What breaks most · 2007 to 2018 model years
Honda Fit problems by year
Owners have filed 1,386 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Honda Fit across model years 2007 to 2018. Three years stand out: 2007 for steering complaints, 2009 for air bags complaints and 2008 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 2016, 2012 and 2011.
- Years to check closely: 2007, 2009, 2008
- Fewest complaints: 2016, 2012, 2011
- Complaints on file
- 13862007 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 2007337 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 11813 fires · 122 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 48kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 83Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 337 | 19 | 11 | Steering (80) | |
| 190 | 26 | 8 | Air bags (54) | |
| 237 | 20 | 11 | Air bags (101) | |
| 160 | 18 | 12 | Air bags (81) | |
| 91 | 7 | 11 | Air bags (62) | |
| 84 | 6 | 11 | Air bags (39) | |
| 141 | 8 | 10 | Air bags (89) | |
| 104 | 10 | 4 | Electrical system (16) | |
| 31 | 3 | 1 | Unknown or other (6) | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | Wheels (2) | |
| 5 | 1 | 4 | Unknown or other (2) |
What fails on the 2007 Honda Fit
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 24% |
80 | 2 | Shop steering parts for the 2007 Honda Fit |
| Air bags | 18% |
61 | 13 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 18% |
59 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2007 Honda Fit |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 18% |
59 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2007 Honda Fit |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 8% |
28 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2007 Honda Fit |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 5% |
18 | 1 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2007 Honda Fit |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 4% |
14 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2007 Honda Fit |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 4% |
12 | 1 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2007 Honda Fit |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Was in an accident after recall in which the front end was crushed completely and none of the airbags opened recently took car in for recall prior and complained about other concerns with car at dealership
-
The power steering is failing. Steering is seriously very hard to steer. HONDA needs to issue a recall to repair the steering. This is positively a safety problem.
-
There is a leak that causes water to accumulate in the spare tire well and passenger-side rear floor when it rains or snows. I've found this to be a common problem in online forums for 2007 and 2008 HONDA fit owners.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Honda Fit years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2007, 2009, 2008 carry the most filings on the Honda Fit. The 2007 alone has 337 complaints, led by steering.
What is the most common Honda Fit problem?
On the 2007 model year, the most-reported component is steering with 80 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Honda Fit problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Honda Fit complaints that include mileage is about 48,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.