Rod, I followed the link to your site. The pictures make it very clear what is going on with this leak problem. I will attempt this fix on my 2008 Fit. I had called the Honda Corp office. They gave me a Case# which my local dealer then made note of. End result they did not charge me for the new rubber on the doors but my Fit still leaks. Every time I park my car at work I tie a tarp over it. So I guess mine is FIT TO BE TIED!!

 

Having the door rubber seals replaced won't fix the leaks, as you have experienced and as other Fit owners have that I have talked to about this specific Honda door leak fix. It's a shame that Honda hasn't made it known to its dealers that this leak problem is as several of us have noted, including those of us who took the time to call/write to Honda about this problem and photo document what the fix is and why. Unfortunately, the problem is more wide spread than I first realized, since I have heard from quite a few more 2008 Fit owners about leaks, since I originally posted my report.

Certainly not a position that Honda has exhibited about dealing with this problem, that I am at all happy about, nor are quite a few other 2008 Fit owners I've had contact with about this water leak problem.
-Rod

 

I worked on 1 door last weekend then emptied a quart of H2O on the outside of the window to simulate a good down poor and no water on my floor. I'll do the other door this weekend. Yes I suppose most folks have been able fix both doors in one go around. But it took me far too long to figure out how to get the door panel off. I'm a 61 years young women who has never tried to take a car apart before. But never to old to learn. Thanks again.

 

So me and my niece just left a Honda Dealership here in Massachusetts because we were going to buy a 2015 Fit.


Last weekend we had a Huge rain storm in New England. Tuesday we went to get a Fit. During the test drive I found a LOT of water behind the drivers seat.


It would actually rise like a tide on turns during the test drive.


I thought it was from an open window. Told them get us another Black car for us to buy. Today they brought one from another dealership.


We get in for a test drive, WATER! Behind the passenger seat this time.


That's when I Google'd Honda Fit and water leak and found this forum.


Seems Honda did not address the issue. Lost a sale. Shame, she was so set on buying a Fit. But this is nuts.

 

Certainly sorry to hear that this water leak problem appears to be continuing, especially in a Fit that is EIGHT MODEL YEARS newer! The water leak fix for my 2008, as addressed earlier in this thread and on my Honda Fit web page, continues to be functioning properly, given the 3.6 inches of rain we received earlier in October and our Fit remained bone dry. I was especially concerned about this as the Fit now lives outside, losing its place in our single car garage to our new 2015 VW Golf TDI, which replaced our 2002 Golf TDI in late September.

It'll be interesting to hear from others who have purchased a 2015 Honda Fit, to see if the leak problem is wide spread.

 

Great thread!

Honda are not what they used to be.

 

Go buy a Toyota Corolla-S and enjoy not working on the car. I have both a Fit and Corolla and the Corolla is the most dependable car I've ever had. No water leaks and more comfortable to drive. Oh, did I also mention about the Honda Fit paint issues...

 

I've read this whole thread and looked at all the pictures posted, and I am trying to figure out if my problem is the same one everyone is talking about.

It rained yesterday, and this afternoon I opened the driver side rear door and a small puddle of water fell to the pavement. The soft, rubbery black gasket that goes around the inside of the door was dripping from the bottom. The part of the car that touches the black gasket area was wet. There was no water on the floor mat of the car and no evidence that any water came into the car.

This is the first time I have noticed this water, and it was only on that one door. I have two months remaining on the warranty for my 2012 Fit, so if this is the issue I want to make sure I take it to the dealer before the warranty expires. I don't have any car knowledge, and tho the tape fix sounds good, I am reluctant to try and take off the inside door panel. (Since it's not raining anymore, I'm tempted to go outside and pour a jug of water on the outside of the car to see if it happens again...)

So does this sound like the same issue everyone is talking about?
Thanks.

 

yes and no...You need to understand that water will always leak past the outside of the window..going down into the door. Water will always enter into the inside of the door...and it needs to leak back out at the bottom...but not into the car. When the door is closed, the water leaking into the door needs to travel down inside the door and drain out...but not into the car.

The problem I saw with the Fit was that the water dripping inside the door would drip through a hole which would allow that water to get to the inside area of the door...thus inside the vehicle and onto the floor. You need to ensure that the bottom door drain holes are not plugged up...that's the first thing. The second is the design flaw of the door...which is what this thread is all about. Hope that helps.

 

Thanks for the explanation. We're supposed to get a big storm tonight, so I guess I'll be able to tell what the situation is in the morning!

 

What if I haven't ran the ac and it drains, is that a problem I should be concerned about?

 

 

So after driving for long periods (45 min) water drains out of the tube underneath the car where the ac condenser drains. There is a large puddle on the ground after 30 min of parking. The car seems to be running fine and I don't want to take it in to the stealership if I don't have to. Is this normal? Or should I be concerned, thanks.

 

What a great thread! Thanks for the generous contributions by Rod, SpaceCoast and others, very much appreciated. I'm hoping to buy a new(used) Fit in the near future, and thanks in large part to this forum I know that I can fix some of the common problems that arise myself (water leaks, and blower motor is easy, as is changing transmission fluid etc...)

Although one question: I'm not clear on how to fix the rear hatch if it leaks, did I miss where someone addressed this?

Thanks again.

I'd also like to pay someone who is a FIT expert mechanic to go with me to inspect a used fit (anywhere on East Coast between Mass and Virginia). I will pay hundreds (okay hopefully not more than $200) I will find a fit near them, and I will pick them up to inspect it for an hour or so.

I have a list of things to inspect and recalls to ask about, such as: the spring assemblies recall and the plastic clips of the housing upon reassembly (on 2009,2010 models) and the window switch recall (2007,08 models) and now the water leaks (on ALL models lol)...

Is there anything else I should add to my list, in case I can't find a suitable mechanic to go with me when I inspect the vehicle?

 

It was not addressed by me, and we haven't had an issue so far. If and when we do, I'll have someone get inside the vehicle and trace the leak.

 

I would recommend going with the latest model that you can afford, and one with the lowest mileage and SERVICE records. I record everything..oil changes, brake fluid flush, transmission fluid changes, etc. Probably more important than someone just "eyeballing" the vehicle. Most problems or potential problems you can't see.

 

Thanks for your recommendations, SpaceCoast! Although to be honest I am hoping to find one with about 80-100k for under 8k. Since these are one of the most reliable cars on the road by stats. Definitely looking for one with thorough service records especially oil changes and transmission fluid. Also, I think a thorough test drive is just as important as taking a good long look at everything. and once I purchase will check the plugs tightness and things of this nature. I will check the oil including under the filler cap for signs of oil burning or sludge and the trans-fluid color before buyin as well.

Did you ever have to replace your oxygen sensor, coils, plugs, or have any valve adjustment? If so at what mileage (this question is for anyone thanks).

 

I have two sons and I purchased a car for each. My oldest son has a 2007 Toyota Corolla with about 150K miles. Not one problem so far, and the car feels like a quality vehicle. My youngest wanted the Honda...current mileage is about 70K. It's had water leaks, a re-call on camshaft sensor, and it rides low and poorly compared to the Toyota. On a scale of 1 to 10...I give the Toyota a solid 10. The Fit...about a 5. Really, not much comparison to be honest, but my son still likes the Fit. Wish I had bought another Toyota. Unfortunately my son wrecked the Fit years ago so now it's market value is much less then it normally would. The car was fixed, and no real damage other than cosmetic (he ran off the road), but it now shows a major accident claim. Passenger door flew open during his off road accident, which did most of the damage to the car.

My oldest is moving soon to another state, so yesterday I pulled the transmission pan to install a new filter and do a fluid change. The pan comes with a drain plug too...turned out the pan inside was totally clean. There is no "pan" on the Honda, but you can do fluid changes on the transmission. Looking for a highly reliable car...get a Corolla.

The Honda also has a manual belt tensioner...whereas the Toyata uses an auto-tensioner. Since I do most of the maintenance, I know the differences, including which is easier to maintain...I could go on, but I won't.

 

Ahh come on I just recently wrote the Matrix/Vibe off after agonizing between the Fit/Matrix/Vibe and which to finally decide to buy! Now you're making me re-think my decision once again! Lol, no I do appreciate the suggestion.

I do need a hatchback with flat folding seats, I have definitely made up my mind on that. The reason I wrote the Matrix/Vibe off is because I have done a couple test drives on each (2 fits, 2 matrix) both were a little overpriced at dealers that would not bargain. The Matrix/Vibe felt almost boat like compared to the Fit, and actually has less space. Also the one Vibe I test drove showed signs of some oil-burning (very light smoke out of oil filler after long test drive, slightly sludgy cap, it was over 100k). But people tell me Toyota has more bulletproof (so to speak) reliability than Honda.

Tough choice, I really like the Fits interior space and ability to maneuver in small spaces. But the Matrix/Vibe/Corolla definitely has the smoother ride on a straight away over bumps, and more road presence.

I did notice that Toyota has some of their own recalls as well. I figure with a used Fit, I can tell if the recalls have been done (by the carfax) and I could do the door leak fix myself, as well as blower motor, trans-fluid, spark-plugs (Not sure about the coils). Both are pretty noisy, the corolla/vibe/matrix has a noisy engine and the Fit just has plenty of road noise and some engine noise lol.

I really would like to narrow it down to one model car though, I already have enough trouble making a decision, Mazda 3's were in the mix for awhile as well because of their superior handling. But rust issues and less-reliability made me scratch it off the list, and it was just the two above... then down to the Fit, but.... hmmmm

Thanks again for your input!!

 

We have damp carpets on the driver's side and I'd like to try this fix. Can someone point me to a thread on how to get the door panels off and back on without messing anything up? (2nd generation 2010).