electrical problem
10.0
really awfulTypical Repair Cost:
no data
Average Mileage:
29,133 miles
Number of complaints:
2 complaints
Most common solutions:
- not sure (1 reports)
- trade car in, start over (1 reports)
Helpful Websites About 2004 Honda Element odometer stopped working, went blank
2007Feb 12
(reported on)Element EX
- Automatic transmission
- 29,133 miles
The odometer stopped working and went blank. Called Honda dealership and scheduled service appointment. Before appointment I did checking on internet and saw that others had reported similar issues and they found it was a burned out bulb. When I dropped it off to be repaired assumed it would be a simple fix. However was notified by the shop that it was not a light bulb. It was a short within the odometer itself. They indicated that there were two ways to fix it; 1) replace the odometer and re-set it back to ZERO, 2) Send a new instrument panel along with the old one to the Honda plant in California and have them retrieve the data from old odometer and transfer it to the new one (as it turns out the odometer data is not stored anywhere else except for inside the actual odometer). Long story short, they were not able to retrieve the data due to the malfunction of this part. Since I did not have a recent odometer reading, state laws require that the dealer re-set the new odometer to ZERO. Now I have a Element that is only 3 years old, and will now be identified as a TMU (True Mileage Unknown) Vehicle. This means that the trade in value of my car has now dropped drastically. Since the actual mileage can not be determined, at trade in any dealer will low ball the trade in value. In fact the longer we keep the car the lower the trade in value would get. As we saw it we had three alternatives; 1) keep the Element and drive it until the wheels fall off, 2) trade it in now and take our hit on the trade in early to try and maximize the value, 3) keep the Element and fight with Honda Corporate to get some compensation for the lost value. We decided to take our losses early and so we traded it in on a new 2007 Element. We did take a loss on the trade in value, but the dealership we have been loyal to, gave us a better deal than we were really entitled to. We are planning to still fight with Honda Corp to get some compensation as we still ended up not getting as much trade in value as we should have.
We have partnered with JustAnswer to offer online auto repair help and advice from expert professional automotive technicians. You describe your electrical problem or ask your question and they try to help you figure it out. The fee is typically $9 to $15, but you can offer to pay more for really tough questions. You will usually receive an answer in 10 minutes or less, and you do not have to pay anything unless you accept the answer.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2007Feb 23
(reported on)Element EX
Due to the malfunction of odometer, and the necessesity of setting the mileage back to zero, the trade in value was drastically effected. The trade in we got from the dealer was $11,500 and the blue book value was 14,300. When we contacted American Honda they refused to reimburse us the lost value caused by the malfunctioning odometer. Their statement to us was that becuase we traded the vehicle off, they are no longer obligated to work with us regarding this matter.
garyj
Kansas City, MO, USA
SEND A COMMENT »