13 NHTSA safety recalls cover the Honda Element, across model years 2003–2011. Every recall repair is free at any Honda dealer.
Is yours affected? Check your Element by VIN — or pick your model year below for every recall, complaint and fix.
Recalls and owner complaints by model year
Of the Honda Element model years, the 2010 drew the most owner complaints (30).
Recalls: NHTSA campaigns covering each Honda Element model year on this page. Complaints: owner reports filed with NHTSA for that model year, including trims and variants sold under the model name (e.g. an F-150 page counts F-150 Raptor). Separate scales: compare the shape, not the heights across panels.
| Model year | Recalls | Owner complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 6 | no data |
| 2004 | 6 | no data |
| 2005 | 7 | no data |
| 2006 | 8 | no data |
| 2007 | 10 | no data |
| 2008 | 10 | no data |
| 2009 | 9 | no data |
| 2010 | 11 | 30 |
| 2011 | 11 | 11 |
What these recalls fix, grouped by the vehicle system NHTSA files them under:
Dorman recalls accelerator pedals for 2014 Honda Ridgeline models that may bind, causing engine to not return to idle quickly and increasing crash risk. Owners must contact Dorman for free replacement.
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.
Honda recalls 2014 Ridgeline vehicles with passenger airbag inflators that may explode due to propellant degradation from humidity and temperature. Owners must have inflators replaced free by August 12, 2019.
Honda recalls 2016 ILX vehicles with driver air bag inflators that may explode during crashes, risking serious injury or death. Owners must get free replacement inflators by April 2019.
Honda recalls 2014 Ridgeline vehicles with air bag inflators that may explode due to propellant degradation, risking serious injury or death. Owners must have the inflator replaced free of charge.
When the Honda Element recalls were issued, by year — a cluster usually means one defect recalled in stages or across a platform.
Owners have filed 41 complaints with NHTSA about the Honda Element; the most reported area is air bags. These are reports, not recalls: they are how NHTSA spots defects.
See Honda Element complaints, TSBs and investigations by year →
We have 13 NHTSA safety recalls on record for the Honda Element, covering model years 2003–2011. The most recent was issued Oct 10, 2019 (Vehicle Speed Control).
The 2011 Honda Element has the most, with 11 recalls on record. Every model year with a recall is listed on this page with links to each one.
By system: Air Bags (9), Power Train (2), Vehicle Speed Control (1), Electrical System (1).
None of these recalls carries an NHTSA do-not-drive or park-outside warning, but each fixes a safety defect, so book the free repair promptly.
Run a VIN recall check: enter your 17-character VIN to see the recalls on record for your exact year, then confirm at NHTSA.gov which are still unrepaired on your vehicle. Any Honda dealer can also look it up.
Yes. Federal law requires Honda to fix safety recalls free of charge at any authorized Honda dealer, regardless of the vehicle’s age or how many owners it has had.