New here. I have a 2006 Corolla, which I like for its size and fuel economy. However, I recently got a second dog, making the backseat a bit overcrowded and not particularly safe when taking both dogs in the car.

The Fit appeals to me for it's small size but roomy interior. I have a very long legged Malinois that's about 66 lbs, and a German/Dutch shepherd mix that's 55lbs. They can squeeze together on the Corolla's back seat, but I want to be able to take both on a road trip without worrying they'll get into it over space or fly into the footwell, or worse, the windshield in the event of a sudden stop.

I've read the dog threads on here, and looked at videos of the magic seat capabilities. What I'm wondering now is what to watch out for in an older model Fit. I see several for sale near me, but not sure what is considered an acceptable number of miles for a used 2009-2011 model, or what problems I'm likely to encounter with this car.

I'd like to hear from people that have recently purchased a 2009-2011 Fit what kind of repairs or maintenance they needed within a few months of purchase.

FYI- looking mostly at those model years for the price. I figure I can afford to pay a couple thousand more than what I can sell the Corolla for, so around here that would mean ~$7k or so, which is what the 09-11s seem to be averaging.

Thanks!

 

I just bought a 2011 Fit Sport for $8900 in February . I'm using it as my daily driver . I put new tires on it and had the brake fluid and transmission fluid changed at a Honda dealership. My 147 lbs and 135 lbs Rottweilers travel in the back with plenty of room.

 

I've had a 2010 for close to six years. As you get a bit over 100k, you'll need a timing belt. I'd look for something with as low a mileage as you can find, and if you buy a sport, make sure you get wheel locks if they aren't on there already. Apparently the wheels an older Civic model. I mine stolen while the car was parked in my driveway. Now I've got Honda and Gorilla locks on each wheel.

 

In the last 7 months I've bought 2 MT GE8sports and have looked at many. I had an 09 and a 12' sold the 09 kept the 12' as it has lower miles and was quieter (more sound proofing for that year)

the first thing I would look for is rust in the rear wheel wells. Honda was lazy about the seam sealing around there and other places. I ended up buying some seam sealer and cutting out the bad from the wheel wells and resealing. check under the triangular plastic piece that is at 9 0clock and 3 oclock by the rear wheels. the 09 had holes in the rocker panel under the bottom side trim piece.

I've read about leaks around doors, but haven't seen any myself.

Many fits I drove had a large amount of torque steer. all of those were auto tranny's.

check for a quick start and smooth idle

check for warped interior panels and outer panel dents. door dings and dents can be hard to see in certain light and color of paint. check for all original body panels. they should all have a honda serial # sticker

If buying a MT, be sure to start it up and drive from cold as a warm clutch won't show issues as much.

There's alot more to look for in a used car. make sure every little thing works and use every negative as a bargaining tool.

as far as miles, Fits seem to be commuter cars with high miles or low mile city cars. not sure which is worse. I have a 2012 fit with 30000 that was owned by a military member and it sat while he was deployed. even with low miles, it has some little issues such as roof hail damage that took me a month to even notice

 

Be sure that you receive two keysets with your used car as well, as having a second set made could cost in excess of $100.

 

Is it true the Fit has a timing belt? That would surprise me ...

Disagree with torque steer. Minimal torque

 

No, timing chain.

 

I was going to say, the L15 uses a timing chain not a belt. The accessory belt should be changed by that point if it hasn't been already. They're cheap and you'd be kicking yourself if it broke leaving you stuck somewhere.

 

Yes, the accessory belt seems like a GREAT idea. Might as well, if you're doing other maintenance at the same tim.

 

I just purchased my 2011 Honda Fit Sport, 5 Speed in White for $5,500 CAD.
It has 119,00km and I absolutely love it!

I have a small dog but I do like to fold the back seats down for him.

 

The Fit is a great lil commuter econobox. I can fit myself, my GF, 14y/o son, 45 lb boxer and 35 lb Staffy in the Fit no problem.

I lift the "60" seat and the dogs are on the floor and my son gets the "40" seat. One of the big things I like about the fit is being able to lift the seats up. Our boxer is 9 and like that she can walk into the car instead of having to jump into the bed area or on the rear seat.

The Fit has been a great car for the 2 years of ownership, not a single hiccup/issue. I'm going to sell my 2013 Sport 5spd extremely soon to "upgrade" to a civic hatchback sport manual 6 speed. So I'll definitely be missing the magic seats and their versatility.

 

I purchased a 2009 fit sport automatic in 2015 with 42000 miles. drove 2 years. does not need any repair. just regular change oil, changed a new battery. that it. Although I paid quite a lot for it $11000. but end the day, it looks great cosmetic, and did not give me any headache.