Honda Fit Interior and Passenger Comfort Concerns

dewaltdakota · August 2006

I'm just amused that the user name of the person having his pants ripped off by his car is "lecrack" :surprise: :P

mtngal · August 2006

I find all of these discussions about seat solutions interesting. I'm really short (5' 1") so I probably have different problems. Just my 2 cents - I find if I have the seat too close I'll notice a problem with accelerator angle, but it goes away if I move the seat backwards a bit. I do find that I'm driving with my arms stretched more than I would like, but considering how small I am, this is a good thing - I'm further away from the airbag. Dropping the steering wheel a bit helps this. I don't find the accelerator any higher off the floor than what I've been driving (though I will admit this is the first non-truck I've had in at least 15 years).

I hate having a deep seat - I'd hate putting a wedge cushion in the way described above, where the wide part of the cushion is on the front of the seat. I have back problems and sitting half-folded up like that would cause my back to really bother me (that's how the seating in an old Tacoma was). I don't use anything with the Fit's seats, while I use a small cushion to raise up the back part of the seat bottom in the '04 Unlimited, so my legs are more at a 90 degree angle to my torso.

The longest drive timewise I've taken was one time driving from Vegas to north of L.A. I left Vegas at 8:30 one Sunday morning and finally getting home around 6. Other than being hot, a bit sunburnt, and stiff, I didn't have any physical discomfort.

The more I drive this vehicle (over 17,000 miles on the odo, split between my hubby and me driving), the more comfortable I find it. I do feel for anyone who isn't comfortable with their Fits - I suffered 4 long years with that Tacoma, and wouldn't wish it on anyone. Hope you either solve your problems or can find another car soon.

bodble2 · August 2006

LOL! I didn't spot that earlier.

countrymom · August 2006

I must agree... I'm 5'1" and the first thing I looked for was a height adjuster... I'm more comfortable driving our Honda Pilot and I love little cars. I feel I don't have full control w/o the height. I'm trying to decided what I have to do to make myself higher... mimi

It is not a car for us shorties

Take the paddles away and give us the lift we need...
How many people really use the paddles?

iamacat · September 2006

Really? I'm 5'0" and found the Fit to be a perfect fit!! Now I just need to find one to purchase!

kagedude · September 2006

This just started happening. When I push the a/c button, it doesn't lock/hold in place. I have to do it more than a few times before it finds its groove and locks. I drive 99% with the a/c on so maybe the heat messed up the "unlock state".

Ouch. My A/C switch is officially broken. It has to happen the night before my road trip. I hear a click when I push the A/C button but it doesn't hold to the "on" position. Bringing it to the dealership tomorrow morning and speaking with the tech, its probably the spring. Hopefully, this can be fixed right away. :sick:

My mom's trusty Hyundai Elantra saves the day again!

scub · September 2006

I've had my Fit for a few months and 11,000 kms now and find the seat issue the only gripe. I'm 6'2" and fit into the car with about 3" of headroom. I can't get comfortable ! The seat is too low and can't be raised, the seat cushion gives no support to my thigh and the seat back has set positions on the adjuster, none which suit me. My arms are stretched right out to the wheel and all the weight of my unsupported leg rests on my heel, which gets quite sore. Plus..my size 13 shoes get muddled up on the tiny pedals and I find it safer to left foot the brake (auto trans). My previous VW had seat height, tilt and infinate seat back adjustments and fit me like a glove. Honda boobed on this one. I didn't really notice all this until after putting on a few miles. I like the car, but I'm glad I don't need to log great distances as I wouldn't be comfortable. I wonder if the seat could be shimmed higher ? I'm going to check that out as it may also be possible to shim the front a tad higher and get some thigh support. Oh to be shorter ! I also have an issue with the steering wheel, which doesn't tilt up high enough for me and makes getting my right leg under it a challenge. A telescoping wheel would also preclude the full arm stretch needed. I've paid for the car in full and she's mine for at least 10 years, so I'd better get used to it.

Steve

bodble2 · September 2006

If it isn't comfortable, I wouldn't keep her for 10 years. People get divorced for less reasons!

Sylvia · September 2006

What was the issue? Was it as simple as a replacing a spring?

kagedude · September 2006

What was the issue? Was it as simple as a replacing a spring?

As per the dealer, the A/C switch needs to be replaced. They don't have the part and its currently backordered. I've been waiting 2 weeks. The workaround for the A/C is to put it into the defogger setting but it fogs up your windshield. :P

bobw3 · September 2006

Maybe it's just the high seat position of the Fit, but after two test drives (and the noise of the RPMs at highway speeds) I'm not buying a manual Fit because the pedal position isn't comfortable to me. It like sitting in a desk chair and then bringing my left foot back and then up to push on the clutch. Funny thing is that I test drove a Matrix and I didn't notice any foot problems even though it has the high seats too. I'm going to test drive an automatic and see how it sounds on the highway and maybe the pedal position isn't so bad.

joetxwatts · September 2006

Let me know how the shimming goes. My right foot has been cramping ever since I bought my Fit, and I am looking for a soloution. I don't know if it is the set hight or what, but I'm willing to rty just about anything.

fitman548 · September 2006

I had some aches in my legs the first month, but now I'm ok. I also hadn't been drving a car every day for the past 6 years.

kagedude · September 2006

They finally got the A/C switch part so I brought the Fit in the dealership this morning. The switch is now working although it did not come without a price.

The dealership scratched/chipped the dash panel by the "aux" button when they tried to remove the face panel. Before I drove off the service lot, I tested the knobs and vents and found that turning the knob to the front vent did not engage anymore. The face panel was also misaligned and you can see that it is not flush with the inside hooks very visible. The dealership also left a minute scratch on the rear driverside door. To the service tech's credit, he was honest enough to fess up that its his first time working on the Fit and no one is familiar yet with the car. They did resolve the panel and vent issue right away. An extra 30 min.

I opened a case with Honda regarding my lock button (occasionally making a whirring sound when engaged to the lock position) and bumper/paint issue. The service manager looked at it and said the usual "everything is up to spec" or "can't reproduce the problem" and "bring it back to the selling dealership" for the paint issue. I'll monitor these 2 issues for now.

kagedude · September 2006

Anyone know how to remove the front panel correctly? The dealer did a better job correcting their mistake but its still not perfect so I might as well do it myself. Found that there were actually 3 chips and scratches and there is still a noticeable gap between the face panel (right of the defogger button) that if you press on it, the whole face panel moves.

Fit Owners, can you just run your index finger on that area and tell me if its flush or if there is a gap widening once you reach that area (rear defogger button)?

Also right under the 3 knob dials, there is a plastic panel. Does it vibrate when you tap on it? I'm not sure if it was like that before on mine or it was dealer caused.

Thanks in advance.

hungarian83 · September 2006

Hi kagedude,

I'm not sure exactly what you are refering to regarding the noticeable gap, but I press everything in that area on my car and there was no movement whatsoever.

I checked my Fit maintenance manual and it appears that it's not just the A/C button was replaced. The A/C and defogger come in a single plug-like unit, so the entire two button section should be new.

As for the plastic panel below the air control knobs, mine does not vibrate when I tap on it, but that piece is the first part that comes off when disassembling the center panel. Since that entire center panel (including radio, air flow controls) must come off to replace the A/C-defogger switch, that might be the problem caused by the dealer. You might be able to just tighten it.

Note: I haven't removed this myself, I am just referring to the instructions from the Honda maintenance manual for this car.

Somewhere there is an electronic version of the maintenance manual for the Fit on the Internet. I will post the link if I can find it.
Good luck!

kagedude · September 2006

Regarding the gap, if you look to the right of the rear defogger button where the front panel meets the dashboard, the line is wider than if you look to the right of the CD eject button.

Thank you. I'll try and take pics and post it somehow. Oh no, I really hate going back to the dealership.

hungarian83 · September 2006

Oh, I see what you are saying...sorry for being a bit slow.

I just checked, and it does seem a little bit wider there on the right side, as opposed to left of the CD eject button. Still, the difference is not too significant, and there is no movement when I press the plastic panel.

If you could take a picture that would be great, just to show how large of a panel gap there is. You can try posting them on your Carspace page.

Unfortunately, the electronic version of the manual I found is not for the US-market car. The main differences in the dashboard of the US-market model are the lack of navigation system, the lower positioned glove compartment, and the slightly different location of the A/C switch. However, the structure of the panel is almost identical and the location of the screws and bolts are basically the same...step 6 is the only one that seems truly different.
Personally, I would ask the dealer to try and secure it better.
Here is the link...click on the gray buttons to expand the pictures.

kagedude · September 2006

Thank you! It looks like from the step 7 diagram, C clip 1 is the area where its a little up.

I guess the dealership did not read the beginning instructions of:
1. Put on gloves to protect your hands.
2. Do not pry the panel surface with a flat-tip screwdriver, to prevent damage.
3. Take care not to scratch the dashboard and related parts.

kagedude · September 2006

If you could take a picture that would be great, just to show how large of a panel gap there is. You can try posting them on your Carspace page.

Here you go... http://www.carspace.com/kagedude/Albums/2007%20Honda%20Fit%20Sport/Picture%20007- - - .jpg/page/photo.html

Can you do me one more favor? When you turn the knob airflow to the foot position, do you have the same air flow as below?
1. air flow stronger/coming directly from floor vent on passenger side
2. air flow on driver side feels more like a draft
3. air flow also coming from front left/right window/defogger vents

Thanks!

hungarian83 · September 2006

Now that I looked from a different angle on my car, I notice the gap better, but it still only looks like the picture you have when you are pressing it down. I have to press down very strongly to notice even the slightest movement, and even then it is practically nothing. Yours looks like an error on the part of the dealership.

It's really too bad about those scratches. It looks like the dealer did exactly what they are not supposed to do and use a screwdriver or other prying instrument...not to mention being careless about it. :sick:
No wonder you were furious about it!

Airflow
When the knob is in the footwell-only position, the air on the driver side vent (left of steering wheel) and the same one on the passenger side slows considerably (even in speed 4 it feels like a draft). The two center vents above the radio shut off completely, and there is air coming out of the defogger vent. And of course the strongest flow goes into the footwell.
When the knob is in the position to the left (footwell/face), the air going to the footwell is not quite as strong, and the two center vents (above radio) still have a draft coming from them.
So in other words, numbers 1, 2, and 3 all apply when putting the airflow in the footwell-only position compared to the other two to the left.

At least the dealer didn't mess that up.

kagedude · September 2006

Whew.... once again, thanks!

I hope Honda customer service can correct this without adding anymore issues.

This made me paranoid that after checking that area to make sure they didn't damage anything else, I noticed my center console/cupholder has a "bit" of movement on it (it can tilt left and right), I'll try and tighten the screws tomorrow to see if that fixes it. Do let me know if yours has a little play too, then I'll just consider it a-okay.

hungarian83 · October 2006

"I noticed my center console/cupholder has a "bit" of movement on it (it can tilt left and right)"

What did the dealership do to your car! :surprise:
No, mine does not have any movement and definitely no tilting...it's as solid as a rock. Try tightening the screws.

I can however sympathize with your dealership problems. We just took another one of our Hondas (not the Fit) in for a scheduled maintenance and have noticed no less than 4 dealer-related issues since the return, one of which was relatively serious. Needless to say I will be making some complaints as soon as they open tomorrow.

kagedude · October 2006

Oh boy. I read your email and I definitely feel your pain. Hopefully, its just a specific tech instead of being a whole dealership practice. I've been very happy with my dealership with normal maintenance stuff so hopefully, once my issues has been resolved, I can still go to them for the normal stuff.

I guess a lot of my issues now are adjustment issues so I'll wait to hear from Honda Customer service to let me know the recourse I can take. Gulp.

Good luck with your issue. Let us know how it turns out. Thanks again!

On a happy note, took the car to upstate NY yesterday for some apple picking. The car is fun driving through the grass fields. It got a lot of looks too and people stopping by to ask about the Happy Fit!

jnwest · October 2006

Has anyone tried one of these portable lumbar supports on the Honda Fit?

http://www.backdesigns.com/ab1921000store/product1.asp?SID=1&Product_ID=206

I got my Fit last week. It's an AMAZING car, but I too am having trouble adjusting the seat so I have comfortable access to the pedals and steering wheel. I think I need a couple more inches of seat height and more support on the front of the seat, and this seat insert may accomplish both.

Yes, paying $100 for a seat insert might seem a little steep...but isn't it worth it to be able to fully enjoy a $15000 car?

A word of caution to anyone who tries this...when you attach the insert to the seat, you must not cover up the side airbag deployment path!!!

joetxwatts · October 2006

Has anybody tried adding/welding an additional 5.5 inches of seat track to the seat tracks?

Does anybody know anybody that manufactures seat tracks?

If you go more than 5.5 inches the tracks would interfere with the back seat when it is folded down.

dewaltdakota · October 2006

I would think if you have to add to the seat track length, just to be able to drive the car, then there's no chance of you being able to use the car in full utility mode. Sure, you can slide the seat forward to drop the rear seatback down, but you wouldn't be able to slide it all the way back in place, when you go to sit in the driver's seat.

I drive with my seat in farthest back position, and have to move it up a couple of notches, when the rear seat is folded flat. If I don't, then the top edge of the rear seatback puts a lot of pressure on the vinyl trim on the outboard edge of the driver's seat, as well as against the back of the driver's seat, itself. My vinyl already has a stress line across it, where it's been pressed against the metal support beneath it.

To me, there's just something really weird about the steering wheel/driver's seat/pedal setup on this car...

joetxwatts · October 2006

I agree that there is something really weird about the setup. Unfortunately, my foot didn't start cramping during the test drives, and I have grown to like the car enough to try and fix the problem.

I have found that with my seat all the way back my foot is quite comfortable, if I put it behind the gas pedal. This is only possible when the cruise control is turned on. This also poses a safety issue as getting that foot into position to hit the break is difficult.

I visited a couple of automotive shops this morning both want to unbolt the seat and rebolt it in a new location. I don't think that this is the solution I am looking for. I would really like to find a set of "Seat tracks" that are five inches longer and replace the existing seat tracks.

Can you help?

dewaltdakota · October 2006

All solutions I've ever seen involved moving the tracks back, and not a type of extended rail. One thing you'll have to deal with, regardless of your solution: The gas tank is under the front seats. This creates an elevated area for the tracks to be mounted over. The angle of the track ends may make it impossible to simply relocate them rearward.

jnwest · October 2006

I raised the seat a couple inches with a really thick cushion, and I haven't noticed the foot cramping issues that I was having before. Time will tell if this is a real solution. Have you tried raising the seat as much as the wheel tilt will allow?

fit2btied · October 2006

I bought mine this last Friday after a 10 minute test drive the day before. Within 23 hours I was in such pain from the front right seat frame joint--it was burrowing into my thigh. There's only about a half inch of padding over it. I'm a bigger guy but come on!?! No problem like that in the Versa, Corolla. So,bought Friday--began to sell Monday. Hoping I don't lose too much!
Dealer could only tell me to get a cushion or sell it on Craigslist. (Lose $1500 overnight). I'm sick. Car is great in so many ways-- :sick: but I can't sit in it. Tried 2 cushions (one on top of the other) Still a HARD KNOB LIKE PRESSURE IN MY RIGHT THIGH.
Okay, I'm NOT fit...but NEITHER IS THE CAR! :sick::mad:

joetxwatts · October 2006

I just got my car back from the shop. I had a body shop shift my seat so that I could push it back an additional four inches. I am really glad that I have long arms and I like to sit very upright when I drive. My legs are much more comfortable now.

There are a couple of downsides to this. I can no longer fold the seat behind the driver down with the headrest attached, and I can't put the driver side into refresh mode. Since this is primarily a commuter vehicle for me, and 99% of the time I will be the only one in the car, I think I can work with this.

bodble2 · October 2006

IMO, if one has to get a body shop to modify the seat so he can sit comfortably, or have to shimmy here and there, and use additional pads and cushions, then it's not the right car for him. Never mind a car, I wouldn't even buy a pair of shoes if I have to use an insole, or heel pad, or get it stretched, etc. to make it comfortable.

There are so many choices of cars. The Fit is not so great that one should have to go to those lengths to make it "fit". I'm beginning to think the Fit is a misnomer!

scratchmarc · October 2006

Glad you were able to get the seat position adjusted to your satisfaction. I've only had my Sport MT since last Thursday and just gone back and forth to work and other short errands, no more than a half hour driving at any one time. I haven't had any discomfort issues so far but will definately use a small back pillow for long trips.

~marc

kagedude · October 2006

Ok. 2nd visit to the dealership last week since Honda customer service coordinated for me to see the Honda service manager to go over/correct the misaligned/loose dashboard center panel. Spoke to the service manager and made an appt. On the day I came in at the time she said I could come in to see her - she made me wait. In fact, I waited for 2 hours before I asked what is the status of my car. It turns out she was at a meeting and they told me to wait some more. This was ridiculous since when I came in, she was right there and could have taken 5 min of whatever she does to go over the issue. Nice service huh? And Honda has the audacity to send me multiple surveys a few days after.

Anyway, since I was getting aggravated and needed to get out of there, the service tech that wrote me up was really nice enough to walk me inside the Honda service bay to go over the issue with the tech working on my car. After I explained to the tech what needs to be done thinking he knew what needs to be done, he started by unscrewing the LED lights under the HVAC knobs. I had to scream at him and say "no, no, thats the lights!". :sick: Once he finally got that panel open, he didn't know about the 2 bolts and he told me to the effect of "To be honest with you, this is the first time I'm working on this car and am supposed to go to training". Its funny the first guy that worked on my car that created this problem said the same exact thing. :mad: So Hungarian83, thank you so much for the diagram! I should have printed it out and given it to the Honda techs. Anyway, he tightened the bolts and he did note one side was loose. However, after driving off it was still the same. From the diagram, it looks like the 2 bolts are the only thing holding the panel up so maybe it needs to be unscrewed, aligned and retightened?

I compared with my first pics of my Fit and from Honda's website and you can clearly see that the dashboard center panel is misaligned right now. I think I will wait at least half a year for the techs to familiarize themselves with the Fit before bringing it back in.

hungarian83 · October 2006

Wow! I'm really sorry to hear that this situation has not improved. While I know the Fit is a new product to the United States, I don't think training (or lack of) on the technician's part is an excuse for this sort of poor workmanship in such a simple area. It only takes a few minutes and some common sense to understand the entire page on removal of the center panel.

I would suggest that you try and re-install the lower panel yourself being that there is only one screw and two clips, but I think the problem might be greater than that. The three HVAC knobs are part of the large single center panel unit. So if that center panel is misaligned in anyway, it might not allow the lower cover to sit properly.

I checked my US-market book again as well as the online manual (there are only two differences that I mentioned earlier) and both have the two bolts and 7 clips holding the center panel up, so it's not just the two bolts.
I am wondering if one of the 7 clips (probably one of the two closer to the glove compartment) was damaged or broken. That might be what is causing the gap between the panel and the rest of the dashboard.

As for the dealership issue I experienced with our other Honda, all of it was quickly resolved and it was the case of a sloppy technician and not generally poor dealership service. I spoke directly to the lead service manager and made sure to include a print-out of two pictures showing the oil leak. He said he didn't tolerate that kind of work and then proceeded to offer us a free oil change and didn't charge labor on the diagnosis of the headlight issue. Which incidentally was the fault of a bad headlight switch.

I am thinking you might want to consult with a different dealership.
Best of luck, and keep us informed of how it goes!

kagedude · October 2006

Now that I've seen how the tech removed the initial panel, I'll definitely try and fix this myself. Loosen the bolts to see if there is movement to align and then retighten. I might still have to take it back in though since the TEMP GAUGE KNOB now has diminished backlight (or no light) at the 1 o'clock position. One right after another in the same area. :sick:

kagedude · October 2006

Honda service is such a joke. The service manager called me last week to bring the car back in since Honda called them (after I told Honda to refer me to someone else) so you know what, I did to amuse myself. After the tech that worked on it last time looked at the center panel alignment issue and temp knob dim light, he ordered the display light replacement as a start. The service manager however told me that the alignment issue was "commercially acceptable". I then asked if they have the legal print for this, of course no response. She then continued on to say that the dim display issue is also "commercially acceptable" and implied they were doing me a favor by ordering the part.

Anyway, I actually bypassed her and spoke to the tech working on my car and we went over what is wrong and went over the diagrams I brought and printed out (Thanks again Hungarian83!) and I'm comfortable he understands what needs to be done so I'll wait once they get the display replacement. They will need to remove the center panel again anyway and hopefully the 2nd reseat will be better.

I should have made the service manager eat her "commercially acceptable" words. When I got the car back and ran my fingers through the problem area, I did find that the panel under the hvac dials have the teeth outside. I know this is so because there is a gap between the center panel and dashboard that if you install it normally with the 3 teeth in its groove, there will be a lot of play. Yup, IMHO on a technicality, this is not "commercially acceptable". :P

hungarian83 · October 2006

I think the two words that would make me the most upset are "commercially acceptable"! It's not like this is part of the design, or most Fits have this issue, or even that your Fit had this from the beginning. Your Fit was fine (apart from the faulty A/C switch) and it was the poor re-installation of the center panel on their part that has caused this issue to continue. Wow, commercially acceptable is such a pathetic excuse.

Hopefully this next time will be the last time. If you end up needing to re-install yourself though, and you have any questions, I will try to help and answer them.

kagedude · October 2006

Here are my pic links :confuse:
http://www.carspace.com/kagedude/Albums/3rd%20trip%20to%20Honda%20service/

The next time will definitely be the last time. Again, I think on my side, I'm being very fair and very patient. If they do not fix the center panel, the dim light and the rattle above/around the center vent (somehow I think these are all related), I am going up as high as I can possibly can with Honda. The car is a 2007 car and we are not even in that year yet and I'm already having this many problems from service work. :mad:

cupnoodle · October 2006

hey, actually the Fit in Japan do have seat adjustment as options...it also has many other things that people are complaining about the current Fit that we have in US
http://www.honda.co.jp/Fit/equipment/index.html

I guess they may introduce those options next year or so or may be not at all~ :confuse:

jacksan1 · October 2006

I have driven a JDM Fit with a seat height adjuster. It does not adjust much. Maybe for some people every little adjustment would help, so I will not say that it is useless. But I could tell very little difference. The catalog says it provides a 30mm adjustment. It didn't feel like that.

ardub · October 2006

hey kagedude,

Just read your whole story and I'm feeling for you man. You must have my kinda luck. I picked up my brand new Fit last Tuesday after a 3 week wait. Was very excited to get it. The very next morning, I'm on my way to work in the first snow-storm of the season only to discover the heater doesn't work. Fans don't come on, A/C indicator doesn't light, nada. I had the iPod accessory installed so I started wondering if they just forgot to hook some wires back up or something (anybody know if they have to take the radio out to install the iPod accessory?).

Anyway, to make a very long story short... 2 bad experiences with the service dept later and I finally decided to take it to an entirely different dealership. I don't think I'd trust the original service dept with my lawnmower let alone my brand new Fit. (Yup, got the same scratches you describe, and at first they told me they were going to rip the a/c switch that I needed out of a Fit on the showroom floor... which ALREADY HAD A 'SOLD' SIGN IN IT!)

You know, when the service tech starts spinning the volume to test the fans not coming on, that should have been my initial signal that I had some cause for concern. (I said, "uhhh, that's the radio". He said, "Oh, I'm not very familiar with these new cars." D'oh!!!!)

Anyway, just got it back from the other dealership who cleared the red SRS light (par for the course, my original dealership forgot to hook the airbag sensors back up after working on the a/c) and all seems to be well for now.

The interesting thing about this whole experience has been how keen the sales staff were to make sure I gave them the highest marks on a survey that apparently Honda is going to be calling me about soon. They showed me the list of questions before I even picked up the car to make sure there wasn't anything on there that I couldn't give them highest marks for. I jokingly referred to the last question which goes something like "The car was delivered without any problems" and said "guess we'll see how that turns out." Apparently I jinxed myself. But interestingly, after the first problem they still kept asking me to look past the problem and give them highest marks even on "question #9". After the second problem, they didn't mention it again. But I got the impression that the survey results are extremely important to the dealership. My two sales guy were so awesome, I really hate to have them get dinged by my answer to question #9, especially since it was their service dept that really foiled the whole thing. I'd give Sales 5 out of 5, but really have to give their service department a big fat zero.

tillinc · October 2006

Kagedude, thanks for sharing your sad story. And thanks Hungarian83 for posting that electronic manual. I picked up my new sport manual Fit on Saturday Oct. 21, and have been loving it. BUT, yesterday, one week, one day and about 500 miles later, I developed the exact same AC button problem (button not staying engaged). And of course today was unseasonably warm....
Why, why, why.... when I have a basic, no-frills '93 Civic in my driveway with basically the same push-button AC, which has NEVER had a problem?!
I will need to take it to a different dealer than where I bought it, as I picked it up from a dealership about 2 hours away (actually found one on the lot!) Thanks to your story, I now know to ask whether they have a tech who knows something about Fits (but will they be honest in answering?) and stress that I will HAVE a FIT(!!) if my dash is messed up. I have printed out the manual with the expanded diagrams and will take it. I am really disturbed and worried now - my dash is PERFECT right now - no rattles, no gaps. I had thought Hondas, especially made in Japan, were a lot better than this. I hope someone from Honda looks at these forums once in a while. I will definitely be calling national Honda customer service to complain.

fitluver · October 2006

After the second problem, they didn't mention it again. But I got the impression that the survey results are extremely important to the dealership. My two sales guy were so awesome, I really hate to have them get dinged by my answer to question #9, especially since it was their service dept that really foiled the whole thing. I'd give Sales 5 out of 5, but really have to give their service department a big fat zero.

I really like my sales guy. I also am casually in contact with the dealership president outside of the dealership. I hope that counts for something. As of yet I have my housemate who had a CRX who reports very good service dept with his previous issues/maintenance.

So I am keeping my fingers crossed.

My sales guy had a plaque on his wall about his "Fit certification". Hopefully by the time my fit gets in they can at least install the floor mats without tearing up the carpet.

But all of this reading does alot for me. I am more then willing to pay msrp because I know they make little initial profit off of the car. They didnt try to jack me up, I didnt try to talk them down. I am happy with msrp.

So what I will do upon delivery is make sure that they havent knocked, dinged, scratched, or screwed anything up. I know better what to keep my eyes out for.

Thanks to all so far who have contributed to my education.

Lets just hope that if they are sloppy about anything, that I can at minimum get them down on price of my car. If they are horrible errors, I might have to look elsewhere but I really want this car!

Take care all. And good luck with ongoing problems.

kagedude · October 2006

Hopefully, if you bring them the diagram and have them follow it step by step, you should be fine. With mine, I think the initial reinstallation might have broke or messed up the B or C clips.

Oh yeah, if you need the A/C on, you can set it to defogger setting. You will still have the vent on the driver and passenger side. That was my workaround while waiting for the part for 2 weeks.

Good luck!

kagedude · October 2006

I've been to Honda service so many times I actually know them all by their first names. :P

Sad but with all the cars I've owned, my previous Acura TSX and Honda Fit seems to be the ones giving me so much problems and the most dealer trips and those surveys they send a day after their non-service are really aggravating.

ardub · November 2006

>> Hopefully by the time my fit gets in they can at least install the floor mats without tearing up the carpet.

Yeah, I bought the floor mats too -- but they didn't "install" them. They just gave me the hardware to do it myself (although for some reason still charged the $100 or so for the install.) I recall the MSRP for the mats being $109 or so on the Honda website, not including installation, which came to $209 as I recall from the dealership. Nice.

>> Thanks to all so far who have contributed to my education.

Yeah, ditto. This forum was a major factor in my research too. Overall, problems and all, I have to say I'm quite happy with the Fit itself.

bobw3 · November 2006

why would floor mats need to be installed? Don't you just lay them in there?

hungarian83 · November 2006

You have to cut out holes through the carpet (and the foam below it) and then install the plastic hooks which will hold the floor mats in place. This procedure goes for the two front ones, and the right side for the back seat.

It's not too complicated, but definitely the most work I have ever done putting floor mats into a car.

Honda Fit Interior and Passenger Comfort Concerns

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