I first noticed that when I took my car through a car wash it didn't accelerate/handle well right off the bat. Today, in a torrential downpour my car handled like sh**t. The mileage was awful (what should have been 28-30mpg was 17-20mpg?), and the engine felt like it was struggling at times, almost "jerky"...

Does anyone have an explanation for this? It certainly isn't normal, as my last FIT was fine in any weather. Is water getting into the engine bay? What should I tell the dealership if I need to take it in? Is the hood misalaigned? Any ideas for the cause of this?

I am not happy about this at all.....

 

Have you popped the hood to see if there is any water, like for example in the air filter area?

 

Is your car impacted by the recall campaign? Perhaps the ignition coil issue being exasperated by moisture.

 

I considered the fact that it might be the coils related to the recall, but my car was made too late in the year (Nov 2014, 44,XXX ) that I don't believe it was affected.

It started right up and handled great once it sat inside the garage at work for 6 hours. I don't get it.

I know that driving in inclement weather can affect your fuel economy-but by 8-10 mpgs? That seems a bit much. Of course I can't take it in to the dealership because it's all dry now...

 

Was the VSA kicking in due to hydroplaning?

If there's a serious amount of water on the ground, I wouldn't be too surprised at poor milage. If you've ever tried running through the water at the beach, it's somewhat of a similar problem (on a somewhat smaller scale) for the car—the tires have to push a bunch of water aside as they roll, and that takes energy.