2015 Fit LX. 39k miles. Bought new. A couple weeks ago I noticed my car wouldn't start after the first try. Now I'm to the point where it takes 3-5 tries to get it started. The engine dosen't turn over at all and I hear a small clicking noise. My mechanic says it's the Starter so I got a quote from him for $400 and we are scheduled to repair in a few days.

I'm out of warranty and I called Honda and they said I have to pay all out of pocket. I've already come to terms with the sucky situation from Honda but I'm glad to know what the problem is. Today I drive it home from work and it dies WHILE I'm driving. The wheel locked up but I managed to get to the side of road. Has anyone dealt with this? I'm extremely disappointed because I loved this car but I've already replaced the battery and ac repaired. Is the 2015 Fit Honda's least reliable vehicle?

 

If it died while you were driving, that's a much different issue than a bad starter, because the starter is not in play when you're in motion. We're talking major safety issue now.

I'd get back on the phone to Honda corporate and tell them about your safety concerns driving a vehicle with 39K that suddenly died. Is there a TSB on this? Can Honda corporate help in any way? If they refuse to assist you in any way, I'd schedule a sit-down with the Honda district manager and see what that person has to say. Make them earn their keep. Let us know how it plays out.

 

I don't see what Honda corporate can do from thousands of miles away with a car they can't see. They're going to tell him to get to a dealership and get the problem diagnosed. And yes, yes it sounds like he has two separate problems, starter and ???.

 

Probably the alternator. IIRC they had alternator issues with the 15s.

Go to a local parts store and have a battery / starter / alternator test preformed. It's free. Takes 3 minutes.

Battery should be at 12.5 volts around 400 amps.

Alternator should be at 14v under load conditions. Anything less and your battery won't charge while the vehicle is running, causing your battery to drain, causing it not to start.

Starter has zero influence while driving. If you lose power while driving it's usually alternator related.

 

For a safety issue, I start with the manufacturer, not the dealership. Corporate is concerned with lawsuits and government actions resulting from safety issues. Dealers don't have the same vested interest in your safety. So yeah, I'd start with corporate.

 

id say start w Autozone... as Lulzkev suggested.

if died while driving most likely the alternator.

ur going to spend more time and frustration trying to contact n meet with people in japan that really dont care ...than just buying and replacing the part and going back to living life with a functioning car.

 

I've been in a car that suddenly died without warning. Happened on a freeway turn ramp, of all places. I was lucky to get out of that situation alive and intact, because there was no shoulder and nowhere to go. I would have been creamed otherwise.

So for something as serious as this, I'd start with the manufacturer. Let them know your concern and ask for assistance. If you don't get it, by all means go to Autozone and do all the other stuff.

But let the manufacturer know, please, so that if this an ongoing serious problem, we get the ball rolling sooner rather than later. How else is the manufacturer supposed to know? And if your answer is through the dealer, guess again. Ain't gonna happen unless we tell them.

 

Update:

Got the car back from my mechanic and the Starter was bad. It starts fine every time now. I haven't had the problem with it shutting off since. I'm thinking when they were testing the Starter, they drained the battery. When I initially started it, it felt really weak. So when I got down the street, going less than 10mph, it wasn't enough for the Alternator to kick in. Ive had the Alternator and Battery tested before I took it to the shop and they are good. Btw I replaced the battery last year and had the ac repaired. I've now replaced the Starter. This is my first and last Honda. Disappointed.

 

Also, I will let Honda know about the Starter. I've seen plenty of posts online from 15' owners with bad starters. Keeping my receipt in hopes of a recall..

 

Glad this fixed your problem!!!

 

Thank you! I was hoping the start up grins would go away after I replaced the Starter but it is still happening intermittently. Did some digging and it's the VTC Actuator. I'm not going to pretend I know what that is but I just dropped $450 on the Starter, this thing will have to wait. Damn it Honda I used to love you.

 

that VTC Actuator may be covered by the following TSB:

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/3rd-...ml#post1418108

 

The VTC actuator is covered under warranty but unfortunately if you're past your warranty then Honda won't cover it. It is however only a noise problem at startup when the engine is cold. As far as I know it is strictly an annoyance, it doesn't affect anything.

The VTC problem is actually an issue on a number of Honda cars. It's not unique to the Fit.