Hi, new to the forum, hoping to tap into the brain trust. My wife and I absolutely adore our 2017 Fit LX. Bought new, driven for 6.5 years. It just came back from the dealer (Maintenance minder B) with a pretty big list of needed repairs. Up until now there's been nothing beyond paint issues. Can someone tell me if this is an unusual degree of major repair work, this early on? The car's just shy of 85,000 miles.

• front pipe heatshield disintegrating / coming loose - removed
• vtc actuator, timing chain, guides & gaskets need replacing $2098 + tax (about $1530 USD)
• front rotors very rusty, already grooving newer brake pads, need replacing $429+tax (about $310 USD)
• front right ball joint very loose, recommend replace right lower control arm $613+ tax ($450 USD)

Wheels are all (2-4) / 32mm remaining - both winters and all-seasons - both need replacing asap.
Oh and they haven't checked it yet but there's something wrong with the air con / defogger, going to be $140 just to diagnose and then whatever the fix cost is.

Oh and we're getting that super obnoxious cold start loud rattle as well, but the Honda service center didn't comment on that.

So...is this normal? We're wondering if it's worth it to pump...god, $3200 + tax + two new sets of tires into our Fit right now, or are we just now starting the "escalating maintenance costs every year" phase of the car and it'd be better to trade it in.

 

All cars require maintenance and regular replacement of consumables like brake components and tires. Very generally speaking, maintenance needs will increase as a vehicle gets older. Depending on where you are in Canada, your driving conditions could be quite extreme in terms of annual temperature range and winter salt exposure, so I would expect your maintenance costs to be higher than someone in a more moderate climate or someone who doesn't drive on salted roads.

No one can predict the future maintenance needs (outside of consumables) of your car without inspecting it. If it's already getting rusty underneath, as suggested by your location and the rusted heat shield and brake rotors, that might be a tally on the side of trading it in. If it's generally in good condition and suits your needs in terms of space, fuel efficiency, etc. that's a tally on the side of keeping it.

In terms of cost, you have to recognize that if you do maintenance at a dealership it will be expensive because you're paying for parts + labor + advertising on TV and radio + the massive showroom + the coffee and giant TV in the waiting room +...

If you use a (trusted/recommended) independent mechanic, it will likely be less expensive, and the quality of work will probably be just as good if not better. You can often save money by buying parts yourself and supplying them to an independent mechanic.

Finally, if you do some maintenance yourself, you can reduce your costs significantly. As an example, a pair of coated (helps with rust) Raybestos Element3 front brake rotors for your Fit is $64 USD plus shipping at Rockauto.com. Other options are cheaper (e.g., the option that the dealership would probably use, to your detriment), but I find that the lifespan of fully coated rotors makes up for their higher cost. Changing brake rotors is pretty simple, especially now that we have Youtube videos to show every step of the process. I have no doubt that you can replace the front brake pads and rotors, inspect and rebuild the calipers, clean and lube the slide pins, replace the slide pin boots, and sand and paint the caliper brackets for a Honda Fit (+ the same maintenance, front and rear, on a Nissan Leaf) for less than $310 USD because I did it a few months ago.

I lot of the other stuff you outlined may be outside the realm of a DIYer, or maybe not. Depends on what you are willing to learn how to do. Regardless, it's worth your time to get a second estimate at a different mechanic before deciding the long-term fate of your Fit.

 

That's the VTC actuator problem.

As Drew21 suggested you should look for a second opinion on all these items from a mechanic or small shop familiar with Hondas. Do not trust what any dealer says. Also, no shortage of tire shops around.

 

Welcome. Sounds like you're getting advanced rusting of front end components.

If salt is accumulating to that degree, any front end will rust. The Fit is one of the cheaper cars to maintain component-wise.

If you plan on keeping the vehicle, replace needed front end components and try to keep salt from accumulating on and underneath the frame.

Your A/C is a separate issue. I had to have the condenser replaced on my '16 LX for about $600 a couple years ago. Not cheap, but try living without.

Right now, used cars are outrageously expensive where I live. It's usually cheaper to repair than replace. Put another way, try to buy another vehicle for just what you're spending on repairs to the present one.

The problem areas on GK5 Fits are: fuel injector failure from carbon buildup; starter & start switch failure on pushbutton start models; VTC actuator rattle on cold startup; fuel pump recall for later models; and door and hatch leaks on all models, but worse on the '18 redesign.

Also important if you keep the vehicle - try to run Top Tier fuel only. These engines are tremendously prone to carbon fouling and Top Tier fuel has something like 20 times less carbon than regular. I realize you can't get it in all areas, but try to run as much as possible.

 

In the areas, where road salt is widely used, it is advisable to wash the car regularly, including flushing the salt from wheel wells and chassis.

 

Do you take a lot of short trips where the car doesn’t fully warm up? That also contributes to wear and rusting of components.

Brakes and tires are going to be a wear item on every single car. If uou haven’t replaced the tires in the last six years, they’d need it for age issues as well as wear issues anyway.

 

The cold rattle is defiantly the VTC actuator going. I have a 2015 and it started about 2 years ago and I never changed it and surprising it stopped making that crazy sound in the morning recently. I'm thinking it rattled itself back in? lol JK...but it really did stop making noise.

2-4 of 32mm sounds really low. 2 is the lowest where I am from and have to change it. If you can just change the 2 out of 32mm tires, then just change those in pairs. But, if you can afford to change all 4, you can too.

I believe the rotors and pads should be replaced. Not sure about the ball joint and lower right control arm. That something, we would have to see if it's really loose, but it possible after 6.5 years.

If you asking if the prices are reasonable for a dealership prices, yes they would be. Maybe, you could get a second an opinion from an independent mechanic. Let them check out the car and DO NOT pre tell them what's wrong. See, what they say and compare prices. If they don't say anything about something that the dealership said, then it might be not an issue. My belief is that dealerships tend to over advise things.

 

The cold rattle is defiantly the VTC actuator going. I have a 2015 and it started about 2 years ago and I never changed it and surprising it stopped making that crazy sound in the morning recently. I'm thinking it rattled itself back in? lol JK...but it really did stop making noise.



OMG...the whole engines gonna explode or .......your golden!!!!...you did nothing....new oil? i want whatever happened to you!!!!!!!!!!

so it rattles way less if its warm and way more if its cold....are u somewhere warm or cold RIGHT NOW???

 

I would say it`s not unreasonable but more like unfortunate that they are all being found at the same time. The VTC issue is pretty common it seems. They redesigned the part so if you get it fixed you should not have that issue again. For the other items, I would think about 6 years isn't unusual. Rotors and tires typically get replaced quite often in cars. With the Fit being so light, you probably get less wear compared to a heavier vehicle. I've had ball joints last around 8 years but it really depends on what the mechanic decides is loose. People will have differing options on how loose is too loose. It's worth keeping in mind the mechanics at the dealership are looking for things to fix. They interact with new cars every day so they might have a higher standard of what is considered normal. For the AC issue I'm thinking if you haven't noticed any issues then maybe it's not worth poking around for issues. I could be mistaken but I would think none of the issues are critical except the tires of course. The other issues can be fixed as you have money to deal with them.

 

Sorry to hear your your maintenance and wear and tear problems, The first thing I checked was your location, canada. I don't know exactly where, but your location must have harsh winter weather. I have a 2017 Honda Fit LX CVT bought new too. It has been a perfect car so far at 135K miles (216,000 km) TX climate, most highway cruise at 62-65 mph 42+ mpg (5.6 liters/100km). With the exception of a new battery, the coolent and CVT fluids, air and environmental filters were all changed twice. Nothing has gone wrong except the outside temperature sensor failed,.but not replaced. Still original brakes and fluid mostly highway driving. No issues with the brakes. After reading about the undercover screws problems, it was not reinstalled after the first dealer comp oil/filter change, I'm getting 42mpg without the undercover. I don't think without the cover has affected the aerodynamic substantially or affect the cleaniness of the engine, still look new! I change the oil/filter when the quality indicates 20-15% with Mobil 1 0-20 wt oil and a fram oil filter. Without the undercover, I am able to reach the oil filter and drain plug without having to lift the front end.