2015 Honda Fit: CVT failure

Filed Jul 30, 2026 · Electrical, Transmission · CO

The vehicle experienced transmission drive issues accompanied by a Check Engine Light. An independent repair facility scanned the vehicle and confirmed diagnostic trouble code P0717 for a transmission speed sensor open circuit. The failure causes unexpected loss of acceleration and erratic power delivery while driving, redlining at 45 mph, malfunctioning of the gear selection display, and creating a safety hazard in active traffic. These symptoms line up with the CVT drive pulley shaft defect addressed in the federal safety agency Recall 15V574. When I contacted an authorized Honda dealership to address the issue, they stated this specific VIN is not included in the recall campaign. The vehicle and its diagnostic records are available for inspection upon request.

Filed Sep 28, 2020 · Transmission · 84,000 miles · IN

While on a road trip in late 2019, I noticed a slight shudder at low acceleration. I found the nearest honda dealer and took the vehicle in for evaluation. It had 84,000 miles at the time. The dealer found that the transmission filler plug was missing. Apparently it had been missing for some time, as there was caked, dirty atf spilled down the side of the transmission case. The transmission (CVT) was coming apart internally and required a full replacement. Honda declined any financial assistance with the repair. I have found multiple other references in online forums to filler caps on 2015 honda cvts popping out during operation.

Filed Feb 14, 2020 · Transmission · 72,547 miles · MN

I was on the freeway and my vehicle started acting strange-it was having difficult accelerating and felt bumpy. I was able to exit off of the freeway. The vehicle stopped moving and would not engage into gear. I could not drive or reverse the vehicle. I had the vehicle towed to a honda dealership. They drained and inspected the fluid to find metal debris in magnet that looked like CVT belt parts. They said the CVT belt broke transmission and the transmission needed to be replaced. I found the federal safety agency recall reference number 15v574000. The description of the defect is that software settings that control the transmission operation may result in damage to the transmission drive pulley shaft. I was told that my VIN is not a part of this recall. My vehicle is just outside of warranty at about 72,000 miles but less than 5 years old. I was asked to pay a portion towards the transmission replacement.

Filed Mar 15, 2017 · Transmission · 220,000 miles · PA

Driving down the turnpike and the transmission stopped working like I was in neutral. I saw a recall on line for my exact make, model and year describing the same symptoms. I contacted honda but they said that my car wasn't a part of the recall which doesn't make sense. Http://blog.caranddriver.com/honda-recalling-143000-civic-and-fit-models-for-CVT-trouble/

Filed Feb 9, 2016 · Transmission · OR

My complaint concerns the manufacturers "fix" for the CVT drive pully shaft that is incorrectly surface harden/heat treated. Honda tenders a software fix to reduce loads on the incorrectly manufactured part. I feel that the software fix is an economical response, that after the software is changed, still leaves my vehicle with an incorrectly manufactured part that could fail, causing the an accident. I feel the correct repair would be to replace the defective part with one correctly manufactured.

Filed Jan 18, 2016 · Transmission · 18,000 miles · NY

In spite of my repeated requests, the honda customer service representative located at torrance, ca (tel.# 800‑999‑1009) will not give me the part number of the drive pulley shaft (with low hardness) installed on my vehicle (vn [xxx])! In october 2015 I received the following ?important safety recall? Notice concerning my 2015 honda fit with CVT transmission (vn [xxx]): during certain driving conditions, a combination of high stress exerted from the CVT programming along with potential drive pulley shafts manufactured with low hardness, the drive pulley shaft may break during operation. If the drive pulley shaft breaks the vehicle may lose acceleration or the front wheels may lock up, increasing the risk of a crash. The recommended CVT software update was performed by the honda dealership immediately upon receipt of the safety recall notice. However my vehicle had been driven over 18,000 miles prior to receipt of the recall notice and it is very possible that damage to the ?low hardness? Drive pulley shaft has already occurred! For my personal safety it is important that I have this information ? Please help. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Filed Nov 13, 2015 · Transmission · MA

I was advised to file a complaint about my concerns by jennifer timian, chier of the recall management division office of defects investigations enforcement. This is not a typical complaint. It is not about an accident that has occurred, but rather preventive measure to keep them from happening. There is already a recall about the defect in these cars (15v‑574). This complaint is about a safety issue and the fix that honda has implemented for it. It is my opinion that there is a serious flaw in how they are fixing the defect that leaves the operators of these affected vehicles(over 100,000 of them) in danger. The reason for this recall is quite serious. It appears that some of the pulley shafts in the CVT transmissions were manufactured with low hardness and this coupled with high forces in the CVT transmission can cause the pulley shaft to fail resulting in loss of all drive and in one instance locking of the front wheels (a very dangerous condition that can easily result in someone being killed). The solution that honda came up with was to change the programming in the CVT to reduce the force on the part. This in not the correct way to fix the problem. The flaw that honda is overlooking is that these cars have been driven and the part has been exposed to stresses that have caused it fail in similar vehicles. In the case of my girlfriend for over a year. The part can easily be weakened and close to failure. Reducing the forces applied to it can not insure that the part will not fail. I feel that the correct fix would be to replace the part with one that is properly hardened or at least inspect and test the part to insure that its strength has not been compromised. I will attached realted pdf's

Filed Jul 22, 2015 · Seats · 4,200 miles · MN

Both front headrests on our 2015 honda fit lx CVT are tilted forward so they, in turn, tilt our heads forward - this causes neck pain and the tendency to have too low of a line of sight, hence this is a safety risk - many cars have this defect but it is rare in cars that are designed for those who love to drive such as porsche, corvette, ferrari, lamborghini, even f1 and indy cars - those manufacturers know that safety and performance demand a neutral driving position so have upright headrests - our first choice for a 4 door car this time was a mazda 3 but its headrests were extreme - the fit was the best of the cars on our list but it is turning out to be a "pain in the neck" - manufacturers should offer a choice of angle for the headrests (this angle and upright would cover it) - only those with kyphotic thoracic spines would find this car comfortable, and most people don't "fit" that description - this may not be the place for it but we don't get more than 25 mpg city driving (epa rating is 33) - dealer denies a problem with that mileage