2003-2011 Honda Element Brake Job Guide: Symptoms, Costs and the Right Parts

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

Every 2003-2011 Honda Element stops on four-wheel disc brakes: ventilated rotors and floating calipers up front, solid rotors in the rear with a small drum-style parking brake built into the hat of each rear rotor. A complete brake job means front pads and rotors, rear pads and rotors, fresh hardware, and on higher-mileage trucks a parking brake shoe check and a fluid flush. The job is very doable at home, but the Element has a few hardware and parking brake details that trip people up.

How the Honda Element Brake System Is Laid Out

The Element uses a power-assisted hydraulic system split into two diagonal circuits. Honda's owner's manual explains that the left-front brake shares a circuit with the right-rear brake and vice versa, so if one circuit fails you still have braking at two wheels. On early trucks, anti-lock brakes were standard on the EX trim; the ABS also balances front-to-rear braking according to how the vehicle is loaded.

At the corners, Brake and Front End's model-specific service write-up describes the hardware in detail:

• Front: floating calipers on a bracket, with floating shims, abutment clips and pad separator springs. Those springs push the pads away from the rotor when you release the pedal, which cuts noise and drag.
• Rear: smaller floating calipers on solid rotors. The parking brake is a set of shoes that expand inside the hat of the rear rotor, not a mechanism in the caliper.
• Caliper pins: on both axles the upper and lower guide pins are different. Swapping them causes vibration and uneven pad wear.

Because the Element is tall, boxy and often loaded with gear, bikes or camping equipment, it works its brakes harder than a sedan of the same size. The front axle does most of the stopping, so expect front pads to wear out before the rears in normal driving.

Symptoms That an Element Is Due for Brakes

Honda built an audible wear indicator into the pads at all four wheels. The owner's manual draws a clear line between normal light-pedal squeak and the wear indicator, which it describes as a very audible screech. If you hear that high-pitched screech when braking, the pads on at least one corner are near the end.

A dropping fluid level in the reservoir is also a clue. Honda's manual notes that when the brake fluid sits at or below the MIN mark, the system should be inspected for leaks or worn pads, because the fluid level naturally drops as pads wear and the caliper pistons move outward.

The 2007-2008 Soft Pedal Recall

If you own a 2007 or 2008 Element and the pedal feels soft or travels further than it should, check the recall status before buying parts. As reported by NBC News, Honda recalled about 68,000 Elements from those two model years (along with Odyssey minivans) because the vehicle stability assist modulator could let a small amount of air into the brake lines during its start-up self-test. Over time the trapped air made the pedal sink closer to the floor. The dealer remedy was to bleed the air out and seal the modulator with caps and sealant. New pads and rotors will not fix this, so rule it out first. You can confirm whether a specific truck's recall was completed by entering the VIN on nhtsa.gov.

What to Replace Together

A proper brake job on an Element is more than pads. Here is what to plan for on each axle:

• Pads, always in axle sets. Replace both sides of an axle together. For a quiet, low-dust daily driver, ceramic brake pads are the usual choice; our full range is in brake pads.
• Rotors when they are worn, scored or warped. Honda prefers on-car machining for rotors that are within spec, but if a rotor is below minimum thickness or deeply grooved, replace it. See replacement brake rotors. Many owners buy front and rear pads and rotors as a matched set.
• Hardware. The Element depends on its abutment clips, shims and pad separator springs to stay quiet. Reusing tired, rusted clips is the most common cause of a new-pad squeal. A brake hardware kit is cheap insurance.
• Calipers if a pin or piston is seized. If one pad is worn far more than its partner, or the truck pulls to one side, the caliper may be sticking. Replacement units are in brake calipers.
• Rear parking brake shoes when they are thin. Pull the rear rotors and look at the shoe lining. If the truck will not hold on a hill even after adjustment, the parking brake shoes are worn.
• Brake fluid. Honda specifies Honda Heavy Duty Brake Fluid DOT 3, with DOT 3 or DOT 4 from a sealed container as a temporary substitute, and warns that DOT 5 fluid is not compatible and can cause extensive damage. The maintenance schedule calls for replacing the fluid on a time basis regardless of mileage, so older trucks are often overdue.

How Hard Is the Job, and Key Steps

For someone who has done a brake job before, the Element is a moderate job: the fronts are straightforward, and the rears add the parking brake adjustment. Plan on a morning for both axles with basic hand tools, a torque wrench and a C-clamp or piston tool.

1. Loosen the lug nuts, lift the truck safely and support it on jack stands.
2. Remove the lower caliper bolt, pivot or remove the caliper, and take out the pads and clips. Note which guide pin is upper and which is lower before pulling them.
3. Remove the caliper bracket to pull the rotor. Honda rotors are often held by small retaining screws that corrode; an impact driver helps.
4. Clean the hub face so the new rotor sits flat. Rust on the hub is a leading cause of runout and pulsation.
5. Clean and lubricate the guide pins with brake-specific grease, fit new abutment clips, and install the pads with their shims and separator springs.
6. Reinstall the bracket and caliper. Brake and Front End lists 25 ft-lb for the front caliper guide pin bolts and 80 ft-lb for the front caliper brackets, and 16 ft-lb for the rear guide pin bolts and 41 ft-lb for the rear brackets. Confirm these against the factory service manual for your exact truck.
7. Pump the pedal until it is firm before moving the vehicle, check the fluid level, and bed in the new pads with a series of moderate stops.

Rear parking brake adjustment

The rear drum-in-hat parking brake needs attention whenever you replace rear rotors. The adjustment is made at the wheel through a plug in the rotor hat, and there is a cable adjuster that requires removing part of the center console. With the lever down and the cable backed off, turn the star adjuster until the shoes lock the rotor, then back it off 8 clicks. Brake and Front End gives the target lever travel as four to seven clicks on 2003-2008 models, 12 to 15 clicks on 2009-2011 models, and eight to 10 clicks on 2007-2011 SC models.

What Drives the Cost of an Element Brake Job

The price of a brake job on this truck depends on a handful of choices rather than one fixed number:

• Pads only vs pads and rotors. Pads alone are the least expensive job, but only work if the rotors are thick enough and smooth. Worn rotors roughly double the parts list.
• One axle vs both. Fronts wear first, so many services are front-only. Doing all four corners at once costs more up front but saves a second visit.
• Labor vs DIY. Shop labor is often the largest part of the bill. Doing it yourself turns the job into a parts-only cost.
• Extras. Seized calipers, worn parking brake shoes, rusted rotor screws and a fluid flush all add to the total. Rust-belt trucks tend to need more of these.
• Pad compound and rotor type. Economy semi-metallic pads cost less; premium ceramic pads and coated rotors cost more but typically run quieter and resist rust on the rotor hat and edges.

Browse all brake parts to price the parts side of your own job.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Honda Element have rear drum brakes?

No. All 2003-2011 Elements use rear disc brakes. The only drum-type part in the rear is the parking brake, which uses small shoes inside the hat of each rear rotor.

What brake fluid does a Honda Element take?

Honda specifies Honda Heavy Duty Brake Fluid DOT 3. DOT 3 or DOT 4 from a sealed container is acceptable as a temporary substitute. Never use DOT 5 fluid.

Why do my new Element brakes squeal?

The most common reasons are reused or missing abutment clips and shims, pad separator springs left out, or dry guide pins. Replace the hardware and lubricate the contact points with brake grease.

Why does my parking brake lever pull up so high after new rear rotors?

The drum-in-hat parking brake shoes need to be adjusted after rotor replacement. Adjust the star wheel through the rotor hat access plug, then check the lever travel against the click count for your model year.

Can I swap the upper and lower caliper pins?

No. The upper and lower pins on the Element are different, and installing them in the wrong position causes vibration and uneven pad wear.

My 2007 Element pedal is soft even with new pads. What is wrong?

Check whether the VSA modulator recall was performed. That recall addressed air entering the brake lines from the stability control modulator, which causes a pedal that sinks toward the floor.

Sources

1. Brake and Front End: Brake Job 2003-2011 Honda Element - caliper hardware layout, pin placement, torque values, parking brake adjustment and click counts, on-car rotor machining
2. Honda: 2003 Element Owner's Manual - diagonal dual circuits, ABS standard on EX, audible wear indicators at all four brakes, Honda Heavy Duty DOT 3 fluid, DOT 5 warning, time-based fluid replacement
3. NBC News: Honda recalls Odyssey and Element for brake issues - 2007-2008 Element VSA modulator soft-pedal recall and remedy