Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2004 Honda Element
NHTSA data on file today
The 2004 Honda Element has 11 NHTSA recall campaigns and 281 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #19V501000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V499000 Driver Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V182000 Driver Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #18V268000 Improperly Installed Passenger Air Bag NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16V344000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #15V320000 Driver's Frontal Air Bag May Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14V700000 Passenger Air Bag Inflator May Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14V353000 Passenger Side Air Bag Inflator may Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #10V364000 IGNITION INTERLOCK NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #09E025000 FMVSS 108/REPLACEMENT HEADLAMPS/AMBER REFLECTOR NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #09E012000 FMVSS 108/AFTERMARKET COMBINATION LAMPS NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Visibility 106 complaints
- Air Bags 73 complaints
- Seats 26 complaints
- Electrical System 18 complaints
- Suspension 16 complaints
- Seat Belts 15 complaints
Of the 281 complaints on file, 16 report a crash and 3 a fire; across all 281 complaints, owners report 19 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $5,000–$8,500AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2004 Honda Element has moderate support data with 281 owner complaints and 11 recalls. Airbag and visibility issues account for most complaints, indicating fair reliability concerns. The reported issues suggest average overall reliability for this model year based on the complaint distribution and recall frequency.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | Unknown | $500–$1,500 | common |
| Visibility system | Unknown | $100–$500 | very common |
| Seats | Unknown | $200–$1,000 | occasional |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil and filter change
- Brake pad replacement
- Tire rotation and balancing
- Transmission fluid change
- Air filter replacement
- Coolant flush
- Spark plug replacement
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Airbag warning light
- Poor windshield visibility
- Seat adjustment issues
- Odd suspension noises
- Electrical malfunctions
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2004 Honda Element at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.