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#BS-2005-HONELE-B4A5

2005 Honda Element

Based on reports from 199 owners and 10 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
199
Crashes
16
Fires
7
Recalls
10
TSBs
70
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 199 complaints, 16 crashes, 7 fires, and 10 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

paint bubbling

2 complaints • Severity 6/10

$X,XXX
2

grinding in rear brakes

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

air bag deployed randomly

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the AirbagsHIGH

54 owners reported airbags issues — failures commonly reported around 80K miles.

!Inspect the Air Bags:side/windowMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

34
0–30K
22
30–60K
20
60–90K
17
90–120K
18
120–150K
31
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (34 reports) • Median: 80K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Airbags (54 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Airbags54 (27%)
Air Bags:side/window14 (7%)
Seats12 (6%)
Electrical12 (6%)
Suspension11 (6%)
Engine8 (4%)
Drivetrain7 (4%)
Seat Belts7 (4%)

2005 Honda Element: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 27% of all reports filed for the 2005 Honda Element, with 54 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 80,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 80K-mile mark.

Air Bags:side/window Issues

Air Bags:side/window complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2005 Honda Element, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:side/window-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Seats Issues

Seats complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2005 Honda Element, with 12 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to seats-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2005 Honda Element, with 12 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

10
05
8
06
10
07
7
08
16
09
14
10
16
11
4
12
11
13
14
14
15
15
18
16
8
17
12
18
4
19
7
20
7
21
2
22
10
23
4
24
2
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2005 Honda Element. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (10 recalls)

05E035000May 2005

EQUIPMENT

CERTAIN HONDA ACCESSORY TRAILER HARNESS KIT, P/N 08L91-SCV-102, MANUFACTURED BETWEEN NOVEMBER 24 AND DECEMBER 18, 2004, SOLD FOR USE ON MY 2005 HONDA ELEMENT VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN DECEMBER 20, 2004, AND APRIL 29, 2005. THE WIRE HARNESS OF THE TRAILER HITCH KIT HAS AN INCORRECTLY WIRED CONNECTOR. AS A RESULT, THE TRAILER BRAKE LAMPS AND TURN SIGNAL LAMPS COULD OPERATE INCORRECTLY, OR A FUSE COULD BLOW CAUSING A SUDDEN LOSS OF BRAKE AND TURN SIGNAL LAMP FUNCTION.

09E012000May 2009

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

09E025000Jul 2009

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

11V395000Aug 2011

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. A BROKEN OUTER RACE MAY CAUSE ABNORMAL NOISE, THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT TO TURN ON, AND ALLOW CONTACT BETWEEN THE TRANSMISSION IDLE GEAR AND AN ELECTRONIC SENSOR HOUSING WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION.

15V320000Jul 2015

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. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion and other factors, including manufacturing variability that, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

+ 5 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

Unlock

The worst model year for the Honda Element is the 2007 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is accessories - interior.

2005 Honda Element vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD)

This vehicle

199

Class avg

546

Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical sport utility vehicle - 2wd vehicles. A good sign.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 199 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 10 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Honda Element Model Years

201120102009200820072006200520042003
View all Honda Element years →

2005 Honda Element: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2005 Honda Element?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2005 Honda Element is related to the airbags, with 54 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2005 Honda Element reliable?
The 2005 Honda Element has 199 complaints, 16 crash reports, and 7 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average — a positive sign for reliability.
How much does it cost to fix 2005 Honda Element problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2005 Honda Element have any recalls?
Yes, the 2005 Honda Element has 10 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Honda Element problems start?
Based on 142 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 80,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 199 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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