2008 HONDA FIT Complaints

MY SON HIT A TRAILER FROM BEHIND. TRUCK DECIDED TO BACK UP AT SAME TIME MY SON TOOK OFF. AIR BAGS DID NOT GO OFF. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO FRONT OF CAR AND FRAME. SON SUFFERED A STIFF NECK AND ACHY BACK. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT WORK ON TWO ACCIDENTS T HIS CAR HAS BEEN IN. *TR

NOTICED THE BRAKING AFTER INITIALLY STARTING THE VEHICLE AND DRIVING HAS A SPONGY RESPONSE WITH THE TRAVEL OF THE BRAKE GOING TO THE FLOOR. THIS HAPPENS PERIODICALLY. I THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE CAR NOT BEING USED OFTEN, BUT THIS HAS OCCURRED AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING AFTER ONLY A SHORT WHILE. *TR

WATER IN SPARE TIRE WELL. ORIGINALLY THOUGHT WATER IN THE TIRE WELL WAS DUE TO HATCH OPENING DURING RAIN/SNOW, BUT SINCE VEHICLE WAS NOT USED FOR A WEEK DURING HEAVY RAIN, THIS MUST BE DUE TO A LEAKING WINDOW SEAL. *TR

I WAS TRAVEL LING AT APPROX 45MPH ON A SECONDARY ROAD, AND THE POWER STEERING UNIT SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING. THE STEERING BECAME EXTREMELY HEAVY, AND I ALMOST VEERED INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT DID ILLUMINATE, HOWEVER IT WAS OF NO USE, AS THE STEERING HAD ALREADY FAILED. TURNING OFF THE IGNITION, AND RESTARTING THE CAR CLEARED THE PROBLEM. I WONDER WHEN/IF THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, AND IF AN ACCIDENT WILL RESULT NEXT TIME. *TR

ALL FRONT LAMPS HAVE FAILED REPEATEDLY, INCLUDING LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT. HEADLAMPS HAVE FAILED FOUR TIMES. VEHICLE HAS BEEN RETURNED FOR SERVICE UNDER SAFETY RECALL NOTICE, BUT LIGHTS CONTINUE TO FAIL. *TR

2008 HONDA FIT SPORT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DESIGN DEFECT IN SEAT ADJUSTMENT LEVER. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO THE EXIT THE VEHICLE, HER PANTS LEG BECAME HOOKED ON THE SEAT ADJUSTMENT LEVER LOCATED JUST BELOW THE CUSHION ON THE LOWER LEFT HAND CORNER OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT. BEING UNAWARE OF HER PANTS LEG BEING CAUGHT, WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO EXIT SHE FELL TO THE GROUND. THE FORCE OF HER FALL AND PANTS BEING CAUGHT, CAUSED THE SEAT TO IMMEDIATELY MOVE COMPLETELY IN THE REVERSE POSITION. SHE HIT THE GROUND FACE FIRST TO THE PAVEMENT, ALSO CATCHING HERSELF WITH HER HANDS. HER GLASSES FLEW OFF AND WERE SCRATCHED, HER LIP WAS BUSTED ON THE INSIDE AND BLEEDING AND BOTH OF HER HANDS WERE DIRTY AND BURNING FROM THE ASPHALT. SHE LOST A SMALL AMOUNT OF SKIN ON HER LEFT KNEE AND ALSO SKINNED HE LEFT ELBOW TO THE SIZE OF A DIME. AS TIME WENT BY, WITHIN AN HOUR HER LEFT HAND WAS HURTING MORE AND MORE AND IT BEGAN TO SWELL. SHE ALSO SUFFERED INJURIES TO HER CHEST AREA.

WHEN I BACKED OUT OF MY DAUGHTER'S DRIVEWAY, I TRIED TO SHIFT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FROM PARK TO REVERSE. IT CLICKED BUT WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE AS I LIFTED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE. IT ROLLED FORWARD SLIGHTLY. I PUT IT BACK IN PARK AGAIN AND DECIDED TO TRY ONCE MORE. THERE WAS NO FLOOR MAT ON THE FLOOR. THERE WERE NO CARS COMING AT THIS POINT. I SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND REMOVED MY FOOT SLOWLY FROM THE BRAKE. THE CAR FLEW INTO THE STREET WITH RAPID ACCELERATION AND I COULDN'T BRAKE FOR AN ONCOMING CAR, WHICH I CRASHED INTO. THE FITS LEFT TAIL LIGHT AND BUMPER WERE HIT AT SUCH AN ANGLE AND IMPACT THAT MY CAR SPUN FORWARD AND THE TRANSMISSION MOVED INTO DRIVE. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP THE CAR AND IT WENT ZOOMING ACROSS MY DAUGHTER'S LAWN, ALMOST HITTING A HUGE PALM TREE AND A UTILITY POLE. IT THEN SPUN AROUND AND FINALLY STOPPED BEFORE IT ALMOST CRASHED INTO MY DAUGHTER'S HOUSE WHERE MY GRANDSON WAS WATCHING BEHIND THE WINDOW. THE OCCUPANTS OF THE OTHER CAR IN THE CRASH SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS AND WERE WILLING TO TESTIFY TO THAT FACT. THE POLICE REPORT LISTS MECHANICAL FAILURE AS THE CAUSE. THE HONDA FIT WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP AND REPAIRED AT A COST OF $4400. THE REPAIR PEOPLE WOULD NOT TEST DRIVE IT BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID TO. THEY DEMANDED THAT THE CAR BE TOWED TO THE HONDA DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER EXPERIENCED THE RAPID ACCELERATION PROBLEM TOO AS HE WAS MOVING THE CAR TO THE TOW TRUCK. HE HAD TO REMOVE THE KEY. THE HONDA DEALER SAID THEY INSPECTED THE CAR AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. I WON'T DRIVE THAT CAR AGAIN AND TRADED IT IN AT HONDA. THEY SAID THE CAR WAS GOING TO AUCTION. WHOEVER BUYS THAT CAR COULD HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM. *TR

MY 2008 HONDA FIT SOMETIMES EXPERIENCES LOSS OF BRAKING POWER WHEN IT HAS BEEN STARTED AFTER SITTING FOR MANY HOURS. THIS BEHAVIOR IS NOT ALWAYS PRESENT, BUT IS INTERMITTENT, PERHAPS OCCURRING ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME. THERE IS A VERY LARGE LOSS OF BRAKING POWER, SUCH THAT THE CAR WILL ROLL TO A STOP, EVEN IF I APPLY STRONG PRESSURE TO THE PEDAL OR IF I PUMP THE BRAKES. THE BRAKE PEDAL CAN BE DEPRESSED ONLY A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TRAVEL WHEN THIS BEHAVIOR OCCURS, AND THE PEDAL DOES NOT GO TO THE FLOOR. IF I WAIT WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AND IN "PARK" FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, THEN THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY, AND THE BRAKES WORK NORMALLY. I HAD BOUGHT THIS CAR USED IN SPRING OF 2011 FROM ITS FIRST OWNER, AND EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM FOR THE FIRST TIME IN APPROXIMATELY JULY 2012. SINCE THAT TIME, THE PROBLEM HAS BECOME MORE COMMON. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA FIT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY WHENEVER THE CONTACT WOULD BRAKE TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BOTH AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. NEITHER WAS ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

2008 HONDA FIT (AUTOMATIC) STALLS WHEN VEHICLE IS IN "DRIVE" WHEN DRIVING AT A SLOW/DECREASED SPEED (PARKING INTO A PARKING SPOT OR STARTING TO ACCELLERATE FROM A STOP) OR WHEN STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN OR STOP LIGHT. THERE ARE NO "SERVICE INDICATOR LIGHTS ON". THIS STALL IN THE ENGINE OCCURS REGARDLESS IF VEHICLE IS COLD OR WARMED UP. HONDA DEALERSHIP SUGGESTED REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. COST $210.00. PAID FOR SERVICE TO BE PREFORMED AT HONDA DEALERSHIP. MY CAR STALLED AGAIN THE NEXT DAY. I HESITATE TO DRIVE IN TRAFFIC BECAUSE STALL IS INTERMITTENT AND DO NOT WANT TO CAUSE A VEHICLE COLLISION. VEHICLES DRIVING BEHIND ME HAVE NO IDEA WHEN VEHICLE IS GOING TO STALL INSTEAD OF MOVING. VERY HIGH POTENTIAL FOR COLLISIONS. THERE IS A HONDA RECALL FOR THE 2009 AND 2010 HONDA FIT FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THE 2008 SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE SAME RECALL (SEE BELOW). RECALL ID # 86874 - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING RECALL DATE FEB 17, 2011 COMPONENT ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING MODEL AFFECTED FIT POTENTIAL UNITS AFFECTED 97201 RECALL DATE: FEB 17, 2011 MODEL AFFECTED: 2009 HONDA FIT SUMMARY: HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 HONDA FIT VEHICLES. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR ONE OR MORE OF THE FOUR SPRING ASSEMBLIES ON THE ENGINE'S VARIABLE VALVE TIMING AND LIFT ELECTRONIC CONTROL (VTEC) SYSTEM TO FAIL. CONSEQUENCES: A FAILURE OF THE SPRING ASSEMBLIES MAY CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STALL DURING OPERATION INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. REMEDY: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE SPRING ASSEMBLIES IN THE ENGINE IF NECESSARY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 7, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009. POTENTIAL UNITS AFFECTED: 97201 READ MORE: HTTP://WWW.MOTORTREND.COM/CARS/2009/HONDA/FIT/RECALLS/#IXZZ2F8KCNB7A. *TR