2004 HONDA ELEMENT Electrical System Problems

My air conditioner went out and I was going to put car in reverse to see if the fans were working. When I put the key in I didn't start the car because my key wouldn't go forward or backwards it was just stuck and the steering column locked up. When I first purchased the vehicle in October 2022 I had to have to front end suspension joints replaced the bar in the middle was cracked. It sounded and felt like the motor was going to fall out. I need to replace the back suspension due to very loud noises when driving like something is going to fall apart.

The contact owns a 2004 Honda Element. The contact stated that after the vehicle was shifted into park(P), the vehicle would roll forward or roll backward. Additionally, the key would remain stuck in the ignition, causing the contact to have to maneuver the key to release the key from the ignition switch. The failure occurred intermittently; however, the key was still stuck in the ignition. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 167,000.

WHILE DRIVING OR OUT OF PARK POSITION IGNITION KEY CAN BE REMOVED.ALSO WHILE IN PARK EITH SWITCH IN ON PODSITION THE IGNITION KEY CAN BE REMOVED. I HAVE HAD IGNITION SWITCH FIXED TWICE WITHIN A 6 MONTH PERIOD. FIRST TIME OCCURRED SEPTEMBER 9 , 2019 OTHER TIME WAS MARCH,2020.

SRS LIGHT ON. HONDA DEALER WANTS $$ TO DIAGNOSE, BUT THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA ELEMENT. UPON ENTERING THE VEHICLE AND INSERTING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION, THE KEY FAILED TO TURN TO START THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NALLEY HONDA BRUNSWICK (178 ALTAMA CONNECTOR, BRUNSWICK, GA 31525 (912) 267-7000) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A FAULTY IGNITION THAT NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V364000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.

THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH CONNECTOR OVERHEATED AND MELTED AT ITS TERMINAL WITH THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH RESULTING IN THE RANDOM FAILURE OF MY HEADLIGHTS WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. AFTER SEARCHING MORE ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, I FOUND THAT THE SAME ISSUE RESULTED IN A RECALL OF THE PART IN 2001/2002 HONDA CIVICS (EXPORT SERVICE BULLETIN 04-015, APRIL 2004). THE SOLUTION, "REPLACE THE COMBINATION LIGHT SWITCH, THE RED/WHT WIRE IN THE HEADLIGHT WIRE HARNESS AND, IF NEEDED, THE 16P HEADLIGHT WIRE HARNESS CONNECTOR." I VERIFIED THAT IT IS THE SAME RED/WHT WIRE THAT OVERHEATED IN THE CONNECTOR. WHY IS MY 2004 HONDA ELEMENT NOT COVERED BY THIS RECALL?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA ELEMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT AFTER SEVERAL TIMES THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100. UPDATED 2/24/15*CN UPDATD 03/03/15

THE CAR SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING AND CAME TO AN INSTANT STOP. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY WHILE PULLING INTO A BUSINESS. THANKFULLY THERE WAS NO ONE BEHIND ME. IT HAS BEEN MAYBE A YEAR FROM THE FIRST INCIDENT AND NOW THE CAR WILL FLASH OFF AND ON WITHIN A NANO SECOND WHILE DRIVING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND ALSO WHILE COMING TO A STOP AND TURNING CORNERS. THE HEADLIGHTS ALSO DIM AT DIFFERENT TIMES WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS VERY SCARY AND WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I WILL BE MAKING AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE LOCAL DEALER ASAP. I AM HOPING THAT BY GETTING THE IGNITION RECALL COMPLETED THIS WILL FIX THE ISSUE. *JS

LOW BEAMS STOPPED WORKING SIMULTANEOUSLY. HEADLIGHT BULBS WERE PROMPTLY REPLACED BUT THE BULBS WERE FINE. THE DEFECT WAS IN THE VEHICLE ITSELF. LOW BEAMS DO NOT WORK, WHILE THE HIGH BEAMS AND RUNNING LIGHTS CONTINUE TO OPERATE NORMALLY. HONDA HAD A RECALL FOR THIS, JUST NOT FOR THE ELEMENT: HTTP://WWW-ODI.NHTSA.DOT.GOV/CARS/PROBLEMS/DEFECT/RESULTS.CFM?ACTION_NUMBER=EA11012&SEARCHTYPE=QUICKSEARCH&SUMMARY=TRUE MY LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP WANTS $350 TO FIX THIS DEFECT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA ELEMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, HE NOTICED THE IGNITION KEY WAS LOOSE WHILE POSITIONED IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE IDENTICAL FAILURE RECURRED THREE YEARS LATER. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 10V364000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR THE RECALL REMEDY REPAIR; HOWEVER THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE IGNITION KEY WOULD NOT TURN INTO ANY DIRECTION AND AN ADDITIONAL REPAIR WOULD NEED TO BE PERFORMED IN COMBINATION WITH THE RECALL REMEDY. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN THE POSSESSION OF THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

AIR BAGS AND CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING. AIR BAGS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND BROUGHT TO DEALER. CABLE REEL ASSEMBLY IN STEERING COLUMN WAS BAD. DEALER SAID I HAD TO PAY FOR NEW ASSEMBLY AND LABOR. *TR

FIRE OCCURRED IN DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OF 2004 HONDA ELEMENT WHILE IT WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT IN THE DRIVEWAY. FRONT UPPER QUARTER OF DOOR COMPLETELY BURNED/MELTED AWAY, DOWN TO BARE EXTERIOR METAL. EXTENSIVE SMOKE DAMAGE TO INTERIOR. VEHICLE WAS IN CONSUMER'S POSSESSION FOR ONLY 12 DAYS AND HAS FEWER THAN 300 MILES ON ODOMETER. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER WHERE IT IS STILL UNDER EXAMINATION. NO EXPLANATION OR RESOLUTION AT THIS TIME.