1. Home
  2. Honda
  3. Element
  4. 2003

Honda Element 2003

The 2003 Honda Element has a 2.4 L engine. It gets 20 MPG combined (19 city, 23 highway), per the EPA. 12 recall campaigns and 40 owner complaints are on record.

Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD AWD
None for sale in United States yet
Selling one? Post it free, it shows up on this page. Sell yours
Honda Element
Representative photo of the Element. It may show a different year or version. Photo: Rudolf Stricker · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Specs

Engine
2,400 cc
4
Cylinders4
TransmissionAutomatic · 4 speeds
DrivetrainAWD
Dimensions (L × W × H)4,300 × 1,820 × 1,880 mm (169.3 × 71.7 × 74.0 in)
Wheelbase2,580 mm (101.6 in)
Curb weight1,631 kg (3,596 lb)
Body styleSport Utility Vehicle - 2WD

Dimensions and weight: Canada's official specifications (NHTSA vPIC).

For sale in United States

No 2003 Honda Element for sale in United States yet Do you own one? Post it free and reach buyers who are already looking at this exact car.
Sell your Element

Safety

Crash-test results across markets. They can vary by version and equipment.

NHTSA NCAP
Results · 2003 Honda Element 4-DR.
🇺🇸 Local data
Rollover★★★★★

Fuel economy (MPG)

🇺🇸 Local data
City
19 MPG
Highway
23 MPG
Combined
20 MPG
Emissions
276 g/km
COâ‚‚

By version

EngineTransmissionDrivetrainCityHighwayCombined
2.4 L 4-cylinder Automatic · 4 speeds AWD 19 MPG 23 MPG 20 MPG
2.4 L 4-cylinder Automatic · 4 speeds Front-wheel (FWD) 20 MPG 24 MPG 21 MPG
2.4 L 4-cylinder Manual · 5 speeds AWD 18 MPG 22 MPG 20 MPG
2.4 L 4-cylinder Manual · 5 speeds Front-wheel (FWD) 19 MPG 24 MPG 21 MPG

EPA figures for each version sold in the U.S.

Recalls

12 campaigns🇺🇸 Local dataNHTSA
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 19V499000 · 2019-06-27 · NHTSA
Consequence · Remedy

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

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.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 19V501000 · 2019-06-27 · NHTSA
Consequence · Remedy

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

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.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 19V182000 · 2019-03-06 · NHTSA
Consequence · Remedy

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.

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.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 18V268000 · 2018-04-26 · NHTSA
Consequence · Remedy

An incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

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.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 16V344000 · 2016-05-23 · NHTSA
Consequence · Remedy

An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

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.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 15V370000 · 2015-06-15 · NHTSA
Consequence · Remedy

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the passenger seat occupant or other occupants possibly causing serious injury or death.

Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are JU4, JU5, JU6, and JU7. Note: Vehicles that have already received a replacement passenger air bag inflator as part of the recall remedy for an earlier campaign such as 14V353 or 14V700 (Honda recall numbers S95, JH6, JH7, JH8, JH9, JJ0, JJ1, JJ2, JJ6, JM5 and JM6) are not included in this recall. However, this recall does supersede 13V132 and 14V349. Note: On December 18, 2015 Honda informed NHTSA of an expansion of this recall to include certain model year 2004 Honda CR-V vehicles in addition to additional model year 2003 CR-V vehicles.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 15V320000 · 2015-05-28 · NHTSA
Consequence · Remedy

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.

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.

AIR BAGS 14V700000 · 2014-11-04 · NHTSA
Consequence · Remedy

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengerÂ’s frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.

AIR BAGS 14V353000 · 2014-06-20 · NHTSA
Consequence · Remedy

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengerÂ’s frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflators in all affected vehicles, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during August 2014. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION 10V364000 · 2010-08-05 · NHTSA
Consequence · Remedy

REMOVAL OF THE IGNITION KEY WHEN THE GEAR SELECTOR OF A VEHICLE WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS NOT BEEN SHIFTED TO THE PARK POSITION CAN ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO ROLL AWAY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE ORIGINAL INTERLOCK PIN AND LEVER WITHIN THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND REPLACE THEM WITH NEW, DESIGNED COMPONENTS. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 7, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS 09E025000 · 2009-05-11 · NHTSA
Consequence · Remedy

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 09E012000 · 2009-04-07 · NHTSA
Consequence · Remedy

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.

8 campaigns🇨🇦 CA dataTransport Canada

It may not apply to vehicles sold in your country. Check with your VIN at the source.

Structure 2021024 · 2021-01-26 · Transport Canada
Details

Issue: On certain vehicles, the rear frame could rust. In extreme cases, this could result in a rear trailing arm separating from the vehicle. This recall applies to vehicles originally sold or currently registered in areas of heavy road salt usage (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador). Safety Risk: A rear trailing arm that separates could cause a loss of control and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Honda will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer for an inspection of the rear trailing arm front mount bolts. If the vehicle passes the inspection, the dealer will apply corrosion protection and install support braces. Honda will offer to repurchase vehicles that do not pass the inspection. In the event the repurchase is declined by an owner, a secondary inspection and body shop repair method may be possible.

Airbag 2019323 · 2019-06-28 · Transport Canada
Details

Issue: On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the propellant contained in the airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. If the airbag inflator ruptures, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants or cause damage to the airbag assembly, preventing its proper function. Note: This is a new recall campaign that includes vehicles that had an airbag inflator replaced under a previous recall or had a replacement airbag installed. The previous recall provided an interim (short-term) repair. Interim repair parts must be replaced with the final repair parts provided in this recall. Safety Risk: If the vehicle is involved in a crash requiring an airbag deployment, the airbag inflator could rupture and create a risk of injury. Corrective Action: Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to replace the driver and/or passenger-front airbag inflator. Note: The Canadian climate results in the propellant degrading slowly. This recall is being conducted as a precaution to address future risk. It is expected that all airbag inflators will be replaced before their function would be affected.

Airbag 2019117 · 2019-03-07 · Transport Canada
Details

Issue: On certain vehicles, there could be a problem with the driver-front airbag inflator. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. If the airbag inflator ruptures, pieces could be propelled toward the occupants. This could also cause damage to the airbag assembly and prevent it from inflating properly. Note: This recall only affects certain vehicles that had a Takata airbag inflator installed during a previous airbag recall or collision repair. Safety Risk: In a crash where the airbag deploys, there could be an increased risk of injury. Corrective Action: The company will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to have the driver-front airbag inflator replaced.

Airbag 2016249 · 2016-05-24 · Transport Canada
Details

On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, could eventually degrade the propellant contained in the passenger frontal airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. As a result, if the vehicle were involved in a collision that warrants airbag deployment, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants, and the airbag assembly could be damaged, preventing proper function. These issues could increase the risk of injury. Correction: Dealers will replace the airbag inflator. Note: Canadian climate results in the propellant degrading slowly. The recall is being conducted as a precaution to address future risk, and is expected to replace airbag inflators before their function would be affected.

Airbag 2015225 · 2015-05-27 · Transport Canada
Details

On certain vehicles, the driver frontal airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause the inflator to rupture, which could allow fragments to be propelled toward vehicle occupants, increasing the risk of injury. This could also damage the airbag module, which could prevent proper deployment. Failure of the airbag to fully deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of personal injury to the seat occupant. Note: This recall supersedes special service campaign 2014567. Correction: Dealers will inspect/replace the driver's frontal airbag inflator. All vehicles having received a replacement inflator as part of any previous driver's inflator campaign will have a replacement inflator installed. Note: Honda Canada has created a special Airbag Inflator Hotline for immediate assistance. For more information, please contact: For Honda Owners: 1-877-445-7754 For Acura Owners: 1-877-445-9844

Airbag 2014567 · 2014-12-15 · Transport Canada
Details

Honda Canada is conducting a voluntary Safety Improvement Campaign concerning the driver's airbag inflator on certain vehicles equipped with Takata airbags. Honda will replace the driver's inflator on affected vehicles. This action is not being conducted under the requirements of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Note: This special service campaign was replaced by recall 2015225. Please see recall 2015225 for more information: <a href="http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/7/VRDB-BDRV/search-recherche/detail.aspx?lang=eng&&rn=2015225">Click here for more information</a>

Airbag 2014242 · 2014-06-20 · Transport Canada
Details

On certain vehicles, the passenger (frontal) airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause the inflator to rupture, which could allow fragments to be propelled toward vehicle occupants, increasing the risk of injury. This could also damage the airbag module, which could prevent proper deployment. Failure of the passenger airbag to fully deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of personal injury to the seat occupant. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger airbag inflator. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 2013111. Honda Canada has created a special Airbag Inflator Hotline for immediate assistance. For more information, please contact: For Honda Owners: 1-877-445-7754 For Acura Owners: 1-877-445-9844

Powertrain 2010264 · 2010-08-09 · Transport Canada
Details

On certain vehicles the interlock lever of the ignition switch may wear prematurely, which can allow the interlock function to be defeated if the driver does not follow the typical shut-down procedure of shifting the gear selector to the PARK position before rotating the ignition key to the OFF position. Removal of the ignition key when the gear selector of a vehicle with an automatic transmission has not been shifted to the PARK position can allow the vehicle to roll away, increasing the risk of a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will replace the original interlock pin and lever within the ignition switch with updated versions.

Common problems

40 reports🇺🇸 Local data

Reported by owners to the source below. It is not a verdict on this car: it is what people wrote.

STRUCTURE 2025-11-10 · NHTSA

The contact owns a 2003 Honda Element. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact discovered that the rear trailing arm was severely corroded. The…

SUSPENSION 2025-11-04 · NHTSA

Please see attachment:

SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2025-10-05 · NHTSA

The trailing arm connection that connects to the subframe has completely rusted make the car unsafe to drive. Parts will break and driver will lose control of the car. These same parts were recalled in Canada many years ago.

SUSPENSION 2025-08-19 · NHTSA

Rear driver side trailing arm separating from body non repairable. Needs professional inspection. Northern state purchased Michigan driven in salt conditioned roadways. Canadian recall for same issue. Recall Details Transport Canada Recall Number2021-024 Recall Date2021-01-26 Last Updated2023-07-07 Notification…

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2025-07-17 · NHTSA

I was driving and my odometer light and dash lights went dim on me. I changed the bulbs it didn't make a difference. I had to replace the instrument cluster. Other complaint is drivers seat keeps loosening from the floor

SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE,WHEELS 2025-07-14 · NHTSA

Rust corrosion

SUSPENSION Crash 2025-01-03 · NHTSA

in 2023 while driving my 2003 Honda Element the control arm ripped out of the frame I had it fixed to the tune of $1800. Fast forward to this week when servicing my Element I found a major rust spot on the other trailing arm bracket. After more research there is a recall in Canada to fix this but not in US. how can th…

SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE 2024-09-14 · NHTSA

Vehicle has extreme corrosion of the frame near the rear trailing arm which is nearing catastrophic failure. Trailing arm is in danger of separating from the frame. This is similar to NTSB Campaign # 23V-22800 for the CR-V which shares suspension parts with the Element on these model years. If the trailing arm sepa…

AIR BAGS 2024-07-01 · NHTSA

The contact owns a 2003 Honda Element. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V370000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the recall repair was completed. The contact stated that the vehicle was at the dealer for a week for the recall repair. The contact stated that while the veh…

STRUCTURE,SUSPENSION 2024-03-11 · NHTSA

The contact owns a 2003 Honda Element. The contact stated that while the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the trailing arm fractured. In addition, the rear of the vehicle dropped to the ground and the driver's rear side of the vehicle was dragging on the ground. The vehicle was towed to the residenc…

SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2024-02-11 · NHTSA

The drivers side mount for the rear trailing arm has rusted to the point it may be unsafe to drive according to my mechanic. I looked online and saw that Honda has issued a recall campaign in Canada but not the US. I do know from my local dealer that Honda did have them bring in several customer cars for inspection an…

AIR BAGS 1 injured 2024-02-01 · NHTSA

While driving on a rough road the driver's seat airbag deployed injuring my arm (big bruise and tennis-ball size laceration). I plan to take the vehicle into the dealership to find out why this happened.

All 40 reports, grouped by component

Questions

What engine does the 2003 Honda Element have?
The 2003 Honda Element has a 2.4 L engine.
What is the fuel economy of the 2003 Honda Element?
It gets 20 MPG combined (19 city, 23 highway), per the EPA.
Does the 2003 Honda Element have recalls?
12 recall campaigns are on record. The latest concerns Air Bags (2019-06-27).
What are the common problems of the 2003 Honda Element?
40 owners have filed complaints, most often about Suspension.

Other years

Which Honda Element year to buy? Recalls and complaints by year

Other models by Honda

Do you own one?

Post it for free and reach buyers who are already looking at this exact car.

Post for free