Problems · NHTSA complaints
2012 Honda Fit problems
Owners filed 113 complaints about the 2012 Honda Fit with NHTSA between Jan 2012 and Mar 2026. The most-cited component is air bags (41).
Complaints
113
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
6
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Air bags41
- Steering16
- Power train14
- Engine12
- Electrical system9
- Vehicle speed control8
- Suspension3
- Seat belts3
- Fuel system, gasoline2
- Tires2
- Service brakes2
- Structure2
- Seats2
- Electronic stability control (esc)2
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 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
6
7
13
5
38
5
7
15
7
4
2
1
2
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 6 |
| 2013 | 7 |
| 2014 | 13 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2016 | 38 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 15 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 |
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.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Air bags
41 reports2 crashes9 related recalls
“2012 HONDA FIT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO AIRBAG INFLATOR SAFETY RECALL. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE RECALL REPAIR WAS COMPLETED, BUT NOTICES WERE STILL BEING SENT OUT. *JS”
Steering
16 reports3 crashes
“The electronic steering power assist failed several times in the past two weeks. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The safety of occupants was put at risk because of the difficulty of steering safely in traffic. The car has not yet been taken to my dealer for evaluation. The vehicle or component has not yet been inspected. No warning lamps or other symptoms of the problem appeared prior to the failure.”
Power train
14 reports1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2012 Honda Fit. The contact stated that while making a turn from a complete stop at the exit of a gas station, the vehicle became immovable, and there was an abnormally high-pitched grinding sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to AAA Auto Body Shop, where the contact was informed that the passenger's side CV axle was fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. AAA informed the contact that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V770000 (Power Train), and the VIN was included in the recall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the driver's side CV axle had failed due to corrosion test and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired free of charge. The manufacturer was contacted but denied the reimbursement claim for the passenger’s side CV axle repair, despite receiving the repair bill. The failure mileage was 88,052.”
Engine
12 reports1 crash
“Three instances of engine misfiring, causing the car to immediately go into a speed limiting mode during driving. This is a major safety hazard and can happen in the middle of high speed driving. The first instance was a 52K miles, second at 69K miles, and third at 130K miles. The most recent instance resulted in the spark plug ejecting from the cylinder head, melting into the coil pack, and stripping out the cylinder head thread. This resulted in a costly repair.”
Electrical system
9 reports1 crash
“While driving my regular commute to work with the radio on, the radio and interior lights (not sure if headlights because I can't see them) flashed on and off and the power steering warning light flashed on and off. At that time, the car jerked and I lost power steering for a moment. This happened several times and the radio stopped working. This did not happen on the way home, but reoccured a few days later. I made an appointment with the dealer They had my car for the day and were not able to locate the issue, but they fixed my radio and told me to bring it back if it happened again. They checked alternator, fuses, and looked for an electrical short. A few weeks later, it happened again, I brought the car back and they could not find the problem, but fixed the radio. The car was fine for a month and it is happening again. Losing power steering while driving is a serious safety hazard for myself and others.”
Vehicle speed control
8 reports1 crash
“ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS WHEN I AM STOPPED AND START TO ACCELERATE TRYING TO PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC. I AM TRYING TO MOVE STRAIGHT AT TIMES, AND OTHER TIMES TURNING. AFTER TWO OR THREE PUSHES ON THE ACCELERATOR, IT WILL ENGAGE AND I CAN CONTINUE. I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS MATTER, BUT MY VIN # IS NOT INCLUDED. (UNFORTUNATELY, I CANNOT FIND THE RECALL OR THE RECALL # ONLINE ANYMORE.) I FEEL THAT IT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED TO SEE IF OTHER VEHICLES ALSO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. MINE DOES, AND IT'S A SCARY FEELING TO SEE A VEHICLE COMING TOWARD YOU AT A FAST SPEED AND YOUR VEHICLE WON'T MOVE.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.