What 113 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Honda Fit

DRIVING ON FREEWAY, A CAR WAS STOPPED AHEAD, HIT BRAKES, AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM DID NOT ENGAGE, HIT REAR OF CAR AHEAD DIRECTLY WITHOUT MUCH SLOWDOWN COMPARED TO EXPECTATION, POSSIBLY SKIDDING STRAIGHT, FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE 2-3 SECONDS (LONG ENOUGH TO BE PUZZLED) OR FOREVER. HAVE NOT HAD AUTOMATIC BRAKING KICK IN A LOT OF TIMES IN PAST, NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT LIKE THIS. NO FLUID LEAKAGES SEEN ON GROUND BEFORE OR AFTER ACCIDENT. CAR WAS DRIVABLE BUT TOTALED, NO INJURY REPORTED. TIRES 1 YEAR OLD. HAD JUST GOTTEN ON FREEWAY, WHICH HAD TURNED TO STRAIGHTAWAY, SO MIGHT HAVE BEEN GOING AROUND 50 WHEN BRAKING STARTED, MAYBE 15-20 ON IMPACT. PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WENT OFF.

NHTSA ODI 11100561

AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES HARD ENOUGH FOR THE ANTI-LOCKING BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS) TO ENGAGE WHICH BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A FULL STOP, THE FRONT DISC BRAKES DID NOT IMMEDIATELY RELEASE UPON TAKING THE FOOT OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE BRAKES REMAINED FULLY ENGAGED UNTIL THE ACCELERATOR WAS DEPRESSED (ABOUT 1/2 ACCELERATOR THROW) WHICH WAS SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE ENGAGED BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO ROLL. AT THIS TIME, A "POPPING" SOUND WAS HEARD SIMULTANEOUSLY AS THE FRONT BRAKES RELEASED. THE SOUND AND THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF THE BRAKES WAS SIMILAR TO THAT OF WHEN A VEHICLE IS MOVED FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER IT HAS BEEN SITTING FOR SOME TIME (DAYS OR WEEKS) IN A WET/HUMID CLIMATE AND A RUST BUILD UP HAS OCCURRED IN AND AROUND THE BRAKE PADS OR DRUMS. HIGHWAY CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WERE SUNNY AND DRY. AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 90 DEGREES. THE TERRAIN WAS FLAT, AND THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY BEEN DRIVEN FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES WITH LIGHT BRAKING AT THE OCCASIONAL RED LIGHT. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A MAIN THOROUGHFARE IN RELATIVE HEAVY TRAFFIC IN ORDER TO AVOID A VEHICLE WHO UNEXPECTEDLY ENTERED THE HIGHWAY AT A SLOW SPEED . THE SUBSEQUENT DELAY IN GETTING MY VEHICLE TO MOVE ALMOST RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE VEHICLES APPROACHING FROM BEHIND DID NOT EXPECT TO FIND A STOPPED VEHICLE IN THE ROAD AND WERE FORCED TO STOP SUDDENLY THEMSELVES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10520251

I SLAMMED ON BRAKES TO AVOID A PEDESTRIAN AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALMOST TO THE FLOOR AND MY FOOT HIT THE ACCELERATOR -- THE CAR STOPPED WITH ENGINE RACING, NARROWLY MISSING THE PEDESTRIAN. THIS HITTING-THE-ACCELERATOR-WHEN-BRAKING HAS HAPPEN TWICE SINCE. DEALER SAYS THE BRAKES ARE OPERATING NORMALLY. TO ME, IT SEEMS A DESIGN FAULT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10467832

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HONDA FIT SPORT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE WAS EXPOSED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED WITH THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AWAY. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE ENTIRE CABLE COULD POSSIBLY NEED REPLACING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 13,000.

NHTSA ODI 10435559