2013 Honda Fit: headlights failing or too dim

Filed Nov 20, 2023 · Electrical, Steering · CA

Last evening the interior vehicle power (headlights, dash lights, AC/heat fan) intermittently flashed off then back on while driving...when this happened as I arrived home, I completely lost power steering (electronic power steering warning light came on) and could barely turn the steering wheel. Thankfully I was moving at relatively slow speed when I lost power steering, but this could certainly be a life hazard at higher speeds.

Filed Dec 20, 2019 · Driver assistance, Electrical · 75,000 miles · AL · crash

My 2013 honda fit has only 76,000 on it. While driving the radio shut off, head lights dimmed, dash board lights flickered and I lost power steering. Took it to the honda service station in jasper alabama and they could not find the problem. The engine light and steering wheel with exclamation point showed up on the dash board. Car looses power steering while driving for a few seconds and then comes back on. This is very dangerous. With a vehicle with less than 80,000 miles on it this should be recalled as I am not the only one on this forum to have a complaint about this exact issue.

Filed Apr 24, 2019 · Electrical, Lights · 83,000 miles · ME

While driving the radio, dash lights, head lights, and power steering cuts out for a moment then comes back on. This started occasionally 3 months ago with just the radio and dash lights and has progressed to several times in a row and now includes the head lights and power steering. There is no predictability to when or how many times it will happen. Once it happened when I was coming off the highway going around the ramp at a good speed, the electrical went out I lost power steering and almost hit the guard rail it came back on just in time for me to regain control. Took it to honda dealer with my complaints; they did a multi point inspection and checked faults-no faults stored. Also checked wiring and connectors-all ok. Told me it was probably the after market starter, I should be fine, to contact the starter people as it is most likely their product issue and not honda's, then sent me home charging me over an hour of labor. A few days later it cut out 12 times in less than 3 mile; I had to find a gas station to pull over in as I did not feel safe driving the car. Turned it off & let it sit for a few minutes, started it again & had no further issues until the following day when it happened another 8 times in a row. Contacted the car starter company told them what was going on; they removed the starter. But told me he looked it up online & discovered this has happened to other honda fits & is most likely related to a faulty alternator. Another issue related with this alternator problem is dead batteries which has happened to me as well & am on my 3rd battery with in 6 years! The car starter guy said he was concerned with my safety & to have it looked at by my mechanic and have them look at the alternator. Well 2 days later the check engine light came on & is in the garage today; not the honda dealership

Filed Mar 2, 2016 · Steering · 29,000 miles · TX

Steering locks up while driving and attempting to turn the wheel. Steering locks up also while standing still. Electrical power seems to be interrupted for a couple seconds while this is happening. Headlights dim and radio quits for that period of time. The event electrically seems to be interrelated. Very scary and dangerous when the vehicle is in motion.

Filed Jul 22, 2015 · Electrical · PA

The battery on this car dies constantly, with no provocation but when a garage checks it out, it always reports as a good battery. The first incident, I was driving and pulled over for a 20 minute nap with the air on with the car in idle. The battery "died" and after I had the vehicle off for an hour, it worked again. It's happened again numerous times since then, including dying after I had the car off but my 4-way blinkers on due to running out of gas. It's gotten so bad that when I idle for 5 minutes the battery "discharges" and the ignition won't turn over. I have to let the car sit completely off to turn the ignition over after a 5 - 10 minute wait. This happened several times until, on my way to work, I pulled over to take a road side nap for 5 minutes. The car was in idle with the headlights on and the phone charger plugged in. The car died and I lost a full day of work! But it only dies for the ignition, the accessories will all work. The dealer told me that nothing could be done because "the battery for this car is so small idling discharges it. So you can't idle anymore." they would not replace the battery. I accepted and went on my way. Then, later that week, I went to see a movie. I had everything in the car shut off, but I left my phone charger plugged in to the power outlet, without a phone to charge. The car died again and I needed my friends to give me a jump! Same scenario, all the accessories worked, just the engine wouldn't start. I took it to the dealer again and they refused to replace the battery and said "well not you can't leave the phone charger plugged in anymore when the car is off--that can really drain a batter." that makes no sense. That is the equivalent of you leaving your (off) coffee maker plugged in and powering down your house! No one has given me any other explanation. This seems like a design defect when one can't idle a car.

Filed Jan 29, 2014 · Electrical · 5,000 miles · ME

In daytime driving, on a bright day the instruments can not be read. There is no control to increase brightness of the instrument cluster in daytime driving. Only by turning on headlights can a brightness control for the dashboard be activated but the brightest setting is still to dim to allow the instruments to be read in strong ambient lighting conditions. I believe this is a safety issue because a driver is unable to read speed, fuel or tell if warning lights are on.

Filed Mar 25, 2013 · Acceleration, Body · 141 miles · CA · crash

I was entering a parking place at approximately 3 MPH, trying to adjust the angle of entry. When I stepped on the accelerator the car bolted forward. I applied the brake but the acceleration was too fast to keep the brake from stopping the car from colliding with the guard rail. The impact caused the air bags to eject. The hood was dented, the right fender and bumper were disengaged from the body and the right headlight was broken. The repair came to over $10,000. If the guard rail hadn't stopped the car it would have gone over from the 6th floor to the 5th floor. Fortunately my passenger and I were not injured due to the air bags ejecting. My concern with this car is that the accelerator pedal is too "touchy." the dealer had his mechanic check the car after it was fixed declaring that this was the nature of that model. Had I known that I would not have purchased the car. I'm still wary about driving the car three months later.

Filed Mar 17, 2013 · Lights · 1,000 miles · NY

We do not drive at night much but when we did recently the headlights dio not project far enough into the distance they are wide enough and seem to be set at the right height but as I said they do not show far enough in the distance to see deer etc this has been already had a notice in the consumers report apr issue this can be a dangerous situation also not as important but the car does not come with a valor key so if you get locked out you can't get back in this can be a problem in certain cases we buy a new car every 5 yrs and this is the first time I haven't gotten a valet key and there are times when it would be a great emergency thanks hope this is corrected and the only way is if honda feels the pressure of the consumer thanks