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2016 Honda Fit

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2016 Honda Fit do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 128.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

56 reports with mileage · 64 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 54 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports

What owners actually said

120 reports
Mileage unknown · Jan 2, 2024
Electrical System

Fuel Gauge display on Honda Fit 2016 not working properly. Outside temperature between 35 and 40 Fahrenheit. Internet search showed many other Honda Fit owners facing same issue

NHTSA ODI #11563127

Mileage unknown · Jan 1, 2024
Electrical System

The odometer is digital only. It started to fail in the last couple months in that the digits would appear jumbled (unintelligible) or would be completely blank. Consequently, I am then unable to see my fuel gauge as well as mileage/oil life, which I believe poses a safety concern. If it fails completely then I am unable to tell…

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The odometer is digital only. It started to fail in the last couple months in that the digits would appear jumbled (unintelligible) or would be completely blank. Consequently, I am then unable to see my fuel gauge as well as mileage/oil life, which I believe poses a safety concern. If it fails completely then I am unable to tell when I need an oil change and, worse, when I am out of gas. Fortunately, it functions normally every now and then, particularly in warmer weather. I will be mentioning this to the local mechanic this week but have not contacted the local Honda dealership and have not had this investigated beyond my own experiences. As a side note, the last time I went to the Honda dealership (for an A/C issue), they were unable to diagnose the issue after numerous, expensive visits. Went to the local mechanic who fixed it immediately and cost only $25. I researched this issue and appears there is a community of Honda Fit owners who are experiencing this, many with graver experiences than mine. Thank you for taking the time to review this important concern. I am happy to send photos since the upload photos function doesn't work for me. When I click the upload button it disappears and there are no other possible actions.

NHTSA ODI #11562933

Mileage unknown · Dec 3, 2023
Electrical System

The gauge cluster started flickering in cold weather only. I asked Honda to review it and take a picture of the problem and explain. Every explanation online for this existing problems seems to be cracked solder joints. Yet HONDA wants to charge me 1.1K the replace the entire system for what they vaguely described as “internal e…

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The gauge cluster started flickering in cold weather only. I asked Honda to review it and take a picture of the problem and explain. Every explanation online for this existing problems seems to be cracked solder joints. Yet HONDA wants to charge me 1.1K the replace the entire system for what they vaguely described as “internal error” if it was internal error, I’d see lot more of a problem with the computer system. It’s obvious it’s the connections that are wrong. The board is probably fine. Yet they want to charge me 1.1K for a KNOWN problems thousands of other Hondas have experienced. This is not fair. I’ve never filled this out but this happened right after my warranty ran out. I can’t afford to fix this. I won’t be able to see my fuel gauge, or any weird oil change errors that pop. That is a safety issue. I can’t see my mileage. Or oil percentage. Can anyone help me? There’s so many cases of this on Reddit.

NHTSA ODI #11558149

Mileage unknown · Nov 28, 2023
Electrical SystemVehicle Speed Control

We own a 2016 Honda Fit with 52,000 miles, and the fuel gauge/speed/odometer display does not work. It completely fails in the cold. This is major safety issue since we can't read the fuel level nor see how fast or slow I'm driving. Our car is currently at the Conicelli Honda dealership. After trying to get this fix or diagnos…

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We own a 2016 Honda Fit with 52,000 miles, and the fuel gauge/speed/odometer display does not work. It completely fails in the cold. This is major safety issue since we can't read the fuel level nor see how fast or slow I'm driving. Our car is currently at the Conicelli Honda dealership. After trying to get this fix or diagnosed for years, Conicelli thinks the problem is a loose or failing solder joint. I spoke with Honda and they is no current recall on this problem. That said and apparently, it is a common issue based on a YouTube video, [XXX] . This is major safety issue that should not fail at 52,000 miles. Honda should be made aware of this issue and fix the problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11557294

Mileage unknown · Sep 25, 2023
Electrical System

Vehicle has 16,000 miles on the odometer. Fuel gauge on the right side of the panel often blanks out. Sometimes it comes back when tapped with a finger. Sometimes it flickers while driving. This appears to be a very common problem with this vehicle but has not yet been recalled.

NHTSA ODI #11546493

Mileage unknown · Aug 2, 2023
EnginePower Train

I was told that my vehicle has a defective VTC Actuator part per Honda notice 16-088 that will cause catastrophic failure of the engine and drivetrain. After diagnosis with the dealership they confirmed the risk stating, "The VTC does control the timing so it could cause it to jump timing. If that happens there is a possibilit…

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I was told that my vehicle has a defective VTC Actuator part per Honda notice 16-088 that will cause catastrophic failure of the engine and drivetrain. After diagnosis with the dealership they confirmed the risk stating, "The VTC does control the timing so it could cause it to jump timing. If that happens there is a possibility of catastrophic failure if you don't catch it quick enough." Despite bringing the vehicle in for repair 3 times after the release of the notice there was no attempt to repair the vehicle inside the warranty period. I am the original owner and reported the issue immediately after purchasing it as the characteristic "Rattle/grinding" was quite noticable on startup. We asked about this noise and was told, "Its normal." On my next service visit, after the expiration of the warranty at 60k miles, I was asked to pay $1800 to repair it. I pointed out the prior visits and the previous inquiries to be told (via phone) that because there is no formal recall they will not repair the part. Upon research I recently discovered Honda is subject to a class action lawsuit on this same issue. I fear without a recall my vehicle will suffer a failure which will place us at risk. I cannot afford the $1800 quoted to repair the manufacturers defect.

NHTSA ODI #11536175

Mileage unknown · May 22, 2023
Electrical System

Right gauge of gauge cluster panel is often blank or distorted. This gauge shows mileage, fuel amount, and the time. At times, all 3 of these items are wrong. When the gauge does not display correctly, the smart power control unit (operation of door locks) does not work. This is a safety issue because a driver could run out of f…

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Right gauge of gauge cluster panel is often blank or distorted. This gauge shows mileage, fuel amount, and the time. At times, all 3 of these items are wrong. When the gauge does not display correctly, the smart power control unit (operation of door locks) does not work. This is a safety issue because a driver could run out of fuel or may not be able to access their vehicle. There is only one key hole on the entire vehicle and that is on the driver's side. When the gauge is not working, you have to manually unlock and lock the doors and cannot set the alarm system. I took my car into a Honda dealership to diagnose this issue and was told it would cost over a thousand dollars to repair and that the part was on backorder because this is a common issue. (The attached invoice states: "Operation of door locks runs through gauge cluster.") I also contacted Honda directly to see if they would cover the cost of repairs and they told me my vehicle was no longer under warranty. Vehicle has not been repaired.

NHTSA ODI #11523156

61,000 miles · Apr 19, 2023
Electrical System

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Fit. The contact stated that the right gauge on the instrument cluster intermittently went blank or became distorted. The contact also stated that the fuel gauge provided inaccurate readings. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failu…

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The contact owns a 2016 Honda Fit. The contact stated that the right gauge on the instrument cluster intermittently went blank or became distorted. The contact also stated that the fuel gauge provided inaccurate readings. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

NHTSA ODI #11517793

Mileage unknown · Apr 18, 2023
Steering

The steering wheel locks when I park the car and turn the ignition off. The steering wheel stays locked (warning light) when I turn the key in the ignition and the car does not start. Now it stays locked about 90% of the time. The solution (found online, from other drivers) is to take the key out of the ignition, gently turn the…

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The steering wheel locks when I park the car and turn the ignition off. The steering wheel stays locked (warning light) when I turn the key in the ignition and the car does not start. Now it stays locked about 90% of the time. The solution (found online, from other drivers) is to take the key out of the ignition, gently turn the steering wheel to the right, then to the left several times; put the key in the ignition & start the car. I sometimes have to repeat the process several times before the car starts. It makes me feel unsafe when I can't start the car and leave an area quickly. I have not reported the problem to the dealer, and it has not been inspected. But I will report it because it happens so frequently.

NHTSA ODI #11517744

Mileage unknown · Mar 20, 2023
Unknown Or Other

When it is cold outside the gauge cluster fails due to a loose solder connection on the instrument panel circuit board. This is a common and know issue with 2015/2016 Honda Fits.

NHTSA ODI #11512785

Official recalls

1

15V697000 · Air Bags:side/window; Structure

Oct 23, 2015

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Fit LX-trim vehicles manufactured April 11, 2014, to July 02, 2015 and not equipped with a sunroof. In the affected vehicles, the rear grab handle brackets were not manufactured properly, and as a result, the brackets may puncture the side curtain air bags upon their deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 214, "Side Impact Protection" and number 226, "Ejection Mitigation".

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the side curtain air bags are punctured upon deployment, the outboard seat occupants may be at a higher risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear grab handle bracket, free of charge. The recall began on December 18, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is JV8.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Structure

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Fit LX-trim vehicles manufactured April 11, 2014, to July 02, 2015 and not equipped with a sunroof. In the affected vehicles, the rear grab handle brackets were not manufactured properly, and as a result, the brackets may puncture the side curtain air bags upon their deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 214, "Side Impact Protection" and number 226, "Ejection Mitigation".

Consequence: If the side curtain air bags are punctured upon deployment, the outboard seat occupants may be at a higher risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear grab handle bracket, free of charge. The recall began on December 18, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is JV8.

Air Bags:side/window

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Fit LX-trim vehicles manufactured April 11, 2014, to July 02, 2015 and not equipped with a sunroof. In the affected vehicles, the rear grab handle brackets were not manufactured properly, and as a result, the brackets may puncture the side curtain air bags upon their deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 214, "Side Impact Protection" and number 226, "Ejection Mitigation".

Consequence: If the side curtain air bags are punctured upon deployment, the outboard seat occupants may be at a higher risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear grab handle bracket, free of charge. The recall began on December 18, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is JV8.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

EA19001 · Electrical Overstress

Opened Apr 19, 2019 · Closed Sep 19, 2024

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect.  During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications.  The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal, firing commands (i.e., when to deploy the airbag(s) and/or pretensioners), and fault information (e.g., diagnostic trouble codes). In September 2016, FCA announced recall 16V-668 for certain model year (MY) 2010 to 2014 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products manufactured with the subject ZF-TRW ACU.  In this recall, FCA discussed an EOS condition that resulted in a failure of the subject DS84 ASIC, which caused air bag non-deployment.  FCA noted that the defect condition had only been observed in vehicles equipped with sensor harnessing routed across the front of the vehicle.  Other FCA vehicles that also used the subject ACU, but were not equipped with cross-car harnessing, had not experienced EOS failures, despite similar time in service. During the course of this investigation, ODI sent two separate Information Request (IR) letters to six vehicle manufactures (including FCA, Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Toyota) and one IR letter to ZF-TRW.  These IR letters resulted in ODI receiving comprehensive data from these manufacturers and suppliers. Studies of this data found that the DS84 ASIC does not have sufficient protection against negative electrical transients or electrical overstress (“EOS”) that can be generated in certain severe crashes.  An electrical transient occurs when the electrical power supplied to a circuit changes momentarily over a short duration of time.   In these severe crash cases, the crash sensors and other powered wiring can be damaged and short circuited so as to create a negative electrical transient of sufficient intensity and duration (that are outside the vehicle manufacturer's specification) to damage the ASIC before the restraint device deployment signal is received by the SRS ECU.  This damaged signal can lead to incomplete or nondeployment of the air bags and/or pretensioners.  Airbag non-deployment and/or lack of pretensioner operation can increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash.A total of 8 fatalities and 14 injuries were associated with known EOS events. The common element in all investigated manufacturers vehicles is the SRS ECU containing a DS84 ASIC manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The risk associated with the ASIC is equally shared among all OEMS involved in the investigation.  The actual real-world risk can be mitigated by other factors which were assessed by ODI during this investigation. The first mitigating factor involves protections built into the ACU design which protect the DS84 ASIC from damage.  There are multiple strategies and levels of protection employed by different OEMs that provide effective EOS mitigation.  The two most common strategies at the ACU level are circuit protection diodes on the remote senor signal lines, and current limiting resistors that protect critical components. The second mitigating factor is found at the vehicle level and involves the location and routing of the wires leading from the crash sensors to the SRS ECU.  If the wires are well protected in a crash and are not routed with other power wires carrying large currents, the risk for an EOS event is significantly reduced or eliminated. These design specific factors combine to produce a spectrum of risk for the vehicles equipped with ACUs using the DS84 ASIC.  Given the many of years of field exposure, it is possible to divide the subject population into two groups; vehicles which have experienced EOS events, and vehicles which have not experienced EOS field events. Four of the six OEMs involved in this investigation have experienced EOS field events on at least one of their models equipped with a DS84 ASIC.  All vehicle models (including the Toyota models identified in the Failure Report Summary of the opening resume for this investigation) with field events have been recalled.  In an abundance of caution, ODI kept this investigation open five years to monitor field performance and did not identify any field events on vehicles not included in existing safety recalls. Given the spectrum of risk identified in this investigation and that all vehicles with a demonstrated unreasonable risk have been recalled, ODI is closing this investigation. ODI is closing this investigation with the following manufacturer safety recalls: 16V-668, 18E-043, 18V-137, 18V-363, and 20V-024.  With the recall actions taken by the subject vehicle and equipment manufacturers, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exists on other model or model year vehicles outside of the recall scopes. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.