Most common 2007 Honda Element problems
Share of the 112 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Honda Element complaints by model year
Best Element years: 2011, 2009, 2010. Years to avoid: 2003, 2004. Compare all years →
2007 Honda Element recalls (10)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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.
Remedy: 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.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
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.
Remedy: 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.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
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…
Remedy: 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.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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.
Remedy: 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.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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,…
Remedy: 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.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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,…
Remedy: 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.
Show 4 more recalls
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
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.
Remedy: 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.
Electrical system › Wiring
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.
Remedy: 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.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
Honda is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 accord, 2007-2010 cr-v, and 2005-2008 element passenger cars manufactured from July 1, 2004, through September 3, 2010. The outer race of the secondary shaft bearing May be broken during certain driving styles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners and dealers will update the automatic transmission control module software free of charge. The safety recall began on August 27, 2011.
Service brakes, air
Honda has notified NHTSA of a defect in certain model year 2007 and 2008 odyssey and element passenger vehicles manufactured between July 28, 2006 and August 21, 2008. Air can enter the vsa modular pump during an initial self-check process that occurs shortly after each time the engine is started.
Remedy: Honda will notify owner and Honda dealers will repair the vsa modulator by removing any existing air in the brake system then apply sealant and caps to prevent air from entering the brake system free of charge.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2007 Honda Element:
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Air in brake system
By letter dated March 15, 2010, American Honda Motor Corp. (HMC) notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it will conduct a safety recall (NHTSA Recall No. 10V-098) to address a defect in approximately 412,000 model year (MY) 2007 and 2008 Honda Odyssey and Element vehicles equipped with an ABS/VSA/TCS modulator.
What 2007 Honda Element owners say
Air bags all 27 →
Tl* the contact owned a 2007 Honda Element. While driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle, which caused a chain reaction. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. The contact later experienced pain in the left arm. Medical attention was not received. A police report was filed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle home. The vehicle was towed to the insurance company's lot to be inspected. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was deemed destroyed. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted and provided case number: 09915922. The approximate failure mileage was 310,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Honda Element. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the passenger side air bag warning indicator intermittently illuminated. The failure recurred on several occasions. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 15V320000 (air bags) and 12V436000 (electrical system, trailer hitches); however, the part needed 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 failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Electrical system all 22 →
The contact owns a 2007 Honda Element. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V436000 (Electrical System, Trailer Hitches) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The contact was advised by the local dealer that the vehicle was not eligible for recall repairs due to the title being salvaged and that the part was not an attachment for the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the issues.
Speedometer needle has dropped over the last 2 weeks . No longer can tell how fast I am going. 2007 Element 4wd ' from VIN 5j6yh2...7l000033 thru 5j6yh2...7l014108 sample letter: December 2007 product update: instrument panel gauge needles read inaccurately or fall off dear Element owner: this letter is to notify you of a potential problem with your vehicle and what you should do to resolve it. What is the problem? The needles in the instrument panel gauges May read inaccurately of fall off. The gauges that can be affected include the speedometer, the tachometer, the fuel, and the coolant temperature. What should you do? Contact any authorized Honda dealer for an appointment to have your vehicle updated. The dealer will replace the instrument panel, transferring the odometer and maintenance minder data from the original instrument panel to the new one. …
Brakes
I was just driving my 2007 Honda Element to work in the north end of seattle, and all of the sudden my vehicle started jerking and the check engine light, vsa and steering light came on the "triangle with a lightning bolt in it" it started running rough. When I would step on the gas it would cause the car to jerk and the speedometer would idle up and down. It was very intense. I would lift off the gas patel and try to let it smoothin out. It definitely is a safety issue. I looked online and saw a recall on the 2007 and 2008 Honda Element, over 68,000 of them. I went to Honda of seattle and they told me there wasn't a recall, I then told him to look online and he tried to tell me that my car wasn't covered. He started to quote some numbers of what the diagnostic would cost and then they would go from there. I then told them to return my vehicle and brought it to my mechanic. …
We have had to replace our brakes & rotors every year,starting in year 3. (I drove only 3,000 miles a year) then gave it to my husband who drives to work. When the miles got up to 14,000 - that was the first brake & rotor replacement. Asked Honda about this while under warranty and no word about problems, just their answer that it was from a 'street sweeper' or 'the way we drove.' several times the rotors were so bad, that the car screeched. 2 years ago, had to have them replaced twice in the same year-in March and again in October twice now our calipers had to be changed as well as the brakes & rotors. Have put a lot of $ out for all these repairs. Not happy with Honda or their customer service anymore.
2007 Honda Element engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 25 / 22 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 19 / 24 / 21 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 18 / 23 / 20 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 18 / 23 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2007 Honda Element a good car?
Based on 112 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2007 Element rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Element at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2007 Honda Element?
The air bags — 27 complaints, 24% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (22) and brakes (18).
How many recalls does the 2007 Honda Element have?
There are 10 recalls for the 2007 Honda Element, the most recent from June 27, 2019 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Honda Element?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2011, 2009 and 2010. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2003 and 2004. See the full Honda Element years comparison.
At what mileage do 2007 Honda Element problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 71,000 miles; 36% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.