Honda Fit Brake Questions

carfit4me

I have been thrilled with my Honda Fit, however as soon as I got it i noticed a grinding sensation when braking. After the 3rd time at a dealership between my 2 states, a correct diagnosis was made and a new part was rush ordered. The anti-lock brakes were activating when they shouldnt due to a computer part.
My problem has been that it has been nearly 2 weeks in the shop with still no part. I waited to travel to see my new grandbaby and missed the delivery. Stopped waiting and drove the rental. The dealership paid for a rental but the only car available is a gas guzzling Nissan Tundra v8 that gets about 15mpg.
It seems that Honda cant spare the parts to repair the ones that are already sold because of demand to produce new cars. I am really bummed as I wait and wait. I don't know what options I have since this dealership is doing all they can. Any Ideas?

carfit4me

Just got my car back after this long 2 weeks. the dealership said it was the only part like it in the U.S. ( available for repair). Guess that's how it is with a new model manufactured overseas.
Never thought about THAT when I bought it. Keeping my fingers crossed, now!

compactconvert

Hey carfit4me,

I was wondering if you could elaborate on what you mean by the the brakes "grinding." I just purchased a new 2008 Fit Sport, and I'm noticing that the brakes seem a little spongy, like the ABS is perhaps a little too aggressive when breaking. Is that similar to your problem?

carfit4me

O.K., my brakes did get fixed. There was a wheel sensor not working. Actually, that brake pedal was pulsating at times and grinding. It seemed to happen when I would just be pulling into a parking lot. Now that they are fixed, they never come on.
You might think it feels spongy but it was like something else was in control of my brake peddle...pretty obvious. After doing searches and reading about ABS brakes, I understood what was going on that caused that peddle to feel so strange.
I would get them checked on,though.

compactconvert

I just purchased my brand spankin' new 2008 Fit Sport 2 weeks ago and I'm already seeing orange rust around the disc/rotor of my 2 front wheels. The rust is appearing around the edges of the rotors and also near the hub. Is this normal or should I be concerned? I live in a rainy city and the car is usually outdoors, but it has only been with me for 2 weeks! Also--not sure if this is related or not--I have noticed that the brakes seem pretty tight when coming to a stop, but I figured that was just part of the car being new. Thanks in advance for your input.

PF_Flyer

Rotors will show rust right away even on damp and foggy mornings. Using the brakes rubs the rust off, and it will come back next time you have a damp day. Pretty much a normal happening.
And remember that your brakes feeling tights is probably due to you getting used to the new vehicle, but in damp situation brakes can get "grabby".

Hope you're enjoying your new ride!

sportfit

Always break in the brakes on a new car by lightly braking. for the first two to three hundred miles. Go easy anyway and you will save gas and your brakes.

hndft512

The exact same thing is happening in my 2008 Honda Fit (not sport) I took it in yesterday, and they were unable to find anything wrong, they said my brakes were fine and then it did it again this morning. Happens only when I am going slow, when entering or exiting a parking lot. Carfit4me, what part did you have to replace? If you remember then I can go back to the dealership and ask that they replace that part, which would save me a lot of hassle.

kate1z

I hope someone can hlep me with an issue with my car: I bought my Honda Fit Sports 2008 last August. Few weeks ago with the cold weather I noticed that when I brake suddenly the brake would slip. I would feel something like "click click click" as it slips few feet instead of stopping. I tried it on a snowy road, accelerated for a min and then stepped on the brake suddenly and keep getting this noise and slip. It is getting really worrisome because I slipped three times already near street intersections, and luckily there were no cars coming at me. Once I was going 35 and slipped maybe 10 feet, two other times I was only going at 15 mph. I don't think this is the abs, is it? It only happens when it is very cold and there is ice or snow on the ground. I live in MN. Please help!!

tiff_c

I hope someone can hlep me with an issue with my car: I bought my Honda Fit Sports 2008 last August. Few weeks ago with the cold weather I noticed that when I brake suddenly the brake would slip. I would feel something like "click click click" as it slips few feet instead of stopping.

Now you know why many of us in Snow country dislike ABS brakes! The noise you are hearing is your ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) working. Plan on it taking longer to stop in snow unless you drive slower. ABS works great in the dry but I'd like to be able to shut it off in the winter. Sadly you can't turn it off.

learn2know

Hello everybody !

I just bought my car 3 weeks ago. Today was snow in my city about 2" - 3". I drove my honda fit (not sport) from work and only ran 10 - 20 mph. At one intersection the car ran faster because it was down the hill, not really steep, and I tried to stop. I stomped my brake and it made noise "grek grek grek" at the brake. Does anybody know it is normal or not ? I hope somebody can tell me. If I go to the dealer, they'll tell me it's fine, nothing wrong with my car.

kate1z

Arhhhhg, I hate this ABS thing! Thanks for the info, I kept trying it on ice and snow in cold weather and the same thing happens. Few days ago with warmer weather I trested it again, and no problem. So, your suggestion sounds right on the money.

Thanks!!!

tiff_c

Sure thing ABS is not very good in snow. But it is very helpful in the warm weather and even on wet/dry roads. Stopping on snow takes longer. I've had a lot of cars with ABS and some sound like the car is falling apart or going to blow up. First time you hear it it's like WTF?!
I don't care about the noise anymore since Honda ABS works very well and isn't too noisy compared to others.
I'd still like to be able to shut it off when there is snow tho.

dadof6

Don't forget that TIRE grip (or lack of) is what causes the ABS to activate. OE tires are, generally speaking, only OK at everrything but not great at anything.

heli_guy

I'm sorry that a few of you are experiencing difficulties with your anti-lock brakes.

I do want to identify that ABS has been one of the most important safety devices added to our vehicles. Any car expert will tell you that the overall braking distance is significantly reduced with ABS and I would never want to disconnect it.

If you’re driving in poor road conditions and need to brake, allow the ABS to do its job by pulsating on and off. What it's doing is releasing the brake pressure and then reapplying it. Sounds weird to release brake pressure but this pulsing provides maximum stopping force against that slick road your on.

Grinding is not normal!

wc2

I test drove two different Fit Sport with Navigation cars, and the brakes felt soft in both.

Can they be tightened?

stewpidaso

fit has front disc and rear drums. drum brakes are old school brakes that are cheaper for honda to throw on. one way for honda to cut corners. these brakes are known to bind they have a tendendcy to want to lock up. although abs should prevent this. hmm... this may have something to do w/ the abs engaging very easily in slicker conditions not sure though. they really need to put discs on all four wheels and VSA should be standard. but all these smaller cars cut corners somehow and somewhere @ least it has a 5spd auto vs. toyotas 4spd auto. the only rollerskate car that has it all is the vw rabbit & mini but u pay 4 it. my $.02

shelley04

I crashed my 2009 Honda Fit at less than 5 mph because the brakes did not hold or the car surged forward, it's hard to determine. I did **NOT** press on the accelerator by mistake, otherwise it would have been going far faster. I hit an old CRV which had no damage, but I had $2800 worth of cosmetic damage [!] The dealer refused to examine anything but the computer codes which say nothing has happened, It has not held at least 4 times, pulling out in traffic and almost hitting my house from the driveway. It has nothing to do with ice or wet conditions, or whether the car is warmed up or not. We are currently fighting with the dealer to fix it and to report it to Honda America. We have filed a report with NHSTA on the accident. Honda needs to deal with this problem by a recall. There is also a question as to whether the car's computer is urging it forward at the time the brakes are applied, since we noticed it surging while in park after the accident. We cannot get the phone number of the Honda district manager from the dealer or Honda America and are thinking of a lawyer next week. To anyone who has a Fit, be aware that this may happen, as it did not happen until the car had been driven about three months. We never drove it in ice or snow. The problem is in the car, not in exterior conditions.

whitehawk

What were road conditions?

I have an '08 Fit which is my first ABS car. ABS seems normal in that it prevents wheel lockup. Unless I'm braking beyond tire grip for existing road condition, the ABS is invisible.

Something wrong with your Fit's ABS, I agree. Losing braking is terrifying. Beat on your dealer!

shelley04

Road conditions were all perfect--the road was not wet, and they were well paved and flat roads. This car has never been driven on poor roads, and none of the incidents happened in rain; we did not drive it on ice or snow. I had ABS brakes on my CRV and I have never felt any pulsing, certainly nothing like this. Someone else suggested that it was an idle problem, and someone else that it was an acceleration switch that is behind the pedals. The dealer has refused to look at it again, even though I have the regular warranty and the extended one. Is there any way to make the brakes tighter, as I never felt they were exactly firm, or to turn off the ABS system at all?

whitehawk

I reread your original post - maybe its not brakes. The throttle is electric (no mechanical linkage). Could a faulty sensor tell the motor to do something unintended? I'm sure Honda's thought about this, and designed this feature to 'fail-safe'. Who knows?
I'd try the dealer again, pointing out that you have documented the accident and that should you have another accident, it won't be easy for Honda to evade responsibility for all consequences.
Good luck!

shelley04

My boyfriend, who has driven the car more than I have, thinks it is something to do with the idle surging and not the ABS brakes. For him, he was stopped at a light and the car pulled forward, and he tromped on the brake with his big size 13s and stopped it. That also happened to me once at a stop sign. But more often, it would be when I was slowing down to pull in somewhere. Once I was pulling in in front of my house and almost hit the house, swerving onto the lawn at the last moment. And then this time when I hit my boyfriend's car trying to park behind it. Since his car rolled when hit, the damage could have been much worse. As it is, the total is now $2800 for cosmetic damage to front.

We are going to take it into the dealer Tuesday and demand that something be done, either with idle or brakes or both. We are bringing printouts of these discussions and peoples' suggestions. So far they will not even look me in the eye when they are talking to me, and don't return my phone calls. I would like to talk to the Honda district manager but they refuse to give me the phone # because they say it is all fine and that I am a bad driver. I am writing a letter to Honda of America but that will take a while, and their phone representative said flatly that there was no way the car could move like anyone on this topic described, so that is probably not going to get any results. Thanks for all of your suggestions!

dadof6

1st--Your Honda dealer is not allowed to get in the middle something like this as it's a liability issue with Honda America. You'll have to deal with Honda directly. Speak with Honda customer service telling them you had an accident you feel was caused by a defect in the car.
2nd-Is the car equipped with cruise control?

shelley04

I spoke to Honda American constumer service and they refused to do anything to help me or admit that there can be any problem. They say that I must have hit the accelerator and am therefore liable for everything. They refused to convey any kind of message to Honda and refused to give me the district manager's contact information, as did the dealer. I am in the process of writing a letter to Honda American and copying the dealer and the dealer I purchased it from [who refuses to speak to me.] Also I am going to have to spend money to retain a lawyer since they refuse to speak to me or do anything. My insurance company is trying to put pressure on Honda but they said they don't have much leverage.

The car has cruise control but that was not involved in any of these jumping forward incidents as they all happened when the car was stopped with the brake pedal on or moving at very low speed. We've only used the cruise control once or twice, as we have not driven the car long distances, and it worked fine.

dadof6

Keep at it with Honda America---you have to be more stubborn than they are.
I take it this is an automatic transmission? Is it the Fit Sport?
Is it factory cruise control & listed on the factory window sticker?
The thing about stepping on the wrong pedal happens more than you would think--this is why they are harping on that point of veiw.

blue_car

I found your post because I was looking for others having the same problem as I'm having. I have a 2008 FIT. I haven't crashed (yet) but it's certainly very disconcerting. It usually occurs at very low speed, when I step on the brake the engine surges, but only occassionally. The first time it happened I thought maybe I'd accidentally stepped on the accelerator, but since I've NEVER done that before, I thought it was a bit weird that I'd do something like that. It's happened 3 more times since then, and each time I've verified that my foot is on the brake peddle. I have to really mash down on the brake to stop the car. It has happened both when going straight and when turning, so I don't think that has anything to do with it, and road conditions have always been dry.

I will be taking it to my Honda dealer next week, but since it's not something that happens every time, I expect that it will not occur during the test drive. I hope Honda America will take this seriously and correct the problem before someone gets hurt, as could very easily happen if it occurs when there's a pedestrian or bicyclist near the front of the car.

shelley04

The dealer won't do anything. They have had my car since April 4, and they say it has not done it for them, and they have checked brakes and other relevant systems. Honda America will not allow them to replace anything as nothing is defective. We are going in to negotiate with them next week, but the best we can do is for them to say they have checked everything and nothing is defective. I am going to have to try to sell the car myself as I don't think I can drive it again. They are blaming me because I walk with a cane and they say I don't push the pedal down far enough. However it only happened about once a week, at low speeds, and certainly after the first time I pushed that pedal down until my leg ached. It also happened to my boyfriend when he was driving it, and he is very strong. The car lept forward while it was stopped at a stoplight and he had to slam the brakes again. They clearly do not believe that this happened. I printed out all of the threads from this site and also from Car Talk, but they will not do anything. We consulted a lawyer who said we have a very weak case. By the way, it cost me $2800 to hit a parked car at low speed so crashing into anything is a very bad idea!

So [violins playing] I am a handicapped senior citizen who will have to pay $18K for a car that won't stop, so it can't be driven. I live in a rural area and am trapped without a car. This is the 4th Honda I have owned and I will probably never have another one. I only bought it because I thought it would be a good idea to have a car with automatic instead of my 5-speed CRV.

Good luck and let me know what happens when you go to Honda. You're right, it won't happen again on a short test drive or even if they keep it and drive it slowly around a parking lot. Whatever it is leaves no traces on the computer record.

shelley04

The dealr officially told me today that they will not do anything to the car or to help me get rid of it. Someone from Honda America is coming next week to talk to them about it, but the official policy is that they have never heard of this problem before so it is only this car, or more likely this driver that caused the failure to stop. They will not even give me a trade-in price for it, citing the serious hail damage as a major detriment to resale--even though their body shop has repaired it and you can't see a single mark in bright sunlight. They will give me a service report saying that the car works. From what I can tell, from the other cases and this one, it is due to a problem with the computer telling the car to speed up when the car is going too slow. They are not going to replace the computer or reprogram it when only a few cars have this problem. Either there are only a few cars that have this problem, or they have managed to keep it covered up by blaming "wrong pedal" or other driver error.

So unless we can find something other than a Honda to trade it in for, I will have to sell it myself.

I intend to write a blistering letter to Honda America, to the dealer who sold me the car [who never replied to any of my phone calls] and to my state attorney general about this, and I can't ever see buying another Honda. Prominently displayed on the agent's desk was a survey citing Honda as the No. 8 most trusted company in the US.

grateful1

On June 25th I was in an accident. I was going only 25 mph or less. I tapped my brakes and nothing happened. I did it again and nothing happened. I put my foot to the floor and nothing happened. I sat there saying to myself "It's a new car. It will stop." It only stopped because I hit the truck in front of me. Since my car was low, the impact did not hit the sensor for the airbags. There was about $9500 of damage. It could not be totaled because it has to be 75% of the value of the car. I still don't have my car back. Honda dealership said that they did a thorough check and there was nothing wrong. I was told by my insurance agent that when the brakes go out they don't come back. So there isn't a problem with the brakes. I am afraid to drive my car again.

kathyd226

I was in an accident, dry road conditions, 50 mph with plenty of space to stop. I am waiting on the adjustor. Looks like it's totalled, hoping so at this point as I too am terrified to drive the car. The car skidded for 30+ feet and rear-ended a rav4. Air bags did not deploy. Hit the brakes, they went to the floor, abs was vibrating but car would not stop. Anyone have any suggestions on contacting honda? this is the 2nd time this has happened. It happened 2 weeks after I bought the car, again, car skidded at 25mph and t-boned another car. And again, no air bags.

evalenti

I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2008 HONDA FIT. I WAS DRIVING AND OBSERVED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME SLOWING DOWN. I BEGAN TO BRAKE AND MY CAR DIDN'T SEEM TO BE SLOWING DOWN. I SMASHED THE BRAKE ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND CAR STILL WASN'T RESPONDING. I CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I HAVE BEEN READING OTHER BLOGS ABOUT BRAKE PROBLEMS AND OTHERS HAVE SAID THE BRAKE PADS WEAR OUT PREMATURELY. I ONLY HAVE 16K MILES ON MY CAR. I ASKED THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO HAVE THE BRAKES INSPECTED. IM WAITING FOR THE REPAIRS/INSPECTION RESULTS. PERHAPS IT'S A COINCIDENCE BUT I HAD TO HAVE 2 NEW FRONT TIRES PUT ON MY CAR JUST DAYS BEFORE MY ACCIDENT DUE TO UNEVEN WEAR PATTERNS EVEN THOUGH THE TIRES HAD BEEN ROTATED AS RECOMMENDED. THE TIRE PEOPLE TOLD ME THAT THERE'S NO WAY I SHOULD HAVE NEEDED NEW TIRES AT 16K W/ PROPER ROTATION. I HAD THE ALIGNMENT CHECKED AND WAS TOLD IT WAS IN PROPER ALIGNMENT.

kathyd226

i too had brand new bridgestone blizzaks and brakes installed 2 weeks prior. the insurance company didnt want to hear it. it wasnt totalled, so i basically have a brand new car which i dont want to drive... honda is of no help (what else is new) and also didnt want to hear it. and as an fyi...my body guy said the sensors on the fit are literally below the fogs so no expectation for airbags even in a head on unless you hit a mini or another fit. best of luck... :lemon:

evalenti

ATTN: KATHYD226
DO YOU MIND SAYING WHY YOU HAD 2 NEW TIRES AND BRAKES? WERE YOU ALSO EXPERIENCING UNEVEN TIRE WEAR AND PREMATURE BRAKE PAD WEARING? I ASSUME IF YOU HAVE A 2009 HONDA FIT, IT CAN'T HAVE THAT MANY MILES ON IT. MAYBE IF ENOUGH PEOPLE GET ON HERE AND HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS, EVENTUALLY SOMEONE WILL TAKE NOTICE!

stephen987

I'm sure the SHOUTING will help with that.

zevoruko

My mother called my yesterday she was histerical because the brake pedal on her Honda Fit 2007 didnt respond. The car only has 10k miles on it since she doesnt drive much. Luckily there wasnt much traffic, she was driving quite slowly and she managed to pull out of the problem but letting the car stop gradually but she said the pedal was down to the ground and it had absolutely no effect.

She cautiously moved out of the way and stopped the car.... after some 10 minutes she restarted the car and the brakes were back on. I went there, tried the car and it didn't have any issues. Car is at the dealership today to have it tested.

Only a few months ago she rear ended another car because she said the car didn't stop correctly so we don't know if maybe this is a common problem with Honda Fits.

She has the EX version with CVT transmission, car is imported from Brazil and driven in Mexico.

Could anyone help with this matter? Has Honda accepted or helped anyone here with the problem?

evalenti

I HEARD ON FOX NEWS THIS MORNING 7:05 A.M. (GRETCHEN CARLSON WAS THE NEWSCASTER) THAT THE TOYOTA PRIUS IS BEING RECALLED FOR "ABS FAILURE THAT LAST FOR ONLY SECONDS" WHICH HAS LED TO CRASHES. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT THE SAME COMPANY THAT PROVIDES PARTS TO TOYOTA, ALSO PROVIDES THEM TO HONDA AND NISSAN! FURTHERMORE, THERE IS A PROBLEM THEY HAVE FOUND CALLED "ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE." THIS PROBLEM WILL MAKE THE CAR ACCELERATOR CONTINUE FORWARD DESPITE YOUR BRAKING. AGAIN, THE SAME COMPANY PROVIDING TOYOTA WITH ITS FAULTY EQUIPMENT IS PROVIDING IT TO HONDA. MY CAR ACCIDENT WAS DEFINITELY CAUSED BY SOME TYPE OF MALFUNCTION. THE REPAIRS WERE JUST COMPLETED AND THE REPAIR SHOP SAID THAT THEY DID A "VISUAL INSPECTION" OF THE BRAKES AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM THAT CAN BE VISUALLY INSPECTED BY SIMPLY GLANCING AT BRAKE PADS. I AM CONSULTING WITH AN ATTORNEY WITH THIS INFORMATION AND MY INTENTION IS TO START A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST HONDA AND/OR THE COMPANY PROVIDING THESE PARTS. LIVES ARE AT STAKE!

stephen987

Is it really necessary to SHOUT????? We can hear you just fine.

evalenti

YES STEPHEN 987, IT IS NECESSARY TO SHOUT! WHEN LIVES ARE AT RISK, I WILL SHOUT. CAR COMPANIES DON'T LISTEN TO THE VALID SAFETY CONCERNS FROM CUSTOMERS UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE.

YOU SEEM TO BE MONITORING THIS FORUM WITH QUESTIONABLE INTENTIONS. PERHAPS YOU WORK FOR HONDA.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PF_Flyer

It's just that all caps are more difficult to read for a lot of people and some will simply skip over posts made in all caps.

No need to turn this into a personal confrontation.

stephen987

Nope. I don't work for Honda. I own a Fit and am curious about the problems others are having. I'm not sure how that translates into "questionable intentions"--perhaps you can explain???

wc2

Got an '09 Fit almost a year ago. So far, we're happy with it in every way.

With all the headlines about sticking gas pedals, should I be specially concerned?

stephen987

If you feel, hear, see, or smell something that isn't quite right, get it checked, by all means. Being alert to what's going on with your vehicle as you drive is always a good idea.

anrees

Last summer after torrential rain I also rearended a truck with my new Honda Fit due to no brakes. I assumed it was because they were wet. Also my airbags did not deploy. There was a lot of body damage even though I was only going 25 miles per hour. The body shop told me that airbags did not deploy because I was going too slow. I had plenty of time to stop (at least 1 block between me and the truck ahead), but the brakes did not respond. Last week after a snow the brakes also did not respond, but luckily there was no car on the road and I was able to pull over. Until the news about the Prius I kept thinking that it was my fault and that I should not have driven in the torrential downpour which led to local flooding and caused me to drive through it without stopping. But last week and the news and now your blog make me wonder about taking the car to the dealer.

808guy

I own a '08 Honda fit as well. I made a complaint to my Honda dealer about rattling noises and braking problems only 1 week after owning it. My dealership told me to bring it in. I did so the next day. I explained to them that the ABS system seems to be quite noisy when engaged. They said its normal. I told them no, It makes a loud screeching-clicking noises. Keep in mind, regular clicking is normal. It happens intermittently. The car lags in braking response time to almost failing. When the the intermittent problems happen, the pedal sinks more then 2 inches or bottoms out when pressure is applied. We took a test drive. The car didn't did replicate the problem. There wasn't the screeching part, but the clicking was still a bit loud. The Mechanic told me the clicking is normal. I laughed at him. I told him, buddy, I've been a mechanic for 12 years now, i know whats normal and not. That clicking is a bit louder than what I'm used to. He gave me a dumb founded look! I told him he better take a better look at the car and insisted there is a problem. He agreed to take another look. An hour later, he explains, he couldn't find any problems with my brakes after run test, no codes, the system seems fine. He flushed the whole system. I understand from a mechanics viewpoint that sometimes it hard to get the car to repeat the problem especial if its a intermittent problem. but to give me a answer like it normal, not acceptable. He did however find that the hood latch bolts weren't tight and out of alignment. He also notice the engine mounts were where rattling as well. He torqued all engine mounts. I believe its a factory issue!! Honda needs to tighten up their inspectors. I told him I'm sure I'll be back. Well a couple weeks later this happened again. Unfortunately for myself, the brakes didn't engage while applying pressure to the pedal and my car came to a stop by rear-ending a CRV. no damage at all to the CRV because the fit went right under it. But I was pissed. my hood was bent in half my radiator support, right headlights, right fender, and front bumper all need to be replaced. This is what happen when you rear-end a car at 15 mph. no air bag deployed, and the frame was amazingly still perfectly straight. I called the my dealership the very next morning to report that the brakes failed again, but this time I got into an accident. Keep in mind the car is only several weeks old. Be aware, Honda has denied that there is nothing wrong with the braking system on the fit. Yet I see almost every day a fit being towed with front-end damage. Granted I think how many of these front end damage may have resulted from a braking issues. More and more people are making complaints. Keep the complaint up... There needs to be a recall on this issue. :mad:

carfit4me

i have followed this issue because I think I was the first to post the problem when I bought my fit the first year they came out. (2007)?
Time flies and I was able to get my problem resolved after several trips to dealer. I had planned to have my car returned until they finally resolved it by replacing a part in one of the wheels. I think it was some kind of computerized part. I wish now I could remember and probably should go back and research it again in case others are also having this mystery ailment.
The mechanic would ride with me...no problem. Then the pulsating vibrating in peddle would start up again. I called dealer and they paid to have it towed in for more research.
I am happy to say that once this was fixed, it has never recurred and I have never had a brake problem of any sort. Honda corporation kept up with my case, as well.
This has proved to be a great car and I was so afraid I had a lemon. Mine is a manual shift in the color I wanted so I didnt want to turn it in and replace with a less desirable car. It had been a love at first sight thing weighed with my practicle nature.

carfit4me

Updating my last post:
If you are having problems with the ABS brakes coming on suddenly it may be wheel sensor. I checked back with my original post which was over 2yrs. ago to see what had been the outcome.It had caused lots of grief then but is barely memorable now. Just in case you have not been able to get a diagnosis in your car's "mystery ailment". Don't know if this has been a major recall issue or not but someone out there may need to know!

shelley04

I'm one of the original posters of this message. The problem I had was of the brakes appearing to work correctly, but the car surging forward even though the brake was depressed. This happened when I was pulling into parking spaces, backing out, or from a stop. It happened to my boyfriend when the car surged forward at a stoplight even though he had the brake depressed. It leaves no trace on the computer as a malfunction. We took the car back from the dealer last May after the accident, and he has mostly been driving it. It happened to him once or twice when he was slowing down in traffic since. But he says that it has not happened in the past 6 mos. He says that it probably is a problem with the computer programming of the accelerator and brake at the factory, and it is possible that either driving it causes the computer to adjust to the usage, or that when it was serviced last, they reset the computer and it eliminated the faulty bit of program.

I should stress that our problem was not of the brakes hitting the floor with no response, or of noisy brakes. Road condition or weather has not been an issue. We have been in a number of situations where we had to slam on the brakes hard and fast--we live in deer country--and it always stops then. It always happens at low speed, as if the car wants to go faster than you do, or doesn't want to stop right here, but surges 5 feet further on. If there is another car or a wall there, then you have the body damage.

Getting Honda to admit that this is a fault in the computer program is going to be hard, as that will not be an easy fix. It seems to be intrinsic to the fuel saving programming of the car, keeping it running at the lowest possible fuel expenditure without stalling or racing forward. It seems to miscalculate and race forward. I can't keep my check book balanced so apparently my car has the same kind of problem with its calculations.

stephen987

Is yours an automatic? It seems that the situation you're describing couldn't happen with a manual transmission.

ann4fit

I have a 2009 Honda Fit Sport with/navi. I have 9000+ miles on it - I've driven it 13 months now. My daughter also drives it. She said that she didn't like the sound (pounding under brakes)one time. I said it was the ABS and said no more. (I still own a 91 Honda accord no airbags or ABS, of course). However, the first snow we had in February, (it had only begun snowing 1/2 before.) She began driving and we had gone 2 blocks to the stop sign. When she hit the break, (she was going 22 mph) as I cautioned her to be careful until we saw how the car handled in the first snow. We only had stock tires on it. - The Fit didn't stop and slid onto oncoming traffic. Luckily for us, both SUV's stopped and we proceeded to the next busy intersection. When the light changed, she hit the break and again we slid and this time it was a very busy intersection with cars approaching us. My daughter did something with the break which her driving instructor taught her to do, and the Fit car turned sideways just in time as the cars past by. We proceeded about 2 miles to the CVS's and then she drove even more carefully. I took out the manual and realized we should have put the car into shift differential and pulled the right paddle shifter to get into M2 (manual 2)...that would have been better for traction in the snow. But after reading the forums where other people were having problems with either the ABS while going at slow speeds or idle surging or sensors not reading the car correctly when you slow down - I'm worried. So far on drive conditions, I haven't had problems, but I'm concerned.
I took the car into the dealer and the mechanic said I had 9/32 on the rear tires and 7/32 on the front so he suggested that he rotate tires, which I agreed too. I'm planning on getting (4) snow tires in February '10. - probably Blizzak WS60's.
I love the Honda Fit, - just trying to get safely where I need to go. My daughter drove from Philadelphia to Virginia - took about 2.5 hours in Jan '10 and loved it - she didn't have a problem passing large trucks, when needed....and she lived in California for about 8 years. We both love the 2009 Honda Fit Sport with/ navi.
Still concerned though- I think I will have her write a letter about her experience and send it to Honda American just to have it documented. STILL CONCERNED - RIGHTLY SO!

shelley04

The Fit does not seem to do very well at all on ice and snow. It has low ground clearance, for one, but the large wheels and the tires it comes with just do not seem to generate any traction at all. The slipping and sliding on snow is probably a different problem than the brakes not holding or the car surging forward from a stop or slow down. You can try putting something heavy in the back--a couple of bags of sand or kitty litter, for instance, or potting soil, etc. We just have not driven ours on the snow at all, since we still own the old CRV which is wonderful on snow and ice. Frankly, if my car did not stop at two successive intersections, I would turn around and carefully drive home!

We have not had any problems DRIVING the Fit--it is very peppy and does well on the interstate. We have not even had problems getting it to stop suddenly, when someone pulls in front of you and you have to stop now. It's just the gradual slow down when you are pulling up at a stop light or into/out of a parking space. I would be frightened to drive it in the stop-and-go rush hour traffic but fortunately we rarely get that out here in the country.

It also does better with a somewhat forceful and aggressive driver with strong legs. The angle of the seat and the pedals is not suited at all to a short person, which is odd for a Japanese car, and a car which is small and does not fit a tall person very well.

ann4fit

I am 5/8", my daughter is 5' 7".It is a 2009 Honda Fit Sport w/navi. My daughter was only driving about 22mph when she went to make a stop at the Stop sign and slid. Luckily, the 2 suv's coming at us stopped in time...but when it happened again 1 block away when she hit the break to stop for the light change, that was really scary. I am hoping it was the new fallen snow and the fact that I did not have 4 snow tires on my car. I only had the stock tires with 9/32sec in front and 7/32sec in rear.
My concern came when I read the forums re brake problems. The Honda site doesn't have recalls for the 2009 Honda Fit as yet. Perhaps they will...I'll keep watching.
When I brought it into the dealer they just rotated the tires putting the 9/32 from the rear to the front. I then read the manual which said to drive in M2 (I have an automatic with paddle shifters) which I did driving about 4 blocks until I got to the main roads that had been cleanly plowed and I didn't have a problem again. I'll get 4 snow tires on next winter and put some weight in the rear (cat litter). I wouldn't drive in heavy snow or when conditions are so bad we are asked to stay off the road anyway. I only want to get my car off the 4 blocks I need to go to get to clean plowed roads. I'll keep reading others statements on brakes for my year car and say many a prayers to keep my daughter and I safe.
Thanks for responding! A friend offered to help me drive with the paddle shifters...I don't have a problem knowing when to shift up...it's shifting down I seem to have a problem with..I have never driven a regular shift car before. Even though this is minus the clutch...I just have to feel brave enough to attempt it. I do have very good eye hand control. I'll take my friend up on his offer.