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U.S. public vehicle records

2009 Honda FIT problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

287 owner complaints analyzed

11 distinct recall campaigns

60,250 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2009 model year. Data snapshot: . 164 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 104 of 287 complaints (36.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Steering behavior4816.7%
Braking behavior175.9%
Electrical and battery issues134.5%
Engine operation113.8%
Transmission and shifting62.1%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Air Bags
104
Steering
43
Power Train
33
Electrical System
20
Unknown Or Other
15
Engine
13
Structure:Body
11
Visibility
10
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Air Bags104
Steering43
Power Train33
Electrical System20
Unknown Or Other15
Engine13
Structure:Body11
Visibility10

Air Bags: 104; Steering: 43; Power Train: 33; Electrical System: 20; Unknown Or Other: 15; Engine: 13; Structure:Body: 11; Visibility: 10

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
50
25,000 to 49,999
21
50,000 to 74,999
24
75,000 to 99,999
24
100,000 to 149,999
34
150,000 and above
11
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,00050
25,000 to 49,99921
50,000 to 74,99924
75,000 to 99,99924
100,000 to 149,99934
150,000 and above11

Under 25,000: 50; 25,000 to 49,999: 21; 50,000 to 74,999: 24; 75,000 to 99,999: 24; 100,000 to 149,999: 34; 150,000 and above: 11

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (50). 123 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2008
1
2009
7
2010
29
2011
16
2012
7
2013
7
2014
19
2015
13
2016
89
2017
24
2018
18
2019
12
2020
13
2021
21
2022
6
2023
2
2024
2
2026
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20081
20097
201029
201116
20127
20137
201419
201513
201689
201724
201818
201912
202013
202121
20226
20232
20242
20261

2008: 1; 2009: 7; 2010: 29; 2011: 16; 2012: 7; 2013: 7; 2014: 19; 2015: 13; 2016: 89; 2017: 24; 2018: 18; 2019: 12; 2020: 13; 2021: 21; 2022: 6; 2023: 2; 2024: 2; 2026: 1

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 48 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 17 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 13 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10290410 · 2009-10-30 (October 30, 2009)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HONDA FIT. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE SHE NOTICED THAT THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL, AND THE STEERING COLUMN WAS LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE TECHNICIAN LOCATED AN ANGLE SENSOR ERROR CODE. HOWEVER SINCE THE TECHNICIANS COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE, THEY DID NOT MAKE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2200. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 12/07/09 *BF THE MANUAL STATED TO RESTART THE ENGINE TO RES…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10290410 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10304595 · 2010-02-03 (February 3, 2010)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HONDA FIT. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE SHE NOTICED THAT THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL, AND THE STEERING COLUMN WAS LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE TECHNICIAN LOCATED AN ANGLE SENSOR ERROR CODE. HOWEVER SINCE THE TECHNICIANS COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE, THEY DID NOT MAKE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2200. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 12/07/09 *AA THE MANUAL STATED TO RESTART THE ENGINE TO RESET THE …

Owner-reported narrative. 4,444 miles reported. Look up ODI 10304595 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10266390 · 2009-04-22 (April 22, 2009)

MY 2009 HONDA FIT SPORT MODEL WILL OCCASIONALLY NOT STOP WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, BUT JUMP FORWARD TEN FEET OR SO. ON 4/4/09 THIS CAUSED ME TO HIT ANOTHER CAR, RESULTING IN $2400 BODY DAMAGE. HONDA SAYS NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR--NO COMPUTER CODES--AND WILL NOT TRY TO REPAIR IT. I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE IT SAFELY, BUT CANNOT GET HONDA AMERICA TO ACKNOWLEDGE PROBLEM OR HELP ME.

Owner-reported narrative. 2,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10266390 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10280593 · 2009-08-16 (August 16, 2009)

TRAFFIC WAS SLOWING DOWN BECAUSE OF WORK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TAPPED MY BRAKES TWICE WITHOUT ANY RESULT. THE NEXT TIME I PUT MY FOOT TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. I RAN INTO A TRUCK. SINCE MY CAR WAS LOW, THE SENSOR DID NOT GO OFF WITH THE AIR BAGS. I OWN A HONDA SPORT FIT 2009. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 7,542 miles reported. Look up ODI 10280593 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10317550 · 2010-03-04 (March 4, 2010)

2009 HONDA FIT BATTERY DRAIN AND TRUSTWORTHINESS OF ELECTRONICS.*CW

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10317550 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10340311 · 2010-06-27 (June 27, 2010)

TOWING A 2009 HONDA FIT BEHIND A MOTORHOME WHEN IT LOCKED UP. EVERYTHING WAS SET ACCORDING TO THE MANUAL. IT IS AUTOMATIC. WE WERE TOLD IT COULD BE THE BATTERY BUT WE ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH THAT EXPLANATION. HAVE YOU HEARD OF OTHER HONDA FITS LOCKING UP THE FRONT WHEELS WHILE TOWING. IT DRIVES FINE IF NOT BEHIND THE MOTORHOME. WE DRAGGED THE TOAD FOR ABOUT 50 FEET AND HAD TO REPLACE TWO FRONT TIRES. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 17,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10340311 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10339066 · 2010-06-18 (June 18, 2010)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HONDA FIT. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD SPORADICALLY STALL WITHOUT WARNING WHEN TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED. THE CONTACT STATED THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED OVER 20 TIMES HOWEVER, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR LOCATE A FAILURE IN THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER ADVISED WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE THEY WERE UNABLE TO MAKE ANY REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED IN ORDER TO GET THE VEHICLE TO FUNCTION NORMALLY HE WOULD HAVE TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE DURING THE FAILURE AND SHIFT INTO PAR…

Owner-reported narrative. 200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10339066 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10397053 · 2011-04-21 (April 21, 2011)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HONDA FIT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V101000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND CONTACTED THE DEALER APRIL 21, 2011 TO SECURE AN APPOINTMENT FOR REPAIRS. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE EARLIEST THEY COULD SECURE HER APPOINTMENT WAS FOR JULY 6, 2011. SHE THEN CALLED THE MANUFACTURER BUT THEY REFERRED HER BACK TO THE DEALER. LATER, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE ADDITIONAL TIMES…

Owner-reported narrative. 11,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10397053 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10494889 · 2013-01-28 (January 28, 2013)

THE VEHICLE STALLED AFTER 3 MINUTES WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. I HAD TO TURN ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS, PUT THE CAR TRANSMISSION IN PARK, AND RE-START. SAME INCIDENT HAPPENED AGAIN A WEEK AFTER. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 44,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10494889 at NHTSA ↗