In the last 2 weeks my 2015 fit with 23000 miles on it has refused to start 3 times. I turn the key, all power comes on, but no reaction from the starter. No click or similar.
I took the car to the dealer, they replaced the battery, under warranty. But the problem still occurs.
All three times the engine is warm. After a short stop at the gas station or similar.
First time I jump started it. The other 2 times I kept turning the key and eventually it started and everything seems normal.
It's never happened when the engine is cold. Never first thing in the morning, or after work.
I'm in LA, the weather is mild. Not freezing.
I'll take it back to the dealer and see what happens. Any advice or suggestions is welcome.

 

I had the exact same scenario happen with my 2008 Civic a few years ago. I'd be running some errands and all of a sudden, nothing. I'd keep trying and, eventually, it would start. The battery was aging and marginal, so I had it replaced. I thought that had solved the problem but it happened again. Replaced the starter and no problems since then. At least you're still under warranty.

 

Yes, get to the dealer ASAP. We have had many anecdotal reports of the GK starter dying before 50K. When it happens out of warranty, some have had their starter replaced for free, some have had to pay out of pocket, and sometimes Honda splits the bill, but there seems to be no rhyme or reason for their decision.

I'd get to the dealer before you hit the three year warranty mark to avoid having to pay the full cost. If you're past the three year warranty mark, contact Honda corporate for assistance before taking it to the dealer.

 

Thanks for the replies, I'll take it back to the dealer and see what they say. So far I've never been left stranded, the car eventually starts. This also means that the battery they replaced was not the culprit.

 

Oldgeezer... does the car make any sounds when attempting to start? I just encountered that with my daughter's older (2008) Civic. She claimed, and I confirmed it would make a buzzing sound (as opposed to a clicking sound). This happened intermittently. Otherwise, the car would start fine one day, and then not at all the next. I do assume because you mentioned 'key' that you have an LX? If you do have a key and it makes a buzzing sound when attempting to start then maybe your car has the infamous, yet little discussed ignition switch problem. Not the mechanism itself, the electronic part connected to keyway. It's Honda PN 35130-TR0-A01. A sure fire way to tell is to do the following when the car will not start... Immediately turn the key to the off position and then QUICKLY (as in very fast) turn the key to start. Do not hesitate at all between off and start. If the car starts, the culprit is generally the ignition switch. I replaced my daughter's switch in about 15 minutes and it's been working ever since. The key here is the sound it makes when it fails to start... buzzing inside the car in the general vicinity of the fuse box and it's the switch. Of course, if it's still under warranty, then by all means use it first. But if it makes a buzzing sound, then make sure to mention a possible switch problem.

 

Thanks for the reply, I'll put in my hearing aid and listen for a buzzing sound next time I try it. I haven't noticed any buzzing yet, but my hearing isnt that great It seems like it's either the starter or the ignition part you're mentioning. If it is, maybe you could explain how to exchange it. If I end up dealing with it myself.
Thanks again for your reply. I love my Fit but it's frustrating to have a 2 year old car with 23,000 miles on it that wont start.

 

Here is a link to the buzzing sound. Although it's for an Accord, my daughter's Civic made the same noise, and the Fit should as well. It's amplified in the video, but it should be easily heard if you have the door closed and the car refuses to start.

 

Thanks, eventually I’ll get this resolved, all of this information will help.

 

oldgeezer... in an attempt to recreate the no start situation, try to pause the key at the accessory position knowingly and then slowly move it to the start position. If the no start is going to happen and if the switch is involved, it only going to happen if you pause first. Most of us don't realize we do that unknowingly, but we tend to do it. If you encounter the no start, then listen for a buzz. Of course as the switch starts to fail, the no starts happen randomly at first but gets progressively worse. And to get the car started if the switch if failing QUIBKLY move it from off to start without a pause. That's how my daughter's Civic reacted.

 

Please post back what is discovered.
I'm not particularly impressed with the dealerships first move. As the symptoms as you describe them wouldn't necessarily lead me to believe it was the battery.
Especially if you had the power coming on, but absolutely no attempt by the vehicle to turn over or crank.
But at least you have a brand new battery-replaced under warranty- to go with whatever they discover is the real problem.
Good Luck.

 

This problem happened to my 2015 Fit recently at around 50k miles. The starter would engage, but not turn over. I would have to press the start button until the starter finally decided to work. Can take between 1 or 100 tries before it starts. A few times, I was stuck for 20 minutes before the engine started. Very aggravating!

The problem gets worse over time. First, it occasionally takes 2 tries to start. After a couple months you have a much more severe problem.

It's an electrical problem inside the starter. A contact patch is too small and wears out.

The Honda part is $450 plus tax and installation. HOWEVER, I fixed mine for $250 out of pocket to avoid hassle with Honda or the dealer.

Do this:

Buy https://www.dbelectrical.com/product...0-5r7-a01.html for $150. Then pay for 1 hour of labor at a local shop to install it, or install it yourself. It's easy and works great!

 

It was the starter, took it back to the dealer, who replaced it. Covered by warranty. 23,000 miles on the car, and less than 3 years. The dealership, New Century Honda in Glendale CA, were decent about it. Just took care of it. this was 3 weeks ago and it's been fine since then.

 

Thanks for the update. We've had a rash of reports of bad starters lately.

 

That's right about the time my starter failed on my '15 Fit. Fortunately, the dealer was able to duplicate the problem on the first visit. Unfortunately, the starter was on "nationwide backorder". Somehow they were able to come up with a starter motor, so I was only down a couple of days, but, still, not what I've come to expect from Honda.

 

The starter is something which should last the life of the car so it's unlikely Honda would carry very many replacements in stock. However from what we're hearing there seems to be a bit of an unexpected problem with these which may have caused an unexpected demand and a bit of a temporary shortage.

 

This is something an issue with 2015 honda fit with less than 50k mileage. I had mine replaced the starter by the dealer free of charge under extended warranty.

 

Hi. I am having problems with the starter on my 2015 Honda Fit at 37,000 miles! That's right. Just out of warranty. Thank you to all who have posted here before.

I took my Fit to the dealer where I've gotten my oil changes and asked them to check the battery, which they did for free. Battery OK. They said they'd need to keep the car over night and charge me $140 to check it out! (This is the San Francisco bay area where everything costs lots.) So I took it to my previous, honest mechanic. He started the car a few times, sometimes unsuccessfully, listened, and declared it has a starter problem. He urged me to go back to Honda and ask them to help me out.

It was hard even finding someone at the dealer with decision-making authority! Finally I emailed the service manager with my problem and asked him if he would fix the starter under warranty, since the problem began while the car was still under warranty. No word back from him yet and I'd planned to start calling him. But it sounds like I should call Honda customer service first? What should my next move be?

Three out of my last four cars have been Hondas. But I'm not sure I'm still a fan. Thanks for any suggestions, help, sympathy!!!

 

I am experiencing this issue now as well, for a 2015 Ex CVT with 61k miles. I replaced the battery since it was a little over 4 yrs old since I got the car. Time to find a starter and get a local shop to replace it.

 

this seems to be a LA thing. GL with the repairs.

 

Hi Fibrepunk,
I ended up contacting the main Honda customer service--found the contact info somewhere on this forum! They gave me a special pass to get my problem fixed out of warranty. Sorry I don't have all that info but you can find the contact info on these forums. I also had established a relationship with a local Honda dealer, so they wanted to help once they knew I'd contacted the main office.

Your starter shouldn't fail so soon! Try to get Honda to fix it out of warranty.