophic failure if left unrepaired. My family and I need this vehicle, but it feels unsafe to operate. Why hasn't Honda recalled the Honda Element for this known issue?.

The left rear control arm pulled out of the subframe and floor panel and hit the pavement facing forward, the direction in which the car was moving. The left rear tire pulled out and away from the vehicle, and the car lurched downward. There were sparks. I was pulling away from a gas pump at a service station. I stopped the car immediately and had it towed to a mechanic. There was no warning. There were no unusual sounds or movements prior to the incident. Approximately 100 miles before the incident, a licensed mechanic did a safety inspection and test drove the vehicle prior to doing maintenance on other parts of the car. Two different mechanics inspected the vehicle and determined it was unsafe to repair it. The control arm broke off due to excessive rust and corrosion, which was not visible during the safety inspection, because the area was visually blocked by a strut.

Drivers side rear control arm mount is almost none distant from rust. The subframe is almost gone and there is tons of rust on the drivers side frame as well. I have seen this with a lot of people laments. Canada even had a recall on this exact problem.

The drivers side rear trailing arm mounting point on my Honda Element has completely rotted out, making my car a seriously unsafe vehicle to drive. This is a well known issue to both Honda and the NHTSA as Honda has already recalled both the Element and cr-v in canada, and the cr-v here in the USA, but not the Element. Nhtsa # 23v-228, transport canada recall - 2021024 - Honda.

Inspection of the underbody revealed complete rusting away of the frame mount point for the passenger side lower control arm. The mounting has not failed yet, but the metal surrounding the bolt point is no longer providing any structure. I would not ordinarily have thought inform the NHTSA of this failure, but internet searching has turned up many other owners of Elements experiencing this same failure and Honda has issued a recall in canada for Elements for this problem. Cr-vs in the us that use the same chassis have had a recall for the same problem. Why has the recall not been extended to us Elements that are exposed to road salt? I have not yet contacted Honda regarding this issue.

The rest frame has rusted from the inside out, frame actually broke when going in for repairs. Was raised on lift for basic brake repair and the frame separated on the rear driver side. Same exact issue that was recalled in crvs of same year.

My Honda Element unibody has rusted out resulting in the real axle trailing arm separating from the vehicle. This happened while my daughter was driving - luckily she was not injured. This is a known issue at Honda. Honda Elements years 2003-2011 have already been recalled for a repair or reimbursement in canada (see recall # 2021024) and all Honda cr-vs in the united states model years 2007-2011 have also been recalled in the unites states for the same issue (NHTSA # 23v-228). This issue represents an extremely hazardous risk in the Honda Elements, as well as the potential complete loss of the vehcile. The recall for the Elements should be extended to the united states immediately.