Hi all-

I'm a potential owner looking at 2 Honda Fits.

The first one is a 2009 Sport, manual transmission with only 29,000 miles on it. It truly looks like it was taken care of and is in great condition. I'm aware of the recalls out there, specifically for the airbag inflators and the driveshafts. The airbag inflators were already replaced and the driveshafts look to be in great shape (I'm in one of the affected salt belt states).

The second one is a 2016 EX, manual transmission with 61,000 miles on it. It is a certified pre-owned vehicle and looks to be in good shape. I will admit that the interior/exterior of the 2009 was in better shape (less scratches/wear), but I'm nitpicking. It looks like the biggest issue with the 2016 is the noisy VTC and the fuel injector problem.

I drove both and was impressed with both. I do like some of the additional features of the 2016 including the backup camera, blue tooth, passenger side mirror camera, 6th gear, more adjustable seats, and the higher safety rating.

Looking for thoughts and impressions. I keep going back and forth on both.

 

Welcome. The 3rd gen Fits (2015 onward) have a bunch of known problems:

1. Fuel injector/rail assembly early failure issues. TSB on all 2015's and early 2016's - if they failed under warranty, replaced at no charge. Problem is, many fail after or just after warranty expires. One injector will start throwing codes and then all will. Can't buy just one, have to replace in quad-matched sets. $2-3 K repair easy. Problem has not been fixed in the redesign; injector failure is still common in the most recent model years.

2. Starters & start switch on pushbutton start models (key start models don't seem to have this problem). I've long suspected that the circuit design on the pushbutton start models is inadequate to buffer the load at startup. As a result, both the start switch and the starter are prone to premature failure, and when one goes, it's often ascribed to the other, leading to diagnosis roulette. Honda has recently started goodwilling the switch (but not the starter) according to some posts here. ~$700 for a new starter.

3. VTC actuator. Makes a horrible grinding noise on very cold startup (my '16 LX does this) but otherwise harmless. Some here are having theirs fixed anyway, and sometimes under a powertrain warranty.

4. Door, hatch and sunroof leaks, worse on the redesign.

5. Fuel pump recall on some later models.

If it weren't for the injector/rail assembly issues, might not be so bad. But I certainly don't want to pay $2-3K out of pocket if and when it happens. So my vote is pass on GK5 / 3rd gen.

 

I second passing on the GK5.

Its nice to see the technology advances Honda made in terms of tech on the third gen Fit; however, they're still quirky and not as sound as the prior generations for the reasons mentioned above (well said by the way @bargainguy ).

In addition to that, I personally don't find them to be comfortable after driving them 30 minutes or more. Their arm rests aren't exactly comfortable with hard plastic on the door panel or a thin cloth center arm rest with minimal material to rest on.

The GE8 won't be as refined in terms of sound deadening but it will likely be more comfortable during extended trips, you won't have to worry about fuel injectors failing/clogging since its the older multi-port fuel injection (vs the GK5's GDI/Gasoline Direct Injection) as well as has more storage locations over the GK5 thanks to its secondary glove box and hidden bin under the driver side second row seat.

The only downsides to the GE8 that really come to mind is that it IS a dated/older Honda. So tech will be correct to that era and any repairs will very likely be out of pocket versus the tech you experienced plus the 7 year/100k powertrain warranty (if I recall correctly) on the CPO GK5.

 

Thanks Gents. Very much appreciate it.

 

I've owned both a 2010 and 2016. I like the 2016 much better.

Better mileage (both automatic/CVT), 36 vs. 30 mpg.

2016 (mine was made in Japan- that's a big deal as the earlier GKs were not and they've had issues) also has two thumb drive inputs (plus CD player). This is nice because I can switch between music (all I own on one drive) and podcasts (which I change out after listening to them).

New car also has a sunroof (which I rarely use except when it's hot and I want to blow all the hot air out of the car when I first start driving). I think it's a tiny bit shorter which is helpful when parking in NYC (if you don't regularly parallel-park then it probably doesn't matter).

The headlights on the GK are WAY better. Lights on the 2010 suck. Try both at night and you'll see.

A bit harder to do the oil change on the GK because you have to remove the undershield and that takes maybe five minutes. Also it requires synthetic oil which costs a bit more.

Resale on the newer car will be much higher if you keep it another few years. How much will a 2009 be worth in 2025?

I put no value on the CPO part of the deal because I've read a lot here about how things went wrong even though the dealer claimed to have done all this stuff to the car or inspected it thoroughly.

Depending on where you live, obviously the car may get dinged up anyway so a few dings now may not be a big deal.

Even if your car comes with floor mats get another one for the driver's side because the frigging things wear through in about five minutes and you'll be shredding the carpeting almost immediately.

Hatch is a bit smaller in the GK but I think they put those couple of inches into the passenger compartment.

 

You didn't give us the prices for the two cars. That's kind of a weighing factor.

 

My wife and I both had '09 Fits and now she has '20. If you do your own maintenance, the engine in the GK sits further forward relative to the cowl so you can access the spark plugs and valve cover much more easily than on the GE. On the GE, you know it's a pain when step #1 for a spark plug change or valve adjustment is "remove the windshield wipers".

Also, it's just me but even with the more adjustable seat I find I just can't get comfortable in the GK. It's not terrible, but I'm always fidgeting. I could use more leg room in both cars, but can drive the GE for hours without really noticing any discomfort.

And don't forget that the '09 had a recall for lost motion springs in the valvetrain too....

 

$9800 (USD) for the 2009 Sport, and $11,800(USD) for the 2016 EX. (both prices are before taxes, tags, etc.)

I did watch the video on how to change the spark plugs on the GE last night...while it looks like a PITA, I've seen/done worse. =)

Not tracking on the recall for 2009 lost motion springs in the valve train? Nothing is popping up in my searches.

 

To be honest, it is not completely necessary to remove the cowl to replace the spark plugs on a GE8. It definitely helps but with the cowl on, you can still get all 4 plugs from the passenger side of the car... It will just be an awkward, long, and blind reach to get plugs for cylinders 3 and 4 as a forewarning.

In addition to that, if the airbag inflators were done then it is highly likely that the Lost Motion Springs were done as well. That particular recall effected all 2009s and early 2010s. Just to be on the safe side, I'd pop the VIN into Honda's Recall Look Up page linked below.

https://owners.honda.com/service-maintenance/recalls

 

A search of the 2nd Generation subforum for "lost motion" or "LMS" turns up some threads. Here's one:

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...ification.html

 

Thanks for the info. I checked the VIN and it is not showing for this Fit. Assuming it was completed already since the only one that still shows is the driveshaft.

 

Just went on the Honda Recall website and input the Fit's VIN....the LMS recall is not showing for this 2009. Is that possible? Seems like most were affected?

 

Just called Honda. It didn’t show on the Carfax, but according to Honda’s records the springs were fixed in late 2011. Score!

 

You might also consider power: while I've only owned a third-gen, I gather it's more peppy (i.e. it will speed up when I hit the throttle in 6th going uphill) - not so much for the G2, I gather (based on my cousin's experience).

We bought ours news, and are at 110K (km) now, with no serious issues. I gather there can be carbon build-up in the engine: when our maintenance lights went on we had our engine flushed and all is well. Otherwise, our only maintenance has been oil changes. It performs well in the snow, if that's a factor, as the traction control and ABS are great: my only complaint is that with winter tires it isn't fun any more. Hands down, this is the best car I've owned to date.

 

The only concerns to have with GE8 are the spark plug liberating themselves from the cylinder head, AC failures, and the rear hatch handle rusting and needing replacement.

I personally do not like the GK as much, but my experience with them is limited to a test drive in 2015 in which I couldn’t get comfortable in the car. I’d be inclined to trust the folks above about their issues.

That said, if you like one a lot more than the other, that seems useful to consider.

That said 10k for a 12 year old 17k car and 12k for a 5 year old 17k car with 60k miles seems like a lot.

 

I would second the 9800 (USD) for the 2009 Sport. Pocket the difference. I drove my last Hondas (17 years on the CRV) and (21 years on the Integra GS-R).

 

Ended up getting the 2009. =) Thanks for all your help and insights.

 

Reviving this thread as I am also in the same dilemma, for the fuel injector/rail assembly early failure issues TSB, for those that is not part of the first TSB, will it still be applicable to happen? Like the 2016s that is not part of the original TSB, and what about the 2017+, I see several TSBs about fuel injection but only one specificied VIN numbers.

Right now I am leaning towards Gen 2 but is a backup camera easy to add?

Thanks

 

One of the 2nd Gens I test drove had an aftermarket headunit that also had a backup camera wired in as well. It looked like a fairly clean install overall, so it is possible.

 

The TSB on the injector / rail assembly only applied to 2015 and a few thousand early 2016 models. The TSB doesn't apply after the warranty expires; the injectors and rail were only replaced under warranty.