NHTSA Complaint #10072640 — 2003 HONDA ELEMENT

WITHIN THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF GETTING MY BRAND NEW 2003 HONDA ELEMENT, I HAD A CRACK AND STAR CHIP IN THE VEHICLE'S WINDSHIELD. WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH, IT ACQUIRED YET ANOTHER CHIP. AS A RESULT OF THE ELEMENT'S WINDSHIELD'S UNPRECEDENTED VULNERABILITY, I QUESTION ITS SAFETY. AT THE VERY LEAST, IT REPRESENTS INFERIOR QUALITY OF MATERIALS AND/OR DESIGN, WHICH IS COSTING DRIVERS AND INSURANCE COMPANIES SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF MONEY FOR REPAIR COSTS. SO FAR, AMERICAN HONDA AND THE DEALERSHIP INSIST THAT THERE IS NO INHERENT FLAW IN MATERIALS, DESIGN, OR INSTALLATION, AND WANT TO ATTRIBUTE THE CHIPS AND CRACK TO BAD LUCK. HOWEVER, HONDA OWNERS ARE DOCUMENTING THIS PROBLEM IN DROVES ON WWW.HONDAELEMENT.ORG, AND ON WWW.EPINIONS. COM. HONDA MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELDS AT THEIR COST, AND RE-SPEC THE ELEMENT'S WINDSHIELD.*AK