I noticed on my window sticker that all of the Fit with an exception of 10% of it's parts are all from Japan? To me this is a good thing since all the vehicles I've owned over the years that have been 100% Japan have been incredible.

I guess I mean I'm happy to have discovered this on the Fit.

 

What..... Is there even a question here? Seems more like a statement.

 

That is the reason I love the Fit - made in Japan and shipped to the USA. Back in 2007 had to wait 3 months to get my Fit! On my original sticker off the car it states 0% major sources of foreign parts content: Japan 100%. It will also tell you where in Japan your car was put together. Mine was assembled in Suzuka,Mie, Japan.

 

Doesn't have to be a question to be a legit post, right?

I agree. I know that the OEMs always, always say "oh, of course we have exactly the same quality control processes and the same training in every plant and our Six Sigma experts prepare reports showing that the defect rate is the same in each, etc etc ..." And, if that makes my Accord $7000 cheaper, then I surely would accept a US-built and -supplied Accord. I'm certain the defect rate is, in fact, pretty close.

But you know what, if everything else is equal, and if it's all the same to you, I'd definitely prefer a Japan-built car. My personal experience is they're JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER.

My experience (only three of these have been mine; the others are my parents which of course I drove all the time):
1. On the Japan side:
87 Accord, 94 Accord, 96 del Sol, 2003 Civic Hybrid, 2012 Fit
2. Built outside Japan:
2001 Odyssey, 2004 CR-V
The former group of cars has a sense of ultimate quality and fit, both on the interior and mechanical side. The latter group, while still excellent cars, seemed not quite there. And sometimes comparison was possible with the same model built in the US - both the del Sol and Hybrid had same-gen Civic variants built in the US that I drove, and these didn't feel as good.

Now you can object in two ways to my experience. 1: Maybe the 2001/2004 cars were built in a period of cost-cutting in the design phase, and I think that is true. 2: Maybe the del Sol and Hybrid were both high-end models within the Civic range, and that's ALSO true. So I can't say, for certain, if there's a difference. I guess to know for sure, you'd have to have two identical models/years built in different plants and own both for an extended time. Also, note please that, actually, both those ex-Japan cars were imported (Windsor and Swindon) - I have never owned a US-built Honda (not from any intentional decision, just chance).

But I still think there's a subtle difference. I don't know if it's further down the supply chain or in assembly, but I think the Japanese worker's high concern with quality makes a difference which is unfortunately difficult to replicate.

 

There is a huge difference if you asked me. my personal experience buying new cars over the last 20+yrs.

Made in japan hondas so far = zero major problems. common issues were minor interior rattles which i fixed on my own.

Made in canada/usa honda's so far = 2 out of 4 had major problems. one required tow (complete flame out while driving and just died), other required dealer to fix the car under 1k miles for one week (mechanical).

these cars were bought new, so repaired under warranty.

same can be said about other japanese brands between made in japan and america. there is a major difference.

 

It does seem like both Honda Nd Toyota's most reliable models are usually built in Japan. Not sure how long they will continue importing Japan built models seeing they now have much narrower profit margins. We're seeing it already starting next year where the Fits will be built in Mexico. That's why I traded my 2010 for a brand new 2013 because I wanted one last Japenese built Fit before production moves to Mexico. Would any of you buy a Fit built in Mexico? I'd like to see how it goes for a few years just to see if the quality will be the same.

 

im sure honda mexico is more than capable of assembling cars properly, but it's the shift in supplychain that usually contributes to problems. and they push low cost and award business to the lowest bidder... yah, you're asking for problems.

 

My brother bought a Lotus Elise and part of the "allure" was how each car was built by a single individual and no two cars were 100% alike. My brother found a handful of change on his aluminum floor (slid out after his first turn) and some knobs fell off!

He has since sold it though since he still preferred driving his '04 STi

 

The heck, sounds like a POS. That spare change couldn't have possibly come from the factory right? Otherwise I'd consider that a total failure of quality control.

 

I wonder what other gifts people left behind in assy. That's funny!

 

GM use to leave empty beer bottles in the door panels back in the days, so i heard...

 

That's the "allure" I was talking about. The performance and handling was incredible (I drove it), it was just the little things that set them apart.

 

Here's a video of us in his Lotus along with another Lotus, A Ferrari, Porsche, NSX and a couple others I forget. You'll see she runs like a dream.

 

looks and sounds like fun. is that a fog horn in the dash?

 

It depends where you bought the cars. Where I come from, the GDs sold were made in Ayutthaya, Thailand, as were many of its contemporaries.

If you remember the October 2011 flooding in Thailand that sent hard disk drive prices skyrocketing around the world (WD and Seagate concentrated their HDD production there), that incident also had a very negative impact on Honda. Ayutthaya was one of the regions that was hardest hit by the flooding, and for a while the local Honda dealerships just could not sell any cars. "Limited editions" of the GE and the 9th-generation FB Civic were brought in from Honda Japan for a few months just so people who wanted a Honda could buy one.

 

LOL....yea! He said the horn sucked and didn't want to pay for the "upgrade" and would rather pay $3 for the air horn!

 

hahaha, that'll definitely get attention.

 

He said it was funny when he would be behind a 4x4, raise the horn over the windshield (obviously he had the roof off) and the driver of the 4x4 would frantically look around and see nobody. If only the 4x4 driver would look under his bumper! LOL

 

I have a 2013 Fit on order. I know the Canadian Fits are made in China. I really hope it is not going to be an issue.

 

I have to agree with this.

My last two cars were a Jeep Patriot, and a Toyota Corolla. Both were built in Canada. They were both missing clips in the fender wells (cost cutting?), and had build quality issues (Rattling panels and loose interior parts).

I haven't had a single issue like that with my fit.