2016 HONDA FIT Recalls, Complaints & Safety

I see reported everywhere that Honda Fit 2016, including my car, has issues with defective cluster panels. Honda has issued software recalls for instrument panel issues, primarily affecting 2018-2020 Odyssey, 2019-2020 Pilot/Passport, and 2018-2020 Accord/Hybrid models, where incorrect software can cause blank or failing displays for speed, oil pressure, gear, and camera, requiring a free software update at a dealer to fix the issue. My car has experienced a failing and blank screen for gas and mileage, requiring replacement of the cluster panel. It has, and will, cost me hundreds of dollars to fix an issue that is apparently being fixed for free on other Honda models.

Steering wheel airbag cover gets extremely hot after driving, was told this is a serious safety concern.

1. Nexen-P185/55R16 83H 2. A bubble has formed in the sidewall. Can cause Tire blow out. 3. This is the third Nexen tire to form a bubble. I reported the last one a little over a month ago. Tire service provider to order a new tire and replace today. 4. It has not been inspected by law enforcement or investigators. 5. No, there were not.

Woke up [XXX] to a flat tire. Filled the tire and heard a hiss. We took the vehicle to NTB in Wellsburg, WV where we bought the tires. After inspection we were told two tires had "bubbles" and needed to be replaced (picture of front passenger side attached). We have ordered new Goodyears that will be here in 2 days. Side Note: we had to buy groceries, so we drove the car slowly yo Walmart in Steubenville, OH where the front tire failed. AAA (DCP Automotive) came and changed the tire/doughnut. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

P185/55R16 Tire wall coming off of the tire. Bubble created.

The fuel gauge-odometer indicator dash cluster goes blank and/or scrambles-then goes dark with no info.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Fit. The contact stated that while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the spark plugs were replaced twice, and the catalytic converter was replaced at the contact's expense before the failure. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the fuel injectors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to an unknown local dealer, where it remained for further diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to Honda TSB Number: 22-002; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

The digital gas gauge and odometer on the dashboard is a blank, blue screen or shows partial information but isn't legible. It will happen sporadically, seemingly from cold weather, and eventually the screen appears as normal. This started happening this winter around 82k miles. Not knowing the fuel level is a safety issue, especially with winter driving. There were no warning messages prior to this issue. Lastly, per an online search, many Honda fit owners have experienced this same issue.

The gas gauge/odometer on the dashboard shows up blank or is total gibberish. Therefore, I have no idea how much gas is left or the current mileage for maintenance timing. It used to only happen in cold weather, but now it happens at any temperature. It usually does this when starting of the engine and it can eventually show up in a minute or 20 minutes into driving. I get this "error" almost daily. This is a safety issue because I don't know the fuel level of my car. I know never let the gauge fall under 1/2 full. I also take pictures of the screen every time I turn off the car so I know what the last mileage and gas level is in case it blanks out the next time I start the engine to drive. I've contacted the manufacturer and they said to bring it in when it happens. I have no way of knowing when it will happen or for how long. The only way it could be reproduced is if I left it a the dealer for them to start periodically, but appointments are necessary especially in this time of low staffing. There were no warning messages prior to this issue. Lastly, per an online search and reviewing the website [XXX] , many Honda fit owners have experienced this same issue INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Fuel Injector Failure

I put a deposit down at a dealership & they sold me a car with issues I have the proof I’m trying to file a complaint on the dealer

The cvt transmission is going out. The dealer has conformed this. This vehicle only has 120000 miles on it and has had every transmission service that was recommended. When this goes completely it could cause an accident at freeway speeds. I believe this model year needs to be added to the cvt recall list and should be covered by honda to 150000 since they clearly know they have an issue here.

Gas gauge/odometer goes blank and/or shows gibberish and is unreadable.

The big recall with Honda and Acura, it lists the 2018-2019 Honda fit as having issues with the fuel pump modular. I've had the same issues with my 2016 for a few years now. I've stalled while driving and the steering wheel locks up when that happens. When starting from a stop, it is worse. I once was taking a left turn and it happened. Luckily I wasn't going across during a busy time, I might have been hit. I've gotten my car looked at several times and no one could tell me what was wrong. I even put in a new fuel pump because all of the systems seemed to be related to the fuel pump. And that didn't change anything either. It has to be the modular but whatever it is, this is serious and I cannot believe the 2016 has not been included in the recall. I have to mash the gas a lot, it seems to kind of help in preventing stalling sometimes. But if you have someone right in front of you, and you're making a turn, thats very difficult to mash the gas to prevent a stall while turning. I know I am mentioning turning a lot, it doesn't matter if I am turning or going straight, but I feel like it's more dangerous when it happens while turning as the steering wheel locks up when the car stalls. Throwing it in neutral doesn't even unlock the steering wheel. You can't quickly fix the issue, you have to switch the ignition off and restart it to unlock the steering wheel, that's not something that can be done quick enough to avoid an accident that is about to happen right before your eyes. Please look into this. I feel like it is immoral of Honda to not include other Fit models in the recall. They must know it's not only the 2018-2019 models. There is no way that my car is the only 2016 this is happening to. I greatly appreciate any effort you are willing to put into investigating this matter.

The gauge cluster that shows your mileage and fuel levels and maintenance schedule goes out intermittently or altogether blank. It started a couple years ago and at this time I only have 45,000 miles on it. Couple years ago it probably had around 30,000 miles on it. It mainly does it when it’s cold, but it has done it in the summer lately. It gets all sketchy or completely blank. Drive several miles, it comes back on. I’ve read ALOT of complaints. There are way too many complaints on this issue in very little mileage. It is very expensive to fix, and I should not have to pay that kind of money when there aren’t that many miles on it. I had to replace a starter about a year ago. Ridiculous. Like I stated above, I have 45,000 miles on the car at this time. I have had older cars and put way more miles on it and never had a starter problem. I think these matters need addressed and the consumers have it corrected by Honda at their expense. I’ve already had to spend $700 for a starter for a very low mileage car. What is my recourse? I need this fixed before it goes out completely and won’t know how much gas I have or when my maintenance needs to be done.

There have been multiple airbag system warning lights on my Honda Fit over the past couple of months. Initially, the driver side airbag inflator warning illuminated and I was able to reset it. Now the passenger side inflator is setting off the warning and it won't reset.

Fuel Gauge display on Honda Fit 2016 not working properly. Outside temperature between 35 and 40 Fahrenheit. Internet search showed many other Honda Fit owners facing same issue

The odometer is digital only. It started to fail in the last couple months in that the digits would appear jumbled (unintelligible) or would be completely blank. Consequently, I am then unable to see my fuel gauge as well as mileage/oil life, which I believe poses a safety concern. If it fails completely then I am unable to tell when I need an oil change and, worse, when I am out of gas. Fortunately, it functions normally every now and then, particularly in warmer weather. I will be mentioning this to the local mechanic this week but have not contacted the local Honda dealership and have not had this investigated beyond my own experiences. As a side note, the last time I went to the Honda dealership (for an A/C issue), they were unable to diagnose the issue after numerous, expensive visits. Went to the local mechanic who fixed it immediately and cost only $25. I researched this issue and appears there is a community of Honda Fit owners who are experiencing this, many with graver experiences than mine. Thank you for taking the time to review this important concern. I am happy to send photos since the upload photos function doesn't work for me. When I click the upload button it disappears and there are no other possible actions.

The gauge cluster started flickering in cold weather only. I asked Honda to review it and take a picture of the problem and explain. Every explanation online for this existing problems seems to be cracked solder joints. Yet HONDA wants to charge me 1.1K the replace the entire system for what they vaguely described as “internal error” if it was internal error, I’d see lot more of a problem with the computer system. It’s obvious it’s the connections that are wrong. The board is probably fine. Yet they want to charge me 1.1K for a KNOWN problems thousands of other Hondas have experienced. This is not fair. I’ve never filled this out but this happened right after my warranty ran out. I can’t afford to fix this. I won’t be able to see my fuel gauge, or any weird oil change errors that pop. That is a safety issue. I can’t see my mileage. Or oil percentage. Can anyone help me? There’s so many cases of this on Reddit.

We own a 2016 Honda Fit with 52,000 miles, and the fuel gauge/speed/odometer display does not work. It completely fails in the cold. This is major safety issue since we can't read the fuel level nor see how fast or slow I'm driving. Our car is currently at the Conicelli Honda dealership. After trying to get this fix or diagnosed for years, Conicelli thinks the problem is a loose or failing solder joint. I spoke with Honda and they is no current recall on this problem. That said and apparently, it is a common issue based on a YouTube video, [XXX] . This is major safety issue that should not fail at 52,000 miles. Honda should be made aware of this issue and fix the problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Vehicle has 16,000 miles on the odometer. Fuel gauge on the right side of the panel often blanks out. Sometimes it comes back when tapped with a finger. Sometimes it flickers while driving. This appears to be a very common problem with this vehicle but has not yet been recalled.

I was told that my vehicle has a defective VTC Actuator part per Honda notice 16-088 that will cause catastrophic failure of the engine and drivetrain. After diagnosis with the dealership they confirmed the risk stating, "The VTC does control the timing so it could cause it to jump timing. If that happens there is a possibility of catastrophic failure if you don't catch it quick enough." Despite bringing the vehicle in for repair 3 times after the release of the notice there was no attempt to repair the vehicle inside the warranty period. I am the original owner and reported the issue immediately after purchasing it as the characteristic "Rattle/grinding" was quite noticable on startup. We asked about this noise and was told, "Its normal." On my next service visit, after the expiration of the warranty at 60k miles, I was asked to pay $1800 to repair it. I pointed out the prior visits and the previous inquiries to be told (via phone) that because there is no formal recall they will not repair the part. Upon research I recently discovered Honda is subject to a class action lawsuit on this same issue. I fear without a recall my vehicle will suffer a failure which will place us at risk. I cannot afford the $1800 quoted to repair the manufacturers defect.

Right gauge of gauge cluster panel is often blank or distorted. This gauge shows mileage, fuel amount, and the time. At times, all 3 of these items are wrong. When the gauge does not display correctly, the smart power control unit (operation of door locks) does not work. This is a safety issue because a driver could run out of fuel or may not be able to access their vehicle. There is only one key hole on the entire vehicle and that is on the driver's side. When the gauge is not working, you have to manually unlock and lock the doors and cannot set the alarm system. I took my car into a Honda dealership to diagnose this issue and was told it would cost over a thousand dollars to repair and that the part was on backorder because this is a common issue. (The attached invoice states: "Operation of door locks runs through gauge cluster.") I also contacted Honda directly to see if they would cover the cost of repairs and they told me my vehicle was no longer under warranty. Vehicle has not been repaired.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Fit. The contact stated that the right gauge on the instrument cluster intermittently went blank or became distorted. The contact also stated that the fuel gauge provided inaccurate readings. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

The steering wheel locks when I park the car and turn the ignition off. The steering wheel stays locked (warning light) when I turn the key in the ignition and the car does not start. Now it stays locked about 90% of the time. The solution (found online, from other drivers) is to take the key out of the ignition, gently turn the steering wheel to the right, then to the left several times; put the key in the ignition & start the car. I sometimes have to repeat the process several times before the car starts. It makes me feel unsafe when I can't start the car and leave an area quickly. I have not reported the problem to the dealer, and it has not been inspected. But I will report it because it happens so frequently.

When it is cold outside the gauge cluster fails due to a loose solder connection on the instrument panel circuit board. This is a common and know issue with 2015/2016 Honda Fits.

Smart Power Control Unit stopped working and had to pay out of pocket over $1200 due to no warranties applicable. Have heard from online forums that this is a very common part malfunction in the 2016 models from Honda and due to the high amount of incidents and for how expensive of a repair this turns out to be the part should be covered by Honda as they already cover the actual on and off switch button.

I start the vehicle when it's cold and the VCT actuator rattles terrible for 1-2 seconds. Honda knows about this problem but will not issue a recall.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Fit. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the LED display was inoperable. The contact stated that the speedometer, tachometer, and fuel gauge were also inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the instrument panel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the cause of the failure was not under recall, and that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The failure mileage was 51,000.

The dashboard computer screen has been flickering in temps under 40°F, but it usually comes back on after driving for awhile. However, today is is 70°F and the screen is completely blank so I am unable to see how much gas I have in my tank or any of the other items displayed on that screen.

Right-side of Instrument display cluster failure upon start up (no data appears). After warm up and a few miles driven, display appeared garbled information. After a few more miles, the display did seem to correct, but this should not be happening. I believe this should be considered a safety issue.

Major leak in drivers side, causing pool of water near gas and brake pedals. Occurs when it rains and could be coming from door panel where electrical components are.

When I start the car in cool/colder weather (<60 F), I notice that the fuel gauge/mileage indicator in the dashboard does not turn on. It remains blank. Sometimes, after a little while, the indicator does turn on, but displays a bunch of gibberish. Only after the car has been driven for ~20 minutes or so does the indicator turn back to normal. Originally, this occurred and would be fixed almost immediately (within a couple minutes). However, it has steadily gotten worse over time the point where I cannot tell how much fuel is left, the oil life, and other important indicators.

Screen issues for right-side instrument panel that displays instant mpg, total mileage, fuel levels, and oil life. Upon starting the car, the screen displays incorrectly (partial words, extra letters in incorrect places) and the different display information can not be clicked through. The display will come back after a few minutes.

Same as dozens of others have reported, the entire instrument panel to the right of the steering column often is totally blank. Of particular concern, the fuel gauge is blank. Sometimes, after a little while, the indicator does turn on, but displays a bunch of gibberish. Only after the car has been driven for ~20 minutes or so does the indicator sometimes turn back to normal. This issue has steadily gotten worse over recent years such that in cooler weather the gauge now does not come on at all. This is a safety issue, and with the number of reports I see on this website and elsewhere, there should be an investigation for recall.

Dashboard display does is not visible upon startup.It will come on after a few miles.This started happening on Oct 17,2022.

When I start the car in cool/colder weather (<60 F), I notice that the fuel gauge/mileage indicator in the dashboard does not turn on. It remains blank. Sometimes, after a little while, the indicator does turn on, but displays a bunch of gibberish. Only after the car has been driven for ~20 minutes or so does the indicator turn back to normal. Originally, this occurred and would be fixed almost immediately (within a couple minutes). However, it has steadily gotten worse over time the point where I cannot tell how much fuel is left, the oil life, and other important indicators.

I'm reporting a common problem with the 2016 Honda Fit which hasn't yet been listed as a recall issue. On the right side of the dashboard next to the steering column there is small digital circular gauge. This gauge includes the fuel gauge, oil life indicator and odometer. Upon starting the vehicle and/or when the vehicle is in motion, this gauge will intermittently fail. This gauge does not turn on or displays random symbols every time I start the car and intermittently does not work while the car is in operation. While this first stated happening only in cold weather, it now happens every day I drive the car in all weather conditions. The fuel gauge and odometer are not visible due to an electrical issue. Nothing has happened to the car that would cause this issue to occur other than a manufacturer defect. The odometer/fuel gauge of the instrument panel has display issues and intermittently blanks out with no info on it. The gauge display is either totally blank, flashes a few times, or displays gibberish, and then intermittently comes back on. This is a safety issue because this display contains the fuel gauge so I cannot see how much fuel is remaining fuel I have left. This gauge also contains the odometer which cannot be seen. Odometers and fuel gauges are legally required to work in vehicles, and these are not working in my 2016 Honda Fit. This should be a recall safety issue if the driver is unable to identify the remaining fuel and miles accrued since last refuel. This can leave the driver and passengers stranded and exposed to danger. This is not an isolated incident with this specific vehicle, and thousands of similar Honda Fit complaints can easily be found in online forums. Per thousands of online posts, the issue appears to be caused by a soldering manufacturing defect. This appears to be a common problem with the Honda Fit. Honda should address and correct this safety issue via a NHTSA safety recall.

VTC Actuator is defective

While driving on highway, my car started to lose power. My attempts to maintain speed resulted in my car stalling and lurching forward, intermittently. I had to pull over on the side. Someone with a diagnostic tool checked and the tool read out indicated "Fuel rail pressure too low" and ABS indicated as abnormal.

Crash

While driving on highway, my car started to lose power. My attempts to maintain speed resulted in my car stalling and lurching forward, intermittently. I had to pull over on the side. Someone with a diagnostic tool checked and the tool read out indicated "Fuel rail pressure too low" and ABS indicated as abnormal.

Crash