'03 Honda Element Ignition Problems

By not working, please describe what you mean.

I would ask what YOU ARE DOING to cause premature key or tumbler failure.

Do you have a ton of junk on the key ring, or minions of keys?

Are you somehow putting a side force on the key while rotating it.

Are you operating in some caustic environment (e.g. sandy dust) that has gotten into the tumblers?

Did you lubricate them with some oil that now is attracting dust? Only use graphite in dry powder form.

Is the key in your pocket kept from wearing against the other junk in your pocket or on the ring?

There are so many years of operational time in lock sets of automobiles resulting in a high MTBF design, I can't believe the failure is the result of a bad design.

What sort of a guarantee would you like?

If the Honda repair is using factory correct parts, I wouldn't worry about it too much. The original factory correct parts lasted eleven years (or so). Just because it is a 12 month guarantee doesn't mean it will only last 12 months. Didn't the car have a 12 Mo/12,000 mile warranty when new? <edit> I see the car had a 36 Mo/36K mile warranty.

To whom did you give this $1,000 bucks to not fix your car?

After you get the insurance check for the stolen Honda, DO NOT use the money to buy a Chevy Cavalier!

This appears to be a problem with the ignition switch assembly and other assorted related components and is well chronicled in the Honda forums....I would park it in front of a dealership and pass out sledge hammers to the public, and have a demolition party....

http://honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2865445

http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68090&page=13

There is only one solution I would recommend to fix an old car that you no longer trust your repair shop to successfully repair a car. Sell this car and start taking public transportation. You can rent a car for the few times you need to drive.

A 12 mos. /12000 mile warranty on any body repair is normal. This repair shop is giving you a fair deal.

The key in your Element is the same as other Honda products of that era. I've delivered hundreds of Accords, Civics, Odysseys, Pilots and CR-V's and I have not heard of anyone having the problem you do. The forums say that Elements have a problem like yours. Since the key/immobilizer is the same across the Honda line and the problem is prevalent in the Element only, I'd say it has to do with the instrument cluster. Possibly a bad component, but more likely a bad solder or poor circuit board design. If it were a key/ignition cylinder problem, then the other Honda products would have similar problems.

Check with a good Honda repair shop (independent would be better, since Honda dealers probably don't see many old Elements). Ask if they can check to see if a remanufacturer sells a replacement cluster. If the part doesn't fail, nobody will rebuild one, however if it's a common problem, someone will rebuild them.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.