Honda Freed common problems: what to check before you buy
Credov's researched list of the 10 faults the Honda Freed is known for (2008–2016), 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 Freed
Brake pedal sinks or fluid loss
Safety risk
2015–2018 · Brakes
What to look for: Feel for the brake pedal sinking under a steady 30-second press, and look for low or leaking brake fluid.
Why it matters: The Japanese notification records 142 cases and two property-damage incidents. The secondary cup seal swells from plasticiser leaching out of the reservoir hose and expands further with engine heat, so it deforms, the seal leaks when the pedal is pressed slowly, and at worst the stopping distance grows. The remedy is a complete master cylinder assembly.
What to look for: Ask a Honda dealer to check Japanese airbag recalls on the chassis number, and check the passenger visor for an airbag-off label.
Why it matters: Stream, Airwave, Mobilio, Edix, That's, Zest, Partner, Inspire and Fit Shuttle were never sold new in New Zealand, so no local recall campaign was ever run against them and a New Zealand plate lookup has nothing to say. The Japanese notifications cover them across more than a dozen filings, driver and passenger side, several of them explicitly preventive with the cause not yet established at the time of filing.
What to look for: Ask a Honda dealer to check the replacement airbag fitted under an earlier recall isn't itself under a later recall.
Why it matters: Honda Japan filed notification 4528 specifically against replacement driver-side inflators - the parts fitted to fix an earlier campaign - because the propellant in them can degrade with repeated temperature and humidity cycling in the same way. Notification 4527 does the same on the passenger side and lists the earlier campaign numbers it supersedes, including 3141, 3375, 3493, 3568, 3582 and 3638.
What to look for: Ask a Honda dealer to check the chassis number for the front seatbelt recall, and look for recall stickers.
Why it matters: The notification says the igniter charge that drives the belt retraction mechanism was mixed to the wrong specification, so in a crash it may not ignite and the pretensioner will not pull the belt in. Honda Japan's remedy is a complete front seat belt assembly, one or both sides. There is no way to detect this from the driver's seat.
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 under the car at the gearbox for fresh oil, and watch for a transmission overheating warning on the drive.
Why it matters: Once outside Honda's extended cover, this repair is the buyer's full cost, and the quoted fix in Japan is a full gearbox replacement rather than a simple seal job.
Typical repair: NZ$3,000–NZ$8,000 in New Zealand · A$3,090–A$8,240 in Australia
What to look for: Accelerate hard and watch the battery gauge: dropping to empty almost at once means a weak pack.
Why it matters: With these cars now well past the age the IMA pack was designed for, a weak battery is to be expected rather than a surprise, and pricing a reconditioned pack into the purchase avoids an unpleasant bill soon after buying.
Typical repair: NZ$2,500–NZ$9,000 in New Zealand · A$2,580–A$9,270 in Australia
What to look for: Operate each sliding door from the fob, the switch and the handle both ways; it should latch fully without reversing.
Why it matters: Japanese workshops report repairing this constantly, and while a clean and grease of the centre roller sometimes fixes it, a worn door drive assembly is a specific parts repair rather than something you can just live with on a family van.
Typical repair: NZ$150–NZ$1,500 in New Zealand · A$150–A$1,550 in Australia
What to look for: Check the roof corners, edges and above the rear hatch for white, flaking paint and any rust spots.
Why it matters: Left unaddressed the peeling can expose bare metal and lead to rust and roof leaks; the proper fix is stripping to metal, treating any rust and repainting the whole roof, which is a real cost to price into the deal.
Typical repair: NZ$700–NZ$2,500 in New Zealand · A$720–A$2,580 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 Freed? 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.