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Class Action Lawsuit for Honda Fit Battery issues

Old May 26, 2023 | 09:29 AM
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Class Action Lawsuit for Honda Fit Battery issues

My 2016 Honda Fit just stopped working and its the battery again. I think its time for a Class Action Lawsuit for Honda Fit battery issues and look at it and see if you agree.
Either I am the unluckiest Honda Fit owner alive or there is a underlying issue with these battery issues on the Fit. Now I posted this before but now I was running my 2016 every day and went up to Boston and when I got back, the door wouldnt open, and used the key itself to open up and the lights showed everything fine, but then went out and alarm came on. Took it to get checked and battery is dead and this is ridiculous.

Now first time the battery went dead on the Honda Fits was on the 2015 Fit I went to start it late one night, and the lights came on but no start and jump start made it think it started but just sat there so got AAA flatbed in morning to take me to dealer, and the battery was about 20 months so didnt think much about the service department saying it may have been a older battery or the car sat for a while before being sold to me, so they replaced at no charge as under car warranty.

Then when I came back with the same 2015 Fit they said it probably was the alternator and drained out the NEW battery quickly as it is no longer getting charged by the alternator. Well they ran it through every test they could think off and found nothing and replace the battery without telling me why it died, but charged me as they said no longer under warranty even though it was a NEW battery as they said it had to be under the CAR warranty, but the starter would not turn over, but I had a extended warranty on the 2015 so they replaced the starter, no charge..

Then my new 2016 Fit went dead as a doorknell one morning and they said I must have left a door open or light on, which I knew was not possible as I check that since the issues with the 2015. So they said it was a parasitic draw but they checked everything on it and nothing came up and since under warranty they replaced the battery no charge.

So the NEW battery on the 2016 Fit went dead after 6 months and they said I must have left it sitting for too long or the battery was defective and they replaced it no charge as still under car warranty, by a few days. So got my trickle charger out and put it on them if the cars sat for any period of time as no more car warranty.

Then the 2015 Fit went dead as a doorknell and I was in Texas on the NEW battery I had bought, so drove to dealer on spare DIEHARD I carry now and dealer checked everything and found nothing and put a NEW battery, no charge

Then the 2016 went dead with no car warranty, and had AAA give me a FULL charge jump and get to dealer, so they said it must be loose electrical connection, a damaged wire, or corrosion on the battery terminals. But they checked it and everything was like new as I keep them pretty clean and battery bad so they replaced the battery at no charge without saying anything.

So now the 2015 dies stone dead in Texas on the NEW battery with 12 months, and I bring it back on the DIEHARD to the dealer there and they go over everything but checked out ok. They said they would have to charge me a prorated rate on the NEW battery because they already replaced it. My wife didnt tell me till we were already on the way to Florida, so my bad.

So now the 2016 Fit has gone dead after not being used for a few days on a Honda battery the dealer put in and checked to make sure no parasitic drain or bad connections or malfunctions on any of the electrical parts on the car.

Now on either of the Fits, it is NOT hard to start, and does NOT have a slow crank, and it does NOT makes clicking noise when you try to start the engine, the lights will go on but cannot jump it as it thinks its on with no turnover. Sometimes AAA can give it a quick charge and it gets me to the dealer but always has dead cells when dealer checks. Its not parasitic drain, or bad alternator, or loose battery connection, or poor ground connection. And can the battery with an external charger but when they test the battery at the dealer they say its defective or has dead cells, not sure if any difference as same end result, no start and wont jump even with trickle charge overnight or jump cables from another car/truck unless AAA uses gives it a quick FULL charge and that just is to get to the dealer as I dont trust it after that. But dealer always checks the batteries and declares them needing to be replaced no matter. They are maintained, and had all recommended services by dealer only and are not driven hard or abused, or driven other than normal use with under 10,000 miles a year. What do you all think?
 
Old May 26, 2023 | 05:27 PM
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I suspect a bad voltage regulator, but that's just a guess.

The dead batteries are only the end result of whatever's going on IMO.

One idea is to plug a monitoring system into your OBD-II port and see what kind of voltage data you can get in real time. So if you're driving around and adding electrical drain to the system (lights, A/C, etc) and the voltage doesn't keep up, that would help explain the dead batteries - system isn't keeping up with increased demand, and your battery discharges as a result.

Another thought is that the original 151R batteries are very much underpowered for this system. Running the larger 51R batteries is kind of a no-brainer where I live, where I need every cold crank amp I can get in the winter. They fit in the same tray as the original with no sawing required. So if you haven't switched by now, maybe time to give it a whirl.
 
Old May 26, 2023 | 10:08 PM
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Dead Battery.

Before you go to Federal Court to file your class action lawsuit against Honda for a dead battery,


Go to your trusted auto mechanic or local Honda Dealer to find out why your battery keeps getting discharged.
 
Old May 29, 2023 | 09:37 AM
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Originally Posted by bargainguy
I suspect a bad voltage regulator, but that's just a guess.

The dead batteries are only the end result of whatever's going on IMO.

One idea is to plug a monitoring system into your OBD-II port and see what kind of voltage data you can get in real time. So if you're driving around and adding electrical drain to the system (lights, A/C, etc) and the voltage doesn't keep up, that would help explain the dead batteries - system isn't keeping up with increased demand, and your battery discharges as a result.

Another thought is that the original 151R batteries are very much underpowered for this system. Running the larger 51R batteries is kind of a no-brainer where I live, where I need every cold crank amp I can get in the winter. They fit in the same tray as the original with no sawing required. So if you haven't switched by now, maybe time to give it a whirl.
Yes, but this is on two Honda Fits, a 2015 made in Mexico and a 2016 made in Japan, and as you can see the dealers have checked everything including the regulator. So I am ready to throw in the towel and turn it in for something else..
 
Old May 29, 2023 | 09:38 AM
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Originally Posted by Chitown Fit
Before you go to Federal Court to file your class action lawsuit against Honda for a dead battery,


Go to your trusted auto mechanic or local Honda Dealer to find out why your battery keeps getting discharged.
Seven times with different dealers, I dont know what else I can do...
 
Old May 29, 2023 | 04:01 PM
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Seems like there are only a few possibilities.
1). Problem with the Honda Fit in general, which is your conclusion. It's clear that many folks think that the OEM battery is undersized, but I don't think many people are having problems at the level you are. Obviously any individual car can be a lemon, but it seems highly unlikely that you would get two in a row when dealing with a generally reliable car model.

2). Problem with your battery, which seems unlikely as you've been through many different batteries purchased/acquired over time in different locations.

3). Problem with your use of the Honda Fit... If #1 and #2 are unlikely, the most parsimonious answer is that something you're doing, or how you're using your Fit, causes the repeated, rapid battery degradation that you're experiencing.

You didn't really say anything about your car or driving history. Do you currently have another car, or have you driven different car models in the past without similar issues? What type of car? If so, has anything about the way you use your car (miles driven per trip, how the car is parked, climate where you live, etc) changed between the previous cars and your Fits? Do you use the power port in the car to charge devices? If so, do you leave the charger plugged in when the car is off and parked?

I have an Ultragauge that shows me the voltage of the charging system (amongst other things, such as coolant temperature). Before I even start the car I can see the state of my battery, and once the car is running I can can easily confirm that the alternator/charging system are functioning correctly. Something like that might be useful to you, as you could easily see the battery voltage after the car has been parked for a day or two. If it's dropping, something has to be causing a parasitic drain.
 
Old May 29, 2023 | 09:35 PM
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Lemon

Even Honda can have a Lemon or two every now and then. Maybe you just got a Lemon.
 
Old May 29, 2023 | 11:59 PM
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I also have a Mexican made 2016. It's battery was replaced in 2020 just before I purchased it.
Almost three years later and I'm still on the same battery.
 
Old May 30, 2023 | 10:44 AM
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I recently replaced the original equipment battery in my 2018 with a larger AGM (51R). It lasted nearly 5 years, but I put it on a charger every 2-3 months to top it off, when the car seemed to crank a bit slower than normal on cold start. It completely failed, totally dead when out running some errands, which was odd because it cranked fine on cold start, and I drove about 15 miles to my first stop.
Coincidentally we have a Subaru Outback, which has more serious battery drain issues, and an undersized battery from the factory. Leaving the tailgate open, for example, seems to kill the battery with a parasitic drain. There is class action litigation in process on that one, as I received notice about it several months ago.
 
Old May 30, 2023 | 07:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Drew21
Seems like there are only a few possibilities.
1). Problem with the Honda Fit in general, which is your conclusion. It's clear that many folks think that the OEM battery is undersized, but I don't think many people are having problems at the level you are. Obviously any individual car can be a lemon, but it seems highly unlikely that you would get two in a row when dealing with a generally reliable car model.

2). Problem with your battery, which seems unlikely as you've been through many different batteries purchased/acquired over time in different locations.

3). Problem with your use of the Honda Fit... If #1 and #2 are unlikely, the most parsimonious answer is that something you're doing, or how you're using your Fit, causes the repeated, rapid battery degradation that you're experiencing.

You didn't really say anything about your car or driving history. Do you currently have another car, or have you driven different car models in the past without similar issues? What type of car? If so, has anything about the way you use your car (miles driven per trip, how the car is parked, climate where you live, etc) changed between the previous cars and your Fits? Do you use the power port in the car to charge devices? If so, do you leave the charger plugged in when the car is off and parked?

I have an Ultragauge that shows me the voltage of the charging system (amongst other things, such as coolant temperature). Before I even start the car I can see the state of my battery, and once the car is running I can can easily confirm that the alternator/charging system are functioning correctly. Something like that might be useful to you, as you could easily see the battery voltage after the car has been parked for a day or two. If it's dropping, something has to be causing a parasitic drain.
I think its a combination of OEM battery is undersized, and the Honda battery is a base level battery so doesnt last long. As for the way I use it, I ran them at first with little problem because I used them every day long distance to work in mine the 2016, and a good distance for my wife in the 2015. But once she retired the problem began on the 2015 as it was used only 2 to 3 times a week, then I retired, and the problem immeadiately showed up on mine even though I ran it more per week taking care of farm and machinery. So if its not run every day, it seems to go down from some reason, and nobody has figured it out. I suspect the weak/smaller battery not holding a charge or something along that line..
 
Old May 30, 2023 | 07:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Chitown Fit
Even Honda can have a Lemon or two every now and then. Maybe you just got a Lemon.
No, its a battery issue, the dealers all know when I come in, but keep quiet...
 
Old May 30, 2023 | 07:15 PM
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Originally Posted by BMWguy22
I also have a Mexican made 2016. It's battery was replaced in 2020 just before I purchased it.
Almost three years later and I'm still on the same battery.
Is it the OEM or a DIEHARD, DURCELL, etc...?
 
Old May 30, 2023 | 08:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Reddogs
Is it the OEM or a DIEHARD, DURCELL, etc...?
OEM and we only drive it short distances twice per week (usually to the grocery store which is less than 4 miles each way).
All city use (no long drives to charge the battery).
 
Old May 31, 2023 | 06:50 AM
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Battery Issue.

Originally Posted by Reddogs
No, its a battery issue, the dealers all know when I come in, but keep quiet...
Buy a Diehard battery. Battery problem solved.

I even have a Diehard battery in my 2007 Ruckus.
 
Old May 31, 2023 | 04:54 PM
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Originally Posted by Chitown Fit
Buy a Diehard battery. Battery problem solved.

I even have a Diehard battery in my 2007 Ruckus.
True, but I am finding this mainly on the line of the 3rd Gen models, so there seems to be a underlying issue that Honda is not addressing.
Here are a few which seem very familiar to what I am seeing...

"Has anyone else had battery issues with a new Honda Fit?I have a 2019 with about 12k miles, bought new less than 2 years ago. Don't drive much due to COVID hitting not long after getting it. I've had the battery die on me 4 times. I took it to the dealer the first time when it was new, they said it must have had something left on as the battery and alternator checked out. I've called triple AAA twice as it happened when we were on vacations. Each time AAA has checked the battery and says it has good health. Now it died again sitting in my garage after driving it a week ago. I'm trickle charging it overnight. Nothing left on. Any ideas? Should I just get a new battery? Is this a warranty issue and I should bother the dealer again?"

"Battery Dead problem of the 2019 Honda FIT
Failure Date: 03/18/2020I purchased my new vehicle February 2020. These are my electronic vehicle issues: 1) my battery dies when left for several hours with no electronics left on and no after market add on equipment. 2) electronic display looses touch functionality. Battery disconnect restores. "

"Battery keeps dying
My fit battery is dying if it sits for 24hrs. I've had the battery tested twice this week and the alternator once; the auto parts store says that they are fine.
I've confirmed in a pitch black and silent garage that no lights are on anywhere in the car and that I hear nothing going on. I have a 2015 with a cd player and I do notice that the red light in the upper left hand corner blinks every two seconds or so (it could have done that before too and I never noticed).
I have 46k on the car and it is the original battery. I'm tempted to change the battery despite what the auto parts store tester says. Has anyone else had this problem? Thanks!"
 
Old Jun 2, 2023 | 09:45 AM
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And this is a well known issue on the other models... https://normantaylor.com/blog/class-...honda-battery/
 
Old Jun 3, 2023 | 12:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Drew21
Seems like there are only a few possibilities.



3). Problem with your use of the Honda Fit... If #1 and #2 are unlikely, the most parsimonious answer is that something you're doing, or how you're using your Fit, causes the repeated, rapid battery degradation that you're experiencing.

You didn't really say anything about your car or driving history. Do you currently have another car, or have you driven different car models in the past without similar issues? What type of car? If so, has anything about the way you use your car (miles driven per trip, how the car is parked, climate where you live, etc) changed between the previous cars and your Fits? Do you use the power port in the car to charge devices? If so, do you leave the charger plugged in when the car is off and parked?

I have an Ultragauge that shows me the voltage of the charging system (amongst other things, such as coolant temperature). Before I even start the car I can see the state of my battery, and once the car is running I can can easily confirm that the alternator/charging system are functioning correctly. Something like that might be useful to you, as you could easily see the battery voltage after the car has been parked for a day or two. If it's dropping, something has to be causing a parasitic drain.
You didn’t respond to Drew21’s posit #3. Monitoring with a voltmeter will go a long way in diagnosing the real issue. Many people have a sound car and it seems like you have the outliers.
 
Old Jun 3, 2023 | 07:29 PM
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https://campaign.aliexpress.com/wow/..._id=1085400208

Have you thought about a little volt meter to plug into your cigarette lighter, and then keep an eye on it as you drive?
See if it stops charging sometimes as you are driving.
 
Old Jun 3, 2023 | 08:27 PM
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Originally Posted by 3rdGenOwner
You didn’t respond to Drew21’s posit #3. Monitoring with a voltmeter will go a long way in diagnosing the real issue. Many people have a sound car and it seems like you have the outliers.
Not sure what I can say, as the dealers have checked that, and everything is perfect, no issues, ten by ten as they say.
 
Old Jun 3, 2023 | 08:28 PM
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Originally Posted by Breezer
https://campaign.aliexpress.com/wow/..._id=1085400208

Have you thought about a little volt meter to plug into your cigarette lighter, and then keep an eye on it as you drive?
See if it stops charging sometimes as you are driving.
How does that work?
 

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