2008 HONDA FIT Complaints

THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2008 HONDA FIT SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. UPON STARTING THE CAR, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS DO NOT TURN ON THOUGH THE HIGH BEAMS REMAIN INTACT. THIS MEANS THAT I HAVE NO HEADLIGHTS UNLESS I DRIVE WITH MY HIGH BEAMS, WHICH IS DISTRACTING TO OTHER DRIVERS AND UNSAFE. I HAVE NOT YET BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO BE FIXED AS THIS PROBLEM BEGAN VERY RECENTLY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA FIT. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A U-TURN SHE SHIFTED FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE AS HER FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL; THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO A WALL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FRONT BUMPER WAS DAMAGED. THE POLICE WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE DEALER WAS CALLED AND INFORMED OF THE INCIDENT AND ADVISED HER TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING BECAUSE THEY NEVER HEARD OF THE FAILURE. THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 43,200.

I FIRST NOTICED WATER POOLING ON THE REAR PASSENGER FLOOR SPRING 2010. TOOK TO HONDA DEALER WHERE THEY ALSO FOUND WATER IN THE TRUNK UNDER THE SPARE TIRE. SEALED SEVERAL AREAS INCLUDING AROUND RIGHT REAR WINDOW. WATER CONTINUES TO LEAK INTO REAR FLOORBOARDS, NOW ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES, AS WELL AS A SMALL AMOUNT INTO THE TRUNK AREA. THIS HAPPENS WHILE VEHICLE IS PARKED NOSE UP ON A SLIGHT SLOPE FOR THE MOST PART. DEALER HAS RE-EXAMINED CAR AND DETERMINED THAT IT IS A RESULT OF BODY WORK TO REAR DRIVERS SIDE DOOR, ALLEGING THAT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE DOOR IS UNEVEN (AND WELL BELOW THE LEVEL THE WATER IS COMING IN). HOWEVER WATER CONTINUES TO COME IN THE PASSENGER SIDE AND THE REAR HATCH AREA WHERE NO BODY WORK WAS DONE. (CAR HAD A DEER THROWN INTO THE 2 DRIVERS SIDE DOORS AND FRONT QUARTER PANEL, THIS WAS NOT A VEHICULAR ACCIDENT, NO FRAME DAMAGE, ETC, JUST DENTED DOORS). THE WATER ON BOTH SIDES OF THE REAR FLOORBOARDS (WHICH HAS A "HUMP" IN THE MIDDLE OF IT) IS ALMOST 1/2" DEEP AFTER A STEADY RAINSTORM. *TR

MY CLUTCH WENT OUT TWICE IN UNDER 17,000 MILES. DRIVEN A MANUAL TRANSMISSION FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS. FIRST CLUTCH WENT AT 6011 MILES (JANUARY 30, 2008). CLUTCH WOULD NOT ENGAGE ON A BUSY HIGHWAY IN LA. I WAS LUCKY THAT I DID NOT HAVE ANY VEHICLES BEHIND ME. HONDA REPLACED THE CLUTCH, THE FLYWHEEL, THE PRESSURE PLATE, AND BOTH BEARINGS UNDER THE HEADING OF "GOODWILL". THEY CLAIMED IT WAS USER WEAR. AT 6000 MILES? THE SERVICE CONSULTANT SAID THAT IT WAS THE WORST WORN CLUTCH HE HAD EVER SEEN... IT WAS "BLUE". CLUTCH BEGAN SLIPPING AGAIN AT 17,800 MILES. TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY AGAIN BLAMED ME FOR THE WEAR. COULD NOT TELL ME WHY IT WAS MY FAULT. THE CLUTCH DISC SHOWED UNEVEN WEAR. WHEN I ASKED IF THEY INSPECTED THE TIRES TO SHOW THAT THE CAR WAS "OPERATED PROPERLY" THEY SAID THAT THE USE OF THE CLUTCH DID NOT EFFECT THE TIRES. WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT HE SENT PICTURES IN TO A HONDA REP. WHEN I ASKED TO SEE THE PICTURES 7 DAYS LATER I WAS SENT ONE PARTIAL IMAGE OF MY CLUTCH, WHICH SHOWED OBVIOUS UNUSUAL WEAR. THE IMAGE WAS TIME-STAMPED 6 DAYS AFTER I WAS TOLD THE PHOTO(S) OF THE CAR WERE INSPECTED BY AN AMERICAN HONDA REP. HONDA DENIES ANY RESPONSIBILITY ON THEIR FAULTY MACHINE EVEN AFTER A CASE MANAGER SAID IT WAS "UNLIKELY" MY FAULT, BUT "POSSIBLE". I COULD GROW A THIRD ARM FROM MY FOREHEAD... IT IS "POSSIBLE" BUT "UNLIKELY". HONDA WANTS ME TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS AND TEAR DOWN COSTS. I DO NOT MERELY WANT THE CAR REPAIRED. THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE OF MONEY. IF I AM ON THE HIGHWAY AND A THIRD CLUTCH GOES AGAIN, WITH MY TWO KIDS IN THE CAR, INJURY OR EVEN DEATH IS POSSIBLE. AFTER 14 DAYS OF DISCUSSION AND NO CAR, OR ONE EVEN SUPPLIED, AMERICAN HONDA AGREED TO REOPEN THE CASE AFTER NOTICE OF ARBITRATION AND A POTENTIAL LAWSUIT. STILL WAITING FOR AN ANSWER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA FIT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 25-30 MPH, APPROACHING A TRAFFIC STOP SIGNAL. SUDDENLY, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR WHEN PRESSURE WAS APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WOULD STOP WITH A BRIEF DELAY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TEN TO TWELVE TIMES ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM WOULD NOT OCCUR IN COLD WEATHER TEMPERATURES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A PROBLEM. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED FOR A SECOND TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6,000.

HEADREST FAILED DURING NORMAL DRIVING. THE HEADREST TIPS MY HEAD SO FAR FORWARD MY CHIN IS PRACTICALLY ON MY CHEST. THERE IS NO WAY TO ADJUST OR REPLACE IT, I HAVE TALKED TO THE DEALER AND PARTS DEPARTMENT. MY ONLY SOLUTION IS TO PUT THE HEADREST ON BACKWARD, WHICH MEANS I HAVE NO NECK PROTECTION IN A CRASH. *TR

MY HUSBAND AND I OWN A 2008 HONDA FIT. SINCE ABOUT OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, OUR POWER STEERING HAS BEEN RANDOMLY GOING OUT ON US (THE EPS LIGHT COMES ON AND WE CAN'T TURN THE WHEEL). THIS MOST FREQUENTLY OCCURS WHILE WE'RE ON THE INTERSTATE DRIVING AT 65MPH - HOWEVER IT DID HAPPEN ONCE ON A SMALL STREET (AT ABOUT 30MPH) AND ANOTHER TIME IN A PARKING LOT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT BEING MOVED. LUCKILY, MY HUSBAND AND I WERE ABLE TO SLOWLY AND SAFELY PULL OVER. WE HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE (THE CAR IS CURRENTLY THERE). AN ON BOARD COMPUTER WAS REPLACED AND THE DEALERSHIP IS CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR ANOTHER POSSIBLE CAUSE. THEY ARE CLAIMING THAT NO INCIDENT IS BEING LOGGED ON THE COMPUTER. THERE IS NO WAY TO PREDICT WHEN THE STEERING IS GOING TO LOCK UP. *TR

BRAKE CONCERNS: I HAVE A 2008 HONDA FIT THAT INTERMITTENTLY HAS A HARD BRAKE PEDAL AND OFTEN WILL NOT STOP WITH 2 FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT FEELS TO ME LIKE THE MASTER CYLINDER OR BRAKE BOOSTER LINKAGE IS SOMEHOW BINDING, THIS USUALLY OCCURS AFTER DRIVING ON ROUGH ROADS AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN, MY LOCAL DEALER WILL TAKE IT FOR A 5 MINUTE DRIVE AND GIVE IT BACK TO ME STATING "NO PROBLEM FOUND" EVEN AFTER SEVERAL COMPLAINTS. I FEEL THIS CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. HONDA AND IT'S DEALERS DON'T SEEM CONCERNED ABOUT BRAKE PROBLEMS BUT I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR. *TR

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES IN MY 2008 HONDA FIT, THEY FAILED TO ENGAGE. I HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO AVOID ACCIDENTS, BUT I'M QUITE CONCERNED AND HAVE NOTICED OTHER SUCH CONCERNS POSTED ON THE WEB. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 HONDA FIT...THE FIRST INDICATION THERE WAS A PROBLEM WAS CONDENSATION BUILDING UP INSIDE ON THE WINDOWS...AT FIRST I PAID NO ATTENTION AND THEN I REALIZED IT WAS HAPPENING WAY TO OFTEN. BEFORE I GOT A CHANCE TO CONTACT THE DEALER I RECEIVED A RECALL IN THE MAIL FOR A POSSIBLE FAULTY DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW PROBLEM. UPON CLEANING OUT THE VEHICLE FOR SOME REASON I LOOKED INSIDE THE SPARE TIRE WELL TO FIND WATER IN THE SPARE TIRE AND SURROUNDING AREA. TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER WHO CLAIMED TO HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM...1 WEEK LATER MY HUSBAND CHECKED IT AGAIN TO FIND THERE IS STILL WATER COMING INTO THE SPARE TIRE SECTION...THE CAR IS BACK WITH THE DEALER WHO CLAIMS "THEY CAN'T DETERMINE WHERE THE LEAK IS"...I ADVISED THEM TO DUPLICATE THE SITUATION BY TAKING THE CAR TO A CAR WASH"... *TR