2012 Honda Fit Electrical Problems

While driving my regular commute to work with the radio on, the radio and interior lights (not sure if headlights because I can't see them) flashed on and off and the power steering warning light flashed on and off. At that time, the car jerked and I lost power steering for a moment. This happened several times and the radio stopped working. This did not happen on the way home, but reoccured a few days later. I made an appointment with the dealer They had my car for the day and were not able to locate the issue, but they fixed my radio and told me to bring it back if it happened again. They checked alternator, fuses, and looked for an electrical short. A few weeks later, it happened again, I brought the car back and they could not find the problem, but fixed the radio. The car was fine for a month and it is happening again. Losing power steering while driving is a serious safety hazard for myself and others.

NHTSA ID

11567103

Incident

Jan 18, 2024

ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING LIGHT TURNED ON INTERMITTENTLY. THIS CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK UP OR BE REALLY HARD TO STEER. THIS TYPICALLY HAPPENS AT LOWER SPEED OR WHEN IDLE. THIS CAN OCCUR MID STEER AT TIMES AS WELL.

NHTSA ID

11302835

Incident

Jan 29, 2020

Mileage

46,000 mi

BECAUSE HONDA CHOSE TO USE SOY-BASED WIRES FOR THE WIRES LEADING TO THE TRANSMISSION, THEY ARE VERY, VERY TEMPTING TO RODENTS. IN FACT, IN 2015, A RODENT OF SOME SORT CRAWLED INTO MY ENGINE AND CHEWED THROUGH THE WIRING THAT CONTROLS MY TRANSMISSION. PART OF THE REPAIR WAS THAT THEY WRAPPED THE REPLACEMENT WIRES IN "SPECIAL TAPE" HONDA MAKES TO DETER RODENTS (IT'S SPICY). (IN OTHER WORDS, THEY KNOW THIS IS AN ISSUE AND REFUSE TO FIX IT.) DESPITE A) PARKING IN A GARAGE B) HAVING THE REPELLENT TAPE ON THERE C) HAVING PEST CONTROL AND NO RODENT ISSUE WHERE I PARK, I STARTED MY CAR YESTERDAY TO FIND THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS 2015. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT LIT UP AND THE D (DRIVE ICON) WAS FLASHING. WHEN I SHIFTED FROM PARK TO REVERSE, THE CAR SHOOK REALLY HARD. EVERY TIME THE TRANSMISSION TRIED TO AUTOMATICALLY SHIFT WHILE DRIVING TO THE DEALERSHIP DOWN THE STREET, THE CAR WOULD CLUNK AND SHAKE. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT A RODENT HAD CHEWED THROUGH THE WIRES THAT HELP CONTROL THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN AND THAT IT WAS A "COMMON PROBLEM." COMMON ENOUGH IN FACT THAT THE DEALER TOLD ME ABOUT A GUY WHO HAD IT FIXED, THEN A WEEK LATER, HAD TO HAVE IT FIXED AGAIN DUE TO MORE RODENTS. THEY SAID IT WAS JUST A FACT OF OWNING A VEHICLE. THEY SUGGESTED I "OPT FOR THE SPICY TAPE," WHICH THEY CHARGE MORE FOR. I EXPLAINED THAT IF THEY'D LOOKED AT MY ENGINE, THEY'D KNOW I ALREADY HAD THAT TAPE ON THERE! THE SERVICEMAN THEN SHRUGGED AND SAID HE COULDN'T HELP ME. THAT IT COULD HAPPEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND THERE WAS "NOTHING" I COULD DO. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A RECALL ISSUE TO ME AND A MANUFACTURER REFUSING TO COVER THIS UNDER WARRANTY.

NHTSA ID

10953886

Incident

Feb 9, 2017

Mileage

44,200 mi

AT AROUND 50,000 MILES REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCK FAILS TO OPEN WHEN USING POWER UNLOCK SYSTEM FROM FRONT DOOR OR KEY. MUST MANUALLY UNLOCK. AT 75,000 MILES DRIVER DOOR FAILS TO UNLOCK OR LOCK USING POWER UNLOCK/LOCK SYSTEM AND MUST MANUALLY BE LOCKED/UNLOCKED. THE LOCKING/UNLOCKING POWER SYSTEMS STARTED AS INTERMITTENT BUT HAVE BECOME NON-FUNCTIONAL NOW.

NHTSA ID

10924002

Incident

Nov 3, 2016

Mileage

75,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA FIT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE KEY FELL OUT OF THE CONNECTED FOB AND THE VEHICLE STALLED . THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE KEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 03/30/15*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE OLD PART IS AVAILABLE. UPDATED 6/22/2014 *JS

NHTSA ID

10690289

Incident

Nov 20, 2014

Mileage

50,000 mi

THE TIRES WOULD ALL LOSE AIR WITHIN WEEKS, EVERY MONTH, DRIVEN OR NOT, AND STILL DO. FROM 4 TO 20 POUNDS OF AIR PER TIRE, STILL DO. I THINK I HAVE ROTTEN SO CALLED NEW TIRES, AS IT WAS A NEW CAR. *JS ALSO IF I LEFT 1 INSIDE LIGHT ON BY MISTAKE OVERNITE, IT WOULD NEED A JUMP START FOR OVER 2 YEARS. AFTER ABOUT 12 OF THEM IN 6 MONTHS, THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY, NO CHARGE, AND NO MORE NEED FOR A JUMP START THE 1 TIME LEFT THE INTERIOR DASH LIGHT ON, THE OVERHEAD LITTLE 1/2 SIDE OF A LIGHT. MECHANICS ARE THE WORST I HAVE EVER USED. WORST AND WISH I NEVER GOT THE CAR. IT IS A BAD JOKE AND GETS TOPS 28 MPG REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT SAYS ON ITS LITTLE GAS KEEPER

NHTSA ID

10609097

Incident

Jan 5, 2012

Mileage

2,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA FIT SPORT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD RECUR INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE OR THE ELECTRIC THROTTLE PEDAL COULD HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,700 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 19,000. UPDATED 05/12/14 MA THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN 2 ACCIDENTS, DUE TO THE VEHICLES SUDDEN DECELERATION AND ACCELERATION. UPDATED 05/15/14

NHTSA ID

10574437

Incident

Oct 7, 2013

Mileage

12,700 mi

ON 12/31/2013 I PARKED MY HONDA FIT 2012 IN THE PARKING GARAGE OF CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES AT 6AM AND LEFT IT THERE WHILE MY LITTLE GIRL HAD SURGERY. WHEN I RETURNED TO IT AT 4:30, I WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOORS WITH THE KEY FOB. THE LIGHT ON THE FOB FLASHED, SO I KNEW IT WASN'T THE PROBLEM. THERE IS ONLY ONE KEYED LOCK ON THE CAR ON THE DRIVER'S HANDLE. I TRIED TO PUT THE KEY INTO THIS MECHANICAL LOCK, BUT IT WOULD ONLY GO HALF-WAY AND WOULD NOT OPEN THE DOOR. I CALLED THE HONDA CARE LINE WHO SENT A TOW TRUCK WHOSE DRIVER TRIED FOR HALF AN HOUR OR SO TO UNLOCK THE DOOR THROUGH THE WINDOW, THEN SAID HE COULDN'T DO IT AND LEFT. I CALLED THE HONDA NUMBER AGAIN; THEY SENT ANOTHER TRUCK WHOSE DRIVER TRIED FOR ANOTHER HALF HOUR OR SO, THEN LEFT. I CALLED MY CAR INSURANCE COMPANY, STATE FARM, WHO SENT A AAA TRUCK WHOSE DRIVER ALSO TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR WITH THE AIR BLADDER DEVICE IN THE WINDOW, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. AT THAT POINT I ASKED HIM TO BREAK THE SMALL, FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW. HE DID SO, THEN HE WAS ABLE TO UNLOCK THE DOOR, RAISE THE HOOD AND JUMP THE BATTERY TO START MY CAR. THE HOOD CAN'T BE OPENED EXCEPT BY THE LATCH INSIDE THE CAR. HOW IS IT LEGAL FOR A CAR TO BE BUILT WITHOUT A WAY TO LIFT THE HOOD TO JUMP THE BATTERY? AS LONG AS I COULDN'T OPEN THE DOOR, I WAS UNABLE TO START THE CAR. THERE IS NO WAY TO GET INTO THE CAR WHEN THE BATTERY IS DEAD. I HAVEN'T BEEN GIVEN ANY EXPLANATION ABOUT THIS OR ABOUT WHY THE CAR CAN'T BE OPENED IF THE BATTERY IS DEAD. FOR OVER THREE AND A HALF HOURS MY CHILD WHO'D JUST HAD TWO SURGERIES SAT IN A WHEELCHAIR WHILE THE PEOPLE I'VE PAID TO HELP ME WERE UNABLE TO UNLOCK MY CAR.THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED ANYWHERE. FORTUNATELY I WAS IN A PARKING GARAGE AND NOT IN A PARKING LOT OR ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET. *TR

NHTSA ID

10560160

Incident

Dec 31, 2013

Mileage

12,000 mi

COMPUTER KEEPS SAYING TO "CHECK FUEL CAP." EVEN AFTER SEVERAL COMPLETE SHUT OFFS AND TIGHTENING OF THE FUEL CAP, THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO HAPPEN. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERYDAY, JUST SPORADICALLY. IT ALSO ONLY HAS HAPPENED AFTER PARKING ON A FLAT SURFACE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10478394

Incident

Oct 1, 2012

Mileage

6,200 mi