I just bought a new 2012 Fit and I'm surprised at the problems the car has. While driving at highway speeds the car wanders all over the road, the steering doesn't return to center, at times pulls to one side, and at all times at has very stiff steering. It's extremely tiring to drive on the highway because of the high force required and constant correction needed to stay in the lane.
The air conditioning doesn't cool much and the temperature differential between incoming and vent air is less than it should be.
The clutch pedal is very low at times and somewhat normal at other times. There must be air in the line.
Any one else having these problems with their new Fit? The service manager at the dealer I bought it from test drove the car and said everything was normal and this is the way all Fits are. To his credit he had me drive another Fit which I expected to be the same but it wasn't. The AC was colder per his digital thermometer, the steering was lighter and required less correction, and the clutch was higher. The service manager said the car is to spec and my only recorse it to take it up with the district service manager since he claims this is how Honda builds them. Sounds like BS to me.

 

I'd take it in to get get looked at, maybe at another dealership - the first time in mine the AC wasn't that powerful, but now it's as good or better than the Ford Taurus I traded in. it is "lighter" on the road, but the alignment is good.

I used to have issues like that with my Taurus when I first got it, the dealership I bought it from had HORRIBLE service and often did more harm than good, thankfully there was another dealership close to work that fixed the issues.

 

I would try another dealer since it is under warranty and see if you get the same results.

 

Honestly, if you mentioned ONE or TWO of those problems, I'd believe you have a strong case. But all those problems on one Fit? I dunno.

Did you just come from a 3-Series BMW to a Fit? Sounds like your expectations for a B-segment car could be a tad too high. But no worries, here are some fixes:

Progess RSB: https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...rsb-worth.html

R134-a never seems to cool as well as the old R-12 stuff did (dang you "hole in the ozone critics," lol). If you are still concerned have a reputable AC place have a look at it. Then take their opinion to the dealer.

If there was any air in that hydraulic clutch, it'd probably fail constantly. I do know it's a very soft clutch. I get thrown off a bit switching between the Subaru which has a stiff pedal and the Fit. If you find yourself consistently missing gear changes or feel gears slipping into neutral while giving it power, then take it to the dealer. You'll have a good case.

I personally have had ZERO problems with my '12 Fit over the past 10 months and 25,000+ miles. I by no means am trying to bag on ya' man, but calmly take a step back and make sure you aren't being an automotive hypochondriac. I'm constantly paranoid, too, that my Fit is doing weird things or making weird noises and 100% of the time it turns out to be all in my head. My mental conditioning from years of owning terrible cars, I guess.

I wish you well. Give the little car a chance. It's built a lot better than you think.

 

Tomcas,

I got to drive my wifes new fit for the first time on suday. While the AC worked great, and its an automatic, I did notice the wandering. I was thinking while on the highway it was from other cars blowing by, but it wasnt that at all. It just seems to go a little bit, then you compensate, and it goes the other way.

I do drive a cadillac and dont expect that kind of quality from a much cheaper car but at the same time I also drive an old beat up civic and it doesnt "wander" anywhere but the direction I point it. I havent done much research on the topic, but Id like to find out what/if there is any cure for it. She drives 100+ miles a day to work, and for such a small car I dont want it to be a PITA death trap for her to drive. Other than that she loves it, and hasnt said anything about it being a problem for her. But I definitely noticed it.

 

Im having the same problems you are. I notice the wandering a lot and I too thought it was because of cars blowing by. The ac isnt as cold as i would like it to be and only kicks into freezing cold when im on the highway. I love my fit, but those little things tend to be big things when you drive it everyday. It is my second home.

 

Fits do tend to 'wander' a bit at highway speeds. A Beatrush undertray (or whatever there is similar to it for the new models) is an easy and very effective fix; it redirects airflow under the car and plants the front wheels much more firmly on the pavement. Check my sig for a link to more discussion on the topic.

That said, the dealer should have offered to check the alignment. Misaligned cars from the factory are not unheard of.

Ditto the AC. Fits do not have the most powerful system in the world to be sure, but gee whiz. The dealer should have stepped up, especially after having driven another car and documenting the difference himself. Heck, it could be as simple as something blocking the cabin air filter. The dealer should look into it for you and *verify* that everything is working right, not just try to blow you off with "that's how they build them".

I haven't heard of any variable clutch activation issues so I can't comment on that. Do you have floor mats installed? Are they staying in place? Again though, the dealer should take the car into the shop and check it over, if only to reassure himself that there is nothing wrong.

My experience with two local Honda dealers is that they are an arrogant bunch, both in the sales and service departments. It feels to me as though they think they're doing me a favor by taking my money. In fact they don't get to do that anymore, because I found a shop that treats me better.

 

I'm 55 years old so I've had a few different cars and driven a little. The last car was a 01 Mazda 2WD truck so you know a BMW was never one of them and most were standard transmissions. The last 3 were not R12 AC and they worked a lot better. Like I said, the other Fit the service manager had me drive cooled better so why would you suggests it was because of the 134 refrigerant. The other Fit had lighter steering and less wander. I've never missed a shift and have no problem changing gears. The clutch just catches almost off the floor, but not all the time. I've been driving the car for a month now and I know what I observe. I'm glad your Fit is working fine but my new one has problems and of that I'm certain. Honda has some serious quality issues with this car.

 

All cars come off the assembly line 4/5 assembled. The dealership then does a Pre-Delivery-Inspection or a PDI for short, and completes the car. There are over 200 checks they do and they are supposed to check the torque on a hundred more things.

It is perfectly possible that your Fit is not aligned properly and would account for your drifting and not returning to center.

It is perfectly possible that your refrigerant is low and needs to be topped up.

It is perfectly possible that your clutch needs adjusting.

If the service manager is not willing to entertain your concerns in a respectful manner I would go to another dealer (warranty work welcomed....believe me) and follow up with a call to Honda Care. Honda can't fix what they don't know is broken.

Can you really trust that dealer anymore? Are your loyalties misplaced?

No amount of modifications ( sway bars / tires / ect.) can replace the feeling of knowing in your gut that you have a mechanically sound car.

After you can upgrade some small things to make your Fit perform better. But first get it adjusted properly and don't stop asking Honda until you get a warm fuzzy.

My two cents.

Dwayne

 

I can't say I've had similar issues with any of my three 2012 Fits.

 

On the AC, if it is noticeably different than the comparison car, I would not leave the dealer alone until they get it working properly. Simple enough request since they compared another car!

On the wandering, I have noticed substantially worse ability to control cars with electric power steering (like the Fit). The reason is that while they are precise enough in responding to inputs, they do not provide the tactile feedback that many people unconsciously use to keep the car straight. This could be the case here and there will not be anything you can do about it except to pay attention more :P

If that's in fact the case, I agree with you it can be tiring. Something I've learned over the years is that many people on these forums drive in very different environments; if they live in one of the many places in the US where roads are straight, wide and generally well-surfaced, they might never notice the problem you mention. On the other hand, this weekend I took a long drive through mountainous, curving interstate with occasionally poor surface (this being the Northeast, so pretty standard) and I was truly exhausted after 1.5 hrs of speeding along - not the most uncomfortable car in the world to be sure, but requiring constant steering control and gas pedal application.

Or the alignment could be off. Because you cannot do anything about the first possibility, I would recommend checking the alignment, as well as the tire pressures.

 

I have 2012 Sport M/T the first weekend I drove it to Wilkes Barre, Pa around 60 miles. It was raining and windy on the way down and back I felt like I was fighting to keep the car in the lane. Got home felt exhausted just from the trip, told my wife I am getting rid of the car. Needless to say I kept the car continue to drive it and really had no problems since then I also lower it with Eibach springs. In my case it could of been the conditions that I was driving.

I would not suggest modifying the car to get the car where you feel it needs to be. I would take it to another dealer to get the issues addressed.

 

Tomcas, I've had my 2012 5spd Base Fit since April and have noticed a few of the quirks you mentioned. Hate to complain about this cool little car, but they do get annoying.

Any trips on a hot day (90+ degrees) that last longer that 90 minutes, the Air Conditioning begins to weaken and basically becomes useless.

Can't drive much faster than 70 on the highway or the car becomes squirrely and hard to keep in a straight line. (Probably for the best.... LESS TICKETS)

Clutch (mainly shifting from 1st to 2nd gear) feels different from any other car I've ever driven. Almost like it grabs too early. Have 4500 miles on the car and I still can't get used to it.

I'll be taking it in for my 1st service in 2 weeks. I'll run some of these issues by the service department and see what they say.

 

1- Air conditioning - There is a DIY on how to insulate your AC lines. Cheap and easy. Basically use some hot water pipe insulation tubes from Home Depot. 5-10$. Keeps it cold on a stinking hot day...

2- Squirely...Hmmm check tire pressure all around and make sure you get an alignment done. Even before I installed my sway bar my Fit was rock solid at 80-90+ on the highway in a straight line...

Please report back with your findings after you visit the dealership.

Dwayne

 

If the AC is gradually weakening, that indicates to me that its freezing up. The AC should be able to run pretty much indefinitely putting out the same temps.

I've found that this is a function of the road and wind conditions as much as anything. If the road has depressions from semis driving all in the same path, it gets really bad because the car is narrow. Similarly with wind. That said, my impression is that its gotten better with more miles on the car.

I would ask them to check the ac system pressures. A few people have reported slight under filling of the ac system

 

Run more air pressure up front and the wandering will go away, or slow down.

 

i own a 2012 fit sport nav and yeah i notice the wandering to i got new tires 205/50 that shit was GONE !!! now im happy or BUmp psi all around to 37 psi fuk that 32psi looks liek there flat lol

 

Squirrelly handling mostly went away for me at 30K when the factory tires were bald on the edges and I replaced with Michelins and had it aligned. The tire shop mentioned it was pretty far out of alignment. I wish I had it aligned when new (the service manager drove it and said it didn't need it). But then the crappy OE tires might've lasted longer. And it is a short wheelbase.

1,400 mile round trip in July along I75 and FL Turnpike. I'm happy to report the A/C performed well and the car was steady on the road. Not at all nervous even with high (20mph) crosswinds and lots of semis.

Insist on alignment. If they refuse take it somewhere else and bring back the report with a receipt and ask for reimbursement. Even if they refuse that it's worth the $70 to tell them "I told you so." Might be the crappy tires. Not much you can expect from the dealer on that, but if another unit handled differently then it's alignment.

The A/C isn't very strong. But it should cool the car adequately and not freeze up (comment above about stopping working after 90 minutes). I'd have pressures checked either by Honda or another shop if they refuse (and take the report/receipts). Both conditions are symptoms of low refrigerant.

You shouldn't have to fight with them on these things. But my own experience was they'd try to talk you out of thinking something is wrong. Maybe adjustments like these come out of the dealers' budgets.

I thought the clutch was spongy when I test drove a manual. Didn't like the throttle hang and the springy shift linkage. But many reviews give it top marks. go figure. My son's 95 Miata 5-speed is a blast to drive. He's learned not to leave the keys lying around. I think the clutch issue may be the delay valve. Not sure its purpose, but here's some chatter on it.

 

I'd read a lot of good reviews of the manual on the Fit as well, and concur. It's nowhere near as crisp or responsive as my '94 Miata was. However it's much much better than the gearbox I had in the Altima I just traded in.

Then again, the sticks on the Miatas sit directly on top of the gearbox so it'd be kind of hard for any front wheel drive gearbox to feel as good.

 

The tires on these cars are bad... They have little to no grip, and make the car feel like it is floating at times. It is not the suspension, which is actually pretty tight.

It could be alignment, but I really really think that it is the cheap tires.