Hi,

I am a newbie. Nice to meet you all!

I am thinking of buying another Honda (have owned 04 odyssey (sold), 05 accord, 11 odyssey), which is FIT!!
I am a huge Honda fan and Honda has never disappointed me at all!
So, I am waiting for 2014 Fit (the third generation) and just read a news saying it will be assembled in a new plant in Mexico.
http://www.autoweek.com/article/2013...NEWS/131009931

Unfortunately, I have had a bad experience with a car assembled in Mexico, especially with electrical problems. So, I am kind of disappointed and started thinking of buying 2013.

(Well, I cannot really say assembly in Mexico caused the electrical problem, but have read some articles saying that they are correlated. No offence.)

Would you give me any advice?
I am a small business owner and have no time to frequently visit service shop when my car gets old... This is why I buy Honda.

Thanks for reading and for your patience with my non-native English.

 

I think quality is more by manufacturer than country of assembly. I wouldn't be afraid to buy a Honda assembled in Mexico or China.

The 2014 will get better mileage. I think it's worth getting.

What kind of car did you have trouble with?

 

I wouldn't buy a 2014 Fit to be honest.

Not necessarily because they're made in Mexico, but its a culmination of many factors:
-First year of new generation (world wide)
-First year manufacturing in Mexico for Honda (IIRC)
-First year in new plant

 

it's best to avoid the first year of a car like mike410b said due to a variety of growing/teething pains.

 

All of this^^^

I think you're correct and the plant was built for the 2014 Fit specifically. Honda has been building CRVs in Mexico for years.

Here's a little tid-bit though that may make you think. You may find a nasty note written in Spanish when you disassemble your door panel for the first time lol
Honda Workers in Mexico Face Repression, Firings | Labor Notes

The president of Honda de Mexico is Japanese if that makes you feel better

 

Thanks for your comments!
It was 2004 VW Beetle. I had to visit the dealer shop a day after the purchase due to serious rattling; airbag light comes on without any reason (Dealer scanner does not detect any symptom.); comfort control module died (CCM-power windows, power lock, trunk lid, moon roof just died all together.), but replacement did not resolve the issue (maybe relay problem???); trunk lid hatch had service many times but did not work right yet, and so on...

 

if going for reliability i would get the '13. it's the final version with all the improvements the last 5yrs.

if i was to buy the first model year car, it would wait at least until late summer 2014.

 

Yikes. That's a lot of problems. VWs are high maintenance but new they are well mannered.

The only Mexican assembled car I ever had was a Mazda 3 sold by Ford with Mercury nameplates (Mercury Tracer). It was better than the American assembled Nissan sold by Ford with Mercury nameplates I had at the same time (Mercury Villager). Both were much better than the American assembled Ford I owned briefly (Explorer Sport Trac: what was I thinking?).

I think today that quality control is much more stringent and effective than in the day when it was never a good idea to get a first year model. And Honda leads in quality control and has good customer service (exceptions exist). If you like the car I wouldn't worry about it being a new model made in a new factory. As a safeguard you could wait until reviews start coming out for the ones shipped from that factory.

 

Thank you very much for all your replies.
Now, I will probably start price research to buy 2013 before the 0.9% promotion ends.
Again, thank you all for your valuable inputs!