I was browsing through Honda.com web site looking for something and in going through the Fit news release dated July 18,2017 I came across this puzzling statement from Honda (just below the pricing chart):

"The 2018 Honda Fit for the U.S. market is manufactured in North America at Honda's Celaya, Mexico plant using domestic and globally sourced parts."

Is this likely just a sloppy error from Honda's sales/marketing people or did I miss some announcement about moving manufacture back to Mexico from Japan? There's nothing to differentiate CVT and MT production.

 

what was the original reason why the Japanese plant made some and shipped to the USA? was it capacity issue at the mexico plant? if so, honda dealers have a lot of Fits in inventory still, mexico would have no issue playing catch up while dealers exhaust their inventory..?

 

They don't usually make announcements when they are moving production from Japan so likely they aren't importing any 2018 Fits from Japan.

 

Fit CVT production was moved to Japan to provide capacity in Mexico for the new Honda HRV which was starting up. As far as I know that hasn't changed.

 

Do you have an inside line as to why that wouldn't have changed? The OEM's make production changes all the time without releasing information on it or it only gets picked up by trade publications such as Automotive News.

 

There were all kinds of QC issues at the Celaya plant. While the official line might have been that Honda wanted to gear up capacity for the HR-V at Celaya, another possible explanation is that Honda didn't want to sully its reputation by continuing to supply the market with problematic Fits while it was working all the bugs out, and made a switch to Japanese made Fits as an interim measure until the Celaya situation was better under control.

The cost to import the Fit from Japan was not an insubstantial one, and with the Fit being Honda's least expensive vehicle - with the smallest margins if any - this was a tough pill for Honda to swallow. I'm sure they'd much rather supply the North American market from Mexico rather than Japan if given the choice.

 

Last time I stopped at my local dealer, they had six new Fits on the lot (all 2017 CVT models). Of the six, five were made in Mexico. I'd say it's true that Fits are again coming from Mexico.

 

My 2017 LX CVT shows a 9/16 build, Suzuka, Japan

 

Yes but we're wondering if all 2018's are going to be made in Mexico.

 

i thought the CVT was always made in japan? at least my GK shows the tranny is from japan (2016 EX USDM). car was assembled in mexico and had problems with the driver door window regulator and glass in the beginning. dealer replaced both the regulator and glass.

 

i didnt even think the window would be a problem.. it was a hot day too when i went for a test drive so didnt test it.

from that day, all cars i buy (only new) i test the power windows before i buy. lol

 

I think he is referring to CVT equppied Fits being assembled in Mexico not that the CVT itself is being assembled in Mexico.

 

Justified or unjustified there are still reputations, and I think generally speaking most people still think "Assembled In Japan" is superior to "Assembled in Mexico".
Therefore I wouldn't expect a huge public announcement that assembly is being shifted from Japan to Mexico. They would rather you not discover that, or at least get you into the dealership before you do.

I was hanging out an lurking during the time the Gen 3 came out and was being assembled in the new plant in Mexico. I was thinking about making the move back to The Fit.
I admit I delayed doing so, because of all the Fit and Finish and assembly problems that seemed to plague the early Gen 3 Fits coming out of Mexico.
However, I would say that auto making is a global action. And I think great automobiles can be assembled nearly anywhere, it all depends on training and applied standards.
I'm trusting that Honda heard about all the early problems and has gotten the Mexico City plant up to speed.
But as stated above, given the cost of transporting and importing products from Japan, no surprise that Honda, as most automakers want to build automobiles as close as possible to their intended markets.
Despite the rumors, and actually many threads here, about early Mexico City plant problems, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Fit assembled in Mexico, even though I admit, at least part of the reason I bought my 2016 was that it was assembled in Japan.
Hypocrite Much? I suppose so.

 

oh ok, yah dat makes sense.

 

fitchet - my GTI made in Mexico is far better built than my Germany made Golf-R.

not that germans were really known for consistent high quality..
but at the end of the day my STI made in Japan is highest quality. lines line up a lot cleaner.

 

Not of Trump can help it. JK JK JK

 

I doubt that Trump will have much luck getting Fits made in the USA. Honda has already invested big bucks in that plant in Celaya, Mexico to make all North American Fits and other models there. Honda does make other models in several plants in the USA. I have been to the Greensburg, Indiana and Marysville, Ohio plants. They are very impressive.

I believe Fits are also made in Sao Paulo, Brazil

 

It appears that the 2018 fits will all be made in Mexico due to a NAFTA renegotiation.

https://www.torquenews.com/1574/trum...-celaya-mexico

 

all made in mexico? even for your market in japan?

 

No, the article says it's just for the north American market.

The ones for Japan will still be made in Japan.