Research · complaint index
Honda Element years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 9 model years of the Honda Element by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 2003, 2004 stand out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 11 | 1 | 0.1 | 11 | 1 | Fewest complaints |
| 2010 | 30 | 2 | 0.3 | 11 | 2 | Fewest complaints |
| 2009 | 31 | 2 | 0.3 | 9 | 4 | Fewest complaints |
| 2008 | 113 | 6 | 1.0 | 13 | 5 | Typical |
| 2007 | 112 | 6 | 1.0 | 12 | 6 | Typical |
| 2006 | 122 | 6 | 1.0 | 11 | 17 | Typical |
| 2005 | 159 | 7 | 1.2 | 10 | 13 | Typical |
| 2004 | 281 | 12 | 2.1 | 11 | 16 | Most complaints |
| 2003 | 450 | 19 | 3.2 | 12 | 33 | Most complaints |
- 201111 complaints · 11 recallsFewest complaints
- 201030 complaints · 11 recallsFewest complaints
- 200931 complaints · 9 recallsFewest complaints
- 2008113 complaints · 13 recallsTypical
- 2007112 complaints · 12 recallsTypical
- 2006122 complaints · 11 recallsTypical
- 2005159 complaints · 10 recallsTypical
- 2004281 complaints · 11 recallsMost complaints
- 2003450 complaints · 12 recallsMost complaints
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Oct 31, 2026
Fewest complaints for their age: 2011, 2009, 2010.
About this comparison
What Honda Element years have the most complaints?
Adjusted for years on the road, 2003, 2004 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 9 model years compared.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.