Owners' Reviews

The Two front Haul making Noise went vehicle in motion

50k on Element 4th set of rear Brakes twice they were completely destroyed due to Binding calipers etc. Whn is someone going to take care of this issue with the design. By the way Rear brakes should nver go before front brakes

I HAVE OWNED NEW FORDS, CHEVYS, GMC'S. AND THEN A 2005 HONDA ELEMENT EX [51,000] AND 2008 CRV [17,000] BOTH ALL WHEEL DRIVE. BOTH ARE THE BEST UNITS I HAVE EVER OWNED. ONE THING, FOUR BANGERS SHOULD GET A LITTLE BETTER MILEAGE. BUT, ALL-WHEEL DRIVE THEY ARE HARD TO BEAT.

just bought it and i have a sqeak sound coming from the engine compartment

This is my first Honda. Overall, I like the Element. I have the SC version in Midnight Red Pearl paint. In 18 months, I have driven over 55,000 miles so I feel I have a pretty good indication of what the car is about. Pros: Fun to drive Brakes - stop fast and true although the ABS seems to activate more frequently than with any other car I have owned with this option. Paint color (lots of compliments) Handles well OEM tires lasted nearly 40,000 which according to Goodyear is exceptional for the tires Versatility of the back seats Clam shell back door Deep center console Shelf under console Hidden compartment under cup holders Cons: Custom fairing under door sticks out and is nearly impossible to miss while exiting getting your slacks dirty (women hate this by the way) Little light in the passing gear. You need to make allowances for that when passing on a two lane road. Air conditioner is icy cold as long as the temperature is under 100 degrees. In Texas this summer, we had over 30 days of 100 degree plus weather and the AC had trouble keeping up unless driving at highway speeds. Front doors do not seal well resulting in wind noise at highway speeds. Gas mileage is a bit disappointing. On a good day, driving highway miles, the best I have gotten was 24.5 mpg. As it is rated at 27mpg, perhaps I should not be surprised. City driving is a puny 21-22 mpg although my city driving is a great deal of highway and very little stop and go. The interior stains easily and does not clean well. The near vertical windshield is a rock magnet. I got the first rock chip at mile 43, and replaced the windshield at mile 51,000 after the crack tracked across my line of sight. The paint is soft and brittle. I missed grabbing the door handle, caught the paint with my fingernail and made a deep scratch in the door handle down to the primer. The slightest cross wind will blow the vehicle off course. I realize the boxy shape of the vehicle exacerbates that issue, but it is something that is an irritant. The hood is rather thin and will vibrate (noiselessly) at highway speeds. In other words, you can see it flex as you are driving down the road. Finding the maintenance schedule in the manual is like a scavenger hunt. I still haven't found it which is how I found this web site. I do not get my car serviced at the dealer, rather I trade with my neighborhood Goodyear store. As I bought the replacement set of tires there, I get free balance and tire rotation with my oil changes. Still looking for the mileage to change the radiator and transmission though. I guess I will have to ask Jeff and Tom at Goodyear. In reference to my comment on the door seals: the dealer replaced the seals on both doors a month after I purchased the car. It helped but did not eliminate the wind noise. I was told that the squareness of the window at the top leading edge was to blame and there was nothing they could do about it. Again, I like the car and have intentions of keeping it for the life of the note minimum. You can tell I do a lot of driving and other than the items mentioned, it has not been back to the dealer. I am optimistic I have found a very good car for my 1,000 miles a week job.

Honda has reduced the quality of this vehicle. The "running boards" (trim below doors) has been extended so it protrudes out more, but they have omitted the steel plate that it is fastened to on older models. so the trim detaches if any pressure is put on it. Getting repair parts is an issue - it took over 3 weeks for the dealership to get a fuel pump! My vehicle went in for repairs on May 28, 2010 and it is Aug 10th and I do not know WHEN it will be ready! Great vehicle - unless you have to get it repaired!

I'm a professional photographer and this is the perfect vehicle for me. I can haul lots of stuff. Go through snow and bad roads and It's been very reliable. Of course, it's a Honda. I have owned nothing else since 1995 and don't plan on changing.

I bought this vehicle used with 48,000 miles. I show dogs and was able to carry 2 intermediate and 10 small kennels, plus 4 exercise pens, and other gear along with my suits and personal bag. I love the visibility and got 26 mpg on that trip. I also slept in it on a twin size air mattress. My model is an AWD and I get 22 mpg. in the city. My sister has a 2004 that she bought new and told me this would be the last car I love the best. So far, it is.

I bought this car used in 2009. It had less than 24,000. It's better than brand new. I'm trying to take really good care of it because I hope it outlasts me. I'm 70.

This is the perfect car for me and my dogs. I take them to all the parks around town and they love it too! We have had to replace the alternator and the radiator, but otherwise it's great!

I love this car, especially the interior room and design. The rear seats can fold up or come out giving you lots of carry space. The legroom in the back is outstanding but the back seats are up a little high. It's also hard to see out the side windows (for lane changes) when the back seats are "folded up". The gas mileage is disappointing. I have the 2wd auto and get 20mph combined city and freeway.