I have a 2010 fit sport with 182,000 on it. I am buying a new car. I love my fit, but there is one thing that gives me pause about buying another - the air conditioning.

When I use the AC, it will be moderately cool for 30-45 minutes, then no more cold air. I have taken my car in for analysis/repair of the air conditioning at least three times to no avail. I regularly make 3-4 hour trips in July and August, so function AC is a must.

Case in point, I just got back from a 4-hour trip from Virginia on Tuesday. I had to be on a conference call for an hour so I couldn't use the windows. The AC had died by then, so I was dripping with sweat throughout the call.

I understand this problem is not uncommon with this model/generation. This is something I am not willing to put up with again. Does anyone know if AC remains an issue with the fit?

Road noise and pickup are my only other complaints, but I am willing to live with those.

I am also considering a Civic Sport hatchback and Toyotas, but I got burned by a Rav-4 a while back. Did anyone look at a civic hatchback and decide on a fit? If so, why, and are you happy with your decision?

Thanks for any advice!

 

Yes, I think the AC in my 2020 Fit is weak compared to other vehicles. It's livable for me, but I wouldn't want to be a back seat passenger on a hot day.

I had a Civic Type R for about 2 months... AC was fine, but it was the cooler months here in Florida. My wife's Subaru Outback 3.6R has excellent AC. My 2016 Prius had excellent AC as well.

I had a 2009 Fit Sport for 6 years, also had the AC problem, especially in high heat and high humidity on longer drives. After living with it for a couple of years, my local mechanic (not Honda dealer) recharged it and it worked great.

 

That's a tough call. I have a 2013 Fit & A/C blows cold, even in hot months in Phoenix (115 no big deal). I love the ability to carry a lot of 'stuff" w/ back seats folded down. But if I had to choose between a Civic & a Fit, I might consider the Civic, just cuz it's a little bigger in size & would offer more crash protection. The Civic gets MPG as good as the Fit, If I would get a Civic hatch, the engine would be a turbo, which Honda says runs regular, but when it gets hot, you have to run premium to get the best power (read this in on line article). The extra power of the Civic would help the A/C. I've looked at Civic LX, base model, w/ 2000CC engine, no turbo, 158 HP. But it's not a hatch, altho I think the rear seats fold down. Well, just my 2 cents. I hope you get a good car that lasts a long time.

 

I had a 2010 Fit Sport and that happened once (and I used to go on long trips). The dealer fixed it- added refrigerant I think. Sold it with more than 100,000 miles.
I now have a 2016 Fit with around 32,000 miles and haven't had that problem. The A/C isn't super but once it cools the car off- which could be 15 or 20 minutes if it's been sitting in the sun in summer- then it's fine. If you can keep it indoors then it should be okay.

 

Basically an AC system is pretty simple and logical. It should be an easy task for an AC specialist to service and check the system and find the problem with the tools connected when the system stops cooling. Of course modern cars tend to be too wise and have more than necessary variables affecting the functions, but an AC specialist should also be able to tell if some external signal from car electric system switches the AC off. In that case it may bee needed to go to Honda service and plug in Honda proprietary diagnostics.

 

Thanks. Every time I have had it looked at, it has been by a Honda dealer/service shop. Obviously they don't run it long enough for the problem to occur. They have claimed to fix it, but it never is better.

 

Thanks. Every time I have had it looked at, it has been by a Honda dealer/service shop. Obviously they don't run it long enough for the problem to occur. They have claimed to fix it, but it never is better.

 

Unfortunately mediocre workmanship seems to be worldwide disease in car services. Finding a good one is like finding a needle from haystack.