YearToAvoid

2007 Honda Element Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

67/100

#3 most-complained of 7 Element years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2007 Honda Element has 112 owner complaints and 10 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 67 out of 100 — #3 highest of 7 Element model years (verdict: Caution). The most reported problem area is airbags (27 complaints, 24% of the total). Complaints report 6 crashes and 6 injuries.

Complaints
112
Recalls
10
Crashes / fires
6 / 0
Injuries / deaths
6 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
20.5
18.5 city / 23.5 hwy

Top 2007 Honda Element problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags27 (24%)
  2. Electrical System23 (21%)
  3. Brakes21 (19%)
  4. Suspension, Wheels & Tires17 (15%)
  5. Engine12 (11%)
  6. Structure & Body10 (9%)
  7. Other8 (7%)
  8. Visibility & Wipers7 (6%)
  9. Transmission & Powertrain5 (4%)
  10. Seat Belts2 (2%)
2007 Honda Element complaints: complaints filed per quarter82007 Q12009 Q32011 Q42014 Q32016 Q12017 Q32020 Q12023 Q2
133 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2007 Q1 to 2025 Q2; peak 2015 Q3 (8).

2007 Honda Element recalls

10 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 19V501000Jun 27, 2019Airbags1,657,752 vehicles

    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. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

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

    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. Honda's numbers for this recall are E5D and X5C.

  2. NHTSA 19V499000Jun 27, 2019Airbags3,947 vehicles

    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. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

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

    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. Honda's numbers for this recall are Q5A and Y58.

  3. NHTSA 19V182000Mar 6, 2019Airbags1,101,534 vehicles

    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 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.

    Risk: 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.

    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. 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.

See all 10 recalls for the 2007 Honda Element →

2007 Honda Element fuel economy and fuel cost

City
18.5 MPG
Highway
23.5 MPG
Combined
20.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,175
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2007 compared with other Element years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002005200620072008200920102011
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2005Avoid100159720.5
2006Avoid83122920.5
2007Caution671121020.5
2008Caution501121220.5
2009Good3330820.5

All Honda Element years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2007 Honda Element a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2007 Honda Element ranks #3 of 7 among Element model years (Complaint Index 67/100, verdict: Caution). It has 112 complaints and 10 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2007 Honda Element?
The most reported problem areas are airbags (27 complaints), electrical system (23 complaints), and brakes (21 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 71,450 miles.
Does the 2007 Honda Element have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the 2007 Honda Element, most recently reported 2019, covering airbags, structure & body, transmission & powertrain, and brakes.
What is the fuel economy of the 2007 Honda Element?
EPA rates the 2007 Honda Element at 20.5 MPG combined (18.5 city / 23.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,175. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.