NHTSA Complaint #10023213 — 2003 HONDA ELEMENT

WE PURCHASED A HONDA ELEMENT AND WITHIN 6 HOURS I FOOLISHLY REAR-ENDED A VECHICLE FROM A COMPLETE STOP AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN. IT WAS A VERY LOW SPEED (3-5 MPH MAXIMUM) COLLISION HOWEVER THE SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE WAS ASTOUNDING, MY ELEMENT BASICALLY DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY FRONT BUMPER SUPPORT, RATHER APPEARS TO HAVE TWO BEAMS PROTRUDING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR, THAT LOOK LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING HORIZONTAL BETWEEN THEM BUT THEY DO NOT. ONE OF THE BEAMS IMPALED THE CAR AHEAD OF ME STABBING THRU ITS BUMPER INTO THE VEHICLE SLIGHTLY BENDING THE METAL BELOW THE BUMPER. MY ELEMENT ENDED UP WITH $1786.00 IN DAMAGE. THE PLASTIC BUMPER COVER (THAT HAS NO BUMPER SUPPORT BENEATH IT) SHATTERED AND THE SINGLE POINT IMPACT ALLOWED MY CAR TO SOMEHOW DESTROY THE CONDENSER, RADIATER, AND FRAME THAT SUPPORTS THE CONDENSER. I HAVE INVOLVED HONDA OF MY CONCERNS AND THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THE ELEMENT IS DESIGNED TO NOT HAVE A HORIZONTAL BUMPER SUPPORT IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR. MY QUESTION REMAINS HOW IS THE VEHICLE ENGINEERED TO BE SAFE IF THERE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ANYTHING THERE TO DISTRIBUTE THE FORCE IN THE CASE OF A HIGHER-THAN-3-5MPH COLLISION? I NOTICED THAT YOU HAVE RELEASED STELLER FRONT COLLISION RATINGS ON THIS VEHICLE, IT WOULD HELP ME TREMENDOSLY IF YOU COULD CONFIRM THAT THIS PARTICULAR DESIGN MAKES SENSE. I AM CURRENTLY TOO NERVOUS TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND HAVE LEFT IT (REPAIRED BACK TO IT'S ORIGINAL NO BUMPER SUPPORT FORM) AT THE DEALERSHIP. PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE RESPOND SO WE CAN PUT THIS BEHIND US AND MOVE ON. WE DO HAVE PHOTOS ON DISC IF THAT WOULD HELP MY WORDS MAKE SENSE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, DIANE MUNIZZA GOODNIGHT. *JB