2008 Honda Fit SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

AT START-UP THERE SEEMS TO BE ENOUGH BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM FOR ONE BRAKING; THE NEXT TIME I HIT THE BRAKES IT GOES TO THE FLOOR AS IF THERE IS NO POWER BRAKE ASSIST. THERE ARE BRAKES THERE, BUT IT TAKES A HUGE AMOUNT OF FORCE AND IF YOU'RE NOT EXPECTING IT WOULD BE EASY TO HIT SOMETHING. IT HAPPENS 50% OF THE TIME I START THE VEHICLE (AFTER SITTING 8+ HOURS). THE ISSUE IS WORSE WHEN IN REVERSE (LOWER GEAR AND THUS MORE POWER FROM THE ENGINE?). THE SECOND DEALER I WENT TO SAID THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH NO KNOWN REPAIR. WHILE AT THE DEALERSHIP, A CIVIC OWNER SAID SHE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND THE DEALERS TOLD HER THAT IT IS "NORMAL". THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME TO LET THE CAR WARM UP FOR 2-MINUTES BEFORE DRIVING. A YEAR AGO, I HAD 32,000 MILES WHEN THIS FIRST OCCURRED 20% OF THE TIME; NOW I HAVE 76,000 MILES AND IT OCCURS 50% OF THE TIME. I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT SOME PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR COMPLAINTS MAY THINK THE BRAKES ARE NOT WORKING AT ALL, WHEN YOU HAVE TO PUSH EXTREMELY HARD TO GET THEM TO WORK (AS WHEN YOUR BRAKE BOOSTER FAILS). IT IS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO STOP EVEN THOUGH I'M 6'7", 200 POUNDS, VERY STRONG AND I'M A HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR SO I'M PREPARED FOR THINGS TO GO WRONG. *TR

AFTER ATTEMPTING TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY STOP ON A CITY STREET ON A SUNNY DAY WITH ABOUT 2.5 CAR LENGTHS BETWEEN MY FIT AND AN ACCORD. THE VEHICLE'S ABS SYSTEM OVERREACTED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BECOME VERY CHOPPY, DRAMATICALLY INCREASING THE DISTANCE IT TOOK TO STOP. THIS CAUSED MY VEHICLE TO REAR END THE ACCORD. IN RETROSPECT, HAD I NOT APPLIED 100% BRAKE FORCE AND DID NOT TRIGGER THE ABS, I MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE JUST SHORT OF REAR ENDING THE OTHER VEHICLE. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR SITUATIONS UNDER VARIOUS ROAD AND WEATHER CONDITIONS WITH THIS VEHICLE, WHERE THE ABS ACTIVATES PREMATURELY AND REMAINS ACTIVE, EVEN WHEN THERE SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT GRIP. EVEN LIGHT PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE GOING OVER SOME POT HOLES AND UP ONTO DRIVE WAYS TRIGGERS THE ABS SYSTEM. I NEVER PAID MUCH ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE BECAUSE I ALWAYS LEAVE ENOUGH SPACE BETWEEN MYSELF AND OTHER VEHICLES, BUT AFTER DOING SOME ONLINE RESEARCH AFTER MY ACCIDENT, IT HAS BECOME APPARENT TO ME THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE ABS PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. NOR AM I THE ONLY INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS REPORTED THIS ISSUE TO THE NHTSA. AS A NOTE, I HAVE DRIVEN VARIOUS SMALL AND LARGE VEHICLES - WITH AND WITHOUT ABS - AND THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN REACTED SO POORLY IN AN EMERGENCY/PANIC SITUATION. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THESE ABS PROBLEMS OCCURRED WITH THE FACTORY DUNLOP TIRES AS MY RECENT ACCIDENT WITH PERFORMANCE (GRIPPY) FIRESTONE FIREHAWK WIDE OVAL INDY 500 TIRES (WITH >50 TREAD). I HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE ESTIMATE FOR THE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE, BUT THE FRONT BUMPER IS DAMAGED AS WELL AS THE HOOD - NOT SURE IF THERE IS ANY FRAME DAMAGE. NO AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED, NO OCCUPANTS WERE HARMED. I WILL ALSO REACH OUT TO HONDA AMERICA. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU. *TR

THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. THE BRAKES LACK FEEL AND ARE "SPONGY." THIS CAUSES GREAT DIFFICULTY DURING BRAKING. AT HIGH SPEEDS, THE BRAKES SEEM TO FUNCTION PROPERLY, BUT AT LOW SPEEDS IT DOES NOT. WHEN I PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL, INSTEAD OF BRAKING, THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL DROP. THE CAR CONTINUES TO MOVE AS IF THE BRAKE PEDAL IS NOT BEING PRESSED DOWN. THE CREATES A SITUATION WHERE THE LAST FEW SECONDS, I MUST HIT THE BRAKES EVEN HARDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO BEGIN STOPPING. THIS CREATES A HAZARD FOR VEHICLES BOTH IN FRONT AND IN BACK OF ME. THERE IS VERY LITTLE CONTROL IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM. FROM THE FORUMS, IT APPEARS THERE ARE MANY OTHER HONDA FIT OWNERS WITH THE SIMILAR PROBLEM. SOME HAVE GOTTEN INTO ACCIDENTS DUE TO THIS FAILURE, WHILE OTHERS HAVE BEEN MORE LUCKY. THIS IS CERTAINLY A ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP, WHOM HAVE DENIED ANYTHING BEING WRONG. I URGE YOU TO INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER BEFORE ANOTHER PERSON IS KILLED/ INJURED DUE TO THIS FAILURE.

HONDA FIT 2008 BRAKES FAILURE TO STOP DURING BRAKING. NOISE DURING BRAKING GRINDING / LOOSENING OF BRAKE PADS WHEN BRAKING. WENT TO HONDA FOR BRAKE INSPECTION PER MY NON-HONDA MECHANIC, TO REPLACE CALIPERS. HONDA TECHNICIAN SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG, THAT I JUST NEEDED NEW BRAKE PADS. FIRST TIME REPLACING THEM SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. MILEAGE WAS AT 38,386. PAID FOR NEW PADS. DATE WAS DEC. 29, 2011. TODAY FIRST OIL CHANGE AND BRAKE CHECK SINCE PADS WERE CHANGE, WEARING OF PADS ARE STILL UNEVEN AND BRAKE NOISES STILL PREVALENT, EVEN AT FROM 20 MILE PER HOUR BRAKING TO STOP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA FIT. WHILE APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DECREASE IN SPEED, WHICH CAUSED HER TO HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BRUISES TO THE LEG. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING THE RESULTS OF AN INSPECTION. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE MANUFACTURER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 37,000.

ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM ACTIVATES INAPPROPRIATELY. DRIVING OVER ROUGH PAVEMENT, BUMPS ETC SEEMS TO ACTIVATE ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM. BRAKES BECOME SQUISHY, AND LESS EFFECTIVE DURING THESE INCIDENCES. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS ROUTINELY. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME GOING ABOUT 50 MPH, WHEN TRAFFIC SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES. I WAS FOLLOWING ABOUT 3 CAR LENGTHS BEHIND THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME, AND AS SOON AS THEY SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES I SLAMMED ON MINE. WHEN SLAMMING ON MY BRAKES, THE ABS DIDN'T EVEN COME ON BECAUSE MY BRAKES WEREN'T WORKING LIKE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO. MY BRAKES FELT SPONGY, AND SHOULD HAVE STOPPED ME WITH ROOM TO SPARE, BUT THEY DIDN'T EVEN COME CLOSE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA FIT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 25-30 MPH, APPROACHING A TRAFFIC STOP SIGNAL. SUDDENLY, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR WHEN PRESSURE WAS APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WOULD STOP WITH A BRIEF DELAY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TEN TO TWELVE TIMES ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM WOULD NOT OCCUR IN COLD WEATHER TEMPERATURES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A PROBLEM. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED FOR A SECOND TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6,000.

BRAKE CONCERNS: I HAVE A 2008 HONDA FIT THAT INTERMITTENTLY HAS A HARD BRAKE PEDAL AND OFTEN WILL NOT STOP WITH 2 FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT FEELS TO ME LIKE THE MASTER CYLINDER OR BRAKE BOOSTER LINKAGE IS SOMEHOW BINDING, THIS USUALLY OCCURS AFTER DRIVING ON ROUGH ROADS AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN, MY LOCAL DEALER WILL TAKE IT FOR A 5 MINUTE DRIVE AND GIVE IT BACK TO ME STATING "NO PROBLEM FOUND" EVEN AFTER SEVERAL COMPLAINTS. I FEEL THIS CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. HONDA AND IT'S DEALERS DON'T SEEM CONCERNED ABOUT BRAKE PROBLEMS BUT I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR. *TR

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES IN MY 2008 HONDA FIT, THEY FAILED TO ENGAGE. I HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO AVOID ACCIDENTS, BUT I'M QUITE CONCERNED AND HAVE NOTICED OTHER SUCH CONCERNS POSTED ON THE WEB. *TR

MY VEHICLE'S ABS SYSTEM APPEARS TO BE EXTREMELY SENSITIVE AND ACTIVATES NEEDLESSLY DURING LIGHT BRAKING EVEN ON DRY PAVEMENT. IT CAN TO BE TRIGGERED CONSISTENTLY BY LIGHTLY APPLYING THE BRAKES ON UNEVEN TERRAIN, SUCH AS CRACKS IN THE ROAD, SMALL POTHOLES OR BUMPS. THE BRAKE PEDAL PULSES FOR A SHORT TIME, DURING WHICH BRAKING IS INEFFECTIVE AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD FOR SEVERAL FEET. I DRIVE SEVERAL OTHER VEHICLES ON A REGULAR BASIS, NONE OF WHICH EXHIBIT THIS PROBLEM. A SERVICE REP AT HONDA OF BLOOMFIELD, LOCATED IN BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI, CHARACTERIZED THE CONDITION AS NORMAL. *TR