Honda Fit 2009–2013 problems by year and mileage
2nd generation (GE) · GE8
NHTSA data through 24 September 2026872 complaints, 470 with mileageMethod
Which year is yours? Tap it to see what breaks on it.
The 2009 Honda Fit
Close- Median failure report
- 60,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 287
- Recalls naming this year
- 11
Most reported on the 2009
- Airbag system104 reports
- Steering46 reports · median 84,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline33 reports
11 recall campaigns name the 2009: Power train — driveline; Air bags — frontal; Engine and engine cooling. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2010 Honda Fit
Close- Median failure report
- 40,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 183
- Recalls naming this year
- 12
Most reported on the 2010
- Airbag system83 reports
- Electrical system19 reports
- Steering18 reports
12 recall campaigns name the 2010: Power train — driveline; Air bags — frontal; Engine and engine cooling. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2011 Honda Fit
Close- Median failure report
- 67,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 113
- Recalls naming this year
- 11
Most reported on the 2011
- Airbag system64 reports
- Transmission and driveline12 reports
- Electrical system10 reports
11 recall campaigns name the 2011: Power train — driveline; Air bags — frontal. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2012 Honda Fit
Close- Median failure report
- 49,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 113
- Recalls naming this year
- 11
Most reported on the 2012
- Airbag system41 reports
- Steering16 reports
- Transmission and driveline14 reports
11 recall campaigns name the 2012: Power train — driveline; Air bags — frontal; Electronic stability control (esc). Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2013 Honda Fit
Close- Median failure report
- 29,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 176
- Recalls naming this year
- 10
Most reported on the 2013
- Airbag system92 reports
- Electrical system22 reports
- Engine14 reports
10 recall campaigns name the 2013: Power train — driveline; Air bags — frontal; Electronic stability control (esc). Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
Each tile shows the median mileage at which that model year’s failures were reported. The 2011 reports latest and the 2013 earliest, but part of that gap is age: the 2011 has had 2 more years on the road to accumulate mileage.
The short answer
“Is the 2009–2013 Honda Fit reliable?”
- Median of reported failures
- 48,000 mi
- 90% of reports came by
- 118,000 mi
- Reports with mileage
- 470
- Recalls
- 14
Most reported
- Airbag system44.0% of complaints · median 50,000 mi
- Steering11.2% of complaints · median 77,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline9.9% of complaints · median 93,000 mi
Documented problems
- Airbags2009–2013
- Body2009–2013
- Suspension/Driveline2009–2013
- Paint/Body2009–2011
Owners filed 872 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009–2013 Honda Fit; the airbag system leads with 44% of them, and half of the 470 that record an odometer reading came by 48,000 miles. A count like this can’t rate reliability on its own: NHTSA records what owners chose to report, not how many of each car were sold.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 15,000 and 86,000 miles.
Before-you-buy checklist ↓At your mileage ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
How many miles does a 2009–2013 Honda Fit last?
Complaint records can’t measure how long a car lasts; they show when reported failures happened. On the 2009–2013 Honda Fit, half of the 470 complaints that record an odometer reading were filed by 48,000 miles and 90% by 118,000 miles.
20 reports came in past 150,000 miles and 4 past 200,000 — each one proof that a Fit reached that mileage, not that it failed there.
Figure 1 · Honda Fit 2009–2013 · 470 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 88 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 4 complaints (0.9%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 4,444
- 25%
- 15,332
- Median
- 48,038
- 75%
- 85,733
- 90%
- 118,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 88 | 18.7% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 51 | 10.9% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 41 | 8.7% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 31 | 6.6% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 29 | 6.2% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 32 | 6.8% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 29 | 6.2% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 31 | 6.6% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 28 | 6.0% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 28 | 6.0% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 26 | 5.5% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 10 | 2.1% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 11 | 2.3% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 9 | 1.9% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 6 | 1.3% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 3 | 0.6% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 5 | 1.1% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 2 | 0.4% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 4 | 0.9% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 2 | 0.4% |
| 200,000+ | 4 | 0.9% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Common Fit problems, and when they happen
Figure 2 · Honda Fit 2009–2013
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Body structure39 reports46,0009,000–81,000Body structure: 39 reports, median 46,000 miles, middle half 9,000 to 81,000 miles.
- Electrical system83 reports48,00017,000–89,000Electrical system: 83 reports, median 48,000 miles, middle half 17,000 to 89,000 miles.
- Engine51 reports49,00019,000–90,000Engine: 51 reports, median 49,000 miles, middle half 19,000 to 90,000 miles.
- Airbag system384 reports50,00019,000–68,000Airbag system: 384 reports, median 50,000 miles, middle half 19,000 to 68,000 miles.
- Problems owners could not categorise46 reports70,00041,000–99,000Problems owners could not categorise: 46 reports, median 70,000 miles, middle half 41,000 to 99,000 miles.
- Steering98 reports77,00037,000–106,000Steering: 98 reports, median 77,000 miles, middle half 37,000 to 106,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline86 reports93,00070,000–120,000Transmission and driveline: 86 reports, median 93,000 miles, middle half 70,000 to 120,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
All systems in a table
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag system | 384 | 44.0% | 50,000 | 19,000–68,000 |
| Steering | 98 | 11.2% | 77,000 | 37,000–106,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 86 | 9.9% | 93,000 | 70,000–120,000 |
| Electrical system | 83 | 9.5% | 48,000 | 17,000–89,000 |
| Engine | 51 | 5.8% | 49,000 | 19,000–90,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 46 | 5.3% | 70,000 | 41,000–99,000 |
| Body structure | 39 | 4.5% | 46,000 | 9,000–81,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 30 | 3.4% | 14,000 | 3,000–31,000 |
| Visibility equipment | 27 | 3.1% | 14,000 | 8,000–30,000 |
| Tyres | 21 | 2.4% | 17,000 | 8,500–30,000 |
System by system, in words
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 48,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The airbag system accounts for 44.0% of complaints (384 reports, 77 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 50,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 19,000 and 68,000 miles.
A single system taking 44.0% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The steering accounts for 11.2% of complaints (98 reports, 81 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 77,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 37,000 and 106,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 9.9% of complaints (86 reports, 70 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 93,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 70,000 and 120,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 9.5% of complaints (83 reports, 64 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 48,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 17,000 and 89,000 miles.
The engine accounts for 5.8% of complaints (51 reports, 46 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 49,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 19,000 and 90,000 miles.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 5.3% of complaints (46 reports, 30 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 70,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 41,000 and 99,000 miles.
Known problems with the 2009–2013 Fit
Airbags 2009–2013
Takata frontal airbag inflator recalls span this generation, part of Honda's multi-campaign Takata remediation.
Body 2009–2013
Tailgate/hatch handle failure — the exterior release handle breaks or the microswitch fails, preventing the hatch from opening. A recurring, generation-specific complaint.
Suspension/Driveline 2009–2013
Front axle/CV shaft failures and premature front suspension wear are commonly reported for this generation.
Paint/Body 2009–2011
Clear coat delamination and peeling, reported by owners from roughly 70,000 miles onward, concentrated in the earliest model year.
Before you buy a 2009–2013 Fit: the 3-minute check
Generated from 470 mileage-tagged complaints, 14 recall campaigns, 4 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 14 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check airbags on 2009–2013 cars. Takata frontal airbag inflator recalls span this generation, part of Honda's multi-campaign Takata remediation.
- Check body on 2009–2013 cars. Tailgate/hatch handle failure — the exterior release handle breaks or the microswitch fails, preventing the hatch from opening. A recurring, generation-specific complaint.
- Check suspension/driveline on 2009–2013 cars. Front axle/CV shaft failures and premature front suspension wear are commonly reported for this generation.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 15,000 and 86,000 miles, with a median of 48,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the airbag system and the steering are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The airbag system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 50,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Fit problems by mileage: where your car sits
Type your odometer reading, or read the common mileages in the table. Your marker lands on the timing chart above and on the curve below.
| System | Middle half of reports, mi | At 60k mi58% below | At 90k mi77% below | At 120k mi90% below | At 150k mi96% below | At 200k mi99% below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag system | 19,000–68,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Steering | 37,000–106,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Transmission and driveline | 70,000–120,000 | later | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Electrical system | 17,000–89,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Engine | 19,000–90,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 41,000–99,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Body structure | 9,000–81,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
Figure 3 · Honda Fit 2009–2013 · 470 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 58% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 77% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 90% of reports below
- 150,000 mi — 96% of reports below
- 200,000 mi — 99% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it above
The staircase tops out at 99%: the remaining 0.9% of reports (4) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
2009–2013 Honda Fit recalls (14)
NHTSA records 14 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around the airbag system (10), the transmission and driveline (2), electronic stability control (esc) (1). Several campaigns against one area can mean a remedy that did not hold, or separate defects in parts filed under the same heading; the summaries below name each defect.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Dec 2020 · 2009–2013 · Power TrainA broken drive shaft may cause a sudden loss of drive power.
The defect. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Acura ILX, 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid, and 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles with a manual transmission and 2009-2013 Honda Fit vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in…
What can happen. A broken drive shaft may cause a sudden loss of drive power. The vehicle could also roll away if the parking brake has not been applied before the vehicle has been exited. Either condition can…
The free fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the drive shafts, replacing either the left or right drive shaft, if necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk with an…
Jun 2019 · 2009–2013 · Air BagsAn inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in…
The defect. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011…
What can happen. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The free fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at…
Jun 2019 · 2009–2013 · Air BagsAn inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in…
The defect. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013 Acura ILX, 2015 RDX, 2005-2010 and 2012 RL, 2009-2014 TL, 2010 and 2012 ZDX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2011-2013 and 2015 CR-Z, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013 Fit EV, 2010-2011 and 2013 Insight and 2007-2014 Ridgeline…
What can happen. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The free fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.…
May 2019 · 2009–2013 · Air BagsAn incorrectly installed air bag inflator may not properly deploy the passenger frontal air bag in the event…
The defect. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V…
What can happen. An incorrectly installed air bag inflator may not properly deploy the passenger frontal air bag in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The free fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator installation and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019.…
Sep 2018 · 2010–2013 · Air BagsAn inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in…
The defect. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Insight and Acura TSX and TSX Wagon, 2014-2015 Honda Crosstour and Pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico…
What can happen. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The free fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at…
Apr 2018 · 2009–2013 · Air BagsAn incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The defect. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012…
What can happen. An incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The free fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018. Owners may contact Honda…
Jan 2018 · 2009–2013 · Air BagsAn inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in…
The defect. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX, ZDX, Honda Accord Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot vehicles, 2011-13 Acura TSX Sportswagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord,, 2010-2011 Honda Civic, Civic NGV, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles…
What can happen. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The free fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at…
Aug 2017 · 2009–2012 · Air BagsIn the event of a crash, an incorrectly installed passenger frontal air bag inflator may deploy the air bag…
The defect. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2008-2012 Accord, 2010-2012 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2012 Fit and Pilot, 2010-2012 Insight, and 2009-2012 Acura TSX vehicles that received replacement passenger frontal air…
What can happen. In the event of a crash, an incorrectly installed passenger frontal air bag inflator may deploy the air bag improperly, increasing the risk of injury.
The free fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at…
Jan 2017 · 2009–2012 · Air BagsAn inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury…
The defect. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Acura TSX, 2011-2012 Acura TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Acura ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2012 Honda Accord Crosstour and Honda Insight, 2009-2012 Honda Fit, 2009-2012 Pilot, 2007-2011 Honda CR-V…
What can happen. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The free fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The manufacturer has mailed an interim notification, and will send a second notification…
May 2016 · 2009–2011 · Air BagsAn inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury…
The defect. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Acura TSX, 2011 TSX Wagon, 2010-2011 Acura ZDX, 2008-2011 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid, and Civic GX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2010-2011 FCX Clarity…
What can happen. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The free fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this…
Feb 2016 · 2009–2013 · Air BagsIn the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture…
The defect. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016 Acura ILX, 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2007-2016 RDX, 2005-2012…
What can happen. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or…
The free fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this…
May 2014 · 2013 · Power TrainIf the driveshaft fractures and separates while driving, the vehicle would lose power and coast to a stop.
The defect. American Honda Motor Co., Ltd, (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2013 Honda Fit vehicles manufactured May 24, 2013, through July 5, 2013, and equipped with a manual transmission. The passenger side driveshaft may break while driving due to an improper…
What can happen. If the driveshaft fractures and separates while driving, the vehicle would lose power and coast to a stop. If a vehicle with a fractured driveshaft is parked without the parking brake applied, the…
The free fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the passenger side driveshaft and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 23, 2014. Owners may contact Honda customer…
Apr 2013 · 2012–2013 · Electronic Stability Control (esc)Excessive yaw rates prevent the proper function of the electronic stability control (ESC) system, increasing…
The defect. Honda is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Honda Fit Sport vehicles manufactured from May 23, 2011, through March 22, 2013, and model year 2012-2013 Honda Fit base vehicles manufactured from June 27, 2011, through April 19, 2013. In April 2013, Honda…
What can happen. Excessive yaw rates prevent the proper function of the electronic stability control (ESC) system, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Honda will notify owners and dealers will update the ESC software free of charge. The safety recall began on August 1, 2013. Owners may contact Honda automobile customer service at 1-800-999-1009.…
Feb 2011 · 2009–2010 · Engine and Engine CoolingA failure of the spring assemblies may cause the vehicle to stall during operation increasing the risk of a…
The defect. Honda is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Honda Fit vehicles. There is a potential for one or more of the four spring assemblies on the engine's variable valve timing and lift electronic control (vtec) system to fail.
What can happen. A failure of the spring assemblies may cause the vehicle to stall during operation increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will inspect and replace the spring assemblies in the engine if necessary free of charge. The safety recall began on march 7, 2011. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
Crashes, fires and injuries owners reported
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 872 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 70 (8.0%)
- Fires
- 8
- Injury reports
- 45
- Fatality reports
- 0
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Fit problems by model year
The 2009 drew the most complaints of this generation, 287, most of them about the airbag system, and the 2011 the fewest, 113. A typical year drew about 176.
The first year of the generation, 2009, drew more complaints than a typical year. A count like this follows how many cars of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as how often they failed, so it is not by itself evidence of a worse year; what each year's reports name, in its card and row, is the useful part.
| Year | Complaints | With mileage | Median miles | Most reported | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 287 | 164 | 60,000 | Airbag system (104) | 11 |
| 2010 | 183 | 98 | 40,000 | Airbag system (83) | 12 |
| 2011 | 113 | 54 | 67,000 | Airbag system (64) | 11 |
| 2012 | 113 | 71 | 49,000 | Airbag system (41) | 11 |
| 2013 | 176 | 83 | 29,000 | Airbag system (92) | 10 |
What Fit owners reported
The contact owns a 2012 Honda Fit. The contact stated that while making a turn from a complete stop at the exit of a gas station, the vehicle became immovable, and there was an abnormally high-pitched grinding sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to AAA Auto Body Shop, where the…
2012 · 88,000 miles · Transmission and driveline
The contact owns a 2011 Honda Fit. The contact stated while driving uphill at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The maintenance warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil and fuel. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle fully, the fuel…
2011 · 87,000 miles · Engine
The contact owns a 2011 Honda Fit. The contact stated that the rear passenger and driver's side doors failed to open. The occupants in the rear seats were unable to exit the vehicle. The occupants had to climb over the seat and exit through the front doors. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was…
2011 · 100,000 miles · Latches and locks
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Fit. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled with a grinding sound coming from the vehicle. Upon restarting the vehicle, the failure persisted with the ABS warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle started rolling forward while in park(P) and the parking…
2013 · 120,000 miles · Transmission and driveline
Built from 470 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-09-26 · open data · how it is built
Other Fit generations
- Fit 2007–2008 431 reports with mileage, most about the airbag system
- Fit 2015–2020 293 reports with mileage, most about the electrical system