Service Brakes Problems of Honda FIT - part 2

I was sideswiped on a wet road and went into a spin. The brakes partially engaged, through the abs system did not (no "chatter"). After I regained control of the vehicle and attempted to pull onto the shoulder, the brakes remained partially engaged (the car was gradually decelerating) - the brake pedal was completely unresponsive and I could neither disengage the brakes, nor increase the application to make the car come to a complete stop. After experimenting with pressing hard on the pedal and then pumping it a few times while traveling over a quarter mile, I ultimately had to use the emergency brake to come to a complete stop. I took the car to a Honda dealership. The computer showed no codes and the technicians were unable to duplicate the problem.

See all problems of the 2010 Honda FIT 🔎.

As I was making my right turn near my home, I unexpectedly saw my neighbor's car in the middle of the road in front of his drive way. I quickly stepped on my brakes to stop, but, my car didn't stop immediately and seemed to surge rather than slow down (potential problem with the Fit abs). I then turned my steering wheel to the side walk to avoid hitting my neighbor's car while stepping on the brakes but the car still did not stop. The car went through the side walk and a next neighbor's bush and front lawn (about 20 meters). Eventually, I stomped on the brakes as hard as I could and stopped just short of the drive way on the top of a small bush I reported to Honda America which sent an inspector to check my car. There was nothing wrong with the car, but, the inspector and the Honda America customer service manager thought my goodyear rubber floor mat might be the cause. I told them during the 20 meters distance, I had enough time to notice that I was stepping on the brakes much harder than normally I would for the car to come to a complete stop. After I stopped the car, the first thing I checked was the car floor near the brake pedal. If the mat caused the problem, I would have noticed at that time. Another Honda customer service agent implied that I stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake. I told him that I could not have stepped on the accelerator since I did not change the pedal I was stepping on during the time it took to stop the car. The end result, I had to paid for the car damage.

Approximately 10% of the time my 2007 Honda Fit is first started, the power brakes do not function and it is very difficult to stop the car. Withing 30 seconds of starting the vehicle, the brakes seem to work normally.

See all problems of the 2007 Honda FIT 🔎.

The contact owns a 2008 Honda Fit. While applying pressure to the brakes, the contact noticed that the vehicle would not decrease in speed, which caused her to hit another vehicle. The contact sustained bruises to the leg. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was awaiting the results of an inspection. The contact did not inform the manufacturer. The current and failure mileages were 37,000.

See all problems of the 2008 Honda FIT 🔎.

Parking on a side street behind another car applying brake, and woosh! car took off in what I've later learned was an "unintended acceleration," running into the car in front and smushing in the hood of my car. I thought I had let my foot slip or had skid on some ice, but later similar incidences made me wonder. This last time (may 30, 2013), again was parking car and applying break in a parking lot (full of lawyers' cars!) and as I approached the space, car very quickly sped up and I nearly crashed into a light pole and/or beautiful new (expensive) car to my right. I'm sure anyone witnessing this would see a driver slowing down and then car jerking amazingly forward, like a horse at the beginning of a race. I was so very lucky in that I was able to steer racing car into parking spot and make an abrupt stop (I don't know how). Quite scary! I looked up what could be the cause of this phenomenon and discovered this as an unacknowledged "known issue" with supposedly no known fix. Dangerous!.

Brakes when out, serpentine belt badly cracked, and leaking coolant.

A veihicle stopped suddenly ahead of me on the bay bridge near sf, and even though I hit the brakes hard, the car did not stop as fast as I felt it should have. I did not think any more about it after the car was repaired, then last Wednesday, 10/05/11 I needed to make an emergency stop on the freeway. After hitting the brake with both feet, I watched helplessly as the car slowed but did not stop until I hit another vehicle. These are the only two 'rear end' collisions I have had in over 30 years of driving. I know that either of my previous two cars could have effectively stopped in the distance given. I am not sure the car will be repaired again, but if it is repaired I will never drive it again.

See all problems of the 2009 Honda FIT 🔎.

On several occasions when applying the brakes in my 2008 Honda Fit, they failed to engage. I have been lucky enough to avoid accidents, but I'm quite concerned and have noticed other such concerns posted on the web.

Brake pedal is spongy. Brake pedal depresses almost to the floor before brakes engage. Pedal will pump up. 2009 Fit with only 8000 miles on it.

I was driving home going about 50 mph, when traffic slammed on their brakes. I was following about 3 car lengths behind the person in front of me, and as soon as they slammed on their brakes I slammed on mine. When slamming on my brakes, the abs didn't even come on because my brakes weren't working like they were supposed to. My brakes felt spongy, and should have stopped me with room to spare, but they didn't even come close.

Anti-lock system activates inappropriately. Driving over rough pavement, bumps etc seems to activate anti-lock system. Brakes become squishy, and less effective during these incidences. This problem happens routinely.

I own a 2008 Honda Fit. On 1-7-2010, while traveling at approximately 45 -50 mph, the vehicle in front of mine began to brake. My brakes were applied; however, the vehicle did not seem to be slowing. The brakes were then depressed all the way to the floor, however, the vehicle continued forward until it crashed into the vehicle in front of mine. The abs did not engage during this incident. The air bag did not deploy. The seat belt broke. The insurance company was informed of the above noted failures. The vehicle was repaired, however, no brake problems were detected. In late February, 2010, I got my vehicle back from the repair shop. On 3-4-2010, I was traveling at approximately 45 mph when a vehicle pulled out in front of me causing me to slam the brakes as hard as I could. Again, the abs system did not engage and my vehicle continued forward. The only reason I did not crash into the vehicle in front of me is because it cleared my path before impact. During this incident, my seat belt did not "grab" me. I took my vehicle to the Honda dealership the next day, explained the incident, and asked that the brake system and seat belt be checked out again thoroughly. The Honda service writer told me that they could find nothing wrong with the brakes or the seat belt. Due to my field of employment, I have had extensive training in emergency vehicle operation. I know how the abs system operates and how a vehicle should respond when the brakes are applied in the manner described above.

There is something seriously wrong with the brakes. The brakes lack feel and are "spongy. " this causes great difficulty during braking. At high speeds, the brakes seem to function properly, but at low speeds it does not. When I press the brake pedal, instead of braking, the brake pedal will drop. The car continues to move as if the brake pedal is not being pressed down. The creates a situation where the last few seconds, I must hit the brakes even harder for the vehicle to begin stopping. This creates a hazard for vehicles both in front and in back of me. There is very little control in the braking system. From the forums, it appears there are many other Honda Fit owners with the similar problem. Some have gotten into accidents due to this failure, while others have been more lucky. This is certainly a accident waiting to happen. I have taken my car to the Honda dealership, whom have denied anything being wrong. I urge you to investigate this matter before another person is killed/ injured due to this failure.

My vehicle's abs system appears to be extremely sensitive and activates needlessly during light braking even on dry pavement. It can to be triggered consistently by lightly applying the brakes on uneven terrain, such as cracks in the road, small potholes or bumps. The brake pedal pulses for a short time, during which braking is ineffective and the vehicle continues to move forward for several feet. I drive several other vehicles on a regular basis, none of which exhibit this problem. A service rep at Honda of bloomfield, located in bloomfield hills, mi, characterized the condition as normal.

The contact owns a 2008 Honda Fit. The contact was driving approximately between 25-30 mph, approaching a traffic stop signal. Suddenly, the brake pedal traveled to the floor when pressure was applied. The vehicle would stop with a brief delay. The failure occurred ten to twelve times on different occasions. However, the problem would not occur in cold weather temperatures. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the technician was unable to locate a problem. The failure persisted. The contact planned to have the vehicle diagnosed for a second time. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.

My 2009 Honda Fit sport model will occasionally not stop when brakes are applied, but jump forward ten feet or so. On 4/4/09 this caused me to hit another car, resulting in $2400 body damage. Honda says nothing is wrong with the car--no computer codes--and will not try to repair it. I can no longer drive it safely, but cannot get Honda America to acknowledge problem or help me.

Unsafe design - recall request I am the owner of a 2008 Honda Fit with standard transmission. The ten-minute test drive did not alert me to the insufficient legroom that makes me apply both the brake and the gas at the same time. The explanation follows. Long drives of over twenty minutes cause my leg to cramp and I need to shift my right heel to the right. That puts my heel directly behind the gas pedal instead of the normal position directly behind the brake pedal. When the toe of the foot moves to the brake pedal, the sole of the foot also covers the edge of the gas pedal and both pedals are pushed at the same time. The brake system is also partly at fault since after the initial application the brake continues to slowly sink to the floor instead of holding the pedal height. This results in even more gas being applied. Honda has inspected the brakes and has indicated they are working normally. I have driven standard shift cars many years including, chevy, Plymouth, pontiac, two toyotas, two vws, the 1991 Honda, and now this Fit. There are many hundred-thousand miles logged in these cars. I replaced my 1991 Honda dx with the Fit. The cars are essentially the same size length and width and the 1991 Honda was a comfortable car. You would think the Fit would be as well proportioned. I have checked other cars of the same size and style with the thought of trading. I have found the Nissan versa, Toyota scion xd, and Toyota yaris to have the same or worse legroom as the Fit. I am 70 inches tall with a pant inseam of 31 inches. My guess is that anyone with an inseam of more than 29 would have the same problem. Recall the Honda Fit to force the company to adjust the seat so that it will move farther back from the gas pedal and/or higher. There is plenty of room in the car for that to happen. Honda added another few inches to the 2009 Fit but kept the same front seat clearance dimensions. Establish design rules to stop this design flaw.