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Honda Fit Exterior & Bodywork Questions

2

Comments

  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    If Honda refuses to help with this, you could file a complaint with the NHTSA. A crack in the windshield could be considered a safety issue that they could start an investigation about.
  • gary80gary80 Member Posts: 4
    I took the car to the dealer, ins agent, and the local glass repair place. I called Honda and spoke to their rep as well. All agree it is not a stress fracture. Upon closer examination they saw a tiny indentation in the crack which they all state is an impact.

    As it only involves a corner, replacement is not really needed as the structure of the window remains sound. Gluing the creack is not possible.

    Hope this helps with others who notice a simular crack.
  • kinzkinz Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2008 fit with about 17000 miles. This afternoon while looking at a low flying helicopter out the driver side of the windshield I saw a 8" long crack suddenly appear in the upper portion of the windshield. I was stunned. We were traveling at about 60 mph and absolutely nothing hit the windshield. I plan on calling the dealer first thing in the morning. Thank you again internet. It is sooooooooo nice to be able to research something like this and find other people with the same issue.
  • pc2033pc2033 Member Posts: 1
    Guys,

    My wife has a 2007 honda fit sport and a few weeks ago it developed a crack in the windshield in the same place (bottom passenger side) as most of you on this thread. Our dealer is telling us that the windshield is not covered under their warranty and that we should check with Honda USA.

    I suspect that this problem may be more widespread than we think. I will let you know what Honda says because I do not believe that this is a coincidence
  • arlesarles Member Posts: 15
    I noticed about a month ago, a half circular fracture of my 2007 Fit front windshield on the lower passenger side up against the side of the window. It sounds similar to what has been described in previous posts. There is no visible nick or history of a flying object causing this. I took my Fit to my Honda dealer and they told me the warranty, including my Honda extended warranty, will not cover replacement. I looked into getting a windshield replacement. Honda windshields are more expensive than third party replacements. Has anyone got a third party replacement that they are happy about? I am also worried about getting a Honda windshield and having the same thing happen again.
  • slr9589slr9589 Member Posts: 121
    on 11/22/08 i was cruising in my 08 fit sport at 72 mph when a mature buzzard collided with my windshield...full frontal blast!!!
    the windshield cracked but did not separate ...it happened so fast that we laughed till we cried!
  • iamzzyzxiamzzyzx Member Posts: 5
    I'm wondering if it's a regional issue due to the weather back east. I'm in SoCal. Thanks in advance.
  • anahita61anahita61 Member Posts: 110
    image

    This is not my car, but I have the same missing round cap. I wasn't in an accident, it just disappeared some time between last night and today, but what is that hole that it was covering, and why would someone take the cap? Or do they pop off in the course of normal driving?

    It's a 2007 Sport Fit, front bumper.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Is it the cover for the towing hook receptacle? If it wasn't mounted properly to begin with, it could have easily popped off. Should be taken care of by the warranty--unless there was an impact, like apparently happened on the red car.
  • anahita61anahita61 Member Posts: 110
    I didn't know there was such a thing as a towing hook receptacle - wow, so that's what that is! And you think it just pops off? Warranty would be great - I'm on my way to Honda tomorrow - thanks!
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    A quick check of the owner's manual will confirm whether it's for the towing hook. I've seen this kind of thing before on other cars, so that's what it reminded me of. Especially if there's only one of them on the bumper.
  • anahita61anahita61 Member Posts: 110
    I did a quick check of the owner's manual first, and I couldn't find it. That's why I came here to the forum to ask Fit owners. I think you're right though. And yes, there is only the one on the bumper.
  • anahita61anahita61 Member Posts: 110
    I found a photo of a tow hook online - it's definitely it - I couldn't Google it because I didn't know what it was, but now that I do it's not hard to find:

    image
  • slr9589slr9589 Member Posts: 121
    I have an 08 fit sport that has 2 broken fog light lenses.the light still work but you can imagine what it looks like.
    honda wants in excess of $200.00 per unit to replace them....they are one piece intergrated with the body.
    anyone have the same dilema or figure out a better way to fix it ?
  • quasaarquasaar Member Posts: 1
    Another similar case. Drove from Illinois to Wisconsin on the highway to a state park. Parked the car and went for a hike. Returned to the car to find crescent shaped crack at the bottom of the front windshield on the passenger side. Was really frustrated of course, especially since I am pretty sure nothing hit the windshield while driving or while it was parked. Inspected the windshield and saw a small chip in the crack. Assumed something hit it though I heard nothing while in transit.

    Before going to the dealer, I checked online for similar complaints and found all of your similar complaints. I hoped that Honda might acknowledge a faulty windshield but unfortunately the dealer pointed immediately to the chip and from that point forward said it was an outside cause and not faulty engineering. But then they started talking about hot days and air conditioning and how that could a small fracture to grow. They suggested that is why it seemed like it magically appeared while I was away from the car. The dealer recommended an auto glass place for replacement.

    The auto glass place said they rarely see Hondas with this problem and that helped ease my thoughts of this happening to me on a regular basis. But then the rep randomly said that the Fit does have a "funky" window. I hope the Fit's modern design did not compromise its normal function. Be it random rocks or unacknowledged faulty engineering, either way I have no way of preventing this from happening again. I mean I was driving on a normal highway and road system...it's not like i was driving though the Grand Canyon.

    I'm planning to contact Honda corporate if only to put my complaint on the books for what seems to be a frequent occurrence. Besides that I can only hope it does not happen ever again.
  • rkunzerkunze Member Posts: 2
    salut!, je suis en train de décider si acheter un honda fit sport ou lx 2007, mais je veux savoir s'il y a quelqu'un qui peux me confirmer quelque chose que j'ai écouté par rapport à que l'honda fit sport a des problèmes pour être conduit à cause de son robe sport trop prés du sol quand il y a de la neige.

    même je ne suis pas certain, mais est ce que me semble-t-il ou ce vrai que le gap entre la roue et la carrosserie d'arrière dans la version 2007 est plus petite que dans la version 2009? si ce le cas est-ce que quelqu'un peut me recommander si cela cause de problèmes pour la neige?

    dernièrement, quel version d'honda fit amène la possibilité de lever-baisser le siège du conducteur? (ma femme mesure 1,55 mt et on a peur qu'elle ne puisse pas s'accomoder)

    merci à tous!

    Robert
  • stephen987stephen987 Member Posts: 1,994
    Robert,

    Welcome to the Edmunds forums. I gather you are in Canada. I am not very fluent in French, but I will try to answer your questions. I hope you will forgive any misunderstandings that may arise from this attempt.

    I do think you might find that the front spoiler is too low for very deep snow. I do not know if ground clearance is a problem, or clearance between the wheel and the body, but if I drove frequently in deep snow (more than 10 cm), I would choose a different vehicle.

    I am not sure about height adjustment on the driver's seat--it is not present on U.S. models, but I do know it is offered in some other markets.

    I hope this is helpful.


    Bienvenu! Je comprends que vous êtes au Canada. Je ne suis pas très couramment en français, mais je vais essayer de répondre à vos questions. J'espère que vous pardonne tout malentendu qui pourrait résulter de cette tentative.

    Je crois que vous trouverez peut-être que le spoiler avant est bien trop faible pour la neige profonde. Je ne sais pas si l'espace entre la carrosserie et de la route est un problème, ou du jeu entre la roue et la carroserie, mais si je suis souvent dans la neige profonde (plus de 10 cm), je voudrais choisir un autre véhicule.

    Je ne suis pas sûr de réglage de la hauteur sur le siège du conducteur - il n'est pas présent sur les modèles américains, mais je sais qu'il est offert dans certains autres marchés.

    J'espère que cela est utile. [Merci a "Google" pour le translation idiomatique.]
  • anahita61anahita61 Member Posts: 110
    I live in an apartment complex and already had the tow hook receptacle cover stolen, which the dealer replaced for me for free (nice!), and today I noticed the front lower light was stolen, the whole cover removed and the cable cut!

    What is the name of that light? Is it a fog light?

    Any ideas how much to replace the light and the cover and get it hooked back up with new cable?

    And... is anyone else having their car used for parts harvesting? This seriously sucks. :mad:
  • jenniferspencejenniferspence Member Posts: 9
    I noticed a small chip in my windshield the other day, but don't recall any rocks hitting it, etc. Yesterday morning, I walked out to the car and discovered a giant (approximately 12-13 inches long) crack extending from the edge near lower passenger corner diagonally upwards. I saw some earlier posts about windshield cracks - has anyone had any luck getting Honda to take care of this? Or is it all being attributed to driver error, rather than a design issue?
  • xlbabiixtinexlbabiixtine Member Posts: 2
    I also notice a long line, that is on the upper right hand corner on the passenger side. When I drove it back to school, I didn't hear any rocks or other objects hitting the windshield. The weird thing is that it is inside the car and not outside. I read everybody's comment and it is definitely not a coincidence. I haven't talk to the Honda dealer yet. I don't know what I should say to them, since it seems like everybody's insurance doesn't cover replacement or repairs. Who am I suppose to talk to exactly?? and how much would it cost to repair it? or do I have to replace it??
  • mudhouseholdmudhousehold Member Posts: 22
    Just for the record, a crack appeared within two weeks after my husband got his new '09 FIT. I could not see any ding, but I doubt that we will get warranty replacement for it. Plus, it's been four months by now. We haven't done anything about it yet.
  • siberia1siberia1 Member Posts: 1
    I, too, got a large crack in the windshield. I have an '09 Fit. I went through a car wash yesterday and heard a loud bang and as I drove out of the car wash I saw a crack that's about 10 " long stemming from the bottom of the windshield. I know a drastic change in temperatures can cause a crack IF there's already a defect or chip. But it wasn't a severely cold day (maybe 18 degrees F. (and believe me, in Minnesota, that's nearly balmy)) and I know there was no previous chip or crack there. I immediately thought it must be a defect in the windshield so I got on google and found this forum. I'm seeing the dealer tomorrow. Hopefully, Honda will address this. By the way, I've been going through car washes in Minnesota for 40 years and have never had a windshield crack in one.
  • atl9atl9 Member Posts: 2
    We purchased a 2010 Fit in January. Yesterday I noticed a fracture about 12 inches long that started on the edge of the driver side moving to the center of the windshield. I have a call in to my dealer to see what their response will be. There is no way these windshields should be developing stress fractures or anything more than a star when dinged by a foreign object.
  • ryanoconnorryanoconnor Member Posts: 1
    I have had my Fit for only a few months and have experienced the same problem with the windshield. I really hope Honda takes care of it. Frustrated as can be.
  • atl9atl9 Member Posts: 2
    Our dealer said it's not covered under warranty and there is no Honda recall so it's our problem. It's not too expensive to replace but I worry about future cracks and having to replace it multiple times. I've seen prices ranging from $280 to $500 to replace. Does anyone know if there is a quality difference in these replacement windshields?
  • havingafit1havingafit1 Member Posts: 2
    I am so happy to discover that others are having the same problem I am. (although I do feel badly for you). Two weeks ago, I discovered a crack in my windshield (ALREADY "longer than a dollar bill") that emanated from the bottom seam of the glass, it got longer and made a crescent shape. Just two days ago, I noticed another crack--in the exact same shape--that originated from the top of the windshield/seam area. Both are in the middle of the windshield. Neither exhibit a nick, etc.

    I contacted my dealer. They said to submit it to insurance. After reading your posts, I think I may contact Honda corporate ...and maybe the media.
    :mad:
  • allenhuffmanallenhuffman Member Posts: 3
    We just picked our Fit up last night and drove it home, then to the grocery store, then back. The next morning, my girlfriend drove it to work and while I was talking to her via cell phone (and the dealer-installed bluetooth handsfree - nice!), she yelled and said her windshield just cracked. She said it must have been a rock but she couldn't tell where it would have come from. The crack is right in front of her, from near the wiper blades then it goes up and curves over -- sounding quite a bit like the descriptions here. It was a chilly morning (around 40F) in Nebraska, and the heater was on.

    I have spoken with Honda USA and they know of no issues, and a Google search for windshield pricing led me to this thread. We have photos taken just after it happened, and later as the crack has been growing. I wonder if Crystal Fusion would prevent this? (I have it on my Prius and will get it on this car after the windshield is replaced.)

    If it's a defect, I hope Honda will replace it -- the car isn't even 12 hours old for us yet!

    Just wanted to chime in. I'll post pics of the crack for reference later.
  • tomansttomanst Member Posts: 2
    Ours cracked today. Car is 9 months old. No rock hit at all. Stress crack in front of steering wheel on the bottom part of the windshield....Can anyone say recall?
  • toebitustoebitus Member Posts: 5
    the windshield is very thin (OE) and breaks very easily.sorry to say
  • tomansttomanst Member Posts: 2
    Talked to Honda Canada and of course they have not heard of these windshield cracks before......Never going to buy a Honda again.....Hope the aftermarket windshields are better
  • autoeditorgalautoeditorgal Member Posts: 1
    edited March 2010
    Hey guys: I bought a 2009 Honda Fit last summer and just had the same thing happen. It happened yesterday, a matter of fact. And dealers who are telling you it is not covered under warranty are incorrect. Stress fractures are in fact covered and the dealer's service department gets paid by the manufacturer to fix warranty stuff, so the dealer should be willing to fix it. The only catch is ... it has to be a stress fracture and not damage caused by a rock or something hitting the windshield. Be ready for them to take pictures to file w/the claim. I'm pretty sure mine is a stress fracture so I'll be taking it to the dealer soon. But I have a buddy over at Honda corporate who confirmed that stress fractures are covered. ;-) Hope this helps. Best of luck!
  • tim157tim157 Member Posts: 2
    I too have just experienced a windshield crack on my 2009 Fit. I drove the car to work & everything was fine. When I came out & started to drive away I noticed an 8 inch crack starting from the lower edge of the windshield center coming up & curling 90 degrees. There was no impact mark on the glass & being april the temps. weren't extreme. After seeing the forums I know I'm not the only one who has had this problem with what has otherwise been a very enjoyable car.
  • havingafit1havingafit1 Member Posts: 2
    I posted a bit ago regarding the crackS in my windshield. I went to my dealer armed with this forum and ready to fight--GUNS blazing! The service manager simply took one look at the windshield, told me that it did look suspicious, sent windshield pictures to Honda, and they are now replacing my windshield at no change. No problem! So, I simply smiled sweetly and thanked them. Best of luck to you all! :)
  • tim157tim157 Member Posts: 2
    I took my fit to the dealer yesterday they looked at the windshield & found a very tiny piece of glass missing at a spot in the crack that is behind the wiper. It is so small that you have a hard time feeling it. Of course they immediately told me that it is a stone impact. I mentioned this forum & they said there are no known problems with the fit windshields, although they did acknowledge that the element has a problem with them. I decided to stop by a glass shop on my way home & had the manager there look at it. He said there was no doubt in his mind that it is a stress fracture & the missing piece of glass is from the broken sections rubbing together. I will be going back to the dealer on Thur. for other work & will go into battle again to get them to replace the glass.
  • bglissmanbglissman Member Posts: 1
    edited May 2010
    Today my 2007 Honda Fit was sitting in the driveway and the next time I went outside the whole back window was shattered. All still in one piece but shattered. Could not see any spot where anything hit it. Around the top edges on both sides of the window were pieces missing. I live in a small town, driveway is far enough away from the street that nothing from the street would have it. I seen everyone on here having problems with the front windshield, anyone have a problem with the back windshield.
  • soozndsooznd Member Posts: 4
    I have yet to take possession of my 2010 Fit--still waiting for delivery. Concerned about the crack that happened after someone had their Fit for only 12 hours.
    I am in Colorado & cracked windshields are so common here on all cars from rocks, dryness, sudden temp changes, heat, etc. I bought an extended protection plan that covers replacing my windshield--since every other car I have owned has gotten cracks in the windshield. They also had a Rocky Mountain Protection plan that supposedly treats the windshield --told me if it cracks it will be replaced. Anyone else's dealer have something similar?
  • toebitustoebitus Member Posts: 5
    yeah,look at post #2.and some possible helpful info.in December of 2008 our fit was rear ended( it was stopped) by a highlander pushed in to a accord. it had 9000.00 in damage done to it. the body shop could not get a gap back right( behind right rear door).they had to weld in a new quarter panel.i told them about the rear window and they decided the car was welded together improperly.also the airbags never went off. whatever it`s worth go back to #2 and start reading.the car gets 40 plus miles to the gallon on a trip to Ohio from Atlanta this year yeah ours is a 2007 also
  • tychau305tychau305 Member Posts: 1
    Hello guys, this is my first post and I'm so glad to find this forum. I own a 2 month old 2009 Fit, and the rear window was cracked 2 days ago. We don't know what causes it because the car was sitting in the driveway for the whole day, and it was a long driveway that can fit 3 cars back to back, and the Fit was park closet to the house, so passing by debris can't really reach the car. We took the car to the dealer, and low and behold, they told us somebody cracked it, and the warranty won't cover it, even the extended warranty that we purchased. Now about the crack, I really don't know how, but in about 12 hours, from morning to afternoon, whatever cracked it causes both sides of the rear windows to crack so bad that there are two ridges on both sides of the window, and the only side that are still attach to the car is the top part underneath the brake light. The service manager at the dealer insisted that something cracked it because he found a contact point, about half an inch. It was so small that we didn't even see it on the first day, and we didn't even know if that's true or not. We don't even know if that is actually the contact point or if it was caused by us driving the car to the dealership. At the end, they declined to cover for the damage, and quoted us over $800 to get it replaced. It got this expensive because there are no aftermarket replacement, only OEM products. So for you guys out there, what can and should I do? I ">desperately need some help. I took some pictures, but I don't know how to post them up here.
  • 1bubba1bubba Member Posts: 1
    I came out from lunch today and found a 10" hook shaped crack in the bottom center my windscreen too, nothing has hit it and the temperature was pretty mild - 60 to 70 degrees. My car is 16 months old and is in coastal Southern California so no big swings in temperature here either.

    When I first saw the crack I thought I was SOL, but having found this site and how many others have had similar issues I don't feel quite so hopeless. Is there a tally on how many folks have reported this issue so far? For those of you who have been successful getting Honda to fix it, do you have any hints or contacts that you could share?
  • htignerhtigner Member Posts: 2
    We had our '10 Fit for 9 days when the windshield cracked. Searched and found this thread. On the plus side we took it to the dealer and after sending pictures to Honda we got a call Friday saying they would replace it.

    Like so many stories here, the crack just appeared. Lower passenger side, crescent shape with the crack running off to the center of the windshield. No known rock hits, temp out side was cold but well above freezing. We collected the car with 170 miles on it and it was at 459 when we noticed the crack, so while I can say we never had a rock hit it, I have no idea about the trip from where they drove it from before we picked it up or if that had anything with their decision to replace it.

    Very happy they are replacing it especially when during the inspection when the service guy at the dealer was taking pictures he was pretty sure we were going to just be stuck with our own repair bill.
  • carmine926carmine926 Member Posts: 1
    Owned '07 Fit for almost 3 years to date, 25K mi., always garaged. Driving down 101 through Santa Rosa-Petaluma. Heard a crack. Pretty scary. Didn't notice where it came from until I got home to San Fran. There's a hooked crack coming down the windshield from the center of the roofline. Larger than a dollar bill (that's how AAA insurance references the size of the crack.) It's a pretty clean break, no obvious hit from rock, pebble, etc. I have a $100 deductible to replace it. I do have a couple of teeny pebble cracks on other parts of the windshield. I realized how thin the glass is on the FIT from those little pebble cracks. The paint job on the FIT is pretty thin too. Scrapes off pretty easily. I've owned a Datsun 210, Toyota Tercel, just so you know I've owned other low end cars. No glass or paint problems with those cars. Still love my FIT, but scary to think the glass might crack on me.
  • allenhuffmanallenhuffman Member Posts: 3
    htigner, did the dealer try to refuse your window claim originally? How was Honda involved?

    Our new Fit got a crack the very first morning it was driven to work after taking it home from the dealer the night before. The dealer says it was a rock, and they used a pin to run down the crack to find a speck or something. It just seems rocks love Honda Fit windows, I guess. And now we are on our second tire problem in less than 3000 miles (from a blowout, can happen to anyone I expect, to a "bubble" in the tire wall which seems to be a fairly common issue with these tires).
  • htignerhtigner Member Posts: 2
    Allen,

    No they didn't try to refuse the claim, the service manager just seemed to me pretty convinced that Honda wouldn't take care of it. He took pics and said he had to send them to Honda and about a week later we got the call that they would replace it.

    Worth letting the dealer examine, take pics and hope I guess. We called the day we discovered the crack and had it in to them the that evening..
  • thurst1963thurst1963 Member Posts: 42
    I have 2008 Blue Sport Fit 27000 miles.I have never seen so many paint chips in my life.The front hood has between 500 & 1000 chips already.(unbelievable) The and the primer is chipped all the way to the metal on half of them.I see in the past they had some problems with the blue paint true or not.Has anyone else had chipping like this go on?????
  • stephen987stephen987 Member Posts: 1,994
    On my orange '09 Fit Sport, a large slice of paint (5 inches long and about an inch and a half wide) peeled off when I rested a box on the back bumper for a few seconds while loading. Also, the dash appears to be suffering from heat warp.

    Count me among those unimpressed by the quality of the Fit.
  • besb3besb3 Member Posts: 1
    I have had my New 2010 Honda Fit 3 Days Now. Yesterday a Car threw a Rock which was no bigger than a tiny pebble and even though it didn't have much impact when it hit the Windshield - sure enough it Cracked. The fit must have a Very Thin Windshield. I sure hope the replacement windshield is thicker than the Original.
  • bluetrippbluetripp Member Posts: 2
    i stupidly backed out my garage and the long rope that I used to pull down my garage door got caught onto the car and when I notced it it was too late. The rope got too tight on the rear windshield and it poped like someone threw a big rock at my windshield. I called my local Honda and they stated that they could send out someone and yes its out of my pocket. my point to them is yes it was my fault, but the windshield busted out way to easy. So now I am stuck and they Honda does not want to admit that the Honda Fit 2010 windshields are not as strong as they want to claim.
  • stephen987stephen987 Member Posts: 1,994
    Rear windshields from any manufacturer are not designed for that directional stress. Man up and call the insurance company--it's an accident, not a warranty issue.
  • bluetrippbluetripp Member Posts: 2
    hell yeah, I woman-up (ed) and fixed it out of pocket with out insurance :)
  • jcbohjcboh Member Posts: 2
    I had my car for about 2 weeks when the front windshield cracked. I had never had a windshield crack on a car before.

    I called Honda and was told they never heard of it. I went to the dealer and the service manager said a rock hit it and I just had bad luck. I had printed out the examples in this forum as well as other examples on the web and he said call the Honda 800 number.

    I called Honda back and this time I talked to someone who opened a case for me since my car only has ~800 miles on it. His manager called me a day later and took down the details. He said he had never heard of the Fit having these issues, only the 2007-ish Element. I told him to come to this forum and read all the examples of this happening (thank you forum). He said they would look into it. About 5 days later, the service manager at the dealer called me and said that they were told to replace my windshield for free.
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