Honda Fit Hybrid common problems: what to check before you buy
Credov's researched list of the 8 faults the Honda Fit Hybrid is known for (2013–2014), 7 of them serious or costly. Each one says what to look for when you check the car, so you can spot it before you buy. Not every car has these faults: they are the ones worth checking on this model.
Known problems on the Honda Fit Hybrid
Hybrid surges or lunges by itself
Safety risk
2013–2014 · Gearbox
What to look for: Feel for the car gaining speed by itself when the engine starts in EV mode, or lunging away from a stop.
Why it matters: Honda Japan filed this one after both market reports and a direct instruction from the Ministry, and recorded property damage: 5 incidents on the first failure mode and 6 on the second. The remedy is an engine-control reflash. On an import there is no local letter chain, so nothing tells the buyer whether it was ever done.
What to look for: Ask if it has ever cut out while driving, and watch the dash for blanking with all the electrics on.
Why it matters: The Japanese campaign records 78 cases where noise from the car's own electrical accessories made the power-control unit misbehave, so the relay feeding the engine control computer dropped out, the instrument panel went dark and the engine stopped while the car was moving. The remedy is a noise filter added to the supply circuit. The same notification also covers ignition-coil breakdown with 571 recorded cases.
What to look for: Check every rear belt stops dead when yanked out sharply, then pays out and rewinds smoothly.
Why it matters: The notification describes a spring in the retractor lock mechanism fitted bent because an assembly machine was out of adjustment; it fouls other parts and the belt does not lock when pulled out quickly. Honda Japan's remedy was to check the belt serial numbers and replace matching belts. A rear belt that will not lock is also a warrant of fitness failure in New Zealand.
What to look for: Feel for a pause, a roll-back on a hill or a flat spot when you pull away from a stop.
Why it matters: Honda notified MLIT of three separate DCT actions on this gearbox - a recall on 24 October 2013 (4,883 units), a service campaign with an accompanying recall on 20 December 2013 (36,100 units) and a recall on 10 February 2014 covering 81,353 Fit Hybrid and Vezel Hybrid units.
What to look for: Ask for the service booklet showing what the gearbox recall fix was, and feel for gears not engaging on the drive.
Why it matters: Honda's own remedy was two-tier: it checked each transmission's gear change history, replaced the DCT component where that history indicated non-engagement of gears in order to mitigate damage to internal parts, and then loaded the new control program; cars whose history showed no non-engagement got interim usage advice and the software alone.
What to look for: Check the car shows READY with no gearbox warning after ten minutes off, then creeps forward in D and back in R.
Why it matters: The Japanese campaign describes three separate software faults on the 7-speed dual-clutch hybrid: an engine-control fault that can stall the engine at low speed, a transmission driver unit fault that can leave the car refusing to start from park, and a hydrostatic clutch actuator fault that can leave the car unable to move off or reverse.
What to look for: In stop-start traffic creep, stop and pull away on a slope, feeling for judder, clunks or a delay before drive engages.
Why it matters: A dry dual-clutch gearbox that is already jerky or clunking at low speed is showing clutch wear, and repeated hill crawling or heavy traffic use wears it further; the repair for a worn clutch or shift actuator is a specialist hybrid-transmission job, not a quick adjustment.
Typical repair: NZ$300–NZ$6,000 in New Zealand · A$310–A$6,180 in Australia
What to look for: Look in the driver's door frame near the latch for small numbered recall stickers, and photograph each one.
Why it matters: Every Japanese recall schedule in this overlay ends with the same line: completed vehicles get a sticker bearing the campaign number near the driver's-side door striker. Nothing in a New Zealand recall lookup covers Japanese campaign numbers, so for an import this sticker cluster is often the only outstanding-work evidence physically on the car.
Got a question about a Honda Fit Hybrid? Ask Credov: a noise, a warning light, a part or how to fix it.
Also check on every car
On top of the faults above, every Credov inspection covers the basics: fuel smell, leaks or filler rust, engine oil leaks, power steering fluid leak, drive belt cracks or squeal, rust underneath: chassis and mounts, engine mounts, engine oil level and colour, coolant level, colour and leaks, head gasket failure signs, cold start: rattle, knock or smoke, rough or hunting idle, engine running hot on gauge, gearbox or diff oil leak, swapped gearbox without lvv and more.
Researched by Credov from manufacturer recalls and service bulletins, owner reports and workshop sources. Repair prices are typical ranges, not quotes. See also fault codes and repair costs.