Go back and look at the rear trailing arm attachment. The Element in Canada, iirc only the Ontario province, got the same recall area as the third gen CRV. See if your cousin got the reinforcement braces.

Here’ s a guy on the Element forum that documented a bunch of rust areas:

https://www.elementownersclub.com/threads/honda-element-buyers-guide-rust-inspection.170803/

 

Photo is of course not conclusive, but I'd say that Element is well along in its return to the elements.

It looks dangerous. I would scrap it.

 

Yeah well it’s my cousin’s car and she doesn’t want to admit that it’s dangerous as she’s been driving around in it and can’t afford to replace it.

I’m pissed at the Honda dealership she used to go to for suggesting a much of work like power steering fluid flush. They also did the “frame recall” on the rear subframe cradle which involved surficial rust removal snd treatment of that area but obviously overlooked this area. Just glancing at her receipts over the last three years she did brakes, tires, and a bunch of other stuff. Probably $3k. Well I guess she got three years out of it and maybe she can get three more.

today I’ll poke around with a pick and probe the extent.

 

Even old GM cars lasted longer than some of these new hondas. Shame such stupidity in the factories, no lessons learned in the last 80 years of auto manufacturing of how to stop rust outs.

 

After poking around I found that this 4” section is the only part of the frame that is soft or rusted through.

 

That looks dangerous. Might have to scrap the vehicle?? Or weld so many pieces of steel to strengthen the sub frame? Lots of work and/or lots of money?? Good luck.

 

Thanks. It’s my cousin’s car and I only visit about one a year. I don’t think she would make a big investment in fixing this problem. More likely she will just drive it as is. I hope now that I’ve pointed it out she will ask her mechanic about it and they keep an eye on it.

 

I wouldn't say this is necessarily an Ontario car problem, but rather a result of using rubberized black undercoating/"rust proofing" in the rust belt.

In the picture you can see it flaking away and all it does is dry out then capture moisture through cracks and eventually rot the metal out behind the coating.

For us here in Ontario, Krown/Corrosion Free/Fluid Film are really all that should be applied under the vehicle for rust reduction unless you're not keeping the car for long.

 

I agree. That coating is flaking and loose and it’s rusting behind it. She said she has gotten rust prevention stuff sprayed into the frame in the past. It irks me that they would spray the crap in there and not tell her about cracking undercoating and to get it removed.

on my RD1 which started its life as a southern Ontario car the worst rust places were the rear wheel wells and under the rocker panels—the places where the trim traps the moisture and salt.