Honda FIT
Registered from 2005 to 2023.
About this model
The Honda Fit or Honda Jazz is a small car manufactured and marketed by Honda since 2001 over four generations. With a five-door hatchback body style, it is considered a supermini in the United Kingdom, a subcompact car in the United States, and a light car in Australia. Marketed worldwide and manufactured at ten plants in eight countries, sales reached almost 5 million by mid-2013. Honda uses the "Jazz" nameplate in Europe, Oceania, the Middle East, Africa, Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia and India; and "Fit" in Japan, Sri Lanka, China, Taiwan and the Americas.
From the Wikipedia article Honda Fit, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What fails its inspection
Great Britain's MOT record for the 2012 1.3 hybrid. 39 of 584 tests failed, 7%.
Better than 98% of 2012 cars. The typical one fails 21%, across 925 models with enough tests behind them to say.
| Where | Share of failures | Failed tests |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and electrics | 56% | 22 |
| Suspension | 41% | 16 |
| Tyres and wheels | 28% | 11 |
| Visibility | 18% | 7 |
| Steering | 15% | 6 |
| Brakes | 10% | 4 |
The defects inspectors cite
- A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
- Front or rear fog lamp switch inoperative or not operating in accordance with the requirements
- An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
- Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
- A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
Where it stands out against its peers
- Lights and electrics: failed more often than 95% of 2012 cars — 56% of its 39 failed tests, where an ordinary 2012 car has 31%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
NHTSA's investigations are American; no European regulator publishes an equivalent record, so this section has nothing to draw on for a European car. There is no European equivalent of the service-bulletin register either.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- Suspension — 41% of its failures
- A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
- Tyres and wheels — 28% of its failures
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
- A tyre cords visible or damaged
- Steering — 15% of its failures
- Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
- Brakes — 10% of its failures
- Lights and electrics — 56% of its failures
- Front or rear fog lamp switch inoperative or not operating in accordance with the requirements
- An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
- A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
- Visibility — 18% of its failures
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
When it starts failing
At 60–80k miles this one fails 3% of its inspections, against the 21% an ordinary car of the same age fails.
| Odometer | Failure rate | Rate | Its age | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20–40k miles | 11% | 13% | 136 | |
| 40–60k miles | 6% | 17% | 250 | |
| 60–80k miles | 3% | 21% | 164 |
550 British inspections, grouped by the odometer reading recorded at the test.
Half of these have more than 40k miles on them. That is how far people drive this car, not how long it lasts.
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
A12/00656/22
The drive shafts installed in the vehicles concerned were coated with a lubricant which accelerates the wearing of the protective layer covering them, making them more susceptible to damage caused by road debris. Furthermore, grit containing de-icing agents used to maintain the roads could accumulate in damaged parts of the drive shafts, increasing corrosion and the risk of breaking at high torque.Both situations increase the risk of accident/injury for passengers and other road users. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of Motor Vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Recall of the product from end users