2015 HONDA FIT Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HONDA FIT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH DOWN HILL, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY AND THE BRAKES FAILED. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A CRACKED VERTEBRAE IN THE NECK THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A BODY SHOP WHERE THE INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED THE VEHICLE DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,300.

THE NEW CAR TURNS OUT TO HAVE BEEN INFESTED WITH FLEAS. I DID NOT NOTICE THIS WHEN I TEST-DROVE THE CAR ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11. DURING THE DRIVE HOME ON JUNE 13, I NOTICED WHAT I THOUGH WERE FRUIT FLIES (OR SOME OTHER INSECT THAT SIZE AND ARE BROWN AND OBLONG IN SHAPE) ON MY WRISTS, WHICH I WAVED OUT THE WINDOW. LATER THAT NIGHT, I FELT INTENSE ITCHING ON MY LOWER LEGS. I FOUND SEVERAL ABOVE THE SOCK LINE ON EACH LEG. I SUSPECTED FLEAS AND CONFIRMED IT WITH FLEA TRAPS (THE FLAT TYPE WITH STRONG ADHESIVE). MY WIFE INSISTED I TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER, BUT I THOUGHT THEY'D JUST USE A BUG/FLEA BOMB AND DO A WORSE JOB OF VACUUMING THAN I WOULD DO, SO I DECIDED TO HANDLE IT MYSELF WITH A BUG/FLEA BOMB AND INTENSE VACUUMING FOR 2 WEEKS, WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM. OVER THE COURSE OF THE FIRST WEEKEND, BEFORE I STARTED THE TREATMENT, I EVENTUALLY GOT A TOTAL OF 25 FLEA BITES, MOSTLY ON MY LEGS (HIGHER THAN ON THE FIRST DAY AS I WORE SHORTS DURING THE WEEKEND DRIVES), BUT A FEW ON MY FOREARMS AS WELL. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE BITES, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED. I DIDN'T KEEP THE VACUUM BAGS OR FLEA TRAPS, UNFORTUNATELY. WHILE WORKING TO ADDRESS A POSSIBLY RELATED PROBLEM ABOUT BAD SMELLS COMING OUT OF THE VENTILATION SYSTEM (SEPARATELY REPORTED HERE AND ON CARCOMPLAINTS.COM), I LEARNED THERE WAS A WORKER WALKOUT AT THE MEXICO-BASED PLANT. I WONDER IF THE FLEAS AND ROTTING MEAT SMELL ARE RELATED TO THAT INCIDENT. *TR

UNPLEASANT SMELLS STARTED COMING OUT OF VENTS IN EARLY JULY 2014 (I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW ON JUNE 13, 2014). THEY STARTED AS SMELLING LIKE FRESH MULCH OR DOG POO, BUT BECAME MORE LIKE MOLD/MILDEW, SOMETIMES SMELLING LIKE WET DIRTY GYM SOCKS AND GETTING AS BAD AS SMELLING LIKE ROTTING MEAT. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS (ONE BY ME AND THREE BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHERE I'D PURCHASED THE VEHICLE) HAVE BEEN MADE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. CHEMICAL CLEANERS, REPLACING THE CABIN AIR FILTER HAVE BEEN DONE. I HAVE INSPECTED THE COWL INTAKES, CABIN AIR FILTER AND BLOWER BOX MYSELF AND THE SMELLS DO NOT EMANATE FROM THEM. I WAS INFORMED THERE WAS A WORKER WALKOUT AT THE NEW MEXICO-BASED PLANT (THE REAL REASON FOR THE LAUNCH DELAY IN THE US FROM MID-APRIL TO MID-JUNE), WHERE THE 2015 HONDA FITS FOR NORTH AMERICA ARE MADE, AND THAT MANY VEHICLES WERE LEFT STANDING WHERE THEY WERE WHEN THE WALKOUT COMMENCED, AND THE WALKOUT LASTED WEEKS. SOMEONE SHOULD INVESTIGATE THIS AND SEE WHAT ELSE MAY HAVE HAPPENED TO THESE VEHICLES WHILE THEY SAT STAGNANT DURING THE WALKOUT. *TR

THE FRONT SEATS ARE REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE. THE HEAD RESTRAINTS ON THE FRONT SEATS FORCE OUR HEADS TOO FAR FORWARDS, CAUSING NECK PAINS AND SOMETIMES NECK ACHES OR HEAD ACHES. THE FRONT SEATS DON'T OFFER SUFFICIENT LUMBAR SUPPORT. AFTER 30-45 MINUTES OF RIDING OR DRIVING, OUR LOWER BACKS START TO HURT. THIS PAIN CAN LAST A WHILE AFTER EXITING THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT SEAT CUSHION CUTS OFF CIRCULATION BELOW THE WAIST AFTER 40-45 MINUTES OF SITTING IN THEM. THIS NUMBS MY LEGS, WHICH CAN REDUCE REACTION TIME IN CASE I NEED TO TRY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. *TR

REAR LEFT SEAT BELT BUCKLE AND REAR CENTER SEAT BELT BUCKLE ARE INSTALLED REVERSED, CENTER IS ON LEFT, LEFT IS CENTER WHICH MAKES FOR EXTREME DIFFICULTIES FOR CHILDREN TO SAFELY BUCKLE AND UNBUCKLE THEIR SEAT BELTS. MY SON IS 11 AND FOUND IT DIFFICULT. ALSO IT'S EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE FOR HIM TO SIT THERE WITH THE CENTER BUCKLE DIGGING INTO HIS HIP. I'VE OWNED NUMEROUS CARS AND NO CAR MAKER HAS EVER DONE SUCH A THING BEFORE, LET ALONE TRY TO PASS IT OFF AS ACCEPTABLE. *TR

WHEN FACED WITH HEAVY IMPACT THE VEHICLE DO NOT ACTIVE THE AIR BAGS. HOWEVER, THE DAMAGE OF THE VEHICLE WERE OF SUCH MAGNITUDE THAT IT BROKE THE TRANSMISSION, THE CLUTCH HOUSING, THE FRONT BODY KIT SUCH AS FOG LIGHT , FRONT BUMPERS AND OTHER PARTS. *TR

2015 HONDA FIT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE REAR TURN SIGNAL. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE DOESN'T COME EQUIPPED, WITH THE REAR AMBER TURN SIGNAL THAT HAS BEEN ON VEHICLES IN NORTH AMERICA SINCE 1972. HE BELIEVED IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE, SINCE THE PUBLIC HAD BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO THE SAFETY AMBER COLOR FOR DECADES. *JB

REAR LEFT AND CENTER SEAT BELT LATCHES ARE REVERSED - THE CENTER BASE IS ON THE LEFT AND THE MIDDLE IS IN THE CENTER POSITION - MEANING THAT THE REAR LEFT AND CENTER PASSENGERS WOULD HAVE TO CROSS SEAT BELTS IN ORDER TO BUCKLE THEM. *JS

SEATBELT BUCKLES IN CENTER OF BACK SEATS ARE BOLTED INTO SEAT CROSSED, MAKING THE SEATBELT BUCKLES OVERLAPPING EACHOTHER IN BACK SEAT. COULD POSE RISK OF BREAKING DUE TO EXCESS WEIGHT NOT SUPPORTED BY ONE BOLT. WEIGHT OF TWO PASSENGERS ARE NOW DISTRIBUTED BETWEEN THE BOLTS, INSTEAD OF ONE BOLT PER PERSON. *TR

THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE SEAT BELT BRACKET FOR THE CENTER AND LEFT (DRIVERS SIDE) REAR SEATS, THE BUCKLES ARE MOUNTED BACKWARDS. SO TO USE THE BUCKLE YOU WOULD HAVE TO CROSS WITH THE OTHER BUCKLE AS THEY ARE NOT THE SAME AND CANNOT BE INTERCHANGED . THE BUCKLE MOUNTED TOWARDS THE OUTSIDE TO BE USED BY THAT PASSENGER IS EVEN MARKED CENTER. CREATES A SAFETY ISSUE FOR REAR PASSENGERS. *TR