I have owned Honda products since 1987 and can say with confidence that the 2015 Fit is the worst car I have ever purchased from Honda. This car was riddled with assembly defects and unfixable problems forcing me to negotiate a buy back with the dealer. The problems that the dealer could not fix are common problems when you search other owner's complaints on the internet but were unsolvable mysteries to the service department and Honda reps.
Problems NEVER fixed include:
-engine rattle when started first thing in cool weather
-cvt shudder and disengagement especially when entering freeway on ramps, very scary and dangerous
-water leak on driver's side floor after hard rain
-disgusting moldy AC smell from day one which worsened
-1st and second fan speeds that cut out during right turns
-horribly uncomfortable seats for people of all shapes and sizes
-dash rattle above glovebox and clunk in headliner
-engine would almost cut out just before complete stop in cold weather
-engine shook like a diesel when cold and in reverse
-front bumper misaligned, hood misaligned, rear hatch misaligned
-touch screen is a piece of garbage with slow response to commands
-poor AC cooling which made occupants sweat in 80 degree weather
I got the feeling that the service department was getting frustrated with repeat visits which hurts their dealership rating and makes them punching bags for angry customers. Several times when in the dealership shuttle and waiting room I discussed these same issues with other owners of new Honda's and found that it isn't just one model with poor quality! Something is systemically wrong at Honda.

 

I'm sorry to hear that vibecho. I do feel that Honda (and Toyota) quality has slipped in the past 15 years or so, and they "don't build 'em like they used to" like they did in 1987. Those are the cars that put Honda on the map, and rightfully so. They are unstoppable.


Little by little, it's obvious that the bean counters have cut corners and quality has paid a price.


The previous generation Fits have had impeccable reliability ratings, but in the recent Consumer Reports, the new 2015 Fit has dropped to average for reliability. Not terrible, but very un-Honda like. I'm sure part of it is the new plant in Mexico and working some of the quality bugs out of a new design, new staff, and new facility.


Not that I'm making excuses for Honda, because I've had very similar quality woes as you in the 15 months I've owned the car. It's a shame, because I really like the car otherwise for what it does, and can do


Some of your issues are pretty major and some are just annoying. The weak A/C seems to be a trait among small Japanese cars.


Just keep hounding the dealer if there's a quality defect. That's what the warranty is for, and you're better getting it fixed before the warranty expires

 

@Vibecho What month and year was your 2015 manufactured? Was it an early manufacture model?

 

The car was produced in September 2014 and I took delivery in November. Suffered with it for 11 months before trading it in on a Versa. The Versa has surprised me with it's build quality and there are zero issues of any kind.
I am sad though that the Fit didn't live up to the previous experience with Honda products. I have to say that my 88 CRX was an absolutely awesome car and the one that I will always remember. Bought it new and drove it hard without one powertrain issue and the body held up for over 10 Canadian winters!

 

I've rented the Versa Note many times last year both the 2014 and 2015 models, and they are good cars. I chose the 2016 Fit. It is too bad about the quality issues you have experienced.

I don't have any lingering ideas that Honda will be good for all cars. The Fit is a budget car built to a price point, and I accept the fact that quality will be somewhat lacking. These days the new transmissions are giving car manufacturers troubles.

The Versa Note has less power and handling is not as crisp as the Fit. Here in Toronto both cars are about the same price. While I could not test drive a manual Versa Note, I did test drive the Micra, which shares the same platform and transmission, and though the little Micra was pretty smooth, though very basic. I found Nissan quality to be quite good.

 

@OP, just for the sake of accuracy, buybacks are awarded as a result of successful arbitration and/or litigation against the manufacturer. In your case, you negotiated a trade-in directly with the dealer. Unless you are in Canada, you could have tried to force Honda to replace the vehicle (at no cost to you) or force Honda to buy it back from you outright under your state's lemon law (though a buyback could cost you money for the use of the car during your ownership of it). It's a difficult process and is not always successful. Sometimes it's just easier, though financially more harmful to just fold and take the loss of a trade-in and be done with it.

Either way, I can totally understand the frustration that results from the manufacturer and dealer's tactics designed to force an owner to fold and simply submit to the the financial harm of a wholesale trade just to put the nightmare of a bad car behind you. I have always preferred to persue lemon law proceedings prior to giving in, more on principle than anything else. In fact, I've won two lemon law awards in the past five years. The first, I accomplished a repurchase against Hyundai by using a lawyer. The second, I got through the process based on what I learned in the first case and prevailed against Toyota on my own without retaining a lawyer.

Good luck with your new Versa. It's a known fact thst the heyday of Honda and Toyota quality has long come and gone.

 

I'm told that the 2016 Fits are made in Japan - not in Mexico or elsewhere. That's what the Honda rep told me and my VIN number has the first letter J which means it's made in Japan. Hopefully that will make a difference quality wise.

 

Not all 2016 FITs are made in Japan. I just purchased a new 2016 LX with 6 speed manual transmission and it is made in Mexico. The VIN begins with the digit 3.

Looking online at other dealers' stock, every 2016 FIT with manual transmission I could find is made in Mexico.

 

From what I understand from HondaGeek, the manual 2016's are made in Mexico, the CVT's are made in Japan.

 

Also Fit EX-L models are Hecho en Mexico.

 

I completely agree with you. I bought my Fit in March and I've had nothing but problems. First it's not the one I wanted. I wanted the one with Sirius so since I had already paid cash for the car before they delivered it, they put an aftermarket Sirius that is plugged into the port in the arm rest. Well it's a piece of crap that they have had to work on and replace 3 times. Still doesn't work all the time. The battery died and had be replaced. The drivers side rear panel had to be painted because it would turn white everytime it rained. The a/c stinks like death. The windows fog up constantly. And now the screen is going crazy without anyone touching it or anything near it. I am taking this sucker to Carmax asap and getting rid of it. The dealer calls it the alien car because of all the issues.

 

OP,
Too bad that you had to get rid of your 11-month old Fit due to so many unrepairable defects (by dealer). It's an extreme case or unbelievable story for those consumers who have known Honda for decades (my first was 1984). Hope we will not see more of something like this from Honda or any other reputable companies.

 

Sorry your car is a lemon brah. You pays your money, you takes your chances. You rolled snake eyes.

My Fit is perfect, no issues. A co-worker has a Fit and it's perfect, no issues.

You seem like you might be a bit fussy. You should buy a Toyota Camry, try the 4 cylinder, you'll love it.

 

is yours made in mexico?

 

[QUOTE=vibecho;1333831]The car was produced in September 2014 and I took delivery in November. Suffered with it for 11 months before trading it in on a Versa. The Versa has surprised me with it's build quality and there are zero issues of any kind.
I am sad though that the Fit didn't live up to the previous experience with Honda products. I have to say that my 88 CRX was an absolutely awesome car and the one that I will always remember. Bought it new and drove it hard without one powertrain issue and the body held up for over 10 Canadian winters![/QUOTE

I liked my 89 3 door hatch Civic the best

 

You were told wrong. Not all 2016 FITs are made in Japan.

My 2016 LX with manual transmission has a 3VIN - made in Mexico. I bought it on December 30, 2015. The dealer got it 10 days earlier.

So far, all the 2016 EX-Ls I have seen are also made in Mexico.

And so far, only the LXs and EXs with CVT I have seen are made in Japan.

If anyone has examples that differ from the above, chime in.

 

My 2016 Fit EX CVT #1260 was hecho en Mexico.

 

I started a lease on mine in April 2015. It's made in Mexico. Apart from a recall for the rear door brackets that needed to be painted and treated for potential rust problems, I've had zero problems so far. I'm not overly impressed with the sound system but that's subjective. I'm not sure what all the fuss is about the seats. I find them very comfortable even on long rides. They are not cushy but firm and that's perfectly ok with me. They could have more aggressive bolsters for the shoulders and thighs but this is not a sport car. I think they are good for an economy car. So far the only thing I really don't like about the car and has me worried is the mediocre quality of the paint. I've never had a car where the paint gets damaged so fast so soon and I've been driving for more than 25 years. I don't want to know what it's going to look like in 4-5 years.

 

I think the paint issue is more a Japanese car thing. I had the same issue on my 2013 Subaru. Paint was easily scratched. My German cars' paint job was amazing strong and resilient.

 

I see what you mean on the seasts; my first two test drives no problem; side by side test drives vs civic; I personally preferred the civic. I like my seats cushiony and my mattresses firm.

do you have LX or EX? that makes difference in stereo.