2009 Honda Fit

ON AUGUST 17, 2018 MY HONDA FIT STOPPED MOVING WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE ENTRY RAMP OF A FREEWAY. IT WAS TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP WHERE I WAS TOLD THE #2 SPARK PLUG WAS DAMAGED. THEY INSTALLED A THREAD INSERT AND REPLACED THE IGNITION COIL AND SPARK PLUG AND IT COST $812.55. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE SPARK PLUG POPPED OUT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT INSTALLED CORRECTLY. WHEN I ASKED FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIR AT THE HONDA SERVICE CENTER THAT HAD DONE THE 100,000 MAJOR SERVICE ON THE HONDA THREE YEARS AGO, I WAS TOLD THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND THEY WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ME. I HAVE SINCE RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ONLINE AND DISCOVERED THAT PROBLEMS WITH SPARK PLUGS POPPING OUT OR BLOWING OUT IN HONDA FITS ARE NOT UNCOMMON AND THAT OCCURRENCE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. IF I HAD BEEN WARNED OF THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM I COULD HAVE HAD IT CHECKED OUT AND AVOIDED THE EXPENSE AS WELL AS THE DANGEROUS BREAK-DOWN WHEN ENTERING A FREEWAY. I AM INCLUDING THE REPAIR RECEIPT.

BROKEN PASSENGER TRANSAXLE. OUR CAR SUFFERED A BREAK WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A CITY STREET STOPLIGHT, SO THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR WAS MINIMAL AND WE POSED NO DANGER TO OTHER VEHICLES.(THE VEHICLE WAS IMMEDIATELY DISABLED AND HAD TO BE PUSHED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD) WE WERE FORTUNATE - IF THIS HAPPENED AT HIGHWAYS SPEEDS, THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN FAR WORSE .THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE THE TRANSAXLE CAN BREAK, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING, MOBILITY AND OTHER UNDER HOOD VEHICLE DAMAGE. MY VEHICLE HAS ALL SERVICE AND INSPECTION WORK DONE AT A LOCAL HONDA DEALER (HONDA OF JOLIET) AND THE FAILING PART WAS NEVER DISCOVERED. BECAUSE THE DEFECT/DAMAGE IS HIDDEN UNDER THE TRANS AXLE BOOT,THIS PREVENTED ANY VISUAL INSPECTION FROM REVEALING IT. HOWEVER, THE DANGER EXISTS AND A ROUTINE INTERNET CHECK REVEALS THIS IS INDEED A GLOBAL ISSUE THAT AFFECTS MANY OF THESE CARS. NOTE - I HAVE ATTACHED PHOTOS OF THE BROKEN AXLE APART AND PUSHED TOGETHER, TO SHOW HOW THE DAMAGE IS HIDDEN UNDER THE BOOT. PICTURE DETAIL: 1.BROKEN PASSENGER SIDE TRANSAXLE 2.CLOSE UP OF BREAK #1 3.CLOSE UP OF BREAK #2 4.BROKEN AXLE TOGETHER CLEARLY SHOWING BROKEN AREA HIDDEN UNDER RUBBER BOOT - WHICH WOULD NOT BE SEEN UNDER ROUTINE VISUAL INSPECTION. 5.BOTH USED AXLES SIDE BY SIDE FOR COMPARISON (NOTE ' UNBROKEN AXLES HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED UNDER BOOT FOR POSSIBLE DAMAGE ALSO).

WHILE DRIVING FROM OKLAHOMA TO CALIFORNIA (SPECIFICALLY KINGMAN, AZ TO BARSTOW, CA), MY ENGINE SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT ON FIRE. IT WAS PUT OUT IMMEDIATELY BY A GOOD SAMARITAN. AFTER THE FIRE, THERE WAS OIL LEAKAGE ALL OVER THE HIGHWAY AND WHERE IT WAS TOWED; THERE WAS ALSO GAS LEAKAGE. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 6/7/18. THEY SAY THAT THERE WAS NO MOTOR OIL PRIOR TO THE FIRE STARTING SO ARE BLAMING ME FOR THE FIRE. I HAD AN OIL CHANGE ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND SAW NO SIGNS OF OIL LEAKAGE AT MY PARKING SPACE OR ANY TIME DURING THIS TRIP. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THIS FIRE AND NO INDICATION THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG. I WAS VERY FRIGHTENED AND AM STILL IMPACTED BY THIS FIRE. I AM BEING TOLD THAT THE REPAIR WILL BE $14,000.00 WHICH IS WAY MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH. I AM 68 YEARS OLD AND AM ON A FIXED INCOME. I HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN GOOD CARE OF MY CARS AND TOOK GOOD CARE OF THIS ONE. IT WAS PURCHASED IN JANUARY 2017 AND HAS BEEN A GOOD CAR. IT HAS BEEN DRIVEN LESS THAN 50 MILES A WEEK SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED. IT IS CUSTOMARY TO "BLAME" THE CONSUMER FOR WHAT HAPPENS. I DO NOT BELIEVE I DID ANYTHING TO CAUSE THIS FIRE. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE CAR DEALERSHIP TO LISTEN TO ANYTHING, ESPECIALLY THAT THE OIL LEAKAGE OCCURRED AFTER THE FIRE, NOT BEFORE IT. THERE WAS TONS OF OIL LEAKAGE ALL OVER THE HIGHWAY, AT A CAR REPAIR SHOP & ALL OVER A UHAUL CAR TRANSPORT TRAILER. I TRULY BELIEVE THERE IS ANOTHER CAUSE FOR THIS FIRE.

DECEMBER 2017 I HAD MY 2009 HONDA FIT INSPECTED FOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION AND PASSED. JANUARY 29, 2018 I TOOK MY CAR TO DAVID MCDAVID HONDA IRVING, TX FOR INSPECTION AS THE CAR WAS SLOWING DOWN AND WAS MAKING WEIRD MOVEMENTS AS I SHIFTED GEARS. THE TECHNICIAN REPORT SAID: THERE WAS A 6 INCH RODENT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS AND IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE TOTAL CHARGE I WAS ASKED TO PAY ON FEBRUARY 3, 2018 WAS $1510.01 HONDA KNOWS THAT THEY HAVE THIS PROBLEM AS THEY SELL ON AMAZON TAPES AGAINST RODENS ( HTTPS://WWW.AMAZON.COM/HONDA-4019-2317-RODENT-TAPE/DP/B00AJTG3N0/REF=REDIR_MOBILE_DESKTOP?_ENCODING=UTF8&DPID=31IIUDIOHKL&DPPL=1&KEYWORDS=RODENT%20TAPE&PI=AC_SX236_SY340_FMWEBP_QL65&QID=1517350918&REF=PLSRCH&REF_=MP_S_A_1_1&SR=8-1), YET THEY DIDN'T OFFER TO COVER THE REPLACEMENT COST OR TO PAY EVEN PART OF IT. THE TOTAL COST OF REPLACEMENT WAS SHIFTED ON ME AS CONSUMER. I KEPT THE ORIGINAL - DAMAGED - HARNESS. SEE ATTACHED PHOTO.

THE CAR WAS STOPPED IN A DRIVEWAY WAITING TO PULL INTO A BUSY ROAD. WHEN THERE WAS A BREAK IN THE TRAFFIC, THE ACCELERATOR WAS DEPRESSED, THE CAR MOVED FORWARD A LITTLE BIT, AND THEN THERE WAS A LOSS OF ACCELERATION AND A RATCHETING SOUND FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. FORTUNATELY, THE CAR DID NOT MAKE IT ONTO THE STREET BEFORE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN TO VERIFY THE SYMPTOMS OF THE FAILURE, WE NOTICED THAT THE CAR ROLLED BACKWARDS WHEN PLACED IN PARK. THE CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE LEFT FRONT AXLE HAD BROKEN.

TAKATA RECALL .QUESTION ; MY VECHILE POWER STEERING LOCKS UP EPS DASH LIGHT STEERING WHEEL LIGHTS UP. YELLOW ON DASH BOARD THIS GOES ON THE CAR AND DISABLES IT AND DOSE IT A LOT . IN SPEEDS OF UNDER 25 M.P. H.CAR WILL SHUT DOWN . WORRIED OF THE ACCIDENT IT MAY CAUSE . TOO SAFETY CONCERNED . AND ONLY HAVE 57171 MILES ON VECHILE . WHILE IN MOTION. TURNING ALSO LEFT OR RIGHT TURNS. IN LOCAL CITY STREETS

ACCELERATED TO TURN RIGHT ONTO TOWN MAIN STREET FROM STRIP MALL AND LOST FORWARD MOTION AND ABILITY TO STEER. BANGING, SPINNING, BUZZING NOISE UNDER HOOD. COULD NOT MOVE FORWARD IN DRIVE OR BACK IN REVERSE. IN "PARK", CAR ROLLED BACKWARD INTO ANOTHER CAR'S FRONT BUMPER. TOWED ON FLAT BED. MECHANIC FOUND SNAPPED RIGHT FRONT AXLE; INDICATED BREAKAGE = VERY UNCOMMON.