This has to do with the seatbelt retractor lock malfunctioning (not unlocking after being given back belt on slack). I have not reported to a dealer or police, but am happy for someone to inspect my vehicle. There were no warnings before this happened. My 9 year old child was in the back seat (passenger side) wearing the car seat belt, sitting in her booster seat. She was trying to remove her soccer kit to put on her bathing suit. The seat belt became wrapped around her body and twisted, cinching up at her waist. The retractor became locked and would not release any belt back out. Initially she had a fair amount of slack. I helped to release any tension from the line and fed back in about 2" of seat belt slowly without any tension, and then slowly tried to pull back out, but the retractor stayed locked. I attempted this several more times allowing >1" of belt back into the retractor at lest 3 times, but the locking mechanism never release, and the belt became dangerously tight on her abdomen. Eventually, my spouse came and held the belt in place (so it couldn't retract more) while I had my child curl up in a ball and I turned her whole body upside down to release the twist in the belt at her waist, and she was finally able to crawl free. It was very distressing that the standard mechanism for releasing the retractor lock (feeding the retractor more seat belt without tension, then slowly trying to pull some back out) was not working and there was no safety mechanism to release the lock.
NHTSA complaint #11615520 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The rear left seatbelt is frayed where it meets the interior wall of the car behind the rear passenger door. This seat has never been used by any passengers that I can recall and only happened to notice it while cleaning. It was inspected by a Honda dealer and was advised it was not covered under warranty as it was usual wear and tear despite it never being used. After looking online, others have experienced the same issue on the same side of the rear passenger seat with third generation (2015+) Honda Fit vehicles. Since it is not being used, it is available to be inspected prior to replacing the defective seat belt.
NHTSA complaint #11548621 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I BUMPED INTO A RAISED MEDIAN AND THE AIRBAG CAME OUT AND THE WHEELS GOT STUCK IN THE MEDIAN. ON WHEELER ROAD. AT 10 TO 20 MPH. I HAVE AN AIRBAG RECALL BUT I HAVE TRIED CONTACTING YOU BY PHONE AND MAIL BUT IT WOULDN'T ACCEPT MY PHONE #. I GOT HUGE BRUISES AND SMOKE INHALATION FROM THE AIRBAG GOING OFF. IT SHOULDN'T HAVE. THE RADIO AND SEATBELT DOESN'T WORK EITHER GUESS IT AFFECTED THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. PLEASE HELP ME. THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA complaint #11185435 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG SYSTEM REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AFTER DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK INTERMITTENTLY AFTER STARTING CAR AND BUCKLING; WARNING LIGHT CAME ON/REMAINED ON. VEHICLE WAS PARKED. REPAIR COST: $1,443.
NHTSA complaint #11129540 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I BOUGHT THE HONDA FIT ON JANUARY 27, 2018. BY EARLY FEBRUARY I HAD DEVELOPED AN INJURY THAT I WILL DETAIL BELOW BUT WHICH WAS ENTIRELY A RESULT OF DRIVING THE CAR I HAD JUST BOUGHT. I HAVE NOW NOT DRIVEN THE FIT AT ALL SINCE APRIL 18 AND DESPITE SEVERAL MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS (DOCUMENTS ATTACHED), I REMAIN IN DAILY PAIN. MY GP HAS DIRECTED ME TO SEE AN ORTHOPEDIC SPECIALIST WHO I WILL BE SEEING THIS AFTERNOON. THE DRIVER-SIDE SEAT BELT TONGUE IN THE 2018 HONDA FIT IS PARTICULARLY LARGE & HEAVY; I WAS TOLD BY HONDA SERVICE THAT THE SIZE IS A RESULT OF DRIVER-SIDE SAFETY SENSORS. THE DRIVER-SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE IS LOCATED HIGH ON THE SIDE OF THE SEAT & WHEN BUCKLED (WHETHER STANDING STILL OR IN MOTION), THE WEIGHT & SIZE OF THE TONGUE PULLS THE ENTIRE MECHANISM AT A PARTICULARLY SHARP ANGLE TOWARD THE DRIVER. IN MY CASE, THE SEAT BELT TONGUE-&-BUCKLE HITS MY RIGHT HIP AT SUCH AN ANGLE THAT IT AGGRAVATES A NERVE AND RESULTS IN BOTH IMMEDIATE & LASTING PAIN. I BEGAN TO TRY TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE BY ASKING HONDA SERVICE TO ADJUST THE SEAT BELT BUT THREE GOOD-FAITH EFFORTS ON THEIR PART DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM; THE DEALERSHIP ASSOCIATED WITH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT I WENT TO SAW IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO UPSELL ME TO A MORE EXPENSIVE CAR; TWO SEPARATE EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE VIA AMERICAN HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE RESULTED IN BEING TOLD THAT AS THE PART WAS NOT DEFECTIVE, THEY WOULD NOT BE HELPING ME (SCREENSHOT OF PRIVATE EXCHANGE ON TWITTER, ATTACHED.) FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, ALL I'VE ASKED FOR IS EITHER A DIFFERENT SEAT BELT WITH A DIFFERENT TONGUE-&-BUCKLE MECHANISM, OR A TRADE-IN FOR AN EARLIER MODEL WITH A DIFFERENT SEAT BELT, AND AT BOTH THE NATIONAL AND THE FRANCHISE LEVEL, NO ONE WAS WILLING TO WORK WITH ME IN EITHER DIRECTION.
NHTSA complaint #11097548 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
IN ADDITION TO THE TAKATA INFLATORS RECALL, THE SRS COMPUTER IS NOT FUNCTIONING. WHEN THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED AN INFLATOR LAST YEAR, THEY NOTICED THAT THE SRS COMPUTER IS COMPLETELY DEAD AND SAID I WILL NEED TO PURCHASE A NEW ONE.
NHTSA complaint #11073296 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CHECK ENGINE SIGN ALL THE TIME. SEAT BELT NOT RELEASE AUTOMATICALLY, WHINE DRIVE ON THE RAIN AND SNOW NOT SEE CLEARLY WIPER DOESN'T WORK GOOD. SOME TIME TPMS SIGN SHOW UP
NHTSA complaint #11066527 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE BACK SEAT BELTS DO NOT LATCH FROM TIME TO TIME. MORE FREQUENTLY LATELY. I TOOK MY CAR TO HONDA TO HAVE IT CHECKED AND THEY SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE THE MALFUNCTION. BUT WHEN I INSPECTED THE BACK SEAT THE SEAT BELT WAS TUCKED UNDER THE SEAT AND DID NOT LOOK CHECKED. I HAVE 3 CHILDREN AND ONE OF THEM REQUIRES A CAR SEAT. IT CONTINUES TO MALFUNCTION AND THE CHILDREN CANNOT LATCH THE SEAT BELT TO BUCKLE THEMSELVES IN. I AM UNABLE TO TRANSPORT MY FAMILY IN MY CAR SAFETY AND CANNOT DRIVE IT.
NHTSA complaint #11035358 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
HELLO, MY WIFE OWNS A HONDA FIT 2015, JUST RECENTLY SHE WENT TO PICK MY MOTHER UP FROM THE HOSPITAL AFTER A SHOULDER OPERATION. WHEN MY WIFE ARRIVED AT MY MOTHER'S HOME SHE STOPPED THE CAR IN FRONT OF MY MOM'S HOME (ON CITY STREET), SHE OPENED THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND TO TRY TO HELP MY MOTHER TO EXIT THE CAR, SHE PULLED THE SEATBELT TO RELEASE IT, BUT IT ONLY GOT TIGHTEN MORE AND MORE, TO THE POINT OF BEING UNABLE TO UNRESTRAINED IT, DURING THAT PROCESS OF TRYING TO UNRESTRAINED THE SEAT BELT, MY MOTHER HAD TO BE MOVED BACK AND FORTH AND TO THE SIDES AND SHE STARTED BLEEDING FROM HER SHOULDER, THEREFORE MY WIFE HAD NO OTHER CHOICE THAN TO CUT IT. THE CAR WAS LATER TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT, WAS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE BECAUSE MY WIFE CUT THE SEAT BELT. THEY GAVE US AN ESTIMATE OF $685.00 TO REPAIR IT, WE SAID THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO PAY FOR IT, SO THEY GAVE US THE HONDA CORPORATE PHONE NUMBER. I CALLED THEM AND THEY AGREED TO REPAIR THE SEAT BELT AS A ONE-TIME COURTESY. THEY SENT US A LETTER THAT WE HAD TO SIGN SO WE WOULD RELEASE THEM OF ANY LIABILITIES MOVING FORWARD IF THE SEAT BELT WOULD MALFUNCTION AGAIN, IS THIS LEGAL? I NEED YOUR HELP, WHETHER TO ADVISE US TO SIGN THE LETTER OR NOT, OR IF WE SHOULD SEEK FOR LEGAL COUNSEL. THANK YOU. SINCERELY, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA complaint #10894106 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELT BUCKLES IN CENTER REAR SEAT AND LEFT REAR SEAT ARE REVERSED. HONDA DEALER SAYS THAT HONDA DESIGNED THEM TO BE USED THIS WAY. THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO BUCKLE.
NHTSA complaint #10889348 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM INDICATOR (SRS) SENSOR IS LIT ON DASHBOARD OF MY 2012 HONDA FIT AND WILL NOT GO OFF. I PURCHASED THIS CAR BRAND NEW IN JUNE 2012. HAS BEEN ON CONSTANTLY WHILE DRIVING SINCE MAY 25, 2016. TODAY IS MAY 30, 2016. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM, I DISCOVERED I AM NOT ALONE AS MANY OTHER HONDA OWNERS HAVE REPORTED EXPERIENCING THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM. OWNERS MANUAL SAYS THAT THE SRS LIGHT MEANS THERE IS A PROBLEM RANGING FROM SEAT BELT BUCKLE TENSION TO THE SIDE AND CURTAIN AIRBAGS HARNESS RESTRAINTS. RESEARCH ALSO STATES THAT AIR BAGS WILL NOT ACTIVATE DURING ACCIDENTS WHILE THIS SRS IS LIT. SOMETHING HONDA LEFT OUT OF OWNERS MANUAL. ANOTHER PROBLEM I READ REPORTS ABOUT FROM OTHER HONDA OWNERS, AFTER HAVING THEIR SRS LIGHT CHECKED BY A HONDA DEALER, WAS THIS COULD MEAN A DEFECTIVE OCCUPANT POSITION SENSOR AND IS VERY COSTLY TO REPLACE. ALSO FOUND DURING RESEARCH THAT THERE IS A CAMPAIGN AGAINST HONDA FOR THE RECALL OF THE DEFECTIVE OCCUPANT POSITION SENSOR. DON"T KNOW IF THIS SRS LIGHT PROBLEM HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE CURRENT TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL, BUT WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED TO KNOW IF THERE WAS A LINK. I WILL BE TAKING MY CAR TO THE HONDA DEALER WHERE PURCHASED ASAP TO HAVE MY SRS LIGHT PROBLEM CHECKED. IN THE MEANTIME I CERTAINLY HOPE NO ONE RUNS INTO ME.
NHTSA complaint #10871407 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AFTER I'D HAD THE CAR ABOUT A YEAR, SUDDENLY THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT STARTED LOCKING UP AND PREVENTING ME FROM BEING ABLE TO MOVE. THIS IS ONGOING. THIS HAPPENS WHEN I LEAN FORWARD ONLY SLIGHTLY. THE ONLY WAY TO RELEASE IT IS TO PRESS INTO THE BACK OF THE SEAT, BUT SOMETIMES THE BELT CONTINUES TO LOCK UP EVERY TIME I PRESS BACK, TO THE POINT THAT THERE IS NO MORE ROOM TO RELEASE THE TENSION ON THE BELT. AT THIS POINT I JUST HAVE TO TAKE THE BELT OFF, WHILE I'M DRIVING. THIS OVERLY-SENSITIVE LOCKING MECHANISM HAS BECOME A HAZARD WHEN I'M IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND HAVE TO QUICKLY CHECK OVER MY SHOULDER BEFORE CHANGING LANES. I HAVE TO LEAN FORWARD IN ORDER TO SEE AROUND THE HEADREST, BUT I GET TRAPPED AGAINST THE SEAT. AGAIN, I HAVE HAD TO UNFASTEN THE BELT IN ORDER TO GAIN THE MOBILITY NEEDED TO DRIVE PROPERLY. I BROUGHT THIS UP TO THE DEALER AND HE SIMPLY BRUSHED IT OFF, STATING THIS WAS A SAFETY FEATURE. THIS IS AN IMPROPERLY WORKING SAFETY FEATURE, MAKING IT AN UNSAFE FEATURE. THE DATE PROVIDED BELOW IS THE APPROXIMATE DATE THE PROBLEM STARTED. ANOTHER ISSUE IS THAT THE REAR VIEW MIRROR IS DIRECTLY IN MY LINE OF VISION. I HAVE TO DUCK TO LOOK UNDER IT WHEN I'M SIMPLY TRYING TO SEE OUT THE WINDSCREEN. THIS ALSO IS A HAZARD. LASTLY, I FIND THE WINDSCREEN FRAME ON THE LEFT SIDE IS SITUATED SUCH THAT IT PERFECTLY BLOCKS PEDESTRIANS WHO MIGHT BE STANDING ON THE CORNER OR ENTERING AN INTERSECTION. IT'S SO WIDE AND ANGLED THAT IT COVERS A LARGER AREA THAN MOST VEHICLES. THE LARGE WINDSCREEN IS A NICE FEATURE, BUT NOT WHEN IT COMPROMISES SIDE VISION.
NHTSA complaint #10860434 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CENTER AND DRIVER REAR SEAT BELT BUCKLES ARE INSTALLED BACKWARDS CAUSING THE SEATBELTS TO NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY. HONDA FIX IS TO INVERT THE BRACKET, WHICH CHANGES THE ANGLE OF THE LOAD APPLIED TO THE SEATBELT IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #10850259 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY DURING FRONT END COLLISION (CAR REAR-ENDED ANOTHER). HAD BEEN TRAVELLING ~40 MPH; BRAKED OVER A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 3 TO 4 CAR LENGTHS WHILE TRAVELLING DOWN HILL. DRIVER SUSTAINED CONCUSSION.
NHTSA complaint #10745787 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I READ ONLINE THAT REAR SEATBELTS WERE BEING INSTALLED INCORRECTLY IN MEXICO HONDA PLANT (CEYLA, MEXICO). SO, I TRIED OUT THE BELTS. ONE SEATBELT DOES NO WORK AT ALL !! THE LEFT 'FEMALE' PIECE DOES NOT HAVE ANYTHING INSIDE OF IT THAT LOCKS IN THE MALE BELT PIECE, RENDERING IT USELESS. IT IS EMPTY INSIDE, SO NO CLICKING NOISE AS WHEN BUCKLING YOURSELF IN. ALSO, THE DRIVER'S SEATBELT IS AKIN TO SUMO WRESTLING TO GET THE MALE BELT PART OUT OF THE FEMALE PART. I HAVE TO REALLY TUG ON BELT, AND I'M 54 YEARS OLD WITH NO ARTHRITIS IN MY HANDS OR GRIP-STRENGTH PROBLEMS. THESE SEATBELTS ARE AWFUL. CLEARLY, THE REAR-SEATBELT ISSUE IS A MAJOR SAFETY VIOLATION.
NHTSA complaint #10692751 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
DUE TO OTHERS REPORTING IT, I ALSO CHECK THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES IN THE REAR SEAT OF MY FIT LX, AND THE CENTER AND LEFT-SIDE REAR PASSENGER BUCKLES ARE ALSO REVERSED IN MY CAR. WITH A LITTLE BIT OF EFFORT, I WAS ABLE TO TWIST THEM AROUND, BUT NOW THEY DON'T COME BACK THROUGH SO EASILY WHEN I FLIP THE SEAT BOTTOM BACK DOWN. I SOMETIMES HAVE TO PUSH AND PULL THEM THROUGH, BUT AT LEAST THEY ARE NOW CORRECTLY ORIENTED. HOWEVER, THIS IS SOMETHING HONDA SHOULD FIX IN CURRENT PRODUCTION AND REPAIR IN PRIOR PRODUCTION.
NHTSA complaint #10692659 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES IN THE BACK SEAT ON BOTH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND IN THE CENTER OF BACK SEAT ARE REVERSED. IT CREATES CONFUSION. REAR PASSENGERS HAVE TO CROSS SEAT BELTS TO BUCKLE. I WORRY THIS MIGHT AFFECT SEAT BELT TENSION WITH HARD BRAKING OR A CRASH, THEREBY CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD.
NHTSA complaint #10662081 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.