Syz

My 2nd Fit...love the car...or did.

2011 LX. 1760 km...I turn on the A/C for the first time and nothing but warm air. Take it in...service rep tells me, before it even get's into the bay....might be a rock in the condenser, not warranty. Okay, I'm apprehensive...every car I've ever owned has had AC...never heard of this before.

Sure enough, apparently 'something' has caused a small ding in the front of the condenser...sitting right in out in the open, nothing to protect it. I can stick my fist through the bumper/cowling...just nice big gapping holes. Brilliant.

So...what happen's when I pay 800.00 to replace and then a month later have the same thing happens again?

This is such a ridiculous oversight and engineering flaw by Honda, I am amazed. I will not pay for Honda's lack of diligence in letting such a poor design into production. I see there are literally hundreds of complaints of this type...it looks like a recall issue if every there was one. However, since it is not a safety related issue, the governmental agency cares not.

I'm now waiting to see what these guys will do...which I'm sure is nothing after reading so many other accounts...so now I'm also looking at how to get out of this lease...no way I'm going to let myself get screwed again with no real repair being made to solve the problem.

Anyone else have this problem, any comments or suggestions? I really loved my Fit, but now...I feel I'm being made to have to carry a problem that could simply keep costing me over and over again...

TunerN00b

This isn't much different than some Civics where the exhaust header, alternator, and a few other items are exposed through the bumper opening as well.

I've lost an AC condenser to rocks. That's simply the risk you run when you don't have an adequate grill.

Put a mesh grill in the opening and never worry about it again.

And your insurance should cover the damage, not Honda's warranty. Same as if another car threw a rock into your windshield, insurance claim.

big_chef

isnt there a thread about a DIY of how to install a mesh grill on the lower part of the bumper? or was it in FITFREAK.NET, i forgot, but it was very useful. spend a few bucks from a home improvement store and a few twitches here and there, and you are set for the long run.

i have my condensor broken by rocks as well, only 1/3 of the size of a penny, and i was outta AC since last yr. dealer qouted me 760 before labor. i tell'em to end themselves. my frd is a mech and he qouted me 1/3 of the price. i just have to go down there and help putting it in so the labor will be cut in half.

anyhow, good luck, and hopefully your insurance will cover that up for ya!

Syz

Thanks for the reply guys.

Sure, I could buy after market solutions to fix Honda's lack of due diligence in design...but it shouldn't be my problem or expense, or anyone else who has had to deal with this, problem. Since it's a 2011, there are no eBay grills available yet.

Nevertheless, why should I or anyone, have to pay one cent for Honda's ridiculous lack of foresight into this? Even a true piece of crap like a Chrysler PT Cruiser has grill protection on the lower bumper! It's a very perculiar oversight...I'm amazed they didn't or don't make this an aux feature to purchase like floor mats or cargo mat...it's just absurd.

Of course I can claim comprehensive insurance....not sure if I'll have to pay the 500.00 deductible on this...and if it will affects my premiums.

Then have to, by my own determination and expense, 'fix' the mistake Honda made. It's lease...I don't even own the car!!!

Anyways, thanks for the comments. I've spoken to Honda Customer Care and they're 'looking into it'...I don't have any delusion about them stepping up. At this point, I should just crazy glue some screen door in there and call it a day...it's just absurd. It feels scammy almost. I loved this little car, now it feels like a cheap bic lighter.

Call insurance tomorrow. I can see the RF starting to show on the dent...about the size of my little finger.

tmke123

I have a 2011 Odyssey with 5000 miles. I have had it for less than 60 days and the A/C Condenser apparently hit by a rock. I don't believe it. Honda is trying to get out of paying for warranty work. I am not a physicist but how fast must a rock travel to brake metal?
I am appalled, I have owned 4 Honda's and this will be my last. The warranty department is still denying paying this claim

TunerN00b

Again, rock damage is an insurance claim, not warranty work! They should deny the claim, it isn't a factory defect. It's road damage. Think they'll provide warranty coverage when a pothole bends a wheel? How about when the truck in front of you kicks up a rock into your windshield?

Break, not brake.

Forget being a physicist, if you payed any attention at all in highschool, you'd know that the speed a rock must be traveling to break metal is entirely dependent on how heavy said rock is (and the thickness, type, and hardening process of the metal, but that's beyond the basics), making it an unanswerable question.

Google search "AC condenser rock damage" sometime.
http://www.google.com/search?q=ac%20...0rock%20damage
Oh look, Dodge, Lexus, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, basically all brands, have owners complaining about this...

It isn't the car manufacturer's fault that a part that needs to be exposed to the air for heat radiation might be damaged by road debris.

manxman

ANY GE Fit grille on Ebay will fit your '11. The ones made by Mr. Grille in Corona, CA on Ebay are made of the best materials with the best fit. Honda USA paid a fine in a class action suit over the lack of rock-proof grilles in all of their cars, but they still have not changed the grille design away from the giant openings that allow the rocks to hit the condenser.

The fitfreak site has hundreds of posts about this problem, and the methods people have used to prevent A/C damage.

99blackcivicSi

give it a few years honda will start shipping a cover with the new condenser like they do with the van's which is the worst for this problem.

Syz

IT IS entirely the manufacturer's fault by way of stupid design! No one who buys a brand new vehicle, with bumper to bumper warranty, who experiences this ridiculous flaw in design, should have to pay a cent for this travesty. To add insult, I talked to the rep at Honda Plus today, the extra protection/services I also bought with my car....guess what?...any parts put on the car, that are not Honda approved or put on by anyone other than a Honda service technician, violate the Honda Plus coverage!!! No third party, after market parts!!! Where's the Honda part or mod to ensure it doesn't happen again? Thats right...doesn't exist. So I could enjoy taking my Fit back annually for the same problem.

This just goes from bad to worst...at this point, I'm tempted to simply crazy glue some screen door on the stupid thing once I pay to have this fixed.

Honda has really dropped the ball on this one, and CSR at Honda Plus agreed it was a problem they are familiar with. Honda Plus claims to aspire to provide 'a worrysome free driving experience.' FAIL.

99blackcivicSi

just from the quick reading of hondaplus in canada it is just like honda care here in the states, well having aftermarket parts dosn't void your warranty BUT if you have an aftermarket a/c compressor on it say because you were in a pinch and that compressor comes apart and it needs lines, condenser, expansion valve, dryer and so on and so forth they arn't covered obviously because an aftermarket part failed.

you have the RIGHT to service your car where ever you please just don't modify the car with "off road use only" parts and you won't have an issue.

Think of it like this, its NOT a fault in the part maybe a design "flaw" because they didn't put a counter measure in place for that grille opening. That is considered a road hazard and if your that concerned about paying for it out of pocket you have a vehicle your making payments on so you have full coverage insurance its a 500 dollar fix now is your deductible that? i don't know thats all on you. Think of it this way if you ran over a nail two blocks away from the dealer would that be the cars fault? nope sorry for your bad luck. I know your going to come back and say no its not the same thing but i assure you it is, i have been doing this for a little while and it is what it is some people have amazing luck others can't seem to catch a break, if this bothers you that much then have an aftermarket mesh type grille put in the bottom opening, i assure you though little rocks will still get by it only protects from the big things.

take it as you will i deal with disgruntled customers daily and i'm not telling you anything different than i would tell them, also i'm sorry this happened but thats what happens when you drive a car on the road, things break...best of luck.

big_chef

yea, i am pretty much going thru the same thing, condensor is broken due to rock chip, honda wont cover it, on top of it, my warranty already expired. and i didnt wanna use up my insurance claim quota on this, 500 deductible, i rather use it on some other major things, i am in seattle, hot days are limited, so i am not too worry about it, my condensor it's been off since last summer, i havent turn it on ever since, didnt bother me, but i'll have it fix. once is fix, just like some posts i saw on fitfreak.net, DIY a screen and call it a day. and i am the type of person that have some bad luck every now and then on my car(s), i just have to face it sometimes, if it's DIY-able, then DIY it to prevent small things become big things.

good luck on your search of answer on getting the condensor fixed!! and good luck on the road!!

TunerN00b

Is it also a stupid design that you can get a cracked windshield from a rock?

While it is a common design to place a heat exchanger in open air, the fact that you consider it a stupid design just makes you the idiot for buying it.

A warranty covers manufacturing defects, NOT design flaws. Any mention of a "bumper to bumper warranty" is rather retarded in this discussion.

If you think Honda screwed this one up, then there isn't any manufacturer you can buy a car from. They all have released at least one vehicle that suffers from this same "issue".

manxman

No such thing as "the perfect car". I took one look at the grille of my '07 Fit Sport and decided to PREVENT damage to the condenser. Didn't complain or whine, just FIXED it with a an aluminum grille from the Ebay vendor "Mr. Grille". Fantastic quality, easy install, cheap price. Did the same thing with my '09 Fit Sport. Looks GREAT!

Also, I use a OEM Honda Hood Deflector to keep rocks away from the hood and windshield. It won't help with bricks or boulders or flying pigs, but nothing will do that.

If you want a bullet-proof car, drive an Abrams tank, but don't whine about the gas mileage.

Syz

TunerNoob, you have about as much clarity in your mentation as an impudent brat on a school playground. I don't need a troll on a NG to talk to me like I don't know what a warranty is or how manufacturers are culpable for their lack of diligence in design. This is why 'recalls' exist. You do know Honda has made recalls for all kinds of other mistakes?

I've been driving automobiles with AC for over 30 years, and half of that time was on gravel roads. Never had this problem before, let alone heard of it. It may indeed be that other manufacturers besides Honda share in this farce, but it is nothing less than complete lack of responsibility on behalf of the engineers who let this flaw pass, and in this particular case a glaring representation of Honda's disregard for customer satisfaction that is the issue.

The solution to avoid further damage is absolute in necessity, or else this ridiculous travesty will occur again. No doubt I will take it upon myself to ensure that once I pay for Honda's stupidity and lack of integrity as a company who cares about customer satisfaction, this doesn't happen again.

Probably the last Honda I'll ever buy, what a joke.

And to any fool who seeks entertainment as a troll just to be an apologist for this comedy of errors by Honda, get a life. Obviously you're too used to having people walk all over you to stand for reason. The world is filled with companies and people who will take advantage of you. Not me and certainly not in light of such a brazen disregard for even a modicum of common sense. It's about $ in manufacturing and I guess that's it is indeed my fault for buying a car that looks to be on a par with a Bic lighter.

cheggie

As a former dealership service writer, (not Honda) I would have to agree that technically the warranty would not cover "road damage." However, expecting a customer to eat this repair with a nearly brand new car is another thing altogether. A service writer ought to be able to get this covered by Honda if he really wants to help you out. If you have a service writer with no sense of customer service, then I would enlist the help of the local zone manager. The number for honda's customer service line will be in the back of the owners manual. The fact is, this could very well be construed as a defect in manufacturing. The zone manager can help make that call if the tw-ts at the dealership don't want to dig a little deeper to help a fellow out.

Furthermore, the dealerships usually back repairs for a year/12k miles at least, there is no reason they shouldn't be willing to help you out with the second condensor.

Also, there is generally a discretionary period -10k miles or so- when the dealer can cover things like alignment issues, minor paint defects, things that fall on the fence when it comes to warranty work.

My suggestion is: you need to be the squeaky wheel - if they won't help you in the service department, talk to the dealer Manager, and if he won't get a zone manager involved, call Honda directly. Be civil, but be firm and don't take no for an answer. Have faith - you would not believe what I have seen get covered by warranty in the name of customer service.

And after all that, I think I would buy/rig up some sort of screen over the new condensor. They can only deny warranty if you do something that causes damage. I doubt that a few pieces of screen will affect the cooling airflow that much if at all. People modify new vehicles all the time without voiding their warranties.

TunerN00b

Recalls have nothing to do with a warranty, and out of warranty cars are still subjected to recall fixes.

Why you mentioned warranty, then switched over to discuss recalls, is just a display of backpedaling.

If you really think I'm a troll, then you're beyond help. If you want to discuss how to actually "fix" it (prevent the issue from recurring), I'm game. If you want to just complain, I'll correct you where you're obviously wrong.

You come in here with this "I won't let people take advantage of me" attitude of a petulant child, want something different than what you purchased, and are upset that you can't have it for free. We can't help with this, other than to tell you life is full of disappointment for those with unrealistic expectations.

E-AT_me

huh. 77k miles on my 08 Sport and ac works great.. live on a major truck-traffic interstate (i-81) and no problems.. i have thought about putting a mesh grill in, just haven't gotten to it yet. maybe i will this weekend..

surely won't stop me from buying more hondas.. have you done this much complaining to Honda themselves, or are you just here looking for sympathy?

Nice Fit

This happened to me after I got my Fit, and I knew I was getting a royal #*%&@(_o_).
I asked the dealers mechanic to show me where the damage was and got down in front of the service advisor and he pointed to a tiny little mark, which basically had the black paint rubbed off. There was no ding, dent, hole, nada ! This was total BS and they knew it, These condensors are in a class action suit, and I had them return the part to me after it was removed. These cheap parts are merely pressed metal to metal to create passageways and can leak A/C fluid. But to say a rock hit it was a big fat lie.
Needless to say I never went back to Honda, even though the car was a year old.
If only this was the only flaw. I really hate new cars, they are full of pitfalls and ripoffs. Ever try to work on the engine ? Lucky my insurance covered it, but still was dishonest.

Syz

Thanks for the info. It's nice to see that there some rational minds on here who can understand the bizarre aspect to this. After speaking to my insurer at ICBC, they tell it would be a 'collision' claim and not a comprehensive one...more strange 'wash my hands of it'. So pay my deductible and take a hit on my premiums, frickin unbelievable. I will definitely take this up with both service manager and the dealership manager.

That said...I think I may have fixed it myself, if only temporarily. I bought a can of 'Stop Leak' for 8 bucks and blasted the 8mm dent with a good spray. I could see the dye from the RF seeping out and I hope there is enough in the system for it to still function. If it works, I'll come back make the remedy known as a success. I wouldn't be surprised if this is all it takes.

It's truly a blight on Honda for me, in design, in service...a fail on all accounts as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure this screw up will continue to happen. For me, once I bring this thing back at the end of the lease (they can fix their problem themselves at that point), it's off to another brand...after three Honda cars.

Syz

Make no mistake, anyone I could get at Honda Customer service, Honda Plus and the dealership knows my VIN number and the issue. They've already acknowledged that it is a problem they're aware of and that they've yet to actualize a protocol to address the problem. I doubt they'll do a complete recall, but since they recognize the problem and had a similar issue with their Odysseys apparently, they say they are apt to handle things on a case to case basis.

I'll come back in time and share the outcome. Good luck.

big_chef

does this also applies to all s2000 then? i looked at it and they got a pretty big open airway directly into the condensor. and i hardly hear s2k owners got any problems due to rock chippin' condensor...just a thought i wanna put it out there....