2008 HONDA FIT Complaints

2008 HONDA FIT SPORT, 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION BEGAN BINDING (RESISTANCE, AUDIBLE CLICK FROM SHIFT LINKAGE) SHIFTING INTO 1ST, 2ND, 3RD GEAR AT APPROX 60K MILES (JUST PRIOR TO 2ND FLUID CHANGE). INITIALLY RESOLVED PROBLEM. RECURRING AT 80K MILES. TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED, CLUTCH FLUID CHANGED/BLED (NO CHANGE), CLUTCH HEIGHT AND ENGAGEMENT ADJUSTED (SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT), AND STILL NOT FULLY RESOLVED. AT THIS POINT IT IS LIKELY A PREMATURELY WORN CLUTCH, SYNCROMESH ISSUE, OR POSSIBLY SHIFT LINKAGE. BEST GUESS IS A LITTLE OF BOTH. FITFREAK.NET IS FULL OF SIMILAR TRANSMISSION ISSUES AND HONDA DOES NOT HAVE A REPUTATION FOR BUILDING RELIABLE TRANSMISSIONS. I WISH HONDA WOULD ADDRESS THEIR ENGINEERING DEFICIENCIES IN THIS AREA OR AT LEAST PROVIDE OUT OF WARRANTY COVERAGE TO OWNERS. WILL FOLLOW UP WITH DEALER, BUT EXPECTING NO COOPERATION. MAINTENANCE BACKGROUND: PROFESSIONAL A&P MECHANIC, ALL SERVICES PERFORMED ACCORDING TO HONDA'S SCHEDULE, ONLY GENUINE HONDA FLUIDS USED. VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY ORIGINAL EXCEPT FOR FRONT BRAKE ROTORS/PADS. NO ACCIDENTS, NO OTHER PROBLEMS WITH CAR. *TR

MY HONDA FIT IS CURRENTLY SITTING OUTSIDE MY APARTMENT AND ONE DAY I WAS STUPID AND DIDN'T ROLL UP THE REAR WINDOWS. I HAD ABOUT 3 INCHES OF WATER IN THE CAR THE NEXT MORNING. I MOPPED ALL OF IT UP AND GOT SOME DAMPRID FROM HOME DEPOT TO TRY AND GET THE STAGNANT WATER THAT I COULDN'T GET TO. I'VE BEEN VERY VIGILANT ABOUT KEEPING THE WINDOWS UP SINCE THEN. I JUST CAME BACK FROM A WEEKEND AWAY WHERE I LEFT MY CAR AND DROVE MY WIFE'S CAR WITH HER TO SEE MY PARENTS FOR MOTHER'S DAY. I GOT BACK INTO MY CAR TODAY AND AS USUAL I CHECK TO SEE IF THERE IS WATER IN THE BACK. AND WITH THE WINDOWS UP ALL WEEKEND THE CARPETS ARE SOAKED. THIS IS A TESTED AND REAL PROBLEM THAT STARTED OUT AS HUMAN ERROR AND NOW IS A HEALTH HAZARD WITH MOLD. *TR

DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCK CYLINDER HAS FAILED. HONDA DEALER STATES IT'LL BE OVER $300 TO FIX. SEARCH OF THE WEB SHOWS IT'S A KNOWN ISSUE AROUND 100K MILES FOR HONDA FITS. *TR

AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY YET I SMELLED THE SMOKE FROM THEM. AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED DUE TO THE DAMAGE CAUSED TO MY VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS. THIS CAUSED INJURIES TO MYSELF AND OTHERS. BRAKES ALSO FAILED TO PROPERLY FUNCTION. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WINDOW LEAKS WATER WHEN DRIVING AT 50-65 MPH WATER ENTERS AT VERY TOP OF WINDOW. *TR

HAVE HAD TWO BLOWOUTS ON THE SAME WHEEL (REAR PASSENGER) WITH DIFFERENT TIRE BRANDS IN LESS THAN THREE YEARS OF OWNING THE CAR (BLOWOUTS WERE 16 MONTHS APART, MAYBE 8K MILES). THE HONDA FIT IS NOT CAPABLE OF DRIVING ON HIGHWAYS! I WAS TRAVELING AT 75 MPH, THE TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH, MY CAR AND STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO VIBRATE/JERK, CAR FISHTAILED, AND I WAS THROWN PERPENDICULAR INTO TRAFFIC! I WAS LUCKY TO NOT BE HIT BY OTHER DRIVERS ON THE HIGHWAY AS THEY WERE ABLE TO STOP (SECOND TIME, THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS BEHIND ME). THIS HAPPENED TWICE! THESE WHEELS ARE NOT SAFE! NHTSA NEEDS TO LAUNCH A FULL INVESTIGATION. *TR

2008 HONDA FIT ENGINE STALLS WHEN COLD. CAR WILL START, BUT NEEDS TO SIT UNTIL ENGINE IS WARM BEFORE IT CAN BE DRIVEN. IF THE CAR IS PUT IN ANY GEAR BEFORE THE ENGINE IS WARM IT WILL STALL. WHEN THE CAR IS FIRST STARTED IT SOUNDS LIKE THE ENGINE IS IDLING TOO LOW. WHEN YOU PUT THE CAR IN GEAR, IT IDLES EVEN LOWER UNTIL IT STALLS. NO ISSUES WITH THE CAR STALLING ONCE THE ENGINE IS WARM. THIS STARTED HAPPENING AROUND 100000 MILES ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO. AT FIRST IT ONLY HAPPENED ONCE IN A WHILE. ONE YEAR LATER (ABOUT 120000 MILES) IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME THE CAR IS STARTED. ALL RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN DONE ON TIME. HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO 2 DIFFERENT MECHANICS WHO HAVE LOOKED AT THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, AND FUEL TANK/PUMP. NO ONE CAN SEEM TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS CAUSING THE ISSUE. LOOKING ONLINE, IT SEEMS THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON ISSUE WITH NO SOLUTION. A RECALL WAS ISSUED ON 2009-2010 HONDA FITS TO FIX A SIMILAR ISSUE. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT FOR THE 2008 MODEL. *TR

ROUGH IDLING AND STALLING. TRIED LOTS OF THINGS TO FIX: TUNE UP, REPLACED SPARK PLUGS, FUEL INJECTORS CLEANED, REPLACED CLUTCH, VALVE ADJUSTMENT -- NOTHING FIXED IT. DEALERSHIP NOW SAYS A SPRING IN THE ENGINE'S VARIABLE VALVE TIMING SYSTEM HAS FAILED. PROBLEM CAUSES INCREASED RISK OF COLLISION. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE 2009/2010 MODELS, BUT NONE FOR 2008. HONDA FIT RECALL #11V101000, R66. SAME PROBLEM. RECALL DATE NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED. *TR

VEHICLE PARKED DURING RAIN EVENT, NOTED HEAVY LEAKAGE INTO SPARE TIRE WELL AND PASSENGER SIDE REAR FLOORBOARDS. IT APPEARS TO BE COMING FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES. WINDOWS HEAVILY FOGGED/ICED UP FROM MOISTURE IN CABIN. THIS HAPPENED TWICE THIS MONTH. SECURED DEALER APPOINTMENT, BUT WHEN I ARRIVED I WAS TOLD THAT I HAVE TO BRING IT IN WHEN THEIR LEAK SPECIALIST IS AT THE SHOP (WHY DOES HONDA HAVE A REGULARLY-SCHEDULED LEAK SPECIALIST??). I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT I HAVE TO PAY FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR SINCE THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAVE NEVER HAD A CAR THAT LEAKED WATER. THE FIT NOW HAS RUSTY METAL PARTS, WET CARPET, AND POSSIBLY DAMAGED ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FROM WATER INFILTRATION. *TR

THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST ACCELERATION ON THE HIGHWAY, WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHING. THE MECHANIC LATER FOUND FAULT WITH IGNITION COILS. ALL COILS WERE REPLACED, BUT THEY KEEP FAILING ONE AFTER ANOTHER, CREATING POTENTIAL DANGERS (E.G., LOSS OF POWER AND CRASH ON THE HIGHWAY). *TR