2008 HONDA FIT Complaints

THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN LEAKING THROUGH THE DOOR SEALS COMPLETELY SOAKING THE REAR CARPET CAUSING MOLD TO GROW AND PUDDLES TO FORM. HONDA HAS ISSUED RECALLS FOR LEAKING WATER INTO SWITCH AREAS BUT DENIES ALL KNOWLEDGE OF THIS ISSUE. ANY INTERNET SEARCH WILL BRING UP HUNDREDS OF 2007 AND 2008 HONDA FITS WITH THIS EXACT PROBLEM. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW AND HAS NEVER BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENTS. THE MOLD ISSUE HAS RENDERED THE VEHICLE UNSAFE AND LOWERED ANY RESALE VALUE. DEALERSHIPS WANT APPROXIMATELY $400 TO JUST DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND THE HONDA CORPORATION WILL NOT HELP IN ANY WAY WITH THE PROBLEM. *TR

BOTH LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS AND DRIVING/FOG LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. HI-BEAMS CONTINUED TO WORK. EVENTUALLY REPLACED LIGHT BULB AND PROBLEM WENT AWAY FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. PROBLEM HAS RECURRED, AGAIN WITH BOTH LOW BEAM AND FOG LIGHTS NOT WORKING OCCASIONALLY. NOW SUSPECT A SWITCH PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS CASUAL DRIVING WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO NOT RESPOND TO THE AMOUNT OF ACCELERATION GIVEN. FIRST GEAR WAS ALSO HAVING A PROBLEM ENGAGING THEN THE REST OF THE GEARS BEGAN TO FOLLOW. I WAS ABOUT TO VISIT MY FAMILY FOR THE WEEKEND WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC MY CAR DIDN'T RESPOND AND CONTINUOUSLY REVVED IN HIGH RPMS. I WAS MOVING 30 ON A 65. I ONLY HAVE ROUGHLY 30000 MILES AND HAD BOUGHT THIS NEW 4 YEARS AGO, ALMOST TO DATE. I'VE DRIVEN MANUAL ALL LIFE AND NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. THIS CAN BE A POTENTIAL DANGER AS TRACTOR TRAILERS AND BIGGER CARS COULD EASILY HAVE CRUSHED ME AS I MERGED BUT LUCKILY I HAD DRIVEN ONTO THE SHOULDER. *TR

PURCHASED THIS CAR AS A CERTIFIED USED CAR IN NOVEMBER 2010 FROM TARRYTOWN HONDA. NUMEROUS INCIDENTS OF STOPPING ON THE ROAD WITH THIS CAR SINCE JUNE 2011 BUT THIS IS THE LATEST INCIDENT. PREVIOUS INCIDENT ALSO REPORTED ON THIS WEBSITE. ALSO FILED COMPLAINT WITH AMERICAN HONDA IN SEPTEMBER 2011 (CASE#N0122011-09-0701741) AND FILED FOR NYS LEMON LAW ARBITRATION IN 2011 BUT NEVER RECEIVED A RESPONSE. CAR DASHBOARD LIGHTING STARTED TO GO WHILE DRIVING AND STEERING DIFFICULT. CAR STOPPED AFTER COMING OFF OF BROOKLYN BRIDGE ON 5/10/12 AND HAD TO BE FRANTICALLY PUSHED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH HELP OF GOOD SAMARITAN AND MY PASSENGER BECAUSE HAZARD LIGHTS WOULDN'T REMAIN ON. CAR WAS TOWED TO HONDA DEALERSHIP BY AAA. CAR COMPLETELY DIED ON THE ROAD IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY TRAFFIC WITH STEERING IMPOSSIBLE AND HAZARD LIGHTS NOT OPERABLE. DEALERSHIP STATES THAT ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY NEED REPLACEMENT - FOR THE SECOND TIME IN ONE YEAR! I BELONG TO A HONDA FIT ONLINE FORUM WHERE OTHER HONDA FIT OWNERS COMPLAIN OF THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT IN JUNE 2011 AND I MAYBE INJURED OR KILLED IF I CONTINUE TO DRIVE THIS CAR. *TR

AT START-UP THERE SEEMS TO BE ENOUGH BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM FOR ONE BRAKING; THE NEXT TIME I HIT THE BRAKES IT GOES TO THE FLOOR AS IF THERE IS NO POWER BRAKE ASSIST. THERE ARE BRAKES THERE, BUT IT TAKES A HUGE AMOUNT OF FORCE AND IF YOU'RE NOT EXPECTING IT WOULD BE EASY TO HIT SOMETHING. IT HAPPENS 50% OF THE TIME I START THE VEHICLE (AFTER SITTING 8+ HOURS). THE ISSUE IS WORSE WHEN IN REVERSE (LOWER GEAR AND THUS MORE POWER FROM THE ENGINE?). THE SECOND DEALER I WENT TO SAID THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH NO KNOWN REPAIR. WHILE AT THE DEALERSHIP, A CIVIC OWNER SAID SHE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND THE DEALERS TOLD HER THAT IT IS "NORMAL". THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME TO LET THE CAR WARM UP FOR 2-MINUTES BEFORE DRIVING. A YEAR AGO, I HAD 32,000 MILES WHEN THIS FIRST OCCURRED 20% OF THE TIME; NOW I HAVE 76,000 MILES AND IT OCCURS 50% OF THE TIME. I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT SOME PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR COMPLAINTS MAY THINK THE BRAKES ARE NOT WORKING AT ALL, WHEN YOU HAVE TO PUSH EXTREMELY HARD TO GET THEM TO WORK (AS WHEN YOUR BRAKE BOOSTER FAILS). IT IS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO STOP EVEN THOUGH I'M 6'7", 200 POUNDS, VERY STRONG AND I'M A HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR SO I'M PREPARED FOR THINGS TO GO WRONG. *TR

MY HONDA FIT REPEATEDLY STALLS FROM COLD ENGINE STARTS. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING REGULARLY AND RANDOMLY FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. IT WILL STALL BOTH WHEN AT A STOP (SUCH AS AT A STOP LIGHT OR SIGN) AND AT SLOW SPEED, SUCH AS WHEN PULLING OUT OF A DRIVE OR BACKING UP. THIS STOPS HAPPENING ONCE THE ENGINE WARMS UP. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO TWO MECHANICS, NEITHER OF WHOM HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THIS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH JUST MY VEHICLE AND NOT BOTHERED TO REPORT THE PROBLEM TO SAFECAR.GOV, EXCEPT THAT WHEN I DO AN INTERNET SEARCH ABOUT MY PROBLEM, I FIND THAT MANY, MANY OTHER OWNERS OF 2008 FITS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE IS ALSO A "STALL" ISSUE RECALL FOR 2009-2010 FITS. THANK YOU. *JS

WATER LEAKING THROUGH REAR HATCH WEATHER SEAL. ORIGINALLY THOUGHT WATER CAME THROUGH REAR HATCH WHENEVER I OPENED IT TO GET THINGS DURING A STORM.I BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT WATER WOULD ACCUMULATE WHEN IT RAINED EVEN WHEN THE HATCH WAS NEVER OPENED. I STARTED TO HEAR SPLASHING TYPE SOUNDS THINKING IT WAS THE FUEL OR A LOW COOLANT LEVEL. A FEW MONTHS AGO I WAS VACUUMING THE CAR AND LIFTED UP THE REAR FLOOR COVERING OVER THE TIRE WELL AND DISCOVERED AT LEAST TWO GALLONS OF WATER ALMOST SUBMERGING THE SPARE TIRE. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS I STARTED TO OBSERVE WATER DRIPPING DOWN THROUGH A PLASTIC COVER THAT HOUSES A UTILITY HOOK ON THE CAR'S CEILING. THE HEADLINER ALSO WAS LEAKING NEAR THE HATCH .I NOW CHECK THE TIRE WELL AFTER IT RAINS AND IT NEVER FAILS THAT THE TIRE WELL AND SURROUNDING AREA ARE WET. I CAN ONLY USE THE DEFROST SETTING BECAUSE IF I DON'T THE WINDOWS WILL FOG UP. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THE REAR SEAT CARPETING GETTING DAMP EVEN WHEN ONLY THE DRIVER'S DOOR IS USED DURING A STORM. THE DEALERSHIP HAS DOWN PLAYED THE SITUATION SUGGESTING I HAVE THE WEATHER SEALS REPLACED BY THEM WITH A CHARGE FOR THE PART AND LABOR. I SPOKE TO HONDA OF AMERICA AND THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO A DEALERSHIP TO BE DIAGNOSED FOR A FEE. I HAVE SPENT SEVERAL MONTHS INVESTIGATING ON MY OWN AND HAVE REACHED MY OWN DIAGNOSIS THAT THE WEATHER SEALS ON HONDA FITS ARE DEFECTIVE. I AM ABOUT READY TO TRADE THE CAR IN FOR SOMETHING ELSE BESIDES A HONDA. I LOVE THE CAR BUT CAN ONLY FORESEE MORE AGGRAVATION DOWN THE PIKE. I AM CAPABLE OF APPLYING SILICONE CAULK UNDER THE EXISTING WEATHER SEALS BUT WILL NOT BECAUSE I AM DISSATISFIED THAT HONDA HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM ON ALL HONDA FITS. *TR

THE SAME RECURRING PROBLEM HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR ABOUT A YEAR OR SO. IN THE MORNING WHEN I START MY CAR, ESPECIALLY WORSE IN THE WINTER, MY CAR WILL STALL OUT 2 TO 3 TIMES JUST WHILE WARMING UP. WHEN THE ENGINE IS WARM AND I START TO DRIVE IT STALLS OUT IN THE ROAD AT LEAST 1 OR 2 MORE TIMES. I HAVE HAD THE HONDA DEALER I BOUGHT MY CAR FROM AS WELL AS MY MECHANIC LOOK AT IT AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW. I HAVE HAD VALVES AND SENSORS CHANGED AS WELL AS BATTERY AND HAD FUEL INJECTORS CLEAN. IT IS INCREDIBLY UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN THESE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY WITH IT STALLING OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF BUSY INTERSECTIONS. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE. *TR

I STARTED BUILDING CONDENSATION UP IN MY CAR. I TOOK IT TO STRAUB HONDA IN TRIADELPHIA, WEST VIRGINIA. THEY SAID THAT IT SEEMED TO BE A DOOR SEAL WAS LEAKING. THEY CHANGED THE DOOR SEAL AND DRIED OUT THE WHOLE CAR. FIRST OF ALL, FOR A VEHICLE FOR NOT EVEN 18,000 MILES ON IT SHOULD NOT HAVE SEALS GOING BAD. THEN ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER IT WAS LEAKING AGAIN. I COULDNT EVEN SEE OUT OF MY WINDOWS BECAUSE THEY WERE FROZEN FROM THE INSIDE. WHEN THEY THAWED OUT, MY WINDOWS WERE DRIPPING WATER ONTO MY DASH AND DOORS. I TOOK MY CAR BACK INTO STRAUBS AGAIN. THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD CALLED A NUMBER TO SEE IF THIS PROBLEM WAS OCCURRING NATIONALLY. HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS SOME HONDA FITS THAT WERE DOING THE SAME THING AND THAT THERE WAS CRACKING ALONG THE HATCH OF THE CAR AND WATER WAS RUNNING THROUGH THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR AND SETTLING AT THE BACK PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. I DONT KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE INTERIOR WIRING OF THE CAR, BUT I HOPE THERE IS NO WIRING THAT THIS WATER TRAVELED THROUGH. NOW, I HAVE PAID $300.00 OUT OF POCKET TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT IS OCCURRING TO OTHER HONDA FITS AS WELL. IF THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED TO OURS, THAN ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THERE IS MORE OCCURENCES. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET IN CONTACT OF STRAUBS FOR ANY REASON, I HAVE THAT NUMBER AVAILABLE ALSO. I ALSO HAVE A PICTURE OF WHAT IT IS LIKE TRYING TO DRIVE THE CAR WHILE THE WINDOW IS DEFROSTING, YOU CANT DO ANYTHING WITHN IT UNTIL IT IS MELTED 25 MINUTES LATER. *TR

AT TIMES CAR STALLS AT RED LIGHT. CAR HAS ALSO QUIT RUNNING AT 70 MPH. HAVE HAD CAR AT HONDA DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND THERE ARE NO FALT CODES. CAR IS NOW TURNING ON CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. DEALER IS NO HELP. HAVE REPLACED COILS, SPARK PLUGS, AIR FILTER AND V-TEC OIL PRESSURE SWITCH. TROUBLE STILL EXIST. HONDA DEALER HAS NO CLUE AND IS NO HELP IN RESOLVING THIS ISSUE. I AM AFRAID THAT SOMEONE MIGHT DIE IN THE CAR BEFORE THE TROUBLE IS FIXED. *TT