There are 7 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2009 Honda Fitin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A COLD DAY IN FEBRUARY OF 2019 WHEN MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON HER WAY TO WORK IN THE MORNING. SHE BACKED OUT OF HER PARKING SPOT LIKE NORMAL AND THEN PROCEEDED TO AN INTERSECTION WHERE SHE FOUND THAT HER BRAKE PEDAL HAD BECOME HARD AND WOULD NOT DEPRESS AND SHE COULD NOT SLOW DOWN. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED MOVING INTO THE MAIN STREET AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, WHERE CROSS TRAFFIC WAS PRESENT. SHE NARROWLY MISSED HITTING OTHER VEHICLES AND WAS GRAZED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE AS SHE TURNED LEFT ONTO THE ROAD (T INTERSECTION). FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM BY A HONDA DEALERSHIP DID NOT YIELD ANY FINDINGS, BUT I HAVE TESTED AND WITNESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BECOMING HARD AND NOT DEPRESSING ON COLD WINTER MORNINGS HERE IN THE NORTHEAST. THIS SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED IN AN OLDER HONDA ACCORD HYBRID THAT I HAD OWNED AND THE SOLUTION WAS TO REPLACE A FAULTY BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM HOSE WITH INTEGRATED CHECK VALVE. WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT NOBODY WAS FATALLY INJURED IN THIS INCIDENT BUT THIS TYPE OF FAILURE HAS HAPPENED TWICE TO OUR FAMILY ALREADY. I SUSPECT THAT OTHER INCIDENTS INVOLVING A FAILING BRAKE BOOSTER CHECK VALVE RESULTED IN THE TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE CAR OR THAT DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES BY MECHANICS WOULD REPLACE THE MASTER CYLINDER OR BRAKE BOOSTER AND FINALLY ALL THE HOSES, THEREBY ELIMINATING THE PROBLEM. I'M REPORTING THESE TWO INCIDENTS BECAUSE I HOPE THAT THIS WILL INFORM AUTO MANUFACTURERS TO ADD THE INSPECTION OF BRAKE BOOSTER CHECK VALVES TO REQUIRED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES TO HELP AVOID FUTURE INJURIES OR FATALITIES AS A RESULT OF THE FAILING PART.
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE BRAKES ON MY CAR HAVE LOCKED AND I HAVE HAD TO USE THE PARKING BREAK TO STOP. BOTH INSTANCES HAVE OCCURRED IN VERY COLD WEATHER, EARLY IN THE MORNING, SO FORTUNATELY NO INJURIES OCCURRED. IN BOTH CASES THE BREAK WAS PRESSED, AND THE CAR WAS REVERSED. IN THE FIRST CASE THE BREAK WAS THEN USED TO STOP THE CAR, THE CAR WAS PLACED IN DRIVE, AND THEN THE BREAK BECAME LOCKED IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION AND THE CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO BE STOPPED WITH THE BREAK AFTER ACCELERATING IN DRIVE. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN OUT OF A DRIVEWAY AND ONTO A MAIN ROAD. THE PARKING BREAK WAS EMPLOYED TO STOP THE CAR FROM HITTING A FENCE. ON THE SECOND OCCASION THE CAR WAS PUT IN REVERSE AND THE BREAK THEN BECAME LOCKED IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION. THE PARKING BREAK WAS AGAIN EMPLOYED TO PREVENT BACKING INTO OTHER CARS. IN BOTH CASES THE BREAKS THEN FUNCTIONED NORMALLY THEREAFTER. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP FOR THIS PROBLEM AND WHEN NO ABNORMALITY COULD BE DETECTED (IN WARMER WEATHER) HONDA WAS CONTACTED. HONDA ADVISED OF A DEFECT IN THE VALVE OF THE POWER BOOST FOR THE AUTOMATIC BREAKS IN WHICH IT BECOMES STUCK IN AN OPEN POSITION IN COLD WEATHER. THE VALVE IS BEING REPLACED AT THE SHOP, AS HONDA WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIR SINCE THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM! I WAS VERY LUCKY IN THAT BOTH INSTANCES OCCURRED AT HOURS WHEN THERE ARE NOT MANY CARS ON THE ROAD. I HOPE THAT NO ONE BECOMES INJURED FROM THIS DEFECT. *TR
I BOUGHT A 2009 HONDA FIT ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND IT ONLY HAS 11557 MILES ON IT. IN JUST ONE DAY THE BREAKS WENT BAD. I HAD TO JUST REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKES. IT WAS SO BAD THEY WERE METAL ON METAL. ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE REAR BRAKES CLEANED AND ADJUSTED. I BROUGHT IT TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP THAT I BOUGHT IT FROM BECAUSE I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT A BRAND NEW CAR THAT ONLY HAS 11557 MILES ON IT WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE BRAKES FIXED SO SOON. THEY COULDN'T EXPLAIN IT OR COULDN'T GIVE ME ANY ANSWERS ON THE SUBJECT. I CALLED MANY MECHANICS AND THEY ALL TOLD ME THAT THIS SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED SO QUICKLY AND THAT HONDA SHOULD HAVE LOOKED INTO IT FOR ME. HONDA WANTED TO CHARGE ME $460.00 AND EVERY OTHER MECHANIC SAID IT WOULD BE UNDER $300.00. I GOT 2 FRONT DISC PADS REPLACED AND THE SLIDES AND PINS CLEANED, NEW FRONT ROTORS AND THE REAR BREAKS CLEANED AND ADJUST FOR $285.00 AT GUERCIO'S AUTO AND TRUCK REPAIR. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A CAR WITH ONLY 11557 MILES ON IT HAS TO HAVE THE BREAKS REPLACED. I DO NOT DRIVE MY CAR CRAZY, I DO NOT DRIVE EXCESSIVELY LIKE HONDA WAS TRYING TO IMPLY. *TR
A VEHICLE STOPPED SUDDENLY AHEAD OF ME ON THE BAY BRIDGE NEAR SF, AND EVEN THOUGH I HIT THE BRAKES HARD, THE CAR DID NOT STOP AS FAST AS I FELT IT SHOULD HAVE. I DID NOT THINK ANY MORE ABOUT IT AFTER THE CAR WAS REPAIRED, THEN LAST WEDNESDAY, 10/05/11 I NEEDED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY STOP ON THE FREEWAY. AFTER HITTING THE BRAKE WITH BOTH FEET, I WATCHED HELPLESSLY AS THE CAR SLOWED BUT DID NOT STOP UNTIL I HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THESE ARE THE ONLY TWO 'REAR END' COLLISIONS I HAVE HAD IN OVER 30 YEARS OF DRIVING. I KNOW THAT EITHER OF MY PREVIOUS TWO CARS COULD HAVE EFFECTIVELY STOPPED IN THE DISTANCE GIVEN. I AM NOT SURE THE CAR WILL BE REPAIRED AGAIN, BUT IF IT IS REPAIRED I WILL NEVER DRIVE IT AGAIN. *KB
BRAKE PEDAL IS SPONGY. BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSES ALMOST TO THE FLOOR BEFORE BRAKES ENGAGE. PEDAL WILL PUMP UP. 2009 FIT WITH ONLY 8000 MILES ON IT. *TR
TRAFFIC WAS SLOWING DOWN BECAUSE OF WORK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TAPPED MY BRAKES TWICE WITHOUT ANY RESULT. THE NEXT TIME I PUT MY FOOT TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. I RAN INTO A TRUCK. SINCE MY CAR WAS LOW, THE SENSOR DID NOT GO OFF WITH THE AIR BAGS. I OWN A HONDA SPORT FIT 2009. *TR
MY 2009 HONDA FIT SPORT MODEL WILL OCCASIONALLY NOT STOP WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, BUT JUMP FORWARD TEN FEET OR SO. ON 4/4/09 THIS CAUSED ME TO HIT ANOTHER CAR, RESULTING IN $2400 BODY DAMAGE. HONDA SAYS NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR--NO COMPUTER CODES--AND WILL NOT TRY TO REPAIR IT. I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE IT SAFELY, BUT CANNOT GET HONDA AMERICA TO ACKNOWLEDGE PROBLEM OR HELP ME.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026