2011 Honda Fit

Both right and left drive shafts went bad at the same time. The failure was diagnosed and repaired by Envision Honda of Milpitas. I asked how can the drive shafts be bad at 98000miles. The advisor told me this is normal and the car is old. After I searched online, the drive shafts shouldn’t fail in 98000 miles. I also found many people have the same problem also around 98000miles.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HONDA FIT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THE DRIVE SHAFT FRACTURED AND THE VEHICLE LOSS DRIVE POWER. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE HONDA SUPERSTORE OF JOLIET (3225 PLAINFIELD RD, JOLIET, IL 60431) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS BROKEN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, A YEAR LATER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE HONDA SUPERSTORE OF JOLIET (3225 PLAINFIELD RD, JOLIET, IL 60431) AND THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT RELATED THE FAILURE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V770000 (POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS STILL AWAITING A CALLBACK FROM THE MANUFACTURER FOR GUIDANCE ON HOW TO PROCEED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 97,758.

DRIVER'S SIDE AXLE BROKE RESULTING IN COMPLETE LOSS OF PROPULSION. PASSENGER SIDE AXLE SHOWING SIMILAR SYMPTOMS. BOTH AXLES HAD TO BE REPLACED TO RESUME SAFE AND NORMAL FUNCTION. ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING, HAD REGULAR MAINTENANCE DONE AND JUST DRIVEN CAR CROSS-COUNTRY (WV->WA) 2 WEEKS PRIOR WITHOUT INCIDENT. CAR IS 2011 HONDA FIT WITH ~70K MILES ON IT, REGULARLY MAINTAINED AT DEALER AND UP UNTIL THE INCIDENT I WAS COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH THE VEHICLE. I HAVE INCLUDED THE CARD FROM THE SPD WITH THE INCIDENT NUMBER, THE RECEIPT FROM HONDA OF SEATTLE FOR THE WORK, THE RECEIPT FOR MY PAYMENT, AND A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE OLD AXLES SHOWING THE BREAK. I HAVE RETAINED THEM IN CASE THEY WOULD BE RELEVANT FOR INVESTIGATIVE PURPOSES AND WOULD BE HAPPY TO TURN THEM OVER. INCIDENT OCCURRED EASTBOUND AT 1ST AVE S AND YESLER IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE WHILE RESUMING FORWARD MOTION FROM SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT. I FOUND AN EXPERIENCE FROM ANOTHER FIT OWNER ALMOST IDENTICAL TO MINE: HTTPS://WWW.FITFREAK.NET/FORUMS/1ST-GENERATION-GD-01-08/98605-AXLE-PROBLEMS.HTML#POST1406103 I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AS A I HAVE ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER IN MICHIGAN WITH A HONDA FIT OF SIMILAR VINTAGE AND I HAVE ADVISED THEM TO HAVE THEIR AXLES INSPECTED. I AM SHAKEN TO THINK OF THE AXLE BREAKING WHILE DRIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS, OR TRYING TO MERGE ONTO A BUSY HIGHWAY. I CONSIDER MYSELF EXTREMELY FORTUNATE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH, MUCH WORSE. NOT ONLY COULD THIS HAVE BEEN A MAJOR SAFETY EVENT BUT THE REPAIR SUGGESTED BY HONDA WAS ~3K WHICH IS PROBABLY OUTSIDE OF THE BUDGET FOR MOST HONDA FIT OWNERS.

DRIVER PARKED 2011 HONDA FIT IN DRIVEWAY. IGNITION OFF CAR IN 1ST GEAR. AFTER ~ 4 MIN. CAR BEGAN SLOWLY ROLLING BACKWARD DOWN DRIVEWAY, ROLLING OVER CURB AND STOPPED UPON IMPACT W. TREE. IMPACT CAUSED DAMAGE TO LEFT REAR BUMPER, CRUSHED LEFT REAR BRAKE LIGHT AND WHEEL WELL. LEFT SIDE PANELS PUSHED FORWARD, SHIFTING LEFT SIDE FRAME OF CAR TOWARD FRONT OF CAR. INSPECTING CAR AT SITE OF IMPACT, DRIVER VERIFIED IGNITION REMAINED OFF AND GEAR SHIFT REMAINED IN 1ST GEAR POSITION. CAR WAS NOT DRIVEABLE, REQUIRING CAR TO BE TOWED FROM SITE. THANKFULLY NEIGHBORHOOD CHILDREN WERE NOT PLAYING IN PATH OF CAR AND CAR DID NOT ENTER MAJOR INTERSECTION WHERE IT WOULD LIKELY HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS IF NOT FATAL ACCIDENT.

ONE YEAR AGO AN AXLE BROKE ON MY 2011 HONDA FIT. I HAD IT REPLACED. TODAY THE OTHER AXLE BROKE. I LOOKED ONLINE AND IT APPEARS THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM. IN BOTH CASES, IT HAPPENED WHEN I MADE A FAIRLY HARD U-TURN AND SHIFTED INTO REVERSE TO COMPLETE A THREE POINT TURN. I'M ASSUMING THE EXTRA FORCE ON THE SHAFT HAD TO DO WITH HAVING THE WHEELS TURNED HARD AND THEN ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE THEM, PERHAPS WHILE THEY WERE STILL MOVING. REGARDLESS, THIS SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN SO EASILY ON A CAR THAT'S NOT THAT OLD.

WHEN MY WIFE BACKED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY ONTO THE STREET AND SHIFTED FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, SHE HEARD A LOUD POP AND THEN SCRAPING NOISES. THE CAR THEN COULDN'T MOVE AND WE HAD TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL AND PUSH THE CAR BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY TO BE TOWED TO OUR MECHANIC. HE LATER TOLD US THAT THE LEFT FRONT AXLE BROKE AND THE RIGHT FRONT AXLE WOULD PROBABLY GO IN TWO MONTHS. IT TURNED OUT TO BE SEVERAL WEEKS. THE SAME THING HAPPENED WHEN I BACKED OUT OF A PARKING SPACE IN A PARKING LOT. WHEN I SHIFTED TO DRIVE, THE SAME POP AND THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. THE CAR WAS TOWED AGAIN, THIS TIME THE RIGHT FRONT AXLE BROKE.

WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT IN TOWN (LUCKILY - AND NOT ON A TURNPIKE OR HIGHWAY) MY CAR SUDDENLY CAME TO A JARRING HALT WHEN I ACCELERATED WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN. TWO STRANGERS HELPED ME PUSH THE CAR ACROSS TRAFFIC TO A PARKING LOT AND I HAD TO CALL AAA FOR A TOW TO A LOCAL AUTO REPAIR. THE AXLE HAD SNAPPED BECAUSE OF THE RUBBER VIBRATION DIMINISHER WHICH TRAPS WATER AND DEBRIS THEN THIS ACCUMULATION RUSTS THE AXLE AND COMPROMISES ITS INTEGRITY. VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE I HAD JUST COME OFF OF A 4 LANE HIGHWAY AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A PILEUP IF I HAD SUDDENLY STOPPED ON THAT HIGHWAY. I CHECKED THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH LOTS OF HONDA FIT MODELS.

STOPPED AT INTERSECTION. STARTED TO PROCEED BY TAKING FOOT OFF BRAKE & PRESSING ON GAS & THERE WAS A LOUD THUD & NO FORWARD MOTION. PLACED IN PARK, THEN BACK IN DRIVE. IN DRIVE ENGINE REVS, AND THERE IS A HIGH PITCHED NOISE, BUT NO FORWARD MOTION. HAD TO CALL TOW TRUCK. MECHANIC REPLACED THE DRIVER SIDE AXEL SHAFT ASSEMBLY, AS AXEL WAS BROKEN. MECHANIC STATED THAT RUST HAD FORMED UNDER A PLASTIC FITTING MIDWAY ON THE SHAFT, AND THIS WAS THE SECOND ONE HE REPLACED THAT WEEK.

HONDA FIT 2011 ON 7/18/19 I WAS DRIVING WEST ON GOLF ROAD IN NILES, IL. AS I MADE A LEFT TURN AT THE LIGHT, THE FIT MADE A NOISE WHICH SOUNDED LIKE I HAD DRIVEN OVER A METAL BARREL. THE CAR LOST POWER AND DRIFTED INTO A STRIP MALL PARKING LOT. SOMEONE HELPED ME PUSH IT OUT OF THE WAY OF INCOMING TRAFFIC. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED, MY MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE DRIVER-SIDE DRIVESHAFT HAD CORRODED, ESPECIALLY UNDER THE RUBBER DAMPER, AND HAD COMPLETELY BROKEN THROUGH. ALSO, THE PASSENGER-SIDE DRIVESHAFT HAD CORRODED IN THE SAME PLACE, AND WAS BEGINNING TO WEAR THROUGH. (I SENT TWO PHOTOS OF THE TWO DRIVESHAFTS TO NHTSA.WEBMASTER @DOT.GOV TODAY.) I AM A 75 YEAR OLD CAREFUL DRIVER, NO ACCIDENTS, NO MOVING VIOLATIONS ON MY RECORD. THE CAR HAD JUST 44,615 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED REGULARLY SINCE I BOUGHT IT. I SPOKE TO THE SERVICE DIRECTOR AT MY HONDA DEALERSHIP, WHO SAID "IN MY OPINION, THE AXLE SHOULD NEVER BREAK." IF THIS DEFECT IS APPEARING IN OTHER HONDA FITS, THE CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED. COST TO ME: $396.78 FOR TWO NEW DRIVESHAFTS, AND $295 FOR LABOR.. AND, BY THE WAY, I COULD HAVE BEEN HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC, AND I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED.