Dang, Matt, you should have more miles than that! Get off that computer and take a road trip, Dude!

 

I have delivered pizza full time for over 3 years I know how to drive a manual transmission too.

While it was built with low cost in mind, the Fit handles rather nicely for what it is and is a good car. If you don't believe me go check out the Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris, or VW Rabbit and see how they are.

I have had my '08 Fit Sport MT for over a year now and the only complaint I have is noisy valve train.

 

Sounds like you might need to get those valves adjusted too

 

Think some might be missing the point - this is one person's experience with one vehicle. I am pretty sure that someone will probably make it to 150k on the original clutch with no problems.

I overheard a guy at a car show once saying that he would never in his life own another Rolls Royce again because a previous vehicle had an electronic ignition problem with less than 20k on the clock.

I got rid of a 1995 Dodge Neon with 160k on it in 2004. It still had the original clutch but that did not make it a good car...

My sympathies artieman - I am waiting for the rear wheel well opening rust to start showing up...

 

I will never own a Rolls Royce, either, then!

+rep for the George Carlin reference. I do miss him. Nobody else on the comedy scene has that kind of insightful humor!

 

My first stick- about an 87 ford ranger-put 100k on it
2nd stick-94 toyota small truck -put about 100k on it
3rd-96 toyota tacoma-172k and i still own it
4th -03 mitsubishi eclipse-136k still own it
5th -098 honda fit-600 miles

ive never replaced a clutch ever from any manufacturer.

If your burning through a clutch i 50k its your driving style

 

Hey DanCool,
Can't beat that Tacoma. My girlfriend or wife or something has a '96 Tacoma 6-cyl automatic with over 560,000 miles on it, with no engine work (unless you count timing belts).
Unfortunately, it won't make 600K because her son drives it now.

As a reference, it's 240,000 miles to the fcukin moon.

 

Anything ever done to the tranny - other than maintenance.

 

Never. Timing belts every 100K, and water pumps every 200K. No transmission issues, no nuthin. Only time it ever broke down was a fuel pump that went bad.

Edit: She says she never did any maintenance to the transmission, just made sure the fluid level stayed OK. It is an automatic, and as you all probably know, it has been considered wise to NOT do maintenance on them.
The reason for the water pumps every 200K was because (on this engine) it was so convenient to change the water pump while doing the timing belt job.
I did have to replace the radiator once, also, not because of any inherent problem with the vehicle, but because it got punctured by some road debris.
She is a courier, and spends a lot of time on the highway. Right now she is driving a '98 Nissan Altima, and it has about 220K if I am not mistaken. It will not last as long as the Tacoma. Might make 300K though, which is still pretty doggone good.

 

and yet all my other cars got twice as much out of the oem clutch...hmmmm....ponder that one....my xb even got 108k with a supercharger and was sold with the stock clutch still in it
*thumbs down* for thinking you know me

 

I'm still around 7000 miles. The dash does squeek from time to time, but its not terrible and doesnt do it all the time. I love the car. Biggest complaint is Fuel tank too small, no MPG read-out, Steering wheel should be telescopic. (minor issues)

 

LOL you are right. i dont hardly drive anymore. i ride my bicycle if im going somewhere in town. only drive to work and back.

 

Woah, artieman! Your clutch is slipping!? That's pretty frightening...

I'm still on the stock clutch, 53,000 miles, and I've been boosted for pushing 10k or so (as I recall, anyway), and my clutch still grabs like new. I actually tested it today on some dry pavement (tough to find this time of year), and I left two fat ol' tire tracks, a little smoke, and a really terrified minivan driver at a stoplight. Still no sign of clutch slippage though...

As for the rattles, oh definitely. My dash does a little, but my exhaust is brutal. The cat delete flange on my exhaust smacks on a heatshield stud (heatshield itself is long gone, as it ALSO rattled like a SOB) whenever I hit the gas. Guess that's not Honda's problem though.

Anyway, sorry you're having such troubles with your fit! I'm especially shocked about the clutch... makes me wonder how much longer I've got before I'm forced to upgrade.

 

I think I got a bad pressure plate with the way its acting.
GRRRRRRR.....im guessing the 120k mile warranty I purchased from honda isnt going to cover it either.
I bought this car to have a reliable daily driver I wouldnt beat on or work on since I already have collected enough honda's I cant daily drive and havnt finished. Told the wife I was getting pissed at the fit and swap a K and upgrade the suspension and brake system and she said not till I finish the other cars...AHHHHHHHH....

 

Warranties usually won't cover so-called "wear items," which I'm pretty sure means anything within a 3-foot radius of the clutch or brake pads.

You think you got a bad pressure plate? I remember in the car I learned to drive with I broke the pressure plate. As in, hardcore cracked. The clutch would drag when you disengaged it and shook like hell when you tried to take off. Oh yeah, it would also clunk really loud when you hit the gas and took up the drivetrain slack.

As for the k swap, I'd say do it if you can talk the Mrs. into it! Go for the k swap with upgraded suspension and brakes, and the hondata relfash and call it a DD. That's what I would have done if I had the means, but a turbo was a lot cheaper and more available.

You could always get a new clutch, motor mounts, and a turbo, too. Would probably end up costing a little less, depending on how much you pay for the motor.

 

I feel the OP's pain on this one. I had a Gen-1 xB as well and regret trading it in everyday. It had a slight buzz behind the speedo, but other than that, it was the best vehicle I've ever owned. My '08 MT Sport rattles like amd every in the dash. This is pathetic. The clutch is just...sloppy...that's the only word I can come up with to really describe it. It's just like the entire assembly is made of plastic and put together with a few screws loose. I only have 5500 on the clock right now.

I've been to the dealership, and all they offered was some felt stripping along the dash. So to save them from havign to remove the wnite dash and ruin god knows what else, I decided to go the golf club grip route (as mentioned in the rattles I'm winning thread). Well, not a grip, but I got some rubber material I rolled up to squeeze in there.

All in all, this just seems sub-par; especially for a freaking Honda! I understand that automakers are manufacturing vehicles with cheaper plastics to cut costs, but this is just insane. I have a good friend with a 1994 Civix DX Hatchback with zero rattles inside the cabin. Oh and his clutch is smoother and more precise than mine to boot!!! He's on the OEM clutch it came with in 1994!!! This is my first, and I will never again buy another Honda. I knew I should have gotten a Scion xD and stuck with Toyota; Or at least got the new Hyundai Accent SE. It has a 6 speed MT with a B&M short shifter out of the box, and comes in a nicer orange than BOM. I bet I would have saved a few thousand dollars too!!!

 

after seeing that picture, it does not matter how many rattles your fits has.

it was an upgrade to the max.