Honda 2011 Element Air Bag Recall: Risk of Serious Injury from Inflator Explosion
Honda is recalling certain 2011 Element vehicles with driver air bags that may explode due to propellant degradation from humidity and heat, risking serious injury or death. Owners must replace the air bag inflator free of charge.
Stop using this now
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
What happened, in plain English
Honda is recalling 2011 Element vehicles with driver air bags that could explode due to propellant degradation from humidity and heat. This poses a serious injury or death risk if the air bag inflator explodes. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/1252606-honda-2011-element-air-bag-recall-risk-of-serious-injury.
Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/1252606-honda-2011-element-air-bag-recall-risk-of-serious-injury · Updated October 5, 2026 · Official notice: NHTSA #19V499000
Cite this page
“Honda 2011 Element Air Bag Recall: Risk of Serious Injury from Inflator Explosion.” GovInfoNow, updated October 5, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/1252606-honda-2011-element-air-bag-recall-risk-of-serious-injury. Based on NHTSA recall #19V499000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=19V499000).
Why it’s dangerous
The air bag inflator may explode after long-term exposure to high humidity, temperature, and temperature changes. This can cause sharp metal fragments to strike the driver or passengers, leading to serious injury or death.
Who’s affected
Owners of 2011 Honda Element vehicles with driver air bags are affected. Drivers are at highest risk of serious injury or death if the air bag inflator explodes.
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your 2011 Honda Element has a driver air bag inflator that was installed as a recall remedy part or replacement service part. The recall began August 12, 2019.
- Brand
Honda- Category
Vehicle
What to do — step by step
Stop using the vehicle
Immediately stop using the 2011 Honda Element until the air bag inflator is replaced.
Contact Honda
Call Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138 to schedule a replacement of the air bag inflator.
What NHTSA says to do
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are Q5A and Y58.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
2 dated steps over 46 days.
- NHTSA received the defect report
- Recall began
Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.
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Where this comes from
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official NHTSA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
- Official source: NHTSA Recall #19V499000 (June 27, 2019)
- Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on October 5, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the NHTSA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
- GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official NHTSA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.