Advice needed on warranty issue with daily driver

[16kOrBust]

Sorry for the long post and not a Ford so flame on if you must, but I'm not quite sure how to deal with this situation at this point. I bought a brand new 2009 Honda Fit Sport for daily commuting and band stuff back in July 2009. Since I got it it's always made this strange clunking noise in the front end. It's sporadic but happens more often when backing up with the wheel cut all the way (or right when you back up with the wheel cut, then put it in drive and start to roll forward). Being that the basic warranty is almost up on it (I've got 35,000 on the car and the basic warranty is 3 years or 36,000 miles), I decided to finally mention it when I brought it in this time because although it's not any worse, it's starting to get annoying. The incline on my new driveway seems to cause the clunk to happen more often than it used to.

I brought it down once and took the mechanic for a drive. He heard it twice and acknowledged something was wrong. Later that day they called to say he couldn't find anything definitive but retorqued the subframe bolts and wasn't able to duplicate the sound anymore. I went to pick it up and spent five minutes in their driveway, of course recreating the problem multiple times. They had me take another mechanic for a drive and he heard it twice, acknowledging that something was definitely not right.

They had me bring it back the next day and at the end of that day I got pretty much the same phone call: nothing they could find wrong but they "adjusted a few things" and couldn't duplicate it, but they wanted me to take the service manager for a ride when I got there to pick it up. I went down and took him for a ride. It didn't do it at first, but after a few minutes we got it to happen two or three times while he was in the car. He immediately pointed it out when he heard it and said that something was definitely still wrong. He said he would speak with Honda's tech support and have me bring it back down when he had more info.

He called me two days ago and asked me to bring it down Thursday so they could check it out again. Honda had nothing on file for this issue but they wanted to hook it up to some machines that allow them to listen to different parts of the car while they drive it. Now I just got a call a few minutes ago saying that they still can't find anything wrong with it, can't duplicate the problem themselves, and after speaking with some more Honda tech support guys, they have nothing on file but recommended retorquing some more parts they hadn't touched yet.

I know for a fact that this is clearly not going to solve the issue and as soon as I get there I'm gonna take it into their parking lot and be able to duplicate the problem again. This is getting to be a giant pain in the ass and the fact is the car is still under warranty having some sort of mechanical issue with warranty parts. They've had two separate mechanics and the service manager all hear and acknowledge that there is definitely a problem, but they can't locate or fix it, even after speaking with Honda. If the car was brand new still (a couple hundred miles), I'd tell them they just need to swap it out with another new one, but clearly that's not going to happen with 35,000 miles on the car.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Cliffs: Car has issue still covered under warranty. Three trips to dealership and while two mechanics and the service manager all acknowledge there is definitely something wrong, they can't locate or fix it. Honda tech support told them there is nothing on file with this type of issue and this car. I can't keep getting shuttled back and forth to work and leaving in the middle of the day to pick the car up. The sound related to this issue is starting to drive me nuts.

 

[DriftwoodSVT]

Wait.. they make a Honda Fit Sport??

 

[AAG]

You bought a post 2000 Honda, I'm not surprised. Can you describe the sound it's making more in detail and how often it does it?

 

[DSG2003Mach1]

first thing Id do is verify the terms of the lemon law on your state, you may be out of the terms of its protection already.

 

[16kOrBust]

Wait.. they make a Honda Fit Sport??

Hell yeah, paddle shifters and all. :lol1:

You bought a post 2000 Honda, I'm not surprised. Can you describe the sound it's making more in detail and how often it does it?

It is a slight squeak/clunk that typically happens on either the right or the left. Sounds like it's related to the steering linkage or something to me. It only happens when you're turning the car sharply at slower speeds (ie backing out of a parking space), but it happens sometimes on the driver side and sometimes on the passenger side. Fairly often instead of the quieter clunk/squeak, it will be a much louder clunk, typically from the driver's side. It also seems to happen more often when you're backing up on an incline.

first thing Id do is verify the terms of the lemon law on your state, you may be out of the terms of its protection already.

Haven't checked yet but I plan on it. I figure I'm not covered anymore since the car is two years and 35,000 miles old.

EDIT: lemon law in CT is 2 years and 24,000 miles.

 

[thomas91169]

Sounds like cv joints to me.


Sent from my iPhail using Tapatalk while doing 90 on the freeway and streetracing through traffic. What now?

 

[V8muscle]

Two mechanics have heard it and the Service Manager has heard it, time for the dealer to do more than call the tech line. Time for them to get the "factory" tech rep to come to the dealership and hear the noise for themselves.

The fact that you brought the issue up prior to going out of warranty should help even if the solution takes longer than 36000 miles.

It also wouldnt hurt to write a letter to Honda, describing the situation just as you have here.

Be polite, insistent, and firm.

Bill

 

[clean93]

did they check the swaybar bolts and endlinks? dealers dont seem to really back up there warranty anymore they do little to help you out. glad im out of that business. my 07 wrx had a similar problem and it was a loose swaybar

 

[16kOrBust]

Thanks for the input, guys. I do plan on writing Honda about it pending the results of this pickup this afternoon and hearing what the service manager has to say. I'm also going to ask about a few different specific parts on the car. The good news is that they've logged the issue under warranty with Honda, so anything that happens is covered even if it goes past the 36,000 mile mark (per Honda and the dealership).

I think if I test it out when I pick it up and it's still making the sound, I'm going to request a loaner for the amount of time it takes them to locate and resolve the issue. I don't think that's unreasonable considering I've taken the car down three separate times and had to get shuttled back and forth three times now. Work is understanding but I'm sure they'll be less understanding if I need to keep leaving halfway through the afternoon to pick it up and the issue isn't getting resolved.