What 281 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Honda Fit

I COULD'VE DIED!! DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE ALL OF SUDDEN ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS FLASHED & MY CAR WOULDN'T GO. WAS TOLD IT WAS CATALYTIC CONVERTER & FUEL INJECTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. $2900. HAD THEM REPLACED & SAME DAY I GOT MY CAR BACK NO CHECK ENGINE CAME ON, WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE & JUST STOPPED GOING. I COULDN'T GIVE IT GAS & THE RPMS REVVED UP, CARS FLYING PAST ME TRYING TO MAKE IT TO THE SHOULDER! IT WAS TERRIFYING!!! READ THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF ISSUES WITH THE FUEL INJECTORS, BUT HONDA MAKING CUSTOMERS PAY FOR IT. I BOUGHT THE FIT SO I COULD HAVE A RELIABLE COMMUTE & NOW I DON'T FEEL SAFE AT ALL.

NHTSA ODI 11232005

MY CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS ONLY EVER BEEN USED FOR TRANSPORT FROM HOME TO SCHOOL. I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE I WAS IN MOTION. A COUPLE MINUTES LATER, THE POWER STEERING, TRACTION, AND TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON ALL AT THE SAME TIME WHILE I WAS IN MOTION. MY CAR JERKED AND I LOST CONTROL FOR A BRIEF SECOND. THE LIGHTS WILL FLASH ON AND OFF AT RANDOM TIMES WHILE I'M IN MOTION AND IS ESPECIALLY TERRIFYING WHEN TRYING TO DRIVE AT A HIGHWAY SPEED. MANY PEOPLE WITH 2015 HONDA FITS HAVE HAD SIMILAR ISSUES AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO EXPLORE THIS DANGER. A CAR THAT NEW WITH RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE SHOULD NOT BE EXPERIENCING MECHANICAL ISSUES THAT PUT THEIR DRIVERS AT RISK.

NHTSA ODI 11222391

PURCHASED CAR NEW FROM DEALER 7/2015. IN 2/2018 ALL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. HONDA REPLACED THE FUEL INJECTORS. SAME ISSUE AGAIN IN 4/2018 & HONDA REPLACED INJECTORS AGAIN. SERVICE REP (RICHFIELD- BLOOMINGTON HONDA) TOLD US THEY WERE SEEING THIS PROBLEM IN FITS THAT WERE LOW MILEAGE & "NOT DRIVEN MUCH." REP COULD NOT TELL US HOW MUCH DRIVING WOULD BE "ENOUGH" OR HOW TO AVOID FUTURE PROBLEMS. 4/2019 SAME PROBLEM --ALL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AGAIN & THIS TIME HONDA REPLACED THE CYLINDER HEAD. SERVICE DIRECTOR TOLD US THAT, WHILE THE CAR IS "CURRENTLY FIXED," HE "SEES NO REASON THIS PROBLEM WON'T CONTINUE TO HAPPEN" BC WE DON'T DRIVE MUCH. HE STATED THAT 2015 FIT HAS DIRECT INJECTION TECHNOLOGY & NEEDS TO BE DRIVEN MORE AT HIGH SPEEDS TO BURN OFF CARBON, BUT HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE DIDN'T "KNOW HOW MUCH WAS ENOUGH & IT'S NOT IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL." HE STATED "YOU'LL HAVE THIS PROBLEM AGAIN NEXT WINTER OR SPRING." I ASKED THE SERVICE DIRECTOR WHAT THE RISKS ARE DRIVING WHEN THE INJECTORS & ENGINE HAVE BUILD-UP & HE SAID THE "CAR CAN SEIZE UP IF IT GETS BAD--IT HAS TO BE CLEANED OFF." I CALLED HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE (MANUFACTURER, NOT DEALER) & EXPLAINED THIS AND THAT THEY HAVE A SERVICE DIRECTOR TELLING ME THE PROBLEM WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. HONDA REFUSED TO TAKE A REPORT "BECAUSE THE CAR IS OPERATING RIGHT NOW." ALL THESE REPAIRS HAVE BEEN UNDER WARRANTY; THESE REPAIRS ARE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. THIS IS NOT WHAT WE WANT OR EXPECT FROM A NEW VEHICLE. HONDA WILL NOT MAKE THIS RIGHT.

NHTSA ODI 11221305

STARTER STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS AFTER LESS THAN 60,000 MILES. FINALLY FAILED AT 65,000 AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. ONLINE BLOGS INDICATE I'M NOT ALONE, BUT THAT THIS IS A KNOWN HONDA FIT ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11210376

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HONDA FIT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM, ELECTRIC POWER STEERING, CHECK ENGINE, AND STABILITY CONTROL INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LUJACK HONDA (3707 N HARRISON ST, DAVENPORT, IA 52806) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL INJECTORS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE CHANGED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 09535823. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,161.

NHTSA ODI 11205184

WHILE IN MOTION, THE PLASTIC ENGINE SPLASH GUARD CAME OFF AND WAS DRAGGING ON THE ROAD AT 80 MPH. ONLY 1 PIN WAS LEFT IN ON INSPECTION. IT MAKES A HORRIBLE NOISE LIKE A TIRE WENT FLAT. THIS GUARD MUST BE REMOVED TO CHANGE THE OIL AND IT WAS CHANGED BY DEALERSHIP 2 WEEKS PRIOR. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME IT HAS HAPPENED IN THE 14 MONTHS I'VE OWNED THE CAR. THE CLIPS THAT HOLD IT IN ARE PLASTIC, THEY DO NOT HOLD AND HAVE TO BE REPLACED AFTER EVERY OIL CHANGE. THIS IS A SAFETY AND ROAD HAZARD TO OTHER DRIVERS. THERE ARE MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS IN HAND FIT FORUMS. IT IS A DESIGN FLAW AND MANY OWNERS HAVE TAKEN TO PUTTING ON ZIP TIES AFTER OIL CHANGES.

NHTSA ODI 11185694

VALVE TIMING CONTROL (VTC) ACTUATOR IS DEFECTIVE AND CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THE ISSUE MANIFESTS ITSELF AS AN OCCASSIONAL INNOCUOUS RATTLE AT COLD-START (AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT). AMERICAN HONDA HAS ISSUED SERVICE BULLETIN 16-088 (FEBRUARY 2017) TO ADDRESS DEFECTIVE VARIABLE VALVE TIMING CONTROL (VTC) ACTUATORS ON THE 2015 HONDA FIT (HTTPS://TESTING-PUBLIC.CARMD.COM/TSB/DOWNLOAD/118695/A16-088) AND MANY MORE SERVICE BULLETINS FOR DEFECTIVE VTC ACTUATORS IN OTHER OF ITS VEHICLES OVER THE YEARS (E.G. HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/TSBS/2016/SB-10088283-2280.PDF). WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO VIDEO-RECORD ONE OF THE EPISODES AND GET THE CAR TO THE DEALER - WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AND PERFORMED REPAIR. IT IS UNSETTLING THAT HONDA IS NOT BEING PROACTIVE IN ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE BEFORE AN EXPLODING EYING CAUSES HARM.

NHTSA ODI 11172677

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HONDA FIT. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND FAILED TO RESPOND. AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED. PARKER HONDA (LOCATED AT 5327 HWY 70 W, MOREHEAD CITY, NC 28557, (252) 247-2488) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE COILS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

NHTSA ODI 11165871

VEHICLE HAS 48,000 MILES. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, TOOK IT INTO DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS. ALL FOUR FUEL INJECTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO GUMMING (NOT DUE TO QUALITY OF FUEL). THE VEHICLE RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL SERVICING IN 2016 THAT COULD AFFECT THE FUEL INJECTORS, BUT NO ISSUES WERE RECORDED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE IS UNDER A SERVICE BULLETIN ON FAULTY FUEL INJECTORS FOR ALL VIN'S OF THE HONDA FIT 2015, AND THE NTSB NUMBER FOR THAT IS: A16-034. BOTH SERVICE TECHS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE AT HONDA FOUND THE ISSUE TO BE ABNORMAL ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE ISSUE EFFECTED ALL FOUR INJECTORS, NOT JUST ONE.

NHTSA ODI 11165290

MY VEHICLE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGHLY AND ALL THE DASH LIGHTS CAME ON. I WAS TOLD THERE IS A MISFIRE IN ONE OF THE CYLINDERS AND THIS COULD BE AN EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. MY VEHICLE HAS 48000 MILES ON IT AND THIS SHOULDN'T HAPPEN. FROM DOING SOME ONLINE RESEARCH, THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING COMPLAINT BY SEVERAL PEOPLE.

NHTSA ODI 11104102

DEAR NHTSA, MY 2015 HONDA FIT RATTLE'S ON COLD START INITIALLY WHEN YOU START THE ENGINE. AFTER ABOUT 6-8 HOURS AFTER LETTING THE ENGINE COOL THE NOISE WILL REAPPEAR. THE ISSUE IS THE VTC ACTUATOR. BEING A FAIRLY NEW VEHICLE FOR IT'S AGE IT'S VERY DISAPPOINTING TO HEAR SUCH DISTURBING NOISE EVERY TIME I START UP THE CAR. I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THIS FOR THE PAST YEAR, STARTING IN JUNE 2017. AT FIRST, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT IT WAS THE ENGINE SPLASH GUARD. LAST YEAR I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY (70MPH ZONE) AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEAR A SCRAPPING NOISE. THE ROAD WAS COMPLETELY FREE OF DEBRIS, AND WHEN I PULLED OVER THE ENGINE SPLASH GUARD CAME UP, ALONG WITH BREAKING BOTH TABS ON THE FRONT BUMPER. I HAD ENGINE SPLASH REPLACED 3 MONTHS AGO USING BRAND NEW CLIPS (PLASTIC WHICH ACTUALLY ENDS UP BREAKING) AND SCREWS. EVEN AFTER FIXING THE ENGINE SPLASH GUARD, THE VTC RATTLE NOISE STILL APPEARED. RECENTLY, THE ENGINE SPLASH GUARD STILL MANAGED TO POP OFF ON THE FREEWAY. AT THIS POINT, I'M FED UP WITH THE TERRIBLE DISAPPOINTMENT THIS VEHICLE HAS GIVEN ME ALONG WITH ITS BUILD QUALITY. ANOTHER THING TO NOTE IS THE DOOR PANEL MAKING A RATTLING NOISE. AFTER TAKING OFF THE DOOR PANEL, I NOTICED THE THE PLASTIC LINING IS DETACHING FROM THE BLACK GLUE THAT IS KEEPING IT IN PLACE. POSSIBLY, THE HEAT IS CAUSING THE BLACK GLUE TO MELT.

NHTSA ODI 11089792

WHEN USING THE ECON BUTTON, MY VEHICLE ENGINE OFTEN DIES AT A STOP. I'VE CHECKED IT OUT SEVERAL TIMES AND IT ONLY DOES THIS WHEN THE ECON SYSTEM IS ACTIVATED. TAKING IT TO DEALER ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, BUT IT NEVER HAPPENS FOR THEM AND IT NEVER THROWS A MALFUNCTION CODE. WORKS FINE DURING NORMAL OPERATION. ONE OTHER PROBLEM, WHEN THIS ISSUE ARISES IS THAT I CANNOT RESTART THE CAR WITHOUT GETTING OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND TAKING THE KEY FOB OUT OF RANGE FOR AT LEAST 30+ SECONDS. ONCE THE ELECTRONICS RESET, I CAN ONCE AGAIN START THE VEHICLE. AS YOU CAN VISUALIZE, THIS IS SOMETIMES A DANGEROUS SITUATION OUT ON A BUST ROAD OR STREET.

NHTSA ODI 11084914

MY CAR MAKES A HORRIBLE GRINDING SOUND WHEN IT TURNS ON. IT'S DONE IT SINCE I GOT THE CAR AND MY DEALER WOULD NOT FIX IT WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY.

NHTSA ODI 11083876

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HONDA FIT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE SPLASH GUARD SEPARATED SEVERAL TIMES AFTER THE VEHICLE RECEIVED ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AT SPREEN HONDA (25050 REDLANDS BOULEVARD, LOMA LINDA, CA 92354, PHONE (909) 799-7070). THE DEALER REPLACED THE ENGINE SPLASH GUARD; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS CHARGED FOR THE ENGINE SPLASH GUARD REPLACEMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000.

NHTSA ODI 11066088

THE STARTER IN MY 2015 HONDA FIT DIED. I PURCHASED THE CAR SEPTEMBER OF 2014 AND THE STARTER DIED SEPTEMBER 2017, THAT'S A THREE YEAR LIFE CYCLE ON THE PART.

NHTSA ODI 11030401