NHTSA Complaint #10154302 — 2004 HONDA ELEMENT

ON A RESENT TRIP TO COLDER CLIMATES, WHERE THERE WAS STILL SOME SNOW ON THE GROUND, WHILE PARKING IN A PARKING LOT, I HIT A SMALL PATCH OF SNOW AND SLID INTO A TREE. NORMALLY I WOULD EXPECT NO DAMAGE DUE TO THE LOW SPEED I WAS TRAVELING AT AROUND 5 MPH AND CAR BUMPERS TO PROTECT THE VEHICLE IN LOW SPEED MISHAPS. HOWEVER, WITH THE DESIGN OF THE 2004 HONDA ELEMENT I OWN THERE IS NO BUMPER IN THE FRONT CENTER FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 INCHES. THIS LEAVES THE CAR WITH NO PROTECTION IF STRUCK IN THAT AREA. THERE WERE TWO PASSENGERS IN THE CAR AT THE TIME. WHILE WE WERE HARDLY EVEN JOLTED BY THE IMPACT, THE CAR SUSTAINED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE IN THE AMOUNT OF OVER $7000. HOWEVER MY CONCERN HERE IS NOT LIMITED TO WHAT HAPPENED TO ME AT SUCH A LOW SPEED IMPACT BUT ALSO WHAT WOULD BE THE RESULT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IF THE CAR WAS STRUCK OR SKIDDED IN A SIMILAR WAY AS MY ACCIDENT. THE RESULTS WOULD PROBABLY BE DISASTROUS WITH CONSIDERABLE LOSSES POSSIBLE. IF POSSIBLE THEN, THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE CORRECTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. *NM