Comments: 1-15, 16-19
I have had 4 windshield cracks in the last 12 months for a total of $1000 extra, paid into owning the car. I really do love the car and its versatility, but unless the windshield stops being a problem, I will have to sell the vehicle and get a different one.
All of the windshield cracks have happened in the same general circumstances - highway driving at speeds between 55 and 75 miles per hour. I don't get cracked windshields every time I get on the highway, but I'm starting to get the feeling that I should only drive on back roads at slow speeds.
The Element seems to be prone to getting cracks in the windshield.
I also have a cracked windshield on my 2month old 2004 Element!!! Mine happened while it was sitting at a gas station after being driven on the highway-the dealer is looking into other complaints w/NHTSA & other internet sites.
I think that windsheild cracks are probably a common problem for any vehicle that has such a verticle windsheild design. Since the windsheild is not angled back, like many cars, rocks and debris cannot deflect away as easily and are more likely to do damage. I'm no expert, I'm just making a guess.
Don't settle for deductibles. There is a service advisory and Honda knows how to fix the problem. Happens in some vehicles in the lower corner of the window. Get to your dealer.
I am planning to buy an Element, so I pay attention whenever I see one. I saw two Elements in the parking lot at the Embarcadero in San Francisco. When I was admiring one of them, I noticed a crack, about 4" long, radiating from the bottom right (passenger side) of the windshield. When I looked at the other Element, I saw a similar crack closer to the bottom middle of the windshield. (More than just coincidence). Naturally I'm concerned, after seeing and especially after reading about other's problems. Question: Can the problem be fixed, so that the windshield doesn't crack? Sounds like a structural or manufacturing flaw is causing the windshield to crack.
My Honda Element has 2 cracks in it and I refused to replace it despite encouragement from friends and family. Since the first two cracks (which are gradually meeting each other in the center of my windshield), I've had three other chips in the windshield from pebbles flying from cars or trucks.
I have an 03 ELEMENT. I have had three windshields cracked in less than a year, all in the same manner. This is a serious problem and HONDA is not taking responsibility for it like it should. The first one was replaced after much documentation and not backing down on my part. They refused to replace when I took it back for another replacement. I am very disappointed with Honda on this matter.
Tomorrow March 15, 2005 I will be getting a 2nd windshield replacement in less than one month, on my 2003 Honda Element. Both times my car was parked and once garaged indoors. A small crack appeared in the lower left hand corner of the windshield. Eventually the crack went straight across to the opposite side. I am hoping to get this resolved with Honda. I found 170 complaints filed on the NHTSA website for the exact same thing. I'm disappointed that a recall hasn't been issued.
I bought my Honda Element in October of 2004. Since then I have been on a few road trips, one small one from Los Angeles to Joshua Tree, and another one to Seattle and back for the holidays. On the former trip, I noticed that a few times on the highway rocks were hitting the windshield. On two occasions, they hit the windshield with such force that I worried about a crack. No crack appeared, however. On my road trip to Seattle it was the same story, but eventually a large enough rock came off of a commercial truck and struck my windshield causing a large crack.
It was just my observation that there had to be something about the angle, height, and size of the windshield which invited rocks to smack into it. In L.A. you can have windshield cracks filled (up to 12 inches), so I tried it out. What is left is a thin line where the crack used to be. This isn't ideal, but I knew that this wouldn't be the first time I'd be dealing with a crack in my windshield with the frequency that I've been hitting rocks.
I have a 2003 Element and in a span of about 1 year I have had the windshield repaired twice and replaced four times. I once owned a Jeep Cherokee for about 4 years, with a windshield at the roughly the same angle as the Element, and never had a crack or chip.
I have had the mysterious crack from the bottom of the windshield, that I could not determine how it occurred. All other cracks and chips I can attribute to debris hitting the windshield. I still have one chip I will ignore until it does crack or chip badly again. I have heard about windshield tensioning, and am curious if this may be causing the frequent chips and cracks?
I also had another problem the first time I had my windshield replaced, apparently there are two pieces of metal spot welded together around the windshield frame. If they get bent in just the right way, they will rub together, creating an annoying squeak. My dealer fixed it and said they would put in a Technical Service Bulletin for it.
I bought mt Element in Dec of 04 and now have 7 cracks in windshield. I get hit with a rock to the windshield at least 1 a week. I have a 30 mile commute to work, it seems like it is a rock magnet, One rock hit the front of my hood and put a golf ball size dent in it and another hit my wiper arm and broke the plastic cover where the the nut holds the wiper arm on. Is there a bug shield that would help? If anyone has any suggestions, besides not driving it, I would love to hear it.
I own a 2003 Honda Element. This morning when I got in the car to leave for work, I noticed a crack going up the right passenger side from the bottom corner. I did not hit anything yesterday on the way home from work. So I am a bit confused as to how the crack occurred. I have read on other websites of this particular type of crack (right passenger side from the bottom corner) occurring. I searched for a recall today and see that no recall has been issued. I am amazed. After reading some other reviews on this discussion board I checked out the NHTSA website and there are now 191 reports of this incident. It's time to take this to the news! Maybe that will get Honda's rear ends in gear to do something about this! It is clearly a structural flaw in the design of the Element!
Honda would have to totally redesign the car to fix the problem, ask jeep wrangler owners about their windshields. If it were a honda problem meaning poor glass or install than it would not happen after the expert windshield man fixes the problem right?? so this would only happen one time. you people need to get a clue and try working in the car business.
Hey, why don't you get a clue-if Honda made a mistake in the windshield design so that windshields crack due to stress then the "expert" can replace the glass 10 times and it will keep cracking. Honda needs to determine whether this is the case and take steps to address it if so.
I purchased an Element approx 3 months ago... the first crack occurred about 2 months after I purchased the car -- I replaced the windshield and the new windshield crack the NEXT day. I'm getting the run-around from Honda... what can I do?
I just wanted to comment on why there are so many rocks on the road hitting our windshields. Why is this problem so prevelant today and not 5 years ago? My windshield gets hit every other week by a rock and it is very unnerving. Is it illegal in NY to put a stiff metal netting/mesh to cover the windshield?