Hi there everyone, I'm a brand new Honda Fit owner. Bought one (AT Sport, 64k miles, black) last week and loving it so far.

Unfortunately, I am running into some problems...I think maybe the car dealership didn't actually inspect the vehicle at all before I bought it.

First off, a very minor thing: the windshield wipers are not even close to the size they're supposed to be. Measured them over the weekend and I've got a 13" blade on the driver's side and a 17" blade on the passenger. If you're thinking that I can't see out of the driver's side if it rains, you're absolutely correct!

Anyway, moving on...the tires on the Fit are pretty bad, I think. They're a weird brand that one of my friends says is illegal (Goodride?) and either the brakes and rotors are bad on the car or the tires are just crap because when I stop at slower speeds the car likes to vibrate a bit.

Lastly, and most importantly, I've done a good bit of searching on here and other sites about the weird water rushing noise that happens in the dash. I've concluded it can be a very minor thing (like air in coolant system or a pinhole leak in a hose) or a very major one (the heater core failing). Which of course is not helpful at all. I checked the coolant yesterday and it was pretty low, so I filled it in hopes that I can gauge what's going on by the amount of coolant I'm losing...

So here's the dilemma: do I have the dealership reinspect it and hope they'll catch everything this time? Or should I just give it back altogether?

I know that was a lot to read, but any advice would be appreciated--thanks!

 

I had the weird water rushing noise in my dash too after I had my coolant flushed but it turned out to be air in the lines and my dealership redid it for free. Still freaked me out a little bit.

 

Was it a Honda dealer? If not, I would pay & have a a trusted garage do an independent inspection-- generally I do not trust the seller's inspection on used cars-- is it a Honda Certified used car?

 

No, it was not a Honda dealer and it is not certified used. I was thinking of getting an independent inspection too, but since I used European-specific car mechanics before, I don't know of any good mechanics around.

I'll look around for one and maybe have them inspect it before the warranty runs up and I can't get it fixed anymore. I'd rather be out $100 than $12,000!

 

Most used car dealers don't do any kind of an inspection before they sell a car. They might tend to things that are obvious but that's all. The time to do the inspection is before you buy the car and not after you buy it. Good luck in giving it back to them.

 

That water sound is normal. It's part of the AC. It probably does it at times when you have or have had the AC on or when you have your vents set to the front defogger.

As for the tires and wipers. That's just the past owner being a cheap idiot. All cars are gonna go through tires every few years and wipers should be changed once a year so those are pretty minor.

What was your reason for buying the car? Does it run well? Aside from those minor issues listed are you happy with the car? I just got new tires for my Fit. Up here they cost $160ea. Down in the U.S. the same ones are only $68ea so you don't have it too bad. Luckily I found a set on craigslist for $100 ea.

 

I guess I should mention that my parents know the GM at this dealership (hence why it was bought there and not at a Honda dealer). Because of this, I guess we thought that things would get taken care of properly and that we wouldn't have to get an outside inspection.

Maybe we assumed too much.

That's comforting. It does seem to happen when I turn the AC on. (Didn't turn it on yesterday and it didn't happen). I'm keeping an eye on it and hoping it's not the heater core. Those things are insane to replace.

As for the tires and wipers, I think they were actually put on by the dealership. They are easy enough to replace though. I just thought I'd mention it, but I'm not terribly concerned about them.

Annnd, my reason for buying the car? I love it! I like the way it drives and looks and everything I've read about it is very appealing. In my mind, it's a great blend of style and utilitarianism, which is exactly what I was looking for. Also got a good deal on it in this ridiculous used car market.

 

If you love the car & have a relationship with the dealer through your parents.--why not ask them to do a complimentary safety eval of the car just to make sure it wasn't in a wreck. If others say the water sound is normal, than have them fix it by flushing the coolant. Replace the cheap tires when they wear out. Then rest easy- the Fit is great car & enjoy your new ride.

 

These are some pretty minor issues compared to what kind of problems could be found on any used car. When I bought my used Accord, I noticed a few days later that there was a bubble in one of the tires. They wouldn't replace it since it wasn't mentioned at the time of purchase because for all they know, I could have caused it to happen. Plus the tires were pretty new, so it wasn't like they needed to be replaced if you were to look at them.

 

Just an update - I have indeed kept the vehicle and have since had the rotors/brakes replaced and the coolant system looked at.

They wanted to recharge the AC because of the gurgling noise, but I told them not to. i have a feeling they were just doing it to appease me rather than actually knowing the problem and remedying it.

I added coolant and the watery noise seems to have stopped for now. Hopefully it won't lead to problems down the line!

But thanks to everyone for your input and advice, I'm looking forward to driving my little Fit somewhere aside from the dealership!