This happens to most Honda's that I know of. My 08 civic does this, and after driving other honda's, I've realized they ALL do this. Of course some drive more straight than others. I thought it was an alignment issue, but just went to the alignment shop and said everything was perfect.

It could be anything, even tire pressure.

 

Hydraulic PS can be heavy or light, depending on the engineering. There was a huge difference in effort between 2003 Subaru Forester (just right for me) and later years (too light for my taste). I believe that one advantage of EPS is that it's harder to overwhelm it; with some HPS systems, the pump simply can't keep up with very rapid movements of the steering wheel (as in an emergency maneuver). Some Nissans were noted for this problem. One thing I really like about EPS is that if you have to turn off the ignition at speed (such as for a stuck throttle...) turn it back on, and you still have power steering.

I like precise steering (no slop), and am delighted with the Fit. It goes exactly where I point it; no issues whatsoever with constant corrections. Perhaps the secret is a relaxed grip on the wheel; with motorcycles, at least, a death grip can lead to all sorts of handling issues that go away when you relax. For me, the Fit has the best steering of anything I have driven since my 1970 N600 (totally unassisted rack and pinion).

 

I can also confirm this. My roommate just bought a 2007 Versa S Hatchback, and I drove it about a week ago, and I swear I thought I was gonna get pulled over for suspicion of DUI!!! I could not keep that thing in a straight line while going over 40 mph.

What made it worse was that there was no steering feedback at all, you cannot feel the road at all through the steering wheel. I tried to explain that to my roommate (who is a stereotypical blonde female) and she didn't understand what I was saying till I let her drive my Fit. She had a ball driving the Fit, letting go of the steering wheel and watching the Fit go in a straight line down the road.

I test drove the Versa before I bought the Fit, and I didn't notice it as much, but after driving the Fit for 2 years (which IMO stay straight very well) it is very noticeable.

 

x2 to kenchan...

if it truly doesn't "self-center" then have them check the alignment and add a touch of toe-in...

 

Lol.
Gimme Chocolate, pls. don't take the statement above the wrong way. It is true that the weight of the driver plays a big role when it comes to wheel alignment. Depending on your weight... you might want to consider staying inside the car during the process. If you really think your car is not tracking correctly, this might be the way to go.
Oh, just like the suggestion above...relax your hands while driving.

 

*reads thread title*

Last I remembered "self-centering" refers to the tendency of the car's steering to return to the center position after enough lock has been applied.

You seem to be talking about something else entirely: "tracking straight at speed"

 

My fit also wanders randomly left or right. Dealer said that car is within Honda specs. I hate it! Driving on straight roads requires way to much concentration and is tiring. I have less than 7,000 miles on my Fit and hate the steering so much that I am considering trading it on a Scion XD.

I would prefer the problem being fixed, but the techs at the Honda dealer basically said it is what it is.

 

Have you driven other small cars? I suspect the problem is indicative of the size and price range.

Toyota's taking heat for the corolla steering (sounds a lot like a Fit's). I'd be concerned the XD is similar.

I wish the Fit had variable ratio steering but I guess that's a feature reserved for higher priced cars. Consider a Civic. Might be worth driving a Versa or Altima. You can ask the dealer to take one home for the weekend. Most will allow a weekend test drive, except on something like the Fit where they're hard to keep on the lots.

edit: after reading the corolla article carefully, it seems like a bug in their electronic PS. More reason not to look to the XD for a solution.

edit edit: The edmund's review of the XD vs. the Fit isn't encouraging.
link

Be careful what you look for as an alternative.

 

Addition to my prior post. The car I owned prior to my 2010 fit was a 2006 Scion Xa. In all areas, except for steering and possibly seat comfort, the Fit is superior. The engine on the Fit is amazing compared to the Scion, more power, more torque, better fuel economy.

However, I wish I still was driving the Scion Xa because the fit steering requires so much work and concentration.

For the record, I have driven and owned numerous types and sizes of cars, I am a seasoned driver, and I Drive about 25,000 miles a year. I can honestly say that my Fit is just not a pleasure to drive, except on curvy roads.

Maybe new tires will temper the beast.

 

Yeah, I agree, the Fit takes concentration on the freeway. More than any car I've owned, but I haven't had any others this small. If I were on the highway all the time I'd be looking elsewhere, but I'd be looking at at least $5 grand more.

Different tires might help. I'm reluctant to change them to a different profile at the expense of fuel economy and there aren't a lot of choices in this size. That and they might not help/make it worse.