YearToAvoid

2011 Honda Element Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Caution The 2011 Honda Element has 11 NHTSA complaints, a complaint index of 0, and 10 recall campaigns, mostly for Takata airbag inflators. It carries a Caution verdict, capped because of the high recall count despite the low complaint index, ranking 7th of 7 model years.

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

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
0/100
#7 of 7 Element years
Verdict
Caution
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
11
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
10
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
1
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Top issue
Airbags
Best nearby year
2010
lowest-risk (no Good/Best year)
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
21
19 city / 24 hwy
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0

Top 2011 Honda Element problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags6 (55%)
  2. Visibility & Wipers2 (18%)
  3. Brakes1 (9%)
  4. Other1 (9%)
  5. Seat Belts1 (9%)
  6. Steering1 (9%)
  7. Suspension, Wheels & Tires1 (9%)
  8. Transmission & Powertrain1 (9%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Owners report waiting long periods for Takata airbag inflator recall parts to become available at dealers.
  • Some drivers were told to keep passengers out of the front seat until the passenger airbag inflator was replaced.
  • A seat belt-related complaint describes airbags deploying after a collision caused by swerving around road debris at highway speed.
  • The sun visor was reported to drop and block the driver's view of the road.
  • One owner reported the traction control and check engine lights coming on with a loss of power, sometimes resolved by restarting the vehicle.
  • A steering wheel hub support bracket was reported to crack in two places, leaving the steering wheel loose and wobbly.
2011 Honda Element complaints: complaints filed per month2Jun 2014Nov 2014Aug 2016Jul 2017Dec 2020
11 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jun 2014 to Dec 2020; peak Jul 2014 (2).

2011 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 2011 Honda Element →

2011 Honda Element fuel economy and fuel cost

City
19 MPG
Highway
24 MPG
Combined
21 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,100
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.

2011 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
2009Caution3330820.5
2010Caution17301020.5
2011Caution0111021

All Honda Element years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2011 Honda Element reliable?
NHTSA lists only 11 complaints for the 2011 Honda Element, giving it a complaint index of 0, the lowest among the seven model years with data. However, it carries 10 recall campaigns, mostly for Takata airbags, which caps its verdict at Caution.
Does the 2011 Honda Element have a Takata airbag recall?
Yes. Several of its 10 recall campaigns involve Takata frontal airbag inflators on both the driver and passenger sides, spanning campaigns issued from 2016 through 2019.
What is the top problem area for the 2011 Honda Element?
Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 6 of 11 complaints (55%), with a median mileage at failure of 122,500 miles and 1 reported crash.
How does the 2011 Element compare to other years?
It ranks 7th worst out of 7 model years with data, meaning it has the fewest complaints, but its verdict is Caution rather than Good because of the 10 recall campaigns requiring a dealer visit.
What is the fuel economy of the 2011 Honda Element?
The EPA rates the 2011 Honda Element at 21 mpg combined (19 city / 24 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,100.

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.