Problems · NHTSA complaints

2011 Honda Fit problems

Owners filed 113 complaints about the 2011 Honda Fit with NHTSA between Oct 2011 and Jun 2026. The most-cited component is air bags (64).

Complaints
113
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
8
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
9
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags64
  2. Power train12
  3. Steering10
  4. Electrical system10
  5. Engine7
  6. Latches/locks/linkages3
  7. Structure3
  8. Service brakes3
  9. Engine and engine cooling3
  10. Seat belts2
  11. Vehicle speed control2
  12. Fuel system, gasoline1
  13. Equipment1
  14. Electronic stability control (esc)1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20113
20126
20133
20143
20153
201650
201717
20184
20198
20208
20212
20221
20233
20240
20251
20261

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Air bags

64 reports4 crashes10 related recalls
“The air bag light flashing saying airbag is off. The electrical system shut off, radio flashed on and off. The steering lost its power and the head lights shut off then everything would come back on. This happened multiple times, I could not control the steering, very unsafe and scary. Car is available for inspection upon request.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 13, 2023Steering, Electrical system, Air bagsODI 11516817

Power train

12 reports1 crash1 related recall
“Both right and left drive shafts went bad at the same time. The failure was diagnosed and repaired by Envision Honda of Milpitas. I asked how can the drive shafts be bad at 98000miles. The advisor told me this is normal and the car is old. After I searched online, the drive shafts shouldn’t fail in 98000 miles. I also found many people have the same problem also around 98000miles.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 4, 2023Power trainODI 11510181

Steering

10 reports
“When driving about 60 mph on a highway that was curving to the left, the steering wheel jerked to the left. I thought it was a flat tire but the tires were fine. Now every time I turn left, the steering wheel jerks to the right in middle of the turn.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 27, 2026SteeringODI 11746927

Electrical system

10 reports
“The Honda fit has a known issue with door lock actuator. The car locks and unlocks several times now it just make a high squalling noise that prevent the car from being locked.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 19, 2022Electrical systemODI 11497991

Engine

7 reports1 fire
“The contact owns a 2011 Honda Fit. The contact stated while driving uphill at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The maintenance warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil and fuel. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle fully, the fuel gauge displayed a half tank. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics, the dealer, and a second dealer, The Auto Connection (10910 Midlothian Tpke, Richmond, VA 23235), where it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,691.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 23, 2025Fuel system, gasoline, EngineODI 11656324

Latches/locks/linkages

3 reports
“The contact owns a 2011 Honda Fit. The contact stated that the rear passenger and driver's side doors failed to open. The occupants in the rear seats were unable to exit the vehicle. The occupants had to climb over the seat and exit through the front doors. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the door lock actuators needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 25, 2023Latches/locks/linkagesODI 11546328
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.