I'm looking at an 07 Fit Sport AT that is at a dealership over 2 hours away.
What should I specifically look for/inspect/listen for that is this generation of
Fit specific. What common problems occur that can be detected during a look around
and test drive? I can do easy fixes I've worked on Honda's for 13 years now
and have two others (prelude and turboed accord) having said that I know there's
huge red flags to look for in each of them.I.e. never buy a sport shift prelude
or thoroughly check the navi system on a 7th gen accord. That's what I'm
looking to watch out for on this Fit.
Thank you a ton for any help!

 

Coil packs, they go bad. It's noticeable though, symptoms like stuttering, shuddering, power loss, misfiring, really noticeable and you can't miss it. CEL also illuminates sometimes.

How many miles does it have?

Besides the coil packs there's really nothing else to be worried about mechanically. The Fit is a pretty solid and basic car, no fancy technology that can go bad too quickly.

 

I should've put that in the original post.
It has 101,000 miles on it.

 

101k, you probably have the coil packs due for replacement in a few thousand miles, unless they've been already replaced. Valve adjustment is also probably due.

 

Are the new updated coil packs distinguishiable by just opening the hood?s Is there an exposed part number to look for anything? I assume coil pack is easy enough to do if not. Valve adjustment I've done on an H22, remove valve cover, use gauge tool and adjust to spec. Is it a much bigger deal on the fit? Thanks a ton for the info.

 

There is no exposed P/N that I'm aware of. The coil pack is easy to replace and you seem pretty mechanically savvy so that should be a cake walk for you!

It's plug and play, even I could do it and I'm no pro!

 

Nice find with that Fit. Most being sold I've seen are over 150K!

Anyway, be careful about asking this question here. Not that it's a bad question, but it can lead those with problems to report them more readily. Those with issues may not represent the entirety of Fit owners, in other words. So just be aware of that.

Personally, I've not noticed any issues with my Fit that I didn't cause. In my experience, I would try to remove the doors as little as possible, because the arm rest portions will start to rattle. So, if you're going to replace your speakers yourself, like I did, be VERY careful with the arm rest parts. The plastic is flimsy and WILL rattle afterwards.

Other than that, just do regular maintenance, and you'll be just fine.

 

At 100k miles, the front sway bar end links will be near the end of their lives, as well as the shocks/struts.

Brake pads may or may not still be original as well. I'd look at those.

Basically, outside of what the others have mentioned, just your basic common sense stuff.

 

I just bought my 07 daily driver project Fit today with 132k from a Kia dealer.. 2 hours away from me. Drove like a champ, clutch feels clunky out of first gear but that could just be me needing to get used to it.. Only thing i've noticed wrong is the gurgling sounds when sitting at idle or moving slow.. it's not the gas tank, it sounds like the radiator hoses have air in them.. Seems to be quite common on these cars.. not sure if there's a hole letting air in somewhere in the cooling system. Either way, i feel like i got a good Fit manual with 132k.. The valves are very very quiet (i expected a lot more ticking sounds) and no stutters or hiccups. You'll just know if it drives funky or feels weird. Everything should be super smooth in my opinion.

 

The Fit's gas tank is right under the driver's seat so you can always hear the fuel swishing around. I've never noticed a "gurgling" sound however.

Gratz on the Fit by the way, how much did you get her for?

 

It's not the gas tank, that's a seperate sound.. it sounds like the coolant system has air in it.. According to another thread, i need to pop the radiator cap, let the engine idle until the fans kick on (which should open the thermostat, this lets the air bleed out then top off the radiator fluid and put the cap back on). Should eliminate the gurgling sound.. however the bigger question is if there's a n air leak or radiator leak somewhere now.

I picked it up for $6200 pre-TTT.. Not a bad deal and I'll be creating a restoral thread for it.. It needs some TLC but it's going to be an awesome project car as well as my daily driver/trip car. Can't wait to log a lot of miles on it and see how reliable it is for me.

 

That's nice!

Are you planning something like a k-series swap by any chance?

 

No, not at all and never.. This is firstly my daily driver so good mpg is important to me..so any mods that would jeopardize MPG would definately not be involved in my build. You could easily pick up a 06 Si for cheap these days if you want K20 though.. and better yet, already has a great 6 speed transmission and factory LSD to boot! I've owned a '11 Si and a '13 Si.

 

Well I pulled the trigger. Fingers are crossed :-)

 

Awesome photo!

She looks so clean. Are those body colored visors?

 

They are :-)