Honda Element won't run? Sell it as it sits

The Element had a single generation, built in East Liberty, Ohio, and sold from the 2003 to the 2011 model year. Honda ended it after 2011 and never replaced it. Its biggest recall stories are an ignition switch that can let the car roll, an automatic transmission bearing, and Takata air bags.

Early Element or late Element?

The platform is a modified second-generation CR-V. The 2003 launch engine, the K24A4, was shared with the seventh-generation Accord.

What NHTSA's file says about the Element

2003-2004: visibility complaints and the ignition switch

More than half of all Element complaints, 704 of 1,281, are on the first two model years. Visibility is the leading category on both: 223 complaints on the 2003 and 106 on the 2004. No recall or Honda document we found names the cause, so we can't tell you what those owners described.

Recall 10V-364 covers 2003-2004 Elements with an automatic. The ignition switch's interlock lever "may unexpectedly deform," and then the key can come out while the shifter isn't in Park. A car left that way can roll. Dealers replaced the pin and lever with redesigned parts.

The 2003 also had an air bag sensor problem. Honda's bulletin 06-009 extended coverage on the occupant position detection system after faults that set SRS codes 15-1, 15-2 or 15-3 and keep the SRS light on. That coverage, 10 years or 150,000 miles, is long gone.

2005-2008: the transmission bearing

Recall 11V-395, filed in August 2011, covers 1,512,107 vehicles, including 2005-2008 Elements. The outer race of a bearing in the automatic transmission "may be broken during certain driving styles." Two things can follow: a short circuit that stalls the engine, or broken pieces that jam the parking pawl so the car rolls after it's put in Park. The remedy was a free software update to the transmission control module, not new hardware.

If your Element's automatic has already failed, that recall won't bring it back. Our bad transmission guide walks through whether a repair makes sense.

2007-2008: soft brakes and one trailing arm

Recall 10V-098 covers 2007-2008 Elements and Odysseys. Air can get into the stability control pump during its self-check at startup, leaving a soft or low brake pedal. Hydraulic brakes draw 23 complaints on the 2008, second only to air bags. Separately, 241 2008 Elements were recalled (08V-349) for a badly welded bracket on the left rear trailing arm, and Honda phoned those owners to stop driving until a dealer had looked.

Air bags on every model year

Air bags are the most-named complaint on the 2005-2008, 2010 and 2011, and 311 complaints name them overall. NHTSA lists 12 air bag recalls across the Element's years. Every 2003-2011 Element is named in Takata recall 15V-320 for a new driver inflator; 16V-344 covers the passenger inflator on 2003-2011 Elements first sold or registered in hot, humid states.

Model year by model year

Figures: NHTSA complaint and recall records as of October 10, 2026. A campaign listing several years is counted in each, so this column adds to 85 while the Element has 20 distinct recalls.

Should you repair it?

The newest Element is a 2011, so every one is now 15 years old or more. Price the repair, then price a working Element of the same year. A quote that takes most of the second number makes the sale the smarter move.

1. Look for open recalls first at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The Takata inflator recalls are the ones to ask a dealer about.
2. Engine gone? Read blown engine before you pay for a swap.
3. Parked for years? Car sitting for years covers registration, tires and what to expect.

See what a junk car is worth for what changes an offer.

Getting your Element picked up

1. Note the VIN, mileage, which drive it has, and the main problem.
2. Ask for an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Describe the spot: a backyard, a storage lot, a repair shop. Say if it rolls and has air in the tires. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Don't strip it. Sell the whole car as it sits. If the catalytic converter or seats are already out, say so.
5. Bring the title, a photo ID and the keys to the pickup. Plates and paperwork rules are in after you sell; no title is covered in our no-title guide.

More Hondas: the CR-V it was built on, the Pilot and the Ridgeline.