2009 Honda Fit Tires & Wheels Problems

I JUST EXITED A HIGHWAY, STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT ON THE INTESECTION. WHEN I TRIED TO TURN RIGHT I HEARD A NOISE LIKE THE CAR HIT SOMETHING. BUT THERE WAS NOTHING FOR THE CAR TO HIT UPON TURNING ON RIGHT. THE CAR STARTED ROLLING BACK UNTIL I USED THE HANDBRAKE AND TURNED ENGINE OFF. WHEN I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR, THERE WAS NOTHING OBVIOUSLY ADRIFT. TOWING SERVICE CAME AND CONFIRMED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AXEL SHAFT IS BROKEN. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE SHOP WHERE THE TECHNICIAN REMOVED THE BROKEN AXEL SHAFT AND SHOWED IT TO ME - THE AXEL SHAFT RUSTED INSIDE THE RUBBER BOOT. ANYWAY, TWO COPS HELPED ME GET THE CAR OUT OF THE INTERSECTION AND INTO A DRIVEWAY, AND I CALLED A LOCAL SHOP THAT I DEAL WITH WHEN I CAN'T DO THE WORK MYSELF, AND HAD IT TOWED THERE. THEY CALLED ME LATER THAT DAY TO SAY THAT THE RIGHT HALF SHAFT HAD SNAPPED INSIDE THE DAMPER, AND THAT WAS THE REASON FOR NO GO AND NOTHING ADRIFT. THEY ASKED IF I WANTED TO REPLACE BOTH HALF SHAFTS, AND I SAID HELL YES, TAKING NO CHANCES ON A REPEAT. A WEEK LATER AND $700 BUCKS LIGHTER, I HAD THE CAR BACK. THE SHOP OWNER AND THE LEAD MECHANIC BOTH SAID THAT THEY HAD HEARD OF THIS ISSUE, BUT MY '07 FIT WAS THE FIRST ONE THAT THEY HAD SEEN. THEY ALSO OPINED THAT THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE.

2 TIRE SIDEWALL FAILURES,WHILE DRIVING AT 75 MPH ,RESULTING IN RAPID DEFLATION. FAILURES OCCURRED ABOUT 5,000 MILES APART WITH GOODYEAR ASSURANCE FUEL MAX TIRES. SIZE 195-55-R16

YOKOHAMA TIRE AVID ASCEND 185/55R-16 SIDE WALL HAS DEVELOPED SIDEWALL BULGE AND POTENTIAL FOR CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AFTER MINOR BUMP AGAINST CURB. THIS OCCURRED TWICE ON SAME VEHICLE WITHIN A 12 MONTH PERIOD. RECENT EVENT REPORTED BELOW WAS ON A TIRE WITH LESS THAN 15K MILES. *TR

WHILE SERVICING A CUSTOMER'S VEHICLE AND INFLATING THEIR TIRE, THE VALVE STEM/TPMS MODULE CRACKED AND BROKE. *TR

24K MILES TIRES WORN OUT AND THE COST 175.00 EACH THIS IS A CONSUMER RIP OFF. *TR

I BELIEVE HONDA SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL FOR THE RIMS AND TIRES ON THE FIT SPORT, THEY ARE VIRTUALLY UNOBTAINABLE (USUALLY HAVE TO BE SPECIALLY ORDERED - IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND WHEN AWAY FROM HOME), VERY EXPENSIVE ($175/ TIRE W MOUNT AND BALANCE) AND VERY POOR QUALITY (3 BLOWOUTS IN 10,000 MILES). I CONSIDER THIS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW,AFFECTING THE VEHICLE'S SAFETY. *TR

MY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL-470 TIRE DEVELOPED A BLISTER IN THE SIDEWALL AFTER ONLY 16,803 MILES. FORTUNATELY THE BLISTER WAS SPOTTED DURING A MEAL BREAK IN TEMPLE, TEXAS. WE WERE RETURNING HOME TO SAN ANTONIO FROM DALLAS ON DECEMBER 26, 2010. BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAY, THE LATE HOUR AND THE UNAVAILABILITY OF A REPLACEMENT WE WERE FORCED TO PAY FOR A HOTEL ROOM IN TEMPLE FOR THE NIGHT. HAD WE NOT SPOTTED THE BLISTER, THE TIRE WOULD HAVE LIKELY BLOWN OUT WHILE WE TRAVELED IN HEAVY HOLIDAY TRAFFIC ON IH35, ENDANGERING OUR LIFE AND HEALTH AS WELL AS THOSE AROUND US. THE LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP PARTS MANAGER EXPLAINED THAT HONDA ESCHEWS ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TIRES WHICH THEY SELL WITH THEIR AUTOMOBILES. THESE TIRES ARE CLEARLY DEFECTIVE. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS CONCERNING PREMATURE FAILURE. IT IS HIGH TIME FOR THE NHTSA TO TAKE ACTION TO MAKE HONDA AND BRIDGESTONE CORRECT THIS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HONDA FIT EQUIPPED WITH DUNLOP SP SPORT TIRES, LINE SIZE 185/55R 16(N/A). THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN THE CONTACT NOTICED EXCESSIVE TREAD WEAR ON ALL FOUR TIRES. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED BUBBLES DEVELOPING ON THE SIDE WALLS OF BOTH REAR TIRES. THE MANUFACTURER OF THE TIRES AS WELL AS AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THE TIRES WERE ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 22,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

2009 HONDA FIT. CONSUMER REQUESTS REFUND FORM DEALER *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAD TO PURCHASED NEW TIRES ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. WHEN THE CONSUMER STARTED THE VEHICLE TO LEAVE THE DEALERSHIP, HE NOTICED THE TPMS WARNING LIGHT WAS ON. THE CONSUMER ALERTED THE SERVICE TICKET WRITER WHO STATED IT WOULD TAKE SOME TIME FOR THE SENSOR TO RESET ITSELF AND IT WOULD GO OFF AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN FOR 10-15 MINUTES. THE CONSUMER STATED HE DROVE FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES AND THE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE NEXT MORNING, THE CONSUMERS WIFE DROVE THE VEHICLE TO WORK AND THE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN. THE TECHNICIAN CLAIMED TO HAVE FIXED THE SENSOR AND ADVISED THE CONSUMER TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE A FEW MILES AND THE WARNING LIGHT WOULD GO OUT. THE CONSUMER DROVE HOME AND THE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. THE SECOND TIME WHEN THE CONSUMER ARRIVED TO HAVE THE TIRES REPLACED, HE STARTED THE VEHICLE TO LEAVE THE DEALERSHIP AND THE TPMS LIGHT WAS STILL ON. THE CONSUMER WAS THEN INFORMED THAT THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE OVER-INFLATED SO THE SENSOR WOULD GO OFF. THE TIRES WERE THEN OVER-INFLATED. HOWEVER, THE LIGHT REMAINED ON.

ON MAY 21, 2010. MY DAUGHTER HAD A BLOW OUT ON HER 2009 HONDA FIT SPORT THAT SHE PURCHASED IN FEBRUARY. TWO WEEKS PREVIOUSLY, SHE HAD THE OIL CHANGED AND THE TIRES ROTATED BY THE DEALER AND NO PROBLEMS WHERE REPORTED. ON MAY 21ST, SHE WAS DRIVING DOWN HWY 99 AT 65 MPH, WHEN THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON. BEFORE SHE COULD FIGURE OUT WHAT THE LIGHT MEANT, THE BACK REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW. IT WAS COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE WHEEL ITSELF AT THE WHEEL WITH SOME RUBBER STILL ATTACHED TO THE WHEEL. WE WERE ASSISTED OFF THE HIGHWAY BY CHP BECAUSE THE LOCATION WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO WAIT FOR A TOW. WE HAD AAA RESPOND AND PUT ON THE SPARE AND WE DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS SIGNS OF DAMAGE TO THE TIRE, EXCEPT FOR THE BLOWOUT. I HAD THE DEALER REPLACE THE TIRE (THEY WAIVED THE LABOR) AND HAD THEM THOROUGHLY INSPECT THE REMAINING TIRES FOR DAMAGE. TWO WEEKS LATER, ON JUNE 4TH, THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT WITH NO WARNING AT ALL. SHE IS CERTAIN THAT THERE WERE NO POTHOLES OR DEBRIS IN THE ROADWAY. SHE BARELY MAINTAINED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND GOT IT OFF THE ROADWAY. CHP RESPONDED TO ASSIST HER. THERE WAS A FIST SIZED HOLE IN THE TIRE IN THE SIDEWALL AND THE RIM WAS SEVERELY BENT. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER WHO RESPONDED ADVISED THAT IT APPEARED TO BE A FAULTY TIRE. WE TOOK THE CAR BACK TO OUR DEALER. AGAIN, THEY ARE CLAIMING IT HAD TO BE A ROAD HAZARD. I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED FOR MY DAUGHTER'S SAFETY DRIVING THE CAR. I HAVE ASKED THEM TO INSPECT AND PUT IN WRITING THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE REMAINING TIRES OR TO REPLACE THE TWO LEFT FROM THE INITIAL BATCH OF TIRES, BUT THEY ARE REFUSING. *TR

ALL TIRES HAVE BEEN LOSING AIR. HAVE TO PUT AIR IN TIRES EVERYDAY. ONE TIRE ALSO HAS A BULGE OR BUBBLE. TIRES HAVE ONLY BEEN USED FOR 22,000 MILES. *TR

A BRIDGESTONE TIRE,185/55/R16, ON MY 2009 HONDA FIT HAD A DEFECT AFTER APPROXIMATELY 15,000 MILES. IT DEVELOPED A BUBBLE ON THE SIDE OF THE TIRE. I HAD IT REPLACED AND FILED A WARRANTY FORM WITH BRIDGESTONE. AFTER 120 DAYS, BRIDGESTONE RESPONDED THROUGH ITS DEALER THAT THE FAULT WAS DUE TO A ROAD HAZARD CONDITION. SINCE I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENTS OR ABNORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, I DISPUTE THEIR FINDINGS. I AM REPORTING THIS IN THE EVENT THEIR ARE OTHER FAILURES OF THIS TYPE/SIZE OF BRIDSGESTONE TIRES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HONDA FIT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 20-25 MPH; AND ENCOUNTERED A POTHOLE IN THE ROAD. SUDDENLY, THE TIRE FLATTENED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE STUD BROKE. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH THE SPARE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE BROKEN STUD WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE SERVICE WARRANTY. THE TIRE STUD WAS REPLACED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,000.

2009 HONDA FIT. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH TIRES *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED TO TOW BEHIND A MOTORHOME. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FOR ABOUT 1,000 MILES OVER SEVERAL DAYS, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE FRONT WHEELS LOCKED UP. THE CONSUMER HAD JUT PULLED INTO A GAS STATION TRAVELING 5 MPH WHEN IT OCCURRED. THE TWO FRONT TIRES ON THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE REPLACED. WHEN THE CONSUMER WENT TO THE LOCAL DEALER, THE COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY IT HAPPENED. THEIR ONLY EXPLANATION WAS THAT MAYBE THE BATTERY FAILED OR WAS TOO LOW BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHY IT WOULD EFFECT THE FRONT WHEELS LOCKING OR IF IT CAUSED ANY DAMAGE TO THE ABS. *JB