Hello all, I am the second owner of a 2009 LX with about 240,000 KM on it. The previous owner only did the minimum maintenance required such as fluid changes and brakes. I'm hoping to hold on to the car for at least 2-3 years or 40,000-50,000 KM and I was curious if other owners of high mileage examples could give me some insight on the kind of components that commonly fail/need to be replaced. So far I have: replaced the AC compressor clutch assembly, tensioner bearing, accessory belt, and changed the MTF. I believe the clutch is original, however, it shifts fine.

An area that I am slightly worried about is steering. I have driven my brother's newer and lower mileage 2012 fit and the steering was very light and smooth, however, in mine, the steering is quite heavy and stiff, especially at lower speeds. I know the power steering is electric in these cars but is it an area of trouble? I am running 32 psi front and rear and also the balancing and alignment seem to be just fine too.

I know the topic of long-term maintenance is kind of vague but I would really appreciate any advice/tips from other owners. Thanks!

 

I think you should get your steering issues sorted quickly.

Look at the tire wear carefully as they may tell a story (and be the issue).

Jack up each wheel and check for play or noise. Inspect the suspension and steering components both visually and by tugging a bit at them. There are guides and videos to help you.

At that mileage in salty environments, I suppose anything is suspect.

It is tough to know how good tire balance and alignment is without actually checking.

I had rotten steering on similar cars. Fixes varied by car but included in my cases: tie rod ends, strut bearings, drop links, new tires, front end alignment.

 

So I just jacked up the car and took a look. All 4 wheels have even wear on them, the suspension doesn't bounce when I push down on it and when I pull on the wheels both at 9-3 and 12-6, there is no play or noise, they are rock solid. Now, of course, for a car that's lived its whole life in Ontario and has 240K on the original suspension, the suspension components are rusty as all hell, however, I haven't noticed any noise or play, even the steering wheel has no play in it. Driving down a straight road, the car doesnt pull to either side and there is very little shaking in the steering. Im not sure what could be causing the heavier steering, could it be the EPS module?

 

Might be your tires... Depending on the thread, some tires might cause heavier steering. If you have winter and summer tires, you can try switching to the other and see if it is better/worst.