2006 Honda Element Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2006 Element most often describe side air bags deploying without a crash, usually at low speed over rough ground or a curb, and sometimes front air bags that did not deploy in a collision. A smaller but repeated set of complaints covers windshields cracking without an impact, power window regulators failing, the driver's seat rocking, and rear trailing arms rusting through on higher-mileage vehicles.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Side air bag deploys without a crash

   • 22 complaints (18%)
   • median 80,050 mi at 7.1 yrs old (20 state mileage)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2025

   Complaints describe the driver's or passenger's side air bag firing with a loud bang while driving over gravel, a curb, a branch or a shallow dip, with little or no visible damage to the vehicle. Several owners say there was no impact at all and that the bag came out at low speed. According to the complaints, dealers often said the sensor had been triggered by something under the car or declined to cover the repair, and in some cases could not reproduce or explain the deployment. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 200,000 miles, most often at low speed over rough or uneven ground.

   Recall 19V501000Recall 19V499000Recall 19V182000Recall 18V268000Recall 17V029000Recall 16V344000Recall 15V3200006 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the air bag inflator recalls were completed and whether the side air bag sensors or SRS unit have ever been replaced. Scan for stored SRS codes and check that no air bag warning light stays on.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I drove the rear-right wheel over an angled curb at exactly 5mph in a parking lot. Dash cam GPS confirms the speed. This triggered the passenger's side airbag to deploy. There is no visible damage to the tire or vehicle. Luckily there was no passenger at the time. I do not believe the airbag should be triggered for such a minor event as running over an angled parking curb at very low speed.”

   NHTSA complaint #10960141, filed 2017-03, 126,200 miles

   “I was driving down my own driveway, when there was a very loud explosion to my right. After a moment, I realized the passenger seat side airbag deployed. There was nothing on the seat at the time. My right ear rang for quite some time after. Luckily, my dog was crated behind me. I rolled down the windows to dissipate the powder floating about. Honda, both the local dealer and corporate, have been less than helpful in this matter. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10654860, filed 2014-11, 150,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Air bag did not deploy in a collision

   • 13 complaints (11%)
   • median 39,675 mi at 3.4 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 11 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2026

   Owners describe front-end or side impacts in which the driver's air bag did not inflate while the passenger bag did, or in which no bag deployed at all. In several accounts the seat belt also did not lock, and occupants struck the steering wheel. Complaints say dealers and the manufacturer either could not determine a cause or declined to assist. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 5,000 to over 160,000 miles, in both low- and higher-speed crashes.

   Recall 19V499000Recall 19V182000Recall 15V3200002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Confirm recall status by VIN and ask for any SRS diagnostic history. Have a shop check for stored crash or sensor codes and confirm the seat belts retract and lock as they should.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2006 Honda Element was involved in an accident. My front end impacted the passenger side of the other vehicle. The entire front end of the Element was crushed and part of the frame damaged beyond repair. The driver's airbag failed to deploy while the passenger's airbag did inflate. Driver has suffered bruising in the chest area from the seat belt. Car is currently in an autobody shop in arlington waiting for the insurance company to declare it unrepairable.”

   NHTSA complaint #10215822, filed 2008-01, 26,500 miles

   “I was driving approximately 25 MPH vehicle in front suddenly stopped I rear ended vehicle causing damage to front bumper, hood and driver side panel, there was no injuries thank god driver air bags did not deploy also passenger on rear side seat belt snapped this was my second fender bender in three years where front air bags did not deploy, this is a major concern because my family's safety is my priority and Honda should look into this seriously before major injuries or deaths occurs.”

   NHTSA complaint #10543812, filed 2013-09, 161,000 miles
3. 3
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield cracks without an impact

   Mentioned in 7 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report horizontal or vertical cracks appearing in the windshield, often while parked or driving on smooth roads, with no visible rock strike. Several say a glass technician called it a stress crack, while dealers attributed it to earlier stone damage. Complaints also mention power window regulators failing so the window will not go back up. Usually reported at low mileage, often under about 25,000 miles and sometimes within months of purchase.

   What to check: Inspect the windshield edges and the area behind the mirror for cracks or repaired chips, and run each power window fully up and down several times, listening for grinding.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I noticed a horizontal crack in my Honda elements windshield, about 7 inches in length on the passenger side, about halfway up starting at the right side pillar. I took it to the glass place and they said they could not stop it from spreading. I then noticed that another crack was starting on the left side half way up. The cracks have met in the middle almost touching. It has not been in any kind of accident.”

   NHTSA complaint #10325557, filed 2010-04, 29 miles

   “I purchased a certified 2006 Honda Element ex-p in march of 2007 from Honda of fayetteville, ar. I drove the vehicle to springfield, mo and parked it in a garage. The next morning I found a 4 inch crack in the top middle of the windshield immediately behind the rear view mirror. In a day or two the crack became so bad that I had to replace the windshield. There was no apparent rock strike or other damage other than the crack. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10191405, filed 2007-05, 16,258 miles
4. 4
   Air bags

   Air bag warning light on (OPDS sensor)

   • 13 complaints (11%)
   • median 140,850 mi at 11.6 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2025

   Complaints describe the air bag warning light staying lit while driving, sometimes after the Takata inflator campaigns, with owners worried about whether the side bags will work. Some trace it to the passenger seat occupant detection (OPDS) sensor and say a dealer treated that part as outside the air bag warranty extension. Mostly reported on higher-mileage vehicles, roughly 110,000 to 190,000 miles.

   Recall 19V501000Recall 18V268000Recall 17V029000Recall 16V3440006 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check that the air bag light goes out after the self-test on start-up, and ask whether the OPDS sensor and inflators were replaced under the campaigns.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Ta..kata recall; the light saying the air bags needed to be replaced is the only warning I had that alerted me to the danger .the vehicle was in motion when the light came on and I was traveling on the freeway.”

   NHTSA complaint #11061234, filed 2018-01, 200,000 miles

   “Opds sensor failed/tripped. Vehicle was stationary. No accident/collision involved. Airbag warning light on dash constantly on. Although opds sensor is clearly part of srs, Honda dealership claims it falls outside of srs lifetime warranty/warranty extension. Concern over side airbag deployment in case of accident.”

   NHTSA complaint #11330117, filed 2020-06, 182,700 miles
5. 5
   Seats

   Driver's seat rocks back and forth

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the driver's seat rocking or shifting while driving and braking, which owners trace to worn seat bushings. Some say a mechanic fixed it and the problem returned, and one notes a Honda service bulletin describing an added spacer for the worn bushings; dealers quoted a repair cost. Mostly reported on higher-mileage vehicles, about 80,000 to 185,000 miles.

   What to check: Grab the seat back and push it forward and back to feel for play, and ask whether the seat bushings or spacer repair has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driver's seat rocks back and forth while driving and braking my mechanic said bushings worn/loose. He fixed it, but the problem came back. A technical service bulletin has been released by Honda about this problem. A service adviser at a Honda dealership could not help my problem without me paying a costly bill. What's next?”

   NHTSA complaint #10915756, filed 2016-10, 80,000 miles

   “Driver's seat is rocking back and forth. This creates a dangerous condition during driving as it may affect control of the vehicle. Safety inspector also says that the seat may come loose -- therefore that virginia state inspector failed my vehicle during its annual safety inspection. All of these common complaints should be subject of a recall since the seat's design was faulty. This is evidenced by Honda's TSB stating that an additional spacer should be added to the worn out bushings to prevent future occurrence of this incident. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10565898, filed 2014-02, 165,000 miles

Buying note. Check the open recall status by VIN first, since the air bag inflator campaigns and warranty extensions are the most frequent subject of owner complaints. On a used example, also inspect the rear trailing arm mounts for rust and test the seat, windows and windshield.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.