2011 Honda Fit

DRIVER PARKED 2011 HONDA FIT IN DRIVEWAY. IGNITION OFF CAR IN 1ST GEAR. AFTER ~ 4 MIN. CAR BEGAN SLOWLY ROLLING BACKWARD DOWN DRIVEWAY, ROLLING OVER CURB AND STOPPED UPON IMPACT W. TREE. IMPACT CAUSED DAMAGE TO LEFT REAR BUMPER, CRUSHED LEFT REAR BRAKE LIGHT AND WHEEL WELL. LEFT SIDE PANELS PUSHED FORWARD, SHIFTING LEFT SIDE FRAME OF CAR TOWARD FRONT OF CAR. INSPECTING CAR AT SITE OF IMPACT, DRIVER VERIFIED IGNITION REMAINED OFF AND GEAR SHIFT REMAINED IN 1ST GEAR POSITION. CAR WAS NOT DRIVEABLE, REQUIRING CAR TO BE TOWED FROM SITE. THANKFULLY NEIGHBORHOOD CHILDREN WERE NOT PLAYING IN PATH OF CAR AND CAR DID NOT ENTER MAJOR INTERSECTION WHERE IT WOULD LIKELY HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS IF NOT FATAL ACCIDENT.

ONE YEAR AGO AN AXLE BROKE ON MY 2011 HONDA FIT. I HAD IT REPLACED. TODAY THE OTHER AXLE BROKE. I LOOKED ONLINE AND IT APPEARS THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM. IN BOTH CASES, IT HAPPENED WHEN I MADE A FAIRLY HARD U-TURN AND SHIFTED INTO REVERSE TO COMPLETE A THREE POINT TURN. I'M ASSUMING THE EXTRA FORCE ON THE SHAFT HAD TO DO WITH HAVING THE WHEELS TURNED HARD AND THEN ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE THEM, PERHAPS WHILE THEY WERE STILL MOVING. REGARDLESS, THIS SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN SO EASILY ON A CAR THAT'S NOT THAT OLD.

WHEN MY WIFE BACKED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY ONTO THE STREET AND SHIFTED FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, SHE HEARD A LOUD POP AND THEN SCRAPING NOISES. THE CAR THEN COULDN'T MOVE AND WE HAD TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL AND PUSH THE CAR BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY TO BE TOWED TO OUR MECHANIC. HE LATER TOLD US THAT THE LEFT FRONT AXLE BROKE AND THE RIGHT FRONT AXLE WOULD PROBABLY GO IN TWO MONTHS. IT TURNED OUT TO BE SEVERAL WEEKS. THE SAME THING HAPPENED WHEN I BACKED OUT OF A PARKING SPACE IN A PARKING LOT. WHEN I SHIFTED TO DRIVE, THE SAME POP AND THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. THE CAR WAS TOWED AGAIN, THIS TIME THE RIGHT FRONT AXLE BROKE.

WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT IN TOWN (LUCKILY - AND NOT ON A TURNPIKE OR HIGHWAY) MY CAR SUDDENLY CAME TO A JARRING HALT WHEN I ACCELERATED WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN. TWO STRANGERS HELPED ME PUSH THE CAR ACROSS TRAFFIC TO A PARKING LOT AND I HAD TO CALL AAA FOR A TOW TO A LOCAL AUTO REPAIR. THE AXLE HAD SNAPPED BECAUSE OF THE RUBBER VIBRATION DIMINISHER WHICH TRAPS WATER AND DEBRIS THEN THIS ACCUMULATION RUSTS THE AXLE AND COMPROMISES ITS INTEGRITY. VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE I HAD JUST COME OFF OF A 4 LANE HIGHWAY AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A PILEUP IF I HAD SUDDENLY STOPPED ON THAT HIGHWAY. I CHECKED THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH LOTS OF HONDA FIT MODELS.

THE AIRBAG LIGHTS KEEP TURNING ON AND OFF, BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND STILL DOING THE SAME THING. MATURE SECURITY ISSUE. ALSO, HAD MY CAR IN THE REPAIR SHOP 3 TIMES BECAUSE OF FOLLOWING REAONS: WHEN ACCELERATING FROM 0-35 MPH IT MAKES A GRINDING NOISE. HAD IT HOOKED UP TO A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE 3 TIMES AND THE NOISE WAS NOTICED, BUT NEVER RESOLVED.

STOPPED AT INTERSECTION. STARTED TO PROCEED BY TAKING FOOT OFF BRAKE & PRESSING ON GAS & THERE WAS A LOUD THUD & NO FORWARD MOTION. PLACED IN PARK, THEN BACK IN DRIVE. IN DRIVE ENGINE REVS, AND THERE IS A HIGH PITCHED NOISE, BUT NO FORWARD MOTION. HAD TO CALL TOW TRUCK. MECHANIC REPLACED THE DRIVER SIDE AXEL SHAFT ASSEMBLY, AS AXEL WAS BROKEN. MECHANIC STATED THAT RUST HAD FORMED UNDER A PLASTIC FITTING MIDWAY ON THE SHAFT, AND THIS WAS THE SECOND ONE HE REPLACED THAT WEEK.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HONDA FIT. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUT OFF, THE STEERING LOST POWER, AND THE HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF. THE SYSTEM RESTARTED A FEW MINUTES LATER. THE FAILURE RECURRED MORE OFTEN WHEN THE HEATER OR AIR CONDITIONER WERE ACTIVATED. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED DCH HONDA OF NANUET AT 845- 367-4380 (LOCATED AT 10 NY-304, NANUET, NY 10954) AND WAS INFORMED TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. A CASE NUMBER WAS PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000.

HONDA FIT 2011 ON 7/18/19 I WAS DRIVING WEST ON GOLF ROAD IN NILES, IL. AS I MADE A LEFT TURN AT THE LIGHT, THE FIT MADE A NOISE WHICH SOUNDED LIKE I HAD DRIVEN OVER A METAL BARREL. THE CAR LOST POWER AND DRIFTED INTO A STRIP MALL PARKING LOT. SOMEONE HELPED ME PUSH IT OUT OF THE WAY OF INCOMING TRAFFIC. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED, MY MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE DRIVER-SIDE DRIVESHAFT HAD CORRODED, ESPECIALLY UNDER THE RUBBER DAMPER, AND HAD COMPLETELY BROKEN THROUGH. ALSO, THE PASSENGER-SIDE DRIVESHAFT HAD CORRODED IN THE SAME PLACE, AND WAS BEGINNING TO WEAR THROUGH. (I SENT TWO PHOTOS OF THE TWO DRIVESHAFTS TO NHTSA.WEBMASTER @DOT.GOV TODAY.) I AM A 75 YEAR OLD CAREFUL DRIVER, NO ACCIDENTS, NO MOVING VIOLATIONS ON MY RECORD. THE CAR HAD JUST 44,615 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED REGULARLY SINCE I BOUGHT IT. I SPOKE TO THE SERVICE DIRECTOR AT MY HONDA DEALERSHIP, WHO SAID "IN MY OPINION, THE AXLE SHOULD NEVER BREAK." IF THIS DEFECT IS APPEARING IN OTHER HONDA FITS, THE CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED. COST TO ME: $396.78 FOR TWO NEW DRIVESHAFTS, AND $295 FOR LABOR.. AND, BY THE WAY, I COULD HAVE BEEN HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC, AND I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED.