- The problem
- Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain Accelerator Pedal Assemblies part numbers 699-114 and 825-5029-1, sold as replacement parts for 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2004-2008 Acura TL and TSX, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2007-2011 Honda Element, 2005-2008 Honda Pilot and 2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The rotating portion of the accelerator pedal assembly may bind. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 124, "Accelerator Control Systems."
- The risk
- If the accelerator pedal binds, the engine may not quickly return to idle after the pedal is no longer pressed, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Dorman will notify owners, and qualified service facilities will replace the affected accelerator pedal assemblies, free of charge. The recall began December 9, 2019. Owners may contact Dorman customer service at 1-800-523-2492, using option 5. Dorman's number for this recall is AS1019XXXX.
Vehicle safety record
2011 Honda Element Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 2011 Honda Element with NHTSA, most often about the airbags (6) and the visibility & wipers (2). Those complaints describe 1 crash. It is covered by 11 recalls, the latest in October 2019 for the accelerator pedal. For comparison, the 2010 has 30.
NHTSA data checked
CAbout as many problems as a typical Element year, for its age
#204 most complained-about 2011 vehicle
- Complaints
- 11
- Recalls
- 11
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2011 Honda Element problems
Share of all 11 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2011 Honda Element recalls 11
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- The risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- The fix
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag 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 E5D and X5C.
- The problem
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot and 2006 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- The risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- The fix
- 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.
- The problem
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.
- The risk
- An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- The fix
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.
- The problem
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Ridgeline vehicles nationwide. Honda is also recalling certain 2011-2012 Acura RL, 2011 Honda Element and 2011-2013 Ridgeline vehicles in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Lastly, if not included above, Honda is recalling certain 2010-2011 Honda Element, 2010-2012 Acura RL and 2010-2013 Ridgeline vehicles in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag air bag inflators assembled as part of the frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to higher absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- The risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- The fix
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are H2H and S2I.
- The problem
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012 Ridgeline vehicles. The front passenger air bag may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.
- The risk
- An incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- The fix
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are K1P, and M1O.
- The problem
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2012 Acura RL, 2010 Honda Element, and 2010-2013 Honda Ridgeline vehicles ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, Honda is recalling certain 2010 Acura RL, 2010-2011 Honda Element and Honda Ridgeline vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." If not included in zones A or B above, Honda is recalling certain 2009 Acura RL, Honda Element, and Honda Ridgeline vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with certain inflators assembled as part of the frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to higher absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- The risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- The fix
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are U0H, and G0I.
- The problem
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura MDX and Honda CR-V vehicles, 2005-2011 Honda Element vehicles, 2005-2012 Acura RL vehicles, 2006-2012 Honda Ridgeline vehicles, 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles and 2005-2008 Honda Pilot vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, if not included in "Zone A" above, Honda is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura MDX and Honda CR-V vehicles, 2005-2009 Acura RL and Honda Element vehicles, 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles, 2005-2008 Honda Pilot vehicles and 2006-2009 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, if not included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Honda is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura MDX and Honda CR-V vehicles, 2005-2008 Acura RL, Honda Element and Honda Pilot vehicles, 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles and 2006-2008 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- The risk
- An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- The fix
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall bagan March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KD9 and KE0.
- The problem
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2011 Acura RL, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2006-2011 Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or that have ever been registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Honda is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2008 Acura RL, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2003-2008 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2006-2008 Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or that have ever been registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Lastly, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Honda is recalling model year 2002-2004 Odyssey and model year 2003-2004 Acura MDX, Honda Element, and Honda Pilot vehicles originally sold, or registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- The risk
- An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- The fix
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 27, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KA0, KA1, KA2, and KA3.
- The problem
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2006 Ridgeline, 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2003-2006 Acura MDX, and 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion and other factors, including manufacturing variability that, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
- The risk
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- The fix
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-800-382-2238, select option 4. Note: Vehicles that have had their driver frontal air bag replaced previously as part of a recall remedy prior to September 12, 2014 need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well. Vehicles that, on or after September 12, 2014, received a remedy for a prior driver frontal air bag inflator recall already received an inflator of a different design, and therefore are not included in this recall and do not require additional servicing. Note: This recall fully supersedes recalls 08V-593, 09V-259, 10V-041, 11V-260, 14V-351 and 15V-153. Honda's numbers for this recall are JQ9, JR0, JR1, JR2, JR3, JR4, JR5, JR6, JR7, and JR8.
- The problem
- Honda is recalling certain model year 2007 through 2011 Element passenger vehicles equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness. The wire that supplies power to the trailer turn signal lights was inadvertently switched with the stop lamp wire. As a result the turn signals only illuminate when the brake lamps are illuminated. This does not comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- The risk
- Without trailer turn signal illumination, the driver's intent is not communicated, potentially increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on September 20, 2012. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
What owners say
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11 complaints about the 2011 Honda Element
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 honda element. The contact stated that while driving at 65 mph, she had noticed that an extension ladder and debris had landed in the middle of the road. In order to avoid the objects, the contact and the driver behind her attempted to make the same turn at the same time into the right lane which caused a collision. The driver and passenger air bags failed to deploy upon collision. The driver side seat belt also failed to release upon depression of the driver seat belt button. Due to...
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the failure, the contact was trapped in the driver seat and had to be cut out of the vehicle by the county roadside assistance. Both drivers were treated at the scene and had their vitals taken, neither driver needed further medical assistance. A police report was filed at scene. Due to the accident, the vehicle was towed to an independent auto body shop where it remained under investigation. The dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
Aluminum steering wheel 'hub support mounting bracket' has cracked and is broken in two places. This has happened over a time period during normal usage of my vehicle. The steering wheel is wobbley and loosened. Honda dealer service department disassembled and reviewed components of steering wheel and told me that it was not safe to drive. I was told that if the remaining two bracket spokes continued to fatigue and actually broke, while I was driving my vehicle, I would be holding my steering wheel in my hands and...
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would not have any steering control of my car. This is unsafe and dangerous. The dealers servicemen told me that they would not drive this car if it was their's. I was given a cost estimate for the part of $800 plus the cost of labor. I believe that this part is defective due to improper engineering/design and material specifications proposed in the fabrication of this part. I believe that this is a consumer safety hazard that must be reviewed by nhtsa before people are injured or killed in an accident.
There are two indicator lights for air pressure that come on and stay on without cause (pressure is normal) "tpms" and a symbol. It is a documented problem among owners online in group discussions. In addition, the suspension is faulty in that an unexplainable "cracking" and slicking noise has been duly documented among owners in the front tires. Several have reported this with an effective warranty but others have the issue post-warranty expiration. This should mandate a recall as it presents a serious safety...
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hazard for the driver and all others on the road. The cracking noises can be heard when the vehicle istarts moving from a stand still position. Owners of the odyssey have also reported this problem on online forums.
Takata recall my complaint is that we received the letter from honda in july 2016 about the air bag recall. The letter advises us to avoid having a passenger sit in the front seat. That it's not yet repaired is just aggravating. For six months, we've had to avoid a front seat passenger, or feel guilty about them sitting there. This has curtailed our use of and enjoyment of our vehicle. The letter shifted responsibility from takata and honda -- to us, the car owner. This is not right. *Tr
Takata recall: I was advised that it would possibly take longer than a 3 month wait until the repair kit even arrived at the facility due to the fact that they "don't make that vehicle any more" and was told to have my family of 4 ride in the rear seats for safety issue. It is a 4 seat vehicle. Have left message with service manager an no response. This time frame is unacceptable and if in an accident, according to the video on your website, could cause injury or death to my family.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 honda element. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v344000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Takata recall: replaced driver side airbag 2 yrs ago when news broke. Dealer would not replace passenger side as honda america refused to pay for it. Now honda issues recall on passenger side airbag, stating no one should sit in passenger seat until repair. Called dealer, honda america has not stocked parts. So essentially they ignored danger two years ago, and by saying don't sit there, are trying to blame vehicle owners and duck lawsuits. And didn't stock enough parts? Sounds like they want cars off the road, do not want to fix, and are putting people in danger.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 honda element. The contact received a notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v351000 (air bags). However, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Repeatedly since I have owned the vehicle, the traction control and check engine icons will come on and the vehicle will lose power. It has been in the shop several times but they clearly are guessing. It happened most recently just last week. It usually happens upon startup, but sometimes while driving also. Sometimes restarting the car makes the icons go away, sometimes not. *Tr
Sun visor will not stay up and is blocking visibility of the road ahead. After looking online I see that this is an ongoing issue with similar models of honda. It should be a safety recall for honda as it may cause an accident. *Js
The driver side, front window spontaneously exploded in on me while driving on the highway. There was no evidence that any object struck the window. It just exploded. *Js
Honda Element: every year compared
All Element years2011 Honda Element vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 Honda Element | 11 | 11 | C | |
| 2011 Honda CR-V | 555 | 13 | F | Compare |
| 2011 Honda Accord Crosstour | 303 | 6 | D | Compare |
| 2011 Honda Accord | 296 | 9 | B | Compare |
| 2011 Honda Civic | 169 | 9 | C | Compare |
| 2011 Honda Civic Hybrid | 166 | 6 | B | Compare |
| 2011 Honda Civic CNG | 166 | 0 | A | Compare |
| 2011 Honda Fit | 113 | 11 | D | Compare |
| 2011 Honda CR-Z | 38 | 3 | F | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2011 Honda Element
Does the 2011 Honda Element have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 11 recalls for the 2011 Honda Element: accelerator pedal (October 2019); inflator module (June 2019); inflator module (June 2019); inflator module (March 2019) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Honda Element?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the airbags (6), visibility & wipers (2), wheels & tires (1).
How many complaints has the 2011 Honda Element had?
11 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on June 13, 2014 and the latest on December 3, 2020. Of these, 1 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2011 Honda Element a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 41 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical Honda Element year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Honda Element years have the most complaints?
2008 (113), 2009 (31), 2010 (30). See every Honda Element year compared.
What should I do if my 2011 Honda Element has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data