Dear Honda: An Element Love Story

5527 Views 15 Replies 13 Participants Last post by hownowcb, Mar 24, 2007

STabb

Discussion Starter · Feb 21, 2007 (Edited)

(Bear with me here, the backstory is worth it...)

We bought the first two Elements in the Lakeland, FL market, back in 2003, were immediately enamored of the plastic floor, and the convenient-for-child-loading suicide doors. We did a great deal of ambassadorship during that time, too, as everybody had to come look at the box on wheels.

At the end of 2004, we traded the 2003 Elements for a 2004 Element and a Civic (due to a long commute for one of us), and happiness still reigned.

Sunday afternoon (Feb. 18th), a mini-van slammed into my Element's driver's side door and flipped us three times, our car coming to rest on its roof, my husband and I dangling from our still-intact and buckled seat belts. After removing ourselves from the wreckage, with the unbelievably kind and generous help of numerous strangers who witnessed the wreck, the EMTs checked us over in disbelief...bruises, a few hand scrapes, and that was it.
(Wreck image here)

Rolled over three times, people, and all we had were bruises (primarily from the seat belts!) and minor scrapes.

Monday, we visited our local Honda dealership and bought two 2007 Elements, with my husband trading in his tiny Civic for a lovely Tangerine LX with black body panels (and an Alabaster Silver for me). We even showed the cellphone capture of the upside-down car to a couple looking at another Tangerine Element, and watched them drive it home a few hours later. We were fans of the Element before, but now we're FANS.

Honda, we thank you.

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1 - 16 of 16 Posts

Brutis

· #2 · Feb 21, 2007

What an awsome story! As a medic I can really appreciate the safty features of vehicles, it make my job a lot less messy. I am so glad that you are ok. What a great testimony for the E! Wow, im just giddy that I got an 07 with even MORE safty features!

1111rustbucket

· #3 · Feb 21, 2007

Brutis said:
What an awsome story! As a medic I can really appreciate the safty features of vehicles, it make my job a lot less messy. I am so glad that you are ok. What a great testimony for the E! Wow, im just giddy that I got an 07 with even MORE safty features!

Don't leave the "E" out of safety

uukbar

· #4 · Feb 21, 2007

wow, quite a story! glad everyone is okay and that you got replacement Es!

.12981

· #5 · Feb 21, 2007

glad you guys made it out safely

TracyDP

· #6 · Feb 22, 2007 (Edited)

STabb said:
(Bear with me here, the backstory is worth it...)

We bought the first two Elements in the Lakeland, FL market, back in 2003, were immediately enamored of the plastic floor, and the convenient-for-child-loading suicide doors. We did a great deal of ambassadorship during that time, too, as everybody had to come look at the box on wheels.

At the end of 2004, we traded the 2003 Elements for a 2004 Element and a Civic (due to a long commute for one of us), and happiness still reigned.

Sunday afternoon (Feb. 18th), a mini-van slammed into my Element's driver's side door and flipped us three times, our car coming to rest on its roof, my husband and I dangling from our still-intact and buckled seat belts. After removing ourselves from the wreckage, with the unbelievably kind and generous help of numerous strangers who witnessed the wreck, the EMTs checked us over in disbelief...bruises, a few hand scrapes, and that was it.
(Wreck image here)

Rolled over three times, people, and all we had were bruises (primarily from the seat belts!) and minor scrapes.

Monday, we visited our local Honda dealership and bought two 2007 Elements, with my husband trading in his tiny Civic for a lovely Tangerine LX with black body panels (and an Alabaster Silver for me). We even showed the cellphone capture of the upside-down car to a couple looking at another Tangerine Element, and watched them drive it home a few hours later. We were fans of the Element before, but now we're FANS.

Honda, we thank you.

What year was the element you were in? I am considering getting a leftover or certified used 2006 because my husband HATES the new 2007 "tension" seat belts on the passenger side. He's a big guy and couldn't reach for anything without the damn thing locking up on our 2 hour test drive. I appreciate the safety of the new belts but holy cow, how completely annoying to be a passenger (and I do most of the driving so he's a passenger a lot). So, if you were in an older E and you walked away from this it makes me more comfortable going with a used one. I'm also expecting our first child in September so the "convenient suicide door" comment is heartening.

Edited to say Thank God you are both OK. Wow.

STabb

Discussion Starter · #7 · Feb 22, 2007

TracyDP said:
What year was the element you were in? I am considering getting a leftover or certified used 2006 because my husband HATES the new 2007 "tension" seat belts on the passenger side. He's a big guy and couldn't reach for anything without the damn thing locking up on our 2 hour test drive. I appreciate the safety of the new belts but holy cow, how completely annoying to be a passenger (and I do most of the driving so he's a passenger a lot). So, if you were in an older E and you walked away from this it makes me more comfortable going with a used one. I'm also expecting our first child in September so the "convenient suicide door" comment is heartening.

Edited to say Thank God you are both OK. Wow.

It was a 2004 Element. We were suspended upside down by our seatbelts...they didn't let go until we hit the release buttons. I have a rather spectacular bruise across my entire body from the seatbelt, but I don't have the very ugly alternatives (ie. head trauma/broken bones/etc, etc).

DJA

· #8 · Feb 22, 2007 (Edited)

And those suicide doors stayed closed through three tumbles. Glad you're ok.

bobhch/hchbob

· #9 · Feb 22, 2007

Glad you are O.K. and that your Element kept you from injury. It hurts me to see a SOP all crumpled like that. I had one that color is just way cool with the gray panels.

Sweet that you are back to TWO "E"s again!

Speedy Toaster Dave

· #10 · Feb 22, 2007

STabb, first glad you were not hurt and welcome to the club ..

STabb

Discussion Starter · #11 · Feb 22, 2007

Thanks! We actually joined up back in 2003 but haven't a prayer of remembering that username.

arkansaselement

· #12 · Mar 20, 2007

You must have gotten tagged pretty good from the side to get rolled 3 times? Do you have pics of the other side, I'd like to see how much damage was done to the doors.

Glad you're OK, I took a pretty good hit in a 1985 Honda Civic, that car held up remarkably well. Glad to see the element holds its shape....

STabb

Discussion Starter · #13 · Mar 20, 2007

The driver of the van gunned it hard to try and beat us through the intersection, so yeah, tagged pretty hard. More pics...

Impact point:

Other angles:

Other than the impact, and the shattered windows, the doors took very little damage. My door (driver's side) would not open afterwards, but that was only because it was locked.

It opened just fine in the salvage yard later.

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4

ELEMENTRIC

· #14 · Mar 23, 2007

Thanx!

That's neat to see pics of your accident and even better to hear of your outcome. That speaks volumes about the E's ability to withstand a rollover wreck and save the occupants to someone like me who doesn't yet own one.

Thanx for sharing.

litlbabies

· #15 · Mar 24, 2007

STabb said:
It was a 2004 Element. We were suspended upside down by our seatbelts...they didn't let go until we hit the release buttons. I have a rather spectacular bruise across my entire body from the seatbelt, but I don't have the very ugly alternatives (ie. head trauma/broken bones/etc, etc).

Not to mention DEATH!

Very Awesome! This is the reason I wanted the 2007 with the side airbags also. The premiums on my car insurance reflected the saftey features too. I also watched a few crash test on the internet before buying. This may be my very last new vehicle and I wanted to be absolutely sure it was worth it's weight in gold! IT IS!

hownowcb

· #16 · Mar 24, 2007

Cool thing about this thread?: seems to me it perfectly illustrates why those who're paranoid about reducing the "structural integrity" of an Element by adding a front sunroof are in perfect harmony with Chicken Little: "The sky is falling, the sky is falling!" :twisted: "Ba-Doink!"

1 - 16 of 16 Posts

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