2003 Honda Element

small SUV / 4-door SUV

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteria	Rating
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Key

G
Good
A
Acceptable
M
Marginal
P
Poor

Superior
Advanced
Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2003-11 models

Tested vehicle: 2003 Honda Element EX 4-door 4wd

The Honda Element was introduced in the 2003 model year.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well.

Intrusion into the driver's space was minimal, and all leg and foot injury measures were low.

Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy's knees and shins hit the steering column and knee bolster.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEF0304
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm)	4
Left (cm)	6
Center (cm)	7
Right (cm)	5
Brake pedal (cm)	6
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm)	0
Right (cm)	1
Steering column movement
Upward (cm)	5
Rearward (cm)	-3
A-pillar rearward movement (cm)	1

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEF0304
Head
HIC-15	167
Peak gs at hard contact	31
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.7
Extension bending moment (Nm)	23
Maximum Nij	0.33
Chest maximum compression (mm)	32
Legs
Femur force - left (kN)	2.8
Femur force - right (kN)	1.2
Knee displacement - left (mm)	0
Knee displacement - right (mm)	0
Maximum tibia index - left	0.56
Maximum tibia index - right	0.42
Tibia axial force - left (kN)	1.3
Tibia axial force - right (kN)	2.9
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	65
Right	62

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2003-06 models

Tested vehicle: 2003 Honda Element EX 4-door 4wd without optional side airbags

The Honda Element was introduced in the 2003 model year.

When side airbags are optional, as in this vehicle when it was tested, the Institute conducts the test without this option. If a manufacturer offering optional side airbags requests the Institute to conduct an additional test of a vehicle with this option and agrees to reimburse the cost of the vehicle, a second test is conducted. Honda did not request such a test.

Note: Beginning with 2007 models, the Element is equipped with standard side airbags for front and rear passengers, so these ratings do not apply to 2007 and later models.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection The dummy's head was hit by the window sill of the driver door. This impact did not produce high head injury measures, but the head protection is inadequate.
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection The dummy's head was hit by the rear quarter glass. This impact did not produce high head injuriy measures, but the head protection is in adequate.

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing damage to the occupant compartment.

Action shot taken during the side impact crash test showing the driver dummy's head hitting the window sill.

The rear passenger dummy's head hit and broke the rear quarter glass (note fragments remaining).

Technical measurements for this test

Test ID	CES0308
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm)	-5.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CES0308
Head HIC-15	427
Neck
Tension (kN)	2.4
Compression (kN)	0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	57
Lateral force (kN)	2.4
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	57
Average deflection (mm)	43
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	7.41
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	1.68
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	0.9
Acetabulum force (kN)	2.8
Combined force (kN)	3.7
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	0.4
L-M moment (Nm)	86
A-P moment (Nm)	-50

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CES0308
Head HIC-15	170
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.3
Compression (kN)	0.2
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	32
Lateral force (kN)	1.1
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	40
Average deflection (mm)	25
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	6.31
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.95
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	0.4
Acetabulum force (kN)	4.6
Combined force (kN)	4.6
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	0.3
L-M moment (Nm)	140
A-P moment (Nm)	17

About the original side crash test

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2003-11 models

Tested vehicle: 2008 Honda Element LX 4-door 2wd

(Curb weight taken from 2008 Honda Element LX 4-door 4wd)

Overall evaluation
Curb weight	3,633 lbs
Peak force	15,642 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio	4.31

About the roof strength test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: All seats

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry

Technical measurements for this test

Seat type	All seats
Geometry
Backset (mm)	80
Distance below top of head (mm)	65
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail	Fail
Max T1 acceleration (g)	10.4
Head contact time (ms)	98
Force rating	3
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N)	158
Max neck tension (N)	1,210

About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.