So, this must be a HONDA (japan?) business decision to skimp on the manufacturing costs!

BTW, were any of these cars protected at all at the time of purchase with added clear-coat or rust protection (electronic devices or chemical protectant applications? It seems to be something most folks in snowy places go for. And it is not the SNOW but the road-salt (and infrequent washing during and soon after and before winter!) that seems to be the aggravating factor. I used to have a 2006 Suzuki Swift+ (made in Korea) that showed no rust whatsoever in 7 years (despite not being washed frequently enough). On the other hand my Toyota Tercel (1987) began showing tell-tale signs of rust in five-six years (despite rust protection done one year after purchase) and frequent washings, and a Mercury Villager (1994) despite rust protection and washing etc in about 7 years (and it went from spot to (rust) bucket zone in about 7 years! The used Dodge Colt (76, purchased in 1983) came with rust holes (amateurishly patched by previous owner), but hey it was a really cheap box that I needed to get from point A to point B! Come to think of it, isn't that true for ALL CARS? <LOL>

TTYL

 

I ran into similar corrosion problems in China after transferring manufacturing of large painted steel panels from a US facility to a China facility. Believe me, I didn't want to transfer jobs from the US to China, but it was the only way we could cut costs in order to remain competitive and stay in business. I think Honda faces the same dilemma of managing costs to remain competitive, and still produce a quality product. We never found shortcuts in material, but we did see a lack of process control.

Honda is faced with the problem of fastening, bending, and welding bare sheets of metal as it comes from a roll or sheets, yet it must still look good on the outside. The steel is initially covered with oil. Parts that come from a stamping die are covered with oil which is used to lubricate the stamping operation. These parts must then be cleaned to prepare them for welding or painting. This must be done rapidly in order to keep production rolling. The best surface for painting is one that is sandblasted. Sandblasting will also warp thin sheet steel, so this method is out of the question for auto manufacturers.

Painters use acid etching to clean and prepare the metal for paint. The acid will etch and clean the metal quickly, and will not warp or distort the part. It can be used on welded assemblies, but there is a problem of the acid getting into and especially out of the spot welded joints.

Spot welded areas must be clean and free of paint. Even galvanizing causes problems. The problem with keeping enclosed joints rust-free is that they can only be sealed from somewhere away from the joint, where the sheets of metal are spread far enough apart to be coated with any sort of compound that will seal it. Like most manufacturers, Honda probably dips their non cosmetic parts in a paint bath. They may have used a fast-drying paint to speed production after the paint dip. This does not allow much time for the paint to penetrate into the seams and joints. If they have computer-controlled transfer lines, they do not have to allow the paint to dry on-line. The parts are dipped into a paint which is slower drying and more penetrating. The parts are then conveyed to a storage area where the paint dries, and returned to the live production line.

If procedures are not adequately documented, or not precisely followed, corrosion will result. That's my theory.

 

Very good post from someone with real industrial experience. If you are still involved with this process using foreign labor, here is a suggestion from my own industrial past. A chemical solvent known as "111-trichloroethane" used to be the standard de-greasing solvent for all automotive and diesel welding procedures (until the E.P.A. banned it because it is an environmental hazard- dissolves the ozone layer in the atmosphere).

Engine blocks from autos through 20-cylinder locomotive engines used to be "boiled" in sealed tanks filled with trichloroethane because the solvent itself was not combustible, but would completely remove all petrochemical residue from blocks (right into the metal pores), heads, crankshafts, connecting rods, etc. Building up surfaces that were worn away with new metal with either welding or "thermo-spray" coatings would only have a reliable, machinable, bond if the substrate (base metal) were absolutely free of oil-based contaminants.

Chinese industrial plants don't give a crap about E.P.A. rules. Maybe your process could benefit from "Vapor De-greaser treatment" using trichloroethane as the solvent. We can't use it here anymore, but you could in China. You would just remove more of the ozone layer in other parts of the world.

 

So as someone with no experience in this field, the question I have is whether or not this issue can be corrected after production.

I get the feeling that the best my dealership will offer is to clean off the rust and spray a little paint on the affected areas. Nothing more than a quick patch.

 

Thanks for the helpful info guys, as with Connor55, I'm rather plebeian when it comes to the science of rust.

What I do know from experience is that road salt will eventually rust through any car.

Here in Montreal, it's pretty much a given that by the time a daily driver is 10 years old, it will be nothing more than a rolling pile of rust, unless of course extreme preventative maintenance is done. Also, it goes without saying that some cars are built to withstand the formation of rust better than others. Compare any German car around here to a similarly aged Mazda...

The issue with the Fit it seems is that some have already started rusting on their own even without the road salt catalyst. I can only imagine what might happen after 3 or 4 winters of salt water seeping into every nook and cranny of the car.

Our Fit is basically brand new, no signs of rust yet but I'll be keeping a very close eye on it.

 

Hey, if you're in Montreal, take your Fit to Barry's rustproofing on Jean-Talon just west of Cote-des-neiges. I did that with my 2007 Japanese fit and its holding up well (albeit only had one winter with my ownership.

 

While winters are probably a big reason for why this is happening, the area I'm in doesn't use road salt(it uses gravel and dirt yay), and is non coastal. In spite of this, this is happening to my car after just over one year of ownership.

I wash my car regularly and spray out harder to reach areas as much as I can, but one can't be expected to remove their front and rear bumpers to wash off the crash bars as well in order to prevent this rust.

Just a quick point: other than the bit of rust on the windows, the crash bars appear to be the only locations with rust on their welds. Welds in other spots look completely fine. Not sure what exactly it is about the crash bars that make them different.

Ps. I did not get "rust protection" because from what I understood, all modern cas are given this treatment from the factory. I figured I'd just do my best to keep it clean/waxed and maintained myself.

 

That's kind of like saying, here is the peeing section in a swimming pool...

 

I went to go check my 2013 Canadian fit and I did not notice any rust, anyone else with a '13 notice any rust?

 

Had my rear bumper off the other day and found these Gems behind it.
So far, the problem does not seem to affect the main body at all (thank goodness), just the crash bars and other extremities.

I wonder why this is?









And finally.. The cherry on top of all this (or rather on the bottom)



Car is a 2012 fit bought march 2012. Not impressed... taking this into get looked at, and will make it my top priority.

 

Thanks for posting those connor55, I'm curious, did you take it to the dealer? What did they say? Something tells me they won't be too thrilled to address the problem until it rusts right through...just in time for the warranty to lapse.

I've been keeping a close eye on what I can so far on mine, no rust yet. Unless something at the factory was changed from the 12's to the 13's, I feel it's only a matter of time

All of those rust spots were hidden right under the bumper assembly? I'm hesitant to remove mine to look.

MTLian, thanks for the shout out, being paranoid about the rusting issue, I decided to have the car "rust-proofed" at the dealer before delivery - something I regret now. Soon, I will be moving back to Toronto where the winter roads are not as punishing, hopefully I can eke out a couple of extra years from this friggin' thing before it rots away...

 

I've taken it in to get looked at and opened an official case with Honda Canada.

Long story short, right now they are claiming this is normal and acceptable because it has not "perforated" the metal. I'm not going to settle for that but haven't had time yet to follow up with them.

They told me at the very least that if a real structural problem arises from this in the future, they would cover this even out of warranty, since they were made aware of this at this stage.

I would advise the rest of you to see if you have similar issues and let honda Canada know. It's possible that we can make this into a "known" issue much like the blower motor issue.

 

Thanks! At least you have some acknowledgement from Honda Canada. I wish you luck in getting this issue resolved.

Hopefully when the weather improves I'll at least be able to jack up the car and crawl under it for a better look. Will keep everyone posted.

 

I just had time to check on my grandpa's 2013 Fit and I can see hints of rust showing at the edge of the door frame. Out of 4 doors, 3 are showing signs of it.

I quickly applied some rust cure 3000 on the spots and surrounding area.
We'll be taking it in for oil change soon and I'll make sure they note this down on file.

Not impressed. Chose this over Mazda2, that's MIJ and I persuaded him that a lot of Mazdas have rust problems(didn't hear much on the 2) while Honda seems to be good whether it's MIJ or MIC.

 

Sad, Honda is failing in the QA department. Will change my mind about buying a Mexico FIT.
As stated by others a Honda is a Honda, it is their fault Chinese made JAZZ are subpar.

 

I'll verify mine and let you know guys....

Luis

 

I have a 2010 Jazz/Fit and it is made in China. Paint is white.
I live in the North of Italy and have the same rust issues.
The dealer has repainted the hood for free due warranty; there were bits of paint coming off!
Below the bumpers my Fit is behaving exactly like the attacched photos.
Terribly issue. I have read that Toyota in not behaving much better. All of this is due to new green and eco friendly water paint beeing used.

 

I have a 2013 fit, not sure about where exactly it was made but i have rust on the drivers side front/ rear doors and on the gate. Little bit pissed, it's barely 2yrs old. going to contact honda.