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Design defect in Honda Fit creates visual distraction in windshield for driver
The ornamental contouring of the Honda Fit's dashboard creates "veiling glare" or "ghost images" in the windshield in the driver's field of vision whenever the sun is in front of the car. You can see the ghost images created by this design defect in the attachment. Honda's only offered remedy was a free dash mat, even though a Honda dealership told me that Honda regards dash mats as potentially interfering with the function of the car's airbags. If the Fit's dashboard was designed with a uniform surface, these ghost images would not be created.
Potential buyers of the Honda Fit with this type of dashboard should expect to see these ghost images whenever they drive the car with the sun in front of them. Do not buy this car if you don't want these ghost images irritating the driver.
Two studies of this problem of veiling glare/ghost images are available at: http://epubl.ltu.se/1402-1617/2009/009/LTU-EX-09009-SE.pdf and at http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:18109/FULLTEXT01.pdf.