2008 Honda Fit Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2008 Honda Fit has 217 NHTSA complaints, a complaint index of 83, and 8 recalls, ranking 3rd worst of 13 model years. It carries an Avoid verdict, driven mainly by airbag failures and unintended-acceleration reports.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 83/100
- #3 of 13 Fit years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 217
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 8
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 28
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
- 28
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 30
- 27 city / 34 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 28 / 0
Top 2008 Honda Fit problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags57 (26%)
- Structure & Body47 (22%)
- Engine36 (17%)
- Electrical System28 (13%)
- Brakes24 (11%)
- Transmission & Powertrain24 (11%)
- Other14 (6%)
- Steering12 (6%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires9 (4%)
- Seat Belts4 (2%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Front airbags fail to deploy in moderate-to-severe rear-end crashes, even when the vehicle sustains major front-end damage.
- Owners report the car lunging forward or accelerating unexpectedly when shifting between drive and reverse at low speed.
- Brakes are described as spongy or unresponsive, failing to stop the vehicle even with the ABS not engaging.
- Some drivers report sudden unintended acceleration while parking, resulting in collisions with vehicles ahead.
- Airbag non-deployment incidents span a wide range of mileage, from vehicles with only about a thousand miles to those with tens of thousands.
2008 Honda Fit recalls
8 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 20V770000Dec 10, 2020Transmission & Powertrain248,358 vehicles
Power train:driveline:driveshaft
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Acura ILX, 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid, and 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles with a manual transmission and 2009-2013 Honda Fit vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The drive shafts' protective coating may not have been applied properly during manufacturing, making it more susceptible to damage from road salt, or other contaminants, and potentially cause it to break.
Risk: A broken drive shaft may cause a sudden loss of drive power. The vehicle could also roll away if the parking brake has not been applied before the vehicle has been exited. Either condition can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the drive shafts, replacing either the left or right drive shaft, if necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk with an interim letter mailed February 2, 2021. A second letter will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are P9M, PAV, BAY, TAX, CA0, and MAZ.
- NHTSA 19V501000Jun 27, 2019Airbags1,657,752 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are E5D and X5C.
- NHTSA 17V029000Jan 10, 2017Airbags308,884 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura MDX and Honda CR-V vehicles, 2005-2011 Honda Element vehicles, 2005-2012 Acura RL vehicles, 2006-2012 Honda Ridgeline vehicles, 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles and 2005-2008 Honda Pilot vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, if not included in "Zone A" above, Honda is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura MDX and Honda CR-V vehicles, 2005-2009 Acura RL and Honda Element vehicles, 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles, 2005-2008 Honda Pilot vehicles and 2006-2009 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, if not included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Honda is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura MDX and Honda CR-V vehicles, 2005-2008 Acura RL, Honda Element and Honda Pilot vehicles, 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles and 2006-2008 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall bagan March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KD9 and KE0.
2008 Honda Fit fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 27 MPG
- Highway
- 34 MPG
- Combined
- 30 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,150
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2008 compared with other Fit years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2008 Honda Fit reliable?
- Compared to other Fit model years, the 2008 ranks poorly: it has a complaint index of 83, the 3rd worst of 13 years tracked, and carries an Avoid verdict.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2008 Honda Fit?
- Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 57 of 217 complaints (26%) and linked to 16 crashes, with a median failure mileage of 82,712.
- Does the 2008 Honda Fit have any recalls?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for the 2008 Fit, covering airbags, transmission drive shafts, electrical wiring, and window switch water intrusion, though none are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2008 Fit compare to the 2007 and 2009 Fit?
- The 2007 Fit has a higher complaint index (92) and more recalls (11), and the 2009 Fit has the highest complaint index of the three (100), so all three are rated Avoid.
- What mileage do problems typically show up on the 2008 Fit?
- Median mileage at failure varies by system: 37,000 for brakes, 57,000 for structure and body, 82,712 for airbags, 86,000 for engine, and 105,670 for transmission and powertrain.