30th Nov 2004, 05:42

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.

19th Feb 2005, 20:01

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.

15th Mar 2005, 11:35

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.

1st May 2005, 09:43

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.

29th Sep 2005, 06:44

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!

29th Nov 2005, 21:57

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.

16th Jan 2006, 14:14

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?

1st Apr 2006, 17:07

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?

11th Jul 2006, 13:19

My 2003 Element with 30,000 miles was parked for 3 weeks in an indoor parking structure near the airport. I returned from my trip to find the same kind of crack in the windshield that others on this site have described. It started from the lower right corner of the passenger side and went up about 12 inches. I have no recollection of any stones having hit the windshield prior to leaving.

9th Dec 2006, 12:40

There is a class action lawsuit on behalf of 2003 - 2004 element owners regarding windshield cracking issues. D a google search.

5th Feb 2007, 07:34

I have a 2003 Element that I love, however I have replaced the windshield 3 times now and need to replace again. The cracks sometimes come from small rocks hitting the windshield on the highway, but twice I have noticed small cracks (that grow overnight) even though I had no recollection of any rocks hitting the windshield. Again I love the car, but these windshield replacements are too expensive.

4th Oct 2007, 12:58

I was driving my 2006 Element to the airport in the AM rush hour and a loud 'crack' happened, putting a round crack in the windshield, two inches in diameter, with broken glass flaking off. I didn't notice any rocks coming at me; there were trucks on the highway, however. I will have to replace the windshield.

15th Nov 2010, 17:40

I also own a 2003 Honda Element. Love the vehicle, one of the most versatile little sport-utes out there. Like most of you, I also have a crack in the windshield on the passenger side. Mine though started at the very top of the windshield where it meets the structure. The crack is now over 9in long. I know for a fact that a rock did not hit it or anything else. One day it just "appeared." It showed up first as a 3in crack. I want to know if there is a slight flaw in the Element's frame that allows too much flex in certain areas?? Going to have to replace the windshield soon, disappointed.