2003 Honda Element windshield cracked three times within 12,000 miles. First crack appeared on passenger's side, starting from lower edge approximately centered with wiper blade straight up six inches with a sharp turn to the right. Went to dealer for replacement (metro Honda, johnston ri) representative said crack was caused by stone or foreign object and was not covered by warranty. There was no sign of impact. Representative under close inspection found the smallest spec within crack. It is tiny, I'd say the size of a grain of salt. About three weeks later the second crack appeared starting from the lower edge of the drivers side, directly centered with the wiper blade. After close inspection, I found an identical salt grain size spec within the crack. This was not caused by impact! I knew this windshield was defected. That's when I started doing some research and discovered this is an on going problem with many if not thousands of Element owners. The third crack appeared about two weeks after the second, this time it appears a rock did cause the crack. Located on the driver's side left edge continuing straight across to the right. The impact was slight, leaving a round mark the size of a pea. I read hundreds of complaints, there all the same. There' S huge problem and something must be done. Does Honda expect me to get a new windshield with every oil change? please look into this as soon as possible. It's wrong and Honda needs to not only acknowledge the problem, but to rectify it. People, don't just read about it, submit a complaint.

- Foster, RI, USA

2003 Honda Element - windshield cracks due to apparent design flaw.

- Tulsa, OK, USA

Morning: Parked vehicle outside in low temperatures. Sun came out during day and when I returned to vehicle in the afternoon there was a 5 inch crack that started in lower passenger side of front windshield. No impact to windshield.

- Blue Springs, MO, USA

Windshield cracked without an impact in it's lower part. Knowing that this is a widespread issue with this model, I would like to see it resolved, since this is a really nice vehicle otherwise.

- Hurleyville, NY, USA

Consumer complained about a windshield problem. Vehicle had an air bubble in the front windshield. When anything hit the windshield, such as a small stone, it cracked the windshield.

- Glenwood, NJ, USA

Cracked windshield origniating from bottom of passenger side. Approximately 10 inches from the right side of the vehicle. Small pit (sand size) visible.

- San Mateo, CA, USA

Crack in windshield on 2003 Honda Element after owning for only 1 month. Rack only appeared no obvious impact from rock or other objects.

- Champaign, IL, USA

On Friday March 12, 2004 I went to lunch and returned to my car three hours later to go home for the day. Upon entering my Honda Element I noticed a crack in my windshield that was not there three hours earlier when I had gone to lunch. Honda issued a service bulletin back in May 2003 for the 2003 Element in certian VIN #'s (of which my Element falls in) about stress from the flange on the windshield causing it to crack. Upon taking my Element to stephen vincel Honda in ellisville, mo for inspection they have claimed that it was hit by a rock that caused it to crack. This is the second windshield I will have to replace in an 8 month time frame. The first was caused by a rock thrown from a semi, the second was supposed to have been caused by a rock (according to Honda). I am dissapointed and angered that Honda has admitted a problem and issued a service bulletin, yet refuses to correct the problem. I am angred that due to either poor quality materials or poor design I am forced to present another claim to my insurance when Honda should be correcting their own mistakes.

- Saint Louis, MO, USA

Pin-prick size rock impact resulted in a 12 inch crack in 24 hours. Other Honda models as well as other manufactures do have this problem. Compare the number of visiblity complaints with the Element to other makes and models.

- Silver Spring, MD, USA

Spontaneous strees crack in lower right corner of windsheild. No chipping or other damage from road debris.

- Edgewood, KY, USA

Windshield cracks very easily. While driving on the freeway (no surrounding traffic) we heard a pop an a crack appeared just to the left of the rearview mirror, originating from the top of the windshield. The crack has now grown to about 6". upon further inspection I cannot locate any point of impact. It appears that this is simply a stress crack.

- Oakhurst, CA, USA

2003 Honda Element ex 4WD - windsheild cracked at approx 6000 miles. No sign of impact. Crack originated on driver's side of windshield.

- Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Windshiled crack. Origion of crack is bottom of passenger side of windshiled. Windshield had been replaced 2 months prior due to identical crack in identical location.

- Cape May, NJ, USA

Defect in windshield on 2003 Honda Element. Crack appears in bottom middle of windshield and then moves upward and the across towards the passenger side. Honda dealer said it was a rock impact, however, it is not pitted.

- Frederick, OK, USA

Drove vehicle home Saturday night no problem. Sunday morning discovered 8 inch crack in windshield originating under driver side windshild wiper and traveling upwards to the left. Dealer claims it is an impact crack not covered under warrenty, but I am sure there was no impact Saturday night. I have read on the internet of others having this identical problem.

- Glendale, CA, USA

Cracked windshield: Consistent with hundreds of other Honda Element owners, on one particularly cold (by ca stds. Anyway) morning, I turned on my defroster and the windshield started cracking from the bottom right corner. The crack has traveled across the bottom of the glass in a pattern that mirrors that of the defroster outlets.

- Alameda, CA, USA

The windshield has chipped and cracked numerous times over the 9 months we have owned the vehicle. It was brand new and there is a defective part that the dealer will not replace.

- College Station, TX, USA

Sand cracked windshield bottom passenger side corner.

- Castaic, CA, USA

Element bought July 2003. I drive alot of highway miles, allready 28,000 miles. I have probably drove close to 800,000 miles in my 25 years of driving. Once that I know off did a windshield crack.....maybe twice. I have four incidents of rock chips allready. One of the cracks spans the width of the window. As a statistical manager for my job, there was obviously a purchasing mess up with sub-standard glass quality. There has to be a recall on this windshield to an upgraded quality of glass. It is not so much the safety factor as it is the $500 replacement and insurance costs. Somebody made a major mistake in a vendor and most likely is not supplying windshields to Honda anymore and is probably out of business or changed their name for liability sake. This issue will not go away!!

- Maple Shade , NJ, USA

While sitting in a hospital parking ramp my windshield started cracking and spread until it went from directly in front of the driver at the bottom of the glass up about four inches and across to the passenger side and back down to the bottom of the glass. Between my wife and myself we have owned close to twenty vehicles and never had anything like this happen.

- Waupun, WI, USA