2015 Honda Fit Engine

I am the owner of a Honda Fit, and I am reporting a persistent and worsening issue that began during the winter of 2024. The vehicle produces a rattling noise during cold start-ups, which has become increasingly loud and frequent over time. This vehicle has only 89,646 miles, which is considered relatively low mileage for a modern engine to begin exhibiting such symptoms. This suggests that the issue is not due to normal wear and tear, but rather a premature mechanical defect. Based on my research and discussions with other Honda owners, this issue appears to be linked to a defective Variable Valve Timing Control (VTC) actuator, a problem that has been documented in other Honda models and addressed through Technical Service Bulletin 16-088. I am concerned that this is not merely a cosmetic or nuisance issue. The noise suggests a mechanical defect that could lead to premature engine wear or even total engine failure if left unaddressed. Given the number of similar complaints across various Honda models, I believe this may be a manufacturing defect that warrants further investigation. I respectfully request that Honda acknowledge this issue in the Honda Fit and take appropriate action, whether through a recall, extended warranty, or goodwill repair program. I am also submitting this report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for further review.

Vtc actuator failure. Engine rattle on cold startup.

While driving. the engine failed. Loss of power, smoke. Would not start. Entire engine compartment covered with oil. Car towed to mechanic. Who said a hole had been blowout the size of a fist. Engine would have to be replaced.

The contact owns a 2015 Honda Fit. The contact stated while his daughter was driving 40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, and there were abnormally loud sounds coming from the engine. The contact's daughter was able to drive to her residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an oil change; however, the mechanic diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the variable valve timing control (VTC) actuator was damaged, causing metal fragments to damage the engine. The dealer diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

2015 HONDA FIT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD DEFECTIVE STOP/START IGNITION SWITCH.

Every morning during cold starts, the vehicle makes a rattle sound and vibrates steering wheel

I BOUGHT HONDA FIT 2015 ON JAN 11, 2015. LAST YEAR I GOT THE PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE START/STOP BUTTON. THE ENGINE DID NOT START WHEN I PUSHED THE BUTTON MANY TIMES. ON JUNE 13, 2020, I BROUGHT MY CARD TO HONDA DEALER. THEY SAID THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THE STARTER. I LEFT THE CAR AT DEALER AND COME BACK TO PICK UP THE SAME DAY. AT DEALER PARKING LOT, I STARTED MY CAR AND IT DID THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. I CAME BACK INSIDE THE OFFICE AND LET THE TECHNICIAN KNEW. SO, I LEFT MY CAR AGAIN AT DEALER FOR THEM TO FIX IT. AT THAT TIME, MY CAR WAS 29,221 MILES ONLY FOR 5 AND HALF YEARS. I NOT DRIVE MY CAR A LOT JUST ABOUT 12 MILES PER DAY. DEALER TOLD ME THEY HAD TO FIXED SOMETHING ELSE AND CHARGED ME FOR TOTAL $750. I THINK IT IS NOT FAIR FOR ME TO PAY DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. I FILE THE COMPLAIN WITH HONDA COMPANY ON JUNE 2020 AND DID NOT RECEIVE ANY REPLY BACK. FEB 20, 21, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM HONDA ABOUT WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR 2015-17 FIT KEYLESS START SYSTEM ERROR WITH DTC B12C5. HONDA WOULD REIMBURSE IF I FIXED THAT PROBLEM BEFORE. I FILED PAPERWORK WITH ALL RECEIPTS ON 02/23/21. TODAY, I GOT THE PHONE CALL FROM HONDA CLAIM DEPARTMENT 03/11/2021 THEY STATED I DID NOT QUALIFIED FOR REIMBURSE BECAUSE THE PART THEY REPLACED NOT QUALIFIED. I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY? BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS, ONE DAY I HAD TO STAY ON PARKING LOT FOR 30 MINUTES TRING TO START THE ENGINE. I WAS LATE FOR WORK AND LATE FOR MY APPOINTMENTS TWICE. THE REIMBURSE CLAIM NUMBER: 11377164. THE CLAIM DEPARTMENT TOLD ME MY CASE WAS CLOSED BECAUSE I AM NOT QUALIFIED FOR THIS SITUATION. I AM NOT A TECHNICIAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT DID THEY DO WITH THE CAR. THE ONLY THING I KNOW IS WITH 29,221 MILES HONDA ENGINE START/STOP BUTTON NOT WORKING. THIS IS THE 2ND HONDA CAR I HAVE. FOR THIS EXPERIENCE I WILL NOT BUY ANY CAR FROM HONDA ANYMORE.

At start up (often after the car has sat a few hours), the engine rattles loudly for about 2 seconds. Honda Service Bulletin 16-088 acknowledges that this occurs because “The variable valve timing control (VTC) actuator is defective.” However, Honda refuses to fix this engine defect unless the car is under warranty. This defect should be repaired regardless of whether the car is under warranty because the defect could lead to catastrophic engine failure.

I took the car into the Honda dealer in Bellevue, WA for an oil change and a buyer's inspection with leak down test. The next day, I could hear a loud rattling noise when I started the car. I took it back to Honda and they say it is the VTC actuator, along with timing chain, serpentine belt and water pump, which they did NOT list as issues during the 1st appointment, which was supposed to be a total inspection of the car. Not sure if they missed it or caused the additional issues. I took it to a 2nd mechanic, told him my whole story, and he said it was the VTC actuator too. I researched online and apparently many people have this issue, and most catch it before their 60k mile warranty is up. However, my car is at 74k miles. Apparently Honda was redesigned the VTC actuator, because it was such a big problem. However, they have not gone back to fix all the cars that had the issue. The mechanic says if I drive with this condition it could cause engine failure, which if it happens while driving, could pose a safety risk. I strongly feel that this is something that Honda should recall or at least extend the warranty to 100k miles for this issue.

AT 56,000 MILES THIS CAR NEEDS A STARTER REPLACEMENT. ACCORDING TO RESEARCH, THESE CARS SHOULDN'T REQUIRE THIS UNTIL AT LEAST 100,000 MIKES. THIS IS A GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT AS I HAVE BEEN A HONDA OWNER FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS, AND EXPECT MUCH MORE. THE COST TO REPLACE THIS IS FROM $609.00 -$1100.00.

WHILE IN MOTION, THE PLASTIC ENGINE SPLASH GUARD CAME OFF AND WAS DRAGGING ON THE ROAD AT 80 MPH. ONLY 1 PIN WAS LEFT IN ON INSPECTION. IT MAKES A HORRIBLE NOISE LIKE A TIRE WENT FLAT. THIS GUARD MUST BE REMOVED TO CHANGE THE OIL AND IT WAS CHANGED BY DEALERSHIP 2 WEEKS PRIOR. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME IT HAS HAPPENED IN THE 14 MONTHS I'VE OWNED THE CAR. THE CLIPS THAT HOLD IT IN ARE PLASTIC, THEY DO NOT HOLD AND HAVE TO BE REPLACED AFTER EVERY OIL CHANGE. THIS IS A SAFETY AND ROAD HAZARD TO OTHER DRIVERS. THERE ARE MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS IN HAND FIT FORUMS. IT IS A DESIGN FLAW AND MANY OWNERS HAVE TAKEN TO PUTTING ON ZIP TIES AFTER OIL CHANGES.

MY 2015 HONDA FIT WITH 50,000 MILES HAD DEFECTIVE FUEL INJECTORS. I'VE ALWAYS SERVICED THE VEHICLE REGULARLY. A CYLINDER STARTED MISFIRING (FAULT CODE PO301). I HAD TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER TO GET FIXED. THEY CHARGED ME $2000 TO CHANGE ALL THE INJECTORS. THE INJECTORS WERE OUT OF WARRANTY (3 YEARS OR 36,000 MILES). MY CAR IS 4 YEARS OLD WITH 50,000. I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET.

PLASTIC ENGINE UNDER COVER WILL NOT STAY ATTACHED DUE TO DESIGN FLAW USING PLASTIC SCREWS TO HOLD IT ON. HAVE HAD MULTIPLE MECHANICS RE ATTACH AND THE ITEM HAS THE SAME ISSUE. ISSUE HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES SINCE CAR PURCHASE IN 2015. PANEL COMES UNATTACHED AFTER AN OIL CHANGE AND MAKES UNEXPECTED SOUNDS AND IMPAIRS DRIVER SAFETY.

STARTER STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS AFTER LESS THAN 60,000 MILES. FINALLY FAILED AT 65,000 AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. ONLINE BLOGS INDICATE I'M NOT ALONE, BUT THAT THIS IS A KNOWN HONDA FIT ISSUE.

VALVE TIMING CONTROL (VTC) ACTUATOR IS DEFECTIVE AND CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THE ISSUE MANIFESTS ITSELF AS AN OCCASSIONAL INNOCUOUS RATTLE AT COLD-START (AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT). AMERICAN HONDA HAS ISSUED SERVICE BULLETIN 16-088 (FEBRUARY 2017) TO ADDRESS DEFECTIVE VARIABLE VALVE TIMING CONTROL (VTC) ACTUATORS ON THE 2015 HONDA FIT (HTTPS://TESTING-PUBLIC.CARMD.COM/TSB/DOWNLOAD/118695/A16-088) AND MANY MORE SERVICE BULLETINS FOR DEFECTIVE VTC ACTUATORS IN OTHER OF ITS VEHICLES OVER THE YEARS (E.G. HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/TSBS/2016/SB-10088283-2280.PDF). WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO VIDEO-RECORD ONE OF THE EPISODES AND GET THE CAR TO THE DEALER - WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AND PERFORMED REPAIR. IT IS UNSETTLING THAT HONDA IS NOT BEING PROACTIVE IN ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE BEFORE AN EXPLODING EYING CAUSES HARM.

MY CAR MAKES A HORRIBLE GRINDING SOUND WHEN IT TURNS ON. IT'S DONE IT SINCE I GOT THE CAR AND MY DEALER WOULD NOT FIX IT WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY.

WHEN USING THE ECON BUTTON, MY VEHICLE ENGINE OFTEN DIES AT A STOP. I'VE CHECKED IT OUT SEVERAL TIMES AND IT ONLY DOES THIS WHEN THE ECON SYSTEM IS ACTIVATED. TAKING IT TO DEALER ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, BUT IT NEVER HAPPENS FOR THEM AND IT NEVER THROWS A MALFUNCTION CODE. WORKS FINE DURING NORMAL OPERATION. ONE OTHER PROBLEM, WHEN THIS ISSUE ARISES IS THAT I CANNOT RESTART THE CAR WITHOUT GETTING OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND TAKING THE KEY FOB OUT OF RANGE FOR AT LEAST 30+ SECONDS. ONCE THE ELECTRONICS RESET, I CAN ONCE AGAIN START THE VEHICLE. AS YOU CAN VISUALIZE, THIS IS SOMETIMES A DANGEROUS SITUATION OUT ON A BUST ROAD OR STREET.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HONDA FIT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE SPLASH GUARD SEPARATED SEVERAL TIMES AFTER THE VEHICLE RECEIVED ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AT SPREEN HONDA (25050 REDLANDS BOULEVARD, LOMA LINDA, CA 92354, PHONE (909) 799-7070). THE DEALER REPLACED THE ENGINE SPLASH GUARD; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS CHARGED FOR THE ENGINE SPLASH GUARD REPLACEMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000.

SINCE SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR ON JUNE 13, 2014, BAD TO AWFUL ODORS HAVE BEEN EMITTED FROM THE HVAC SYSTEM. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP FROM WHOM I PURCHASED IT HAS SERVICED IT THREE TIMES (2014/09/17 @ 4,982MI, 2014/09/27 @ 5,254MI, 2014/10/31 @ 6,589MI). EACH TIME, FOAMING AC CLEANER WAS USED. THE THIRD ONE ALSO INVOLVED REMOVING THE BLOWER ASSEMBLY (THEY CUT AWAY PART OF THE DASHBOARD TO GET IT OUT) SO THEY COULD SPRAY CLEANER DIRECTLY INTO THE EVAPORATOR BOX, THOUGH ONLY THE INLET SIDE OF THE EVAPORATOR COILS IS ACCESSIBLE. AFTER EACH SERVICE, AIR COMING OUT THE VENTS WOULD SMELL OF CLEANER FOR A FEW DAYS, THEN THE BAD SMELLS WOULD BE DONE FOR A FEW DAYS AND THEN RETURN. THE THIRD SERVICE WAS THE LONGEST-LASTING, BUT BAD ODORS AND NOW MOLD SPORES STARTED COMING OUT AGAIN, FIRST NOTICEABLE IN EARLY DECEMBER 2014. IT HAS GOTTEN SO BAD I HAVE HAD SEVERAL SEVERE SYMPTOMS OF MOLD EXPOSURE, INCLUDING ITCHY THROAT AND EYES, SINUS HEADACHES, SHARP SINUS PAIN, BLOODY NASAL DISCHARGE, SOMETIMES WITH LARGE CLOTS. I'VE STARTED USING N95 OR N100 RESPIRATORS, DRIVING WITH WINDOWS OPEN AND MINIMIZING USE OF THE HVAC. THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR SMELLS MOLDY/MILDEWY WITHOUT USING THE HVAC SYSTEM; I THINK MOLD IS NOW IN THE REST OF THE INTERIOR, AND THIS CAR IS KEPT OVERNIGHT IN A DE-HUMIDIFIED GARAGE! I SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT WITH AMERICAN HONDA EARLY FEBRUARY 2015, A COMPLAINT WITH THE OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE MID-FEBRUARY AND SUBMITTED A LEMON LAW CLAIM ON 2015/03/06 TO THE ARBITRATION PROGRAM HONDA MAKES OWNERS USE. HONDA HAS BEEN UNRESPONSIVE THUS FAR. HONDA'S CELAYA, MEXICO PLANT, IN ADDITION TO LABOR ISSUES, HAD TRANSPORT TRAINS HIJACKED, WITH PARTS STOLEN FROM MANY CARS. IF THIS IS TRUE, THESE CARS SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN SOLD AS NEW! IT WOULD EXPLAIN THE LOOSE DRIVER DOOR TRIM AND REAR HATCH TRIM I FOUND ON MY CAR AND SNAPPED INTO PLACE. *TR