What 281 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Honda Fit

AFTER 95000 MILES, TRANSMISSION FAILED WITH VERY LITTLE WARNING. FOR ABOUT 25 MILES ON CITY STREETS, THE CAR BUCKED AT SPEEDS UNDER 30 MPH. STOPPED AT A STORE, AND COULD NOT LEAVE PARKING LOT BECAUSE TRANSMISSION JUST STOPPED COMPLETELY. I HAD DONE ALL OF THE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AT HONDA DEALERSHIPS, AND I PURCHASED THE CAR AS NEW.

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AT 1700 THOUSAND MILES ROTORS NEED RESURFACING. STARTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. ALL UNDER WARRANTED

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WHILE DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE AT A STEADY HIGHWAY SPEED, I LOST ALL CONTROL TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE COASTED TO THE SHOULDER TO AVOID THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT. AUTO DEALER CONFIRMED THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED CATASTRPHICALLY AND THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WOULD BE NEEDED FOR THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP ALSO STATED THAT I, AS THE CONSUMER DID NOTHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS EVENT - THEY COULD NOT EXPLAIN HOW IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED SO EARLY ON. THE VEHICLE WAS WELL-MAINTAINED. AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING, IT IS CURRENTLY OWNED FOR ONLY 2.5 YEARS AND HAS 80,000 MILES OF WHICH 90% ARE HIGHWAY MILES. THE CAR WAS TOWED UNDER OWNER'S CAR INSURANCE-PROVIDED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. THE REPAIR PROCESS IS NOT YET COMPLETE AND THUSDOCUMENTATION CAN AND WILL BE PROVIDED LATER IF NEEDED,

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HONDA FIT. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT AN INTERNAL PART OF THE TRANSMISSION WAS FRACTURED. THE TECHNICIAN DID NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULED TO BE TOWED TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECORD OF A RECALL REMEDY PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 89,000.

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DRIVING DOWN THE TURNPIKE AND THE TRANSMISSION STOPPED WORKING LIKE I WAS IN NEUTRAL. I SAW A RECALL ON LINE FOR MY EXACT MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR DESCRIBING THE SAME SYMPTOMS. I CONTACTED HONDA BUT THEY SAID THAT MY CAR WASN'T A PART OF THE RECALL WHICH DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. HTTP://BLOG.CARANDDRIVER.COM/HONDA-RECALLING-143000-CIVIC-AND-FIT-MODELS-FOR-CVT-TROUBLE/

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MY COMPLAINT CONCERNS THE MANUFACTURERS "FIX" FOR THE CVT DRIVE PULLY SHAFT THAT IS INCORRECTLY SURFACE HARDEN/HEAT TREATED. HONDA TENDERS A SOFTWARE FIX TO REDUCE LOADS ON THE INCORRECTLY MANUFACTURED PART. I FEEL THAT THE SOFTWARE FIX IS AN ECONOMICAL RESPONSE, THAT AFTER THE SOFTWARE IS CHANGED, STILL LEAVES MY VEHICLE WITH AN INCORRECTLY MANUFACTURED PART THAT COULD FAIL, CAUSING THE AN ACCIDENT. I FEEL THE CORRECT REPAIR WOULD BE TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PART WITH ONE CORRECTLY MANUFACTURED.

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IN SPITE OF MY REPEATED REQUESTS, THE HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE LOCATED AT TORRANCE, CA (TEL.# 800-999-1009) WILL NOT GIVE ME THE PART NUMBER OF THE DRIVE PULLEY SHAFT (WITH LOW HARDNESS) INSTALLED ON MY VEHICLE (VN [XXX])! IN OCTOBER 2015 I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING ?IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL? NOTICE CONCERNING MY 2015 HONDA FIT WITH CVT TRANSMISSION (VN [XXX]): DURING CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS, A COMBINATION OF HIGH STRESS EXERTED FROM THE CVT PROGRAMMING ALONG WITH POTENTIAL DRIVE PULLEY SHAFTS MANUFACTURED WITH LOW HARDNESS, THE DRIVE PULLEY SHAFT MAY BREAK DURING OPERATION. IF THE DRIVE PULLEY SHAFT BREAKS THE VEHICLE MAY LOSE ACCELERATION OR THE FRONT WHEELS MAY LOCK UP, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. THE RECOMMENDED CVT SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS PERFORMED BY THE HONDA DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY UPON RECEIPT OF THE SAFETY RECALL NOTICE. HOWEVER MY VEHICLE HAD BEEN DRIVEN OVER 18,000 MILES PRIOR TO RECEIPT OF THE RECALL NOTICE AND IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT DAMAGE TO THE ?LOW HARDNESS? DRIVE PULLEY SHAFT HAS ALREADY OCCURRED! FOR MY PERSONAL SAFETY IT IS IMPORTANT THAT I HAVE THIS INFORMATION ? PLEASE HELP. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

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2015 HONDA FIT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO UNSATISFACTORY CUSTOMER SERVICE AT DEALERSHIP WITH DRIVE PULLEY SHAFT RECALL REPAIRS. *SMD RECALL # 15V574000. *JB

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I WAS ADVISED TO FILE A COMPLAINT ABOUT MY CONCERNS BY JENNIFER TIMIAN, CHIER OF THE RECALL MANAGEMENT DIVISION OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATIONS ENFORCEMENT. THIS IS NOT A TYPICAL COMPLAINT. IT IS NOT ABOUT AN ACCIDENT THAT HAS OCCURRED, BUT RATHER PREVENTIVE MEASURE TO KEEP THEM FROM HAPPENING. THERE IS ALREADY A RECALL ABOUT THE DEFECT IN THESE CARS (15V-574). THIS COMPLAINT IS ABOUT A SAFETY ISSUE AND THE FIX THAT HONDA HAS IMPLEMENTED FOR IT. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS FLAW IN HOW THEY ARE FIXING THE DEFECT THAT LEAVES THE OPERATORS OF THESE AFFECTED VEHICLES(OVER 100,000 OF THEM) IN DANGER. THE REASON FOR THIS RECALL IS QUITE SERIOUS. IT APPEARS THAT SOME OF THE PULLEY SHAFTS IN THE CVT TRANSMISSIONS WERE MANUFACTURED WITH LOW HARDNESS AND THIS COUPLED WITH HIGH FORCES IN THE CVT TRANSMISSION CAN CAUSE THE PULLEY SHAFT TO FAIL RESULTING IN LOSS OF ALL DRIVE AND IN ONE INSTANCE LOCKING OF THE FRONT WHEELS (A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT CAN EASILY RESULT IN SOMEONE BEING KILLED). THE SOLUTION THAT HONDA CAME UP WITH WAS TO CHANGE THE PROGRAMMING IN THE CVT TO REDUCE THE FORCE ON THE PART. THIS IN NOT THE CORRECT WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE FLAW THAT HONDA IS OVERLOOKING IS THAT THESE CARS HAVE BEEN DRIVEN AND THE PART HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO STRESSES THAT HAVE CAUSED IT FAIL IN SIMILAR VEHICLES. IN THE CASE OF MY GIRLFRIEND FOR OVER A YEAR. THE PART CAN EASILY BE WEAKENED AND CLOSE TO FAILURE. REDUCING THE FORCES APPLIED TO IT CAN NOT INSURE THAT THE PART WILL NOT FAIL. I FEEL THAT THE CORRECT FIX WOULD BE TO REPLACE THE PART WITH ONE THAT IS PROPERLY HARDENED OR AT LEAST INSPECT AND TEST THE PART TO INSURE THAT ITS STRENGTH HAS NOT BEEN COMPROMISED. I WILL ATTACHED REALTED PDF'S

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THIS STARTED HAPPENING EARLIER THIS WEEK AND HAS RECURRED A FEW TIMES. AFTER BACKING OUT OF MY GARAGE AND MOVING THE AT FROM R TO D, IT TAKES A FEW SECONDS FOR POWER TO BE DELIVERED TO THE DRIVE WHEELS. SINCE I'VE BEEN HOLDING DOWN THE ACCELERATOR A LITTLE BIT, EXPECTING FORWARD MOTION, WHEN POWER IS FINALLY SENT TO THE DRIVE WHEELS, THE CAR SURGES A LITTLE BIT. I HAVE LEARNED TO COMPENSATE FOR THIS BY FEATHERING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL UNTIL POWER IS SENT TO THE DRIVE WHEELS, BUT THIS WOULD MAKE PARALLEL PARKING OR GETTING OUT OF A TIGHT CURB-SIDE SPACE VERY TEDIOUS AND MAY CAUSE A SLIGHT ACCIDENT. *TR

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VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. THIS WOULD OCCUR RANDOMLY AND BECAME INCREASING MORE DIFFICULT. OVERRIDE HAD TO BE USED SEVERAL TIMES. WHEN WE REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER, FIRST QUESTION WAS "DO THE BRAKE LIGHTS WORK?" DEALER REPLACED BRAKE SWITCH P/N 36750-TY0-J11 AS A REPAIR ATTEMPT. SERVICE NOTED THE TECHNICIAN FELT THIS WAS THE PROBLEM AND TO LET THEM KNOW IF IT RECURS. TO-DATE (3 DAYS AFTER REPAIR - OK AT THIS TIME. 1ST OCCURRENCE TOOK 4.6K). QUESTION; DOES HONDA HAVE A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ISSUE? NOTE: I WAS SURPRISED THAT THE DEALER HAD THE PART IN STOCK FOR SUCH A NEW VEHICLE. *TR

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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

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