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Honda Fit Exterior & Bodywork Questions

129 messages,  Last post on May 12, 2013 at 10:39 AM

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What is this discussion about? Honda Fit, Exterior, Hatchback

    

Messages Page 13 of 13

#119 of 129 Remember by pf_flyer HOST

Jun 30, 2011 (12:53 pm)

As frustrating as problems with cars can be, the Edmunds forums cannot be used to organize legal actions. Any posts along those lines, including passing along attorney information or posting links to sites about class actions will be removed.

#120 of 129 2011 Honda Pilot Windshield break by pilot125

Jul 05, 2011 (9:42 am)

I just bought a new 2011 Honda Pilot 8 days ago and have a huge crack in the windshield below the windshield wipers. It extends the entire length of the windshield and curves up on the driver and passenger sides. I have less than 1000 miles on the SUV and no rocks have hit the windshield. I brought it back to the dealer and he said a pebble hit the windshield and caused the crack. NO WAY. This is defective glass.

#121 of 129 2010 Honda Fit windshield stress fracture by kvs60

Jul 05, 2011 (4:36 pm)

Same problem as everyone else. My daughter's 20 month old, low mileage (~5,000) Fit was in for some safety recall work, and an oil change, which went smoothly enough, though after she got the car home she noticed a long crack on the passenger side of the windshield, starting from the edge. Appeared to be this same stress fracture that everyone else is describing here, with no indication of a chip from a stone. Really not clear whether anything the service guys at the dealer did that might have increased the chances of this happening. Apparently the car was outside in the hot sun prior to my daughter picking it up, and they cranked the air to full when they drove it over to the pickup area while she was paying, though that kind of temperature differential really shouldn't cause this to happen so easily.
 
Took the car back to the dealer the next day (Fladeboe Honda, Irvine, CA), they did the pen check, no arguments, they took pictures of the crack to send to Honda, ordered the new windshield, called me after a few days once the windshield was in, scheduled the appointment with the glass guy that does the replacement, then we took the car back for the work, and everything covered under warranty. They did say they hadn't seen this before on a Fit, but that the Pilot had a problem in the past, as others mention here.
 
So no problems getting it replaced, but it's pretty worrying that this happens so easily and I'm concerned it might happen again. I think I'll make a complaint to NHTSA as someone above suggests.

#122 of 129 Windshield Not Covered under warranty by angie777

Jul 16, 2011 (1:25 pm)

Last weekend I was washing my car (2009 Honda Fit) and I heard a thump. I thought it came from a neighbor or something, not from my car. When I was whiping my windshield I noticed 3 big cracks originating from the bottom middle of my windhsield by the Windshield wiper. I called Honda and they advised that if there are no points of impact, the replacement might be covered under warraty. I was relieved, my dad, myself and my boyfriend inspected the cracks and did not see any points of impact.
 
I took my car in today. I had to wait 45 minutes for a supervisor to inspect my car. After an hour of waiting I was approached by an agent not the supervisor and was told that a small nick was found in the middle of two of the cracks . We asked that they show this to us.
 
The supervisor came out and poked the "nick" with his pen several times, possibly making the '"nick" worst and bigger. He started off by saying that Honda is very careful and takes pride in their parts and that they would not pay for it. I started to think that the car should had been inspected in front of me to make sure that Honda didnt create the "nick" themselves, too late for that.
 
The next step would be for a Honda rep. to inspect it. I asked them to set up an appointment. They couldnt tell me when but they promised to call.
 
In the meantime I will look into taking my car to a Glass Specialist and get a second opinion.
 
THIS SUCKS
 
I had take my car in for a Recall already, I love this car but im starting to think it was a bad choice. I should have bought a Scion!

#123 of 129 2010 Fit, windshield cracked... by fit2010

Dec 02, 2011 (8:34 pm)

Replying to: angie777 (Jul 16, 2011 1:25 pm)
I have a 2010 Fit with less than 10K miles. Drove it earlier today in the city (not many rocks in the city), did not see or hear anything impact the car or windshield. Got in this evening and noticed a nice 6 inch, moon shaped crack in the lower part of the windshield, starts below the hood line of the car, near the wipers, a very odd place for an impact fracture. Sounds like this is a "known" issue that Honda does not want to "know". Frustrating. I was heading to trade it in tomorrow morning, now have to stop by Honda dealer first to see if I can get it replaced!

#124 of 129 Re: Stress Fracture on Windshield of Honda Fit [cindyj] by acool6401

Mar 07, 2013 (2:47 am)

Replying to: cindyj (Jul 05, 2007 6:30 pm)
2013 Honda Fit. Only 6 months old and 6413 miles. Today, I parked it in the indoor garage where I work and I know the windshield was in perfect condition at that time. I'm always inspecting it for dings, bird poops or scratches before I drive it, especially because I live in NYC....anyway....
 
... When I returned from work, lo and behold, it had a 10 inch crack that stemmed from the very bottom center of the windshield (underneath the wipers). The crack goes straight up from the edge for about 4 inches and then curves around in a crescent shape. After careful inspection, I am certain that it is some kind of stress fracture because there is absolutely no point of impact or missing glass along the entire length of the crack.
 
I'm no design engineer but I'm pretty confident that it is a Honda design/manufacturing defect and and will fight to make sure they make good on it. As one poster stated before...It seems that the frame around the window could be expanding beyond its flex specs and placing undue pressure on an already thin/weak window to begin with. Hot/cold contrasting temperatures would simply contribute to an already inherent weakness in design. I also suspect the installation and/or the sheer size of the window could also be another contributing factor in the designs vulnerability.
 
The break point in the windshield seems to be a common denominator in all these supporting posts therefore I don't think its some freak random coincidence. Honda may need to go back to the drawing board on their windshield/frame design. I smell a recall in the future but only if we all act and make it known. I will call Honda corporation and see what they say and do. All of us with this same problem need to register this complaint with the Honda Corporation. We need to band together on this issue or suffer the losses. I at least want a warranty replacement.

#126 of 129 2nd Stress Fracture on Windshield of Honda by aafit09

May 08, 2013 (6:08 pm)

I bought my Fit in 2009 new. Within 2 months of owning the car, I went out to my parked car to find a crack starting dead center at the top edge of the windshield in a straight line downward behind the rear view mirror. Confident that nothing had hit the windshield, I took the car to the dealership, called Honda America, and was eventually told that the windshield would not be replaced due to the pen test "proof" that something had hit the window. I eventually folded after much frustration and paid to replace the window myself. This was ~May 2009.
 
Coincidentally, just this morning -- May again? Something to do with the weather? -- I went out to my parked car to find a new crack -- this time starting dead center at the bottom edge of the windshield going behind the wipers in a straight line upward. I swear I could draw a perfect line from where the crack in 2009 occurred at the top to where this one occurs at the bottom. By the end of the day, the crack has created the same hook shape that others have described.
 
I called Honda America and heard the same story: "we've never heard of this problem." I told them that many other people have reported it -- how can they tell me they have never heard of it? I asked for a manager to escalate my call to and was told that I could not talk to someone else and that I would have to go to the dealership. For the record, a pen test today would prove that there is no nick.
 
I am very frustrated with Honda's lack of attention to this potential safety issue. The cost of the replacement windshield certainly doesn't seem worth the lost satisfaction of so many Honda customers who will think hard about buying another Honda vehicle.

#127 of 129 Re: 2nd Stress Fracture on Windshield of Honda [aafit09] by acool6401

May 09, 2013 (12:42 am)

Replying to: aafit09 (May 08, 2013 6:08 pm)
Same thing happened to me, same crack, same spot , same shape and I took it the Plaza Honda in Brooklyn. It was clearly a stress crack.
I told them not to do their bullshit pen test ( though I didnt use the word "bullshit" to them) unless I was present so I could watch and monitor the test like a hawk.
I know I had no dip in the crack because I inspected it myself. Even one of their managers said "it looks like a stress crack to me"
They distracted me by asking me to talk to the service manager and when I turned my head back to look at my car, someone was jabbing their pen into the crack...after I told them not to do it!!! I immediately told them to stop and they did but it was too late...."Oh sir, sorry but this is not covered because you and have a tiny dip in the crack according to our pen test" so I was fuming mad so I said..."Well since I'm not covered let me show you how easily one could make a dip in the crack with that pen" and I deliberately made another one to prove my point and believe me guys when I say that it does not take much pressure on that pen to do it.
 
I think its the dealers tricks of the trade to get away with not covering a crack that was clearly a stress crack before they ran their little test that saves them hundreds. I ended spending a few hundred at Safelite Auto Glass. These dudes gave me a great price and did quality replacement work. I also added windshield coverage to my auto policy for the future. I am very disappointed with the Honda Corporation and refuse to do any work at a Honda dealership from now on. I would rather find a good mechanic and pay out of pocket. I just dont trust the service at dealers and it always way over priced anyway. In addition to that, they always seem to find a way to not cover what is supposed to be covered. At least thats been my experience maybe somebody else has better things to report but I doubt too many will step forward for that.

Messages Page 13 of 13

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