Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Day 24: CVT's are Weird
After driving the rev happy Fit for 3 and a half years, the Nissan Versa Note and its CVT are just plain disconcerting. I put my foot lightly down on the accelerator and it stays between 2000 and 2500 RPM's right up to 70 MPH. Go a little lighter, closer to 2000, a little heavier or hit a hill, it's at 2500. No wonder why car makers are leaning on CVTs so much for fuel economy. The first Versa I drove a couple years ago had a CVT that just couldn't decide what I was doing, revving then not giving me any acceleration, then revving. Maybe it was just from its hard rentacar life, or maybe they were just that crappy a couple years ago. I'm reading that the Honda CVT in the newest Fits is pretty decent, but not as fun as the stick. I'm just bummed that Honda chose to put in a 6 speed manual in the Fit with same final drive ratio as the old 5-speed manual in my Fit. I love most everything in my Fit, but 4000 RPM at a reasonable highway speed (CA I-5 in the middle of nowhere) is just painful. Anywho, I'm looking forward to rowing my own gears again. There's a level of disengagement with the vehicle with an automatic that I'm just not entirely comfortable with.
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Day 23: What Will the Neighbors Think
I was talking to a neighbor this afternoon and he was so glad that I replaced our old 1991 Honda Civic with the white Ford Focus hatchback, but he was wondering why he hadn't seen it lately. I told him it was a rental, and had since been replaced by the Nissan Versa Note. Huh? said he. I saw you in your car just yesterday. Nope, said I. That was the Versa Note. Oh, that's what happened to your wheels. I couldn't figure out why they looked so different. Turns out he, like so many other people mistook the Versa Note for a Fit. Something I bet Nissan designers are high-fiving each other for as they read this. They aren't that dissimilar looking so I get that he didn't see the difference (other than the wheels). Nissan designers did their homework when it comes to the exterior, but the fit and finish of the Fit and the magic seat still make it the car to beat in the econobox segment.
Now the rentcar didn't come with the fancy alloy wheels, and the color is a little different, but if you're not paying real attention, they definitely look similar enough.
Now the rentcar didn't come with the fancy alloy wheels, and the color is a little different, but if you're not paying real attention, they definitely look similar enough.
Monday, March 28, 2016
Day 22: Three Weeks and Counting
Okay, 3 weeks and counting now since my Fit was surrendered. One small advantage to turning two other Enterprise rentacars already--I don't have to check in again until I hit 30 days in the Nissan Versa Note. Enterprise needs to renew the rental contract every 30 days, so it means an hour out of my life to deal with the bureaucracy of the rentacar establishment.
Did I mention that the Versa Note is an extreme econobox? I guess so. That point is made from every standing start, and turn of the key. Engines start are loud and rumbling. Acceleration is leisurely and loud too. The Fit, while SCREAMING LOUD at highway speeds, is really quiet and at ignition. I've more than once (when the car was new) accidentally turned the ignition because it was very quiet and smooth at idle. No mistaking the idle in the Versa Note.
Did I mention that the Versa Note is an extreme econobox? I guess so. That point is made from every standing start, and turn of the key. Engines start are loud and rumbling. Acceleration is leisurely and loud too. The Fit, while SCREAMING LOUD at highway speeds, is really quiet and at ignition. I've more than once (when the car was new) accidentally turned the ignition because it was very quiet and smooth at idle. No mistaking the idle in the Versa Note.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Day 19 20 21: MIA
My math must be off by a little, or my schedule of posting is off, or something as this is really day 21, so even if yesterday I said Day 18, today is a 3 bagger. It's been three weeks since dropping off the Fit. I keep seeing references from others in FitFreak.net and elsewhere about the Takaka inflator being available as early as next month, with always a caveat about maybe August. I think Honda is basically trying to not get anybody's hopes up, and will have the fix ready when it's ready, with older more humid environs getting first crack.
The Versa Note fits fine in the garage. Its nose is not as long as the Fit so front wheels stops are further forward than where I keep them with the Fit. Just got to remember to put them back in their original position when the Fit comes home or I'll smash into the laundry sink or shelving. The same problem of not knowing where the front of the car is exists in the Versa Note as in the Fit. On my Fit I drilled a 1/4 inch hole in the bumper bracket to mount a flag on a dowel for desperate days when I don't feel like parking by braille. It's pretty embarrassing to be seen mounting the flag on the front bumper so it's pretty rare that it happens, but darn helpful when I have to do it. As my mom says, "fun's fun til someone loses an eye," and it would be a shame if my Fit lost an eye.
The Versa Note fits fine in the garage. Its nose is not as long as the Fit so front wheels stops are further forward than where I keep them with the Fit. Just got to remember to put them back in their original position when the Fit comes home or I'll smash into the laundry sink or shelving. The same problem of not knowing where the front of the car is exists in the Versa Note as in the Fit. On my Fit I drilled a 1/4 inch hole in the bumper bracket to mount a flag on a dowel for desperate days when I don't feel like parking by braille. It's pretty embarrassing to be seen mounting the flag on the front bumper so it's pretty rare that it happens, but darn helpful when I have to do it. As my mom says, "fun's fun til someone loses an eye," and it would be a shame if my Fit lost an eye.
Saturday, March 26, 2016
Day-18: Recall Notice
I feel like Steve Martin in the "The Jerk." The recall notice is here! The recall notice is here! Of course I knew about this a month and a half ago, and have already dealt with it. It's still surprising to me to see so many Honda Fits on the road knowing that people are driving them, with the infinitesimal chance of disaster. I guess, as with the lottery, there's a better chance of dying by a tree falling on the car than getting hit by airbag shrapnel, but it still feels wrong to keep driving the car after Honda's lawyers say there is a threat to one's life in doing so.
So we're not driving the Fit--we surrendered it 18 days ago. It's funny--I drove to a friends house this afternoon in the Versa Note and he totally didn't register that it was a different car until I went to leave. He's got a Leaf so he was interested in the similarities between the Versa Note and the Leaf. They really seem like they are built on the same platform, but his Leaf feels very UNLIKE the econobox that the Versa Note IS. Yet, for whatever economic reasons, there is a very soft market for electric cars off lease. Ultimately I'd like an electric car for kicking around the city, but I don't think I could live with ONLY the electric full time. At least not until Honda gets back into the electric car game with more than a compliance vehicle.
So we're not driving the Fit--we surrendered it 18 days ago. It's funny--I drove to a friends house this afternoon in the Versa Note and he totally didn't register that it was a different car until I went to leave. He's got a Leaf so he was interested in the similarities between the Versa Note and the Leaf. They really seem like they are built on the same platform, but his Leaf feels very UNLIKE the econobox that the Versa Note IS. Yet, for whatever economic reasons, there is a very soft market for electric cars off lease. Ultimately I'd like an electric car for kicking around the city, but I don't think I could live with ONLY the electric full time. At least not until Honda gets back into the electric car game with more than a compliance vehicle.
Friday, March 25, 2016
Day 17: Regularity
Today seems to be the most back to normal since the surrender of the Fit. Nobody's heads were imperilled just getting into the Versa Note. The only hitch seems to be the weird location of the seatback recline handle (which I figured out but Wendy didn't). The Versa Note screams econobox--it's clattery, small, but drives adequately with an abundance of interior space for its size. Not as much interior volume or cleverness as the Fit, but adequate.
The stereo plays CD's fine. Radio is okay. The whole setup is way more intuitive than the Ford's devil's spawn, Sync. MP4 (AAC) files play from a memory stick or data CD (more than can be said of the older version of Sync). The integration for music from a stick is poor. My memory stick is 64 GB with about 13,000 songs which pretty much overwhelmed the Nissan basic stereo interface. I haven't synced my phone (bluetooth is built in) but I'm assuming it will work for calls, but not streaming audio--we'll see.
Honda's Airbag Recall rep called again this morning to make sure the swap happened and I was happy with the results. I told her basically what I said above--the car is comparable but not my Fit. Just for kicks, I went to Nissan's website to see how Versa Notes can be configured. Turns out the only the base model has a manual transmission, and it has ROLL UP WINDOWS. Wow. No cruise control. No niceties whatsoever. Too bad--the Versa Note might actually be a fun-ish car to drive with a manual tranny. A quick look at Craigslist showed an incredibly steep depreciation as well. 2014 models with less than 20K miles for 37.5 percent depreciation for a year and a half old car. Ouch. That's Mercedes and BMW territory :-)
The stereo plays CD's fine. Radio is okay. The whole setup is way more intuitive than the Ford's devil's spawn, Sync. MP4 (AAC) files play from a memory stick or data CD (more than can be said of the older version of Sync). The integration for music from a stick is poor. My memory stick is 64 GB with about 13,000 songs which pretty much overwhelmed the Nissan basic stereo interface. I haven't synced my phone (bluetooth is built in) but I'm assuming it will work for calls, but not streaming audio--we'll see.
Honda's Airbag Recall rep called again this morning to make sure the swap happened and I was happy with the results. I told her basically what I said above--the car is comparable but not my Fit. Just for kicks, I went to Nissan's website to see how Versa Notes can be configured. Turns out the only the base model has a manual transmission, and it has ROLL UP WINDOWS. Wow. No cruise control. No niceties whatsoever. Too bad--the Versa Note might actually be a fun-ish car to drive with a manual tranny. A quick look at Craigslist showed an incredibly steep depreciation as well. 2014 models with less than 20K miles for 37.5 percent depreciation for a year and a half old car. Ouch. That's Mercedes and BMW territory :-)
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Day 16: A Different Note
After the origami morning errands in the Focus (which included its refusal to play mp4 (AAC) files from a disc, I got a call from Enterprise to come swap out the Focus for a Nissan Versa Note. Funnily enough, the Versa Note is very close to the Fit's color, and I already knew that its size was totally comparable, mostly.
I picked up the Versa Note and did a couple more errands which included putting a 10 ft. long plastic drain pipe into the car, again, mostly. The tailgate wouldn't close with the pipe heading down into the front passenger footwell, so out the passenger side window it went. This went better than if I had the Focus, but not as well as the Fit--I seem to recall that I could have gotten this piece entirely in the car. I folding down the seats I was very aware that this was no magic seat--the seat backs fold onto the stationary seat bottoms creating a heightened load floor in the middle. I hear there's a way to reposition the floorboard in the rear cargo area to match the load floor height, but I'm not sure I see the point.
I stopped by the Honda dealer to visit my Fit and collect some shopping bags from the cargo area and sunglasses. The dealer had the car in a secure area protected by chainlink fence and barbed wire. Likely thieves would go for the pricier stock in that cage. The service guy said that the car would probably be moved offsite because they are running out of storage space. He also heard the April rumor, and also is in the 'believe it when he sees it" camp.
Credit to the Honda Social media team (Mike) and the Honda Airbag Recall team (Tanisha) for arranging the car swap. I would have done it on my own eventually, but it was one of those things that while annoying I wasn't going to deal with til I had to. The Versa Note fits perfectly in the garage, as it has the same footprint as the Fit. Nothing unusual there.
So now the long term Nissan test drive begins. My initial impressions are that the Versa Note is an economy car (not unlike my Fit) but with somewhat less road feel and polish. The acceleration (with the CVT) is adequate and not surge-y like the Ford Focus. The braking is a little mushy, but the Focus was grabby so I prefer the mushiness. The cargo will be adequate. Rear passengers (2) will be thrilled. It's like a limo in the back of the Note. There is enough leg room for a 7 footer--don't know about the headroom though for that 7 footer. The cargo area (seats up) is smaller than the Fit, but again, adequate for my needs.
I picked up the Versa Note and did a couple more errands which included putting a 10 ft. long plastic drain pipe into the car, again, mostly. The tailgate wouldn't close with the pipe heading down into the front passenger footwell, so out the passenger side window it went. This went better than if I had the Focus, but not as well as the Fit--I seem to recall that I could have gotten this piece entirely in the car. I folding down the seats I was very aware that this was no magic seat--the seat backs fold onto the stationary seat bottoms creating a heightened load floor in the middle. I hear there's a way to reposition the floorboard in the rear cargo area to match the load floor height, but I'm not sure I see the point.
I stopped by the Honda dealer to visit my Fit and collect some shopping bags from the cargo area and sunglasses. The dealer had the car in a secure area protected by chainlink fence and barbed wire. Likely thieves would go for the pricier stock in that cage. The service guy said that the car would probably be moved offsite because they are running out of storage space. He also heard the April rumor, and also is in the 'believe it when he sees it" camp.
Credit to the Honda Social media team (Mike) and the Honda Airbag Recall team (Tanisha) for arranging the car swap. I would have done it on my own eventually, but it was one of those things that while annoying I wasn't going to deal with til I had to. The Versa Note fits perfectly in the garage, as it has the same footprint as the Fit. Nothing unusual there.
So now the long term Nissan test drive begins. My initial impressions are that the Versa Note is an economy car (not unlike my Fit) but with somewhat less road feel and polish. The acceleration (with the CVT) is adequate and not surge-y like the Ford Focus. The braking is a little mushy, but the Focus was grabby so I prefer the mushiness. The cargo will be adequate. Rear passengers (2) will be thrilled. It's like a limo in the back of the Note. There is enough leg room for a 7 footer--don't know about the headroom though for that 7 footer. The cargo area (seats up) is smaller than the Fit, but again, adequate for my needs.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Day 15: More Contact
In the morning, the Honda Airbag Recall rep called to reassure me that she had made contact with Enterprise rentacar to arrange a Nissan Versa Note or Hyundai Elantra GT to replace the Ford Focus. She went on to say that hopefully the swap would be done maybe Thursday. Or Friday. Or whenever they get one back from a long term rental. I thank Honda for the continued attention.
I keep seeing references to earlier fixes expected for the Fit, but I'm not hanging any hopes on this. Again, we'll see.
I keep seeing references to earlier fixes expected for the Fit, but I'm not hanging any hopes on this. Again, we'll see.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Day 14: Two Weeks and Counting
It's now been two weeks since the Fit was surrendered for the airbag recall. It seems to strange to use Honda's terminology "surrendered" with all its implications. In surrender I really have put myself (my car anyway) at Honda's mercy. Granted, Honda is providing another car, but I'm definitely feeling the surrender these days.
Concerning the Ford Focus, which I still unfortunately have, I've been looking that the back wiper wondering how to operate it for the past 10 days. When I got in the car most recently and backed up, the back wiper swooped across the window. How'd that happen I asked my wife and she told me she discovered switch for the wiper, but not how to turn it off. This is very emblematic of this car: it's got controls for everything that probably work if one could just figure them out (or sit down with the encyclopedic owner's manual, or YouTube). I tried to pair my phone with the Sync system a week ago, and thought I miserably failed until I made a call from the car yesterday and the call was taken over by Sync. There's a line in Harry Potter where somebody says "Never trust anything if you can't see where it keeps its brain." This is how I feel about the Focus, and lately, Sync in particular.
Concerning the Ford Focus, which I still unfortunately have, I've been looking that the back wiper wondering how to operate it for the past 10 days. When I got in the car most recently and backed up, the back wiper swooped across the window. How'd that happen I asked my wife and she told me she discovered switch for the wiper, but not how to turn it off. This is very emblematic of this car: it's got controls for everything that probably work if one could just figure them out (or sit down with the encyclopedic owner's manual, or YouTube). I tried to pair my phone with the Sync system a week ago, and thought I miserably failed until I made a call from the car yesterday and the call was taken over by Sync. There's a line in Harry Potter where somebody says "Never trust anything if you can't see where it keeps its brain." This is how I feel about the Focus, and lately, Sync in particular.
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Day 13: The end of the Oil Change message
Cut and paste from yesterday. It's Sunday. No news. No replacement. But we didn't expect anything today anyway.
On the rentacar side, the annoying Change the Oil message is gone now thanks to youtube. Seriously, you can google anything and there's a fix. Last summer after a week with a warm fridge I finally googled its symptoms and came up with a video showing the exact problem, with a thorough step by step process of what parts would need replacement and how to dismantle the fridge to get at them (saving my hundreds of dollars in the process). Turning off the Oil change message was a no-brainer in comparison, but it just reminded me of a valuable lesson in crowd-sourced knowledge. Another reason to give back to the crowd via this blog. If Honda somehow has feelers out to the minutiae of a Honda Airbag mention somewhere on an obscure blog post, and then actually get in touch with the poster, just think of the possibilities. It would have been more efficient to just use Twitter from the start, but A) I don't do well in 140 characters, and B) I did start a Twitter account that was promptly taken down after 4 harmless tweets from the perspective of the lonely Honda Fit airbag, now stranded at the dealer. Here are those four tweets from @hondaairbag (since suspended by twitter)
Honda Airbag @hondaairbag
The last tweet was a link this site. Basically I was trying to get Honda's attention in a marginally humorous way, rather than a foaming-at-the-mouth angry customer way. Bottom line is that I'm not an angry customer. I've driven Hondas pretty consistently since 1984, starting with an 81 Civic, then an 88 Civic, and a 91 Civic wagon (get a family, need more space) before the Fit. I'm just disappointed that I've got to live without my car for potentially months. I really really look forward to getting it back. I'm not thrilled with the prospect of my garaged car living outside and not moving for a long period of time either. I wonder how the dealer is dealing with this. I'll have to call them and find out. A subject for another day.
On the rentacar side, the annoying Change the Oil message is gone now thanks to youtube. Seriously, you can google anything and there's a fix. Last summer after a week with a warm fridge I finally googled its symptoms and came up with a video showing the exact problem, with a thorough step by step process of what parts would need replacement and how to dismantle the fridge to get at them (saving my hundreds of dollars in the process). Turning off the Oil change message was a no-brainer in comparison, but it just reminded me of a valuable lesson in crowd-sourced knowledge. Another reason to give back to the crowd via this blog. If Honda somehow has feelers out to the minutiae of a Honda Airbag mention somewhere on an obscure blog post, and then actually get in touch with the poster, just think of the possibilities. It would have been more efficient to just use Twitter from the start, but A) I don't do well in 140 characters, and B) I did start a Twitter account that was promptly taken down after 4 harmless tweets from the perspective of the lonely Honda Fit airbag, now stranded at the dealer. Here are those four tweets from @hondaairbag (since suspended by twitter)
Honda Airbag @hondaairbag
Off to @Enterprise to pick up the @Honda paid-for rentacar. @Honda sez repair will take 2-3 months. Thanks for the long @Hyundai test drive.
I want to come home...
The last tweet was a link this site. Basically I was trying to get Honda's attention in a marginally humorous way, rather than a foaming-at-the-mouth angry customer way. Bottom line is that I'm not an angry customer. I've driven Hondas pretty consistently since 1984, starting with an 81 Civic, then an 88 Civic, and a 91 Civic wagon (get a family, need more space) before the Fit. I'm just disappointed that I've got to live without my car for potentially months. I really really look forward to getting it back. I'm not thrilled with the prospect of my garaged car living outside and not moving for a long period of time either. I wonder how the dealer is dealing with this. I'll have to call them and find out. A subject for another day.
Day 12: Saturday Apparently is a Day of Rest
No news, but it's Saturday--we didn't expect anything to happen today. Drove the rentacar a bit. Waiting for the replacement.
Friday, March 18, 2016
Day 11: Contact x 2
Mike from Honda's social media team actually called, and put me in touch with the airbag recall team. They got in contact with Enterprise to see if they had a more 'like the Fit' car, which turns out to be a Nissan Versa Note. So when the Versa Note comes in, I get to trade in the Ford Focus for it. At least it will fit in the garage and we can stop contorting ourselves to avoid smacking our heads to get in. Oh, and my 6'2" son will fit in the back, or front, or wherever.
The Airbag recall team said it really could be til mid summer until the airbag is fixed. Again, we'll see. At least I'll be in a car with similar interior cargo space (albeit without the magic seat--can't have everything) and exterior dimensions. Do you think Nissan looked at the Fit a little bit when they designed the Versa Note? Probably.
So thanks to the the Honda team for trying to do everything they could in a difficult situation. I asked to be made whole (at least have a loaner comparable to the Fit) and they are trying to do that.
The Airbag recall team said it really could be til mid summer until the airbag is fixed. Again, we'll see. At least I'll be in a car with similar interior cargo space (albeit without the magic seat--can't have everything) and exterior dimensions. Do you think Nissan looked at the Fit a little bit when they designed the Versa Note? Probably.
So thanks to the the Honda team for trying to do everything they could in a difficult situation. I asked to be made whole (at least have a loaner comparable to the Fit) and they are trying to do that.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Day 10: OMG Contact
Shopping day today which means that I really really really miss my Fit and it's magic seat and superior cargo capacity and parking ability. Alas, into the Ford Focus again went the two 48 quart coolers, a 12 quart cooler between them. Loading the Focus is like playing tetris--you can't put in a 48 quart cooler directly into the side of the cargo area, or even diagonally into the cargo area. You've got to load it in the center, handles down, then slide it sideways into the side. To take the coolers out, reverse the process. Yes you could just throw them in any old way if you lower the rear seats, but that would involve taking off the inconveniently large headrests (which are only removable when the seat is partially down), and then you don't have a flat load floor on the seatbacks. Better to leave the rear seats in place, and just pile stuff on them and in the foot wells. Also it wasn't a huge shopping day (I'm not cooking lunch for 200 of my closest friends this week), so everything went in okay. I think I will not be able to fit in the contents of a huge shopping trip--the cargo area capacity just isn't comparable to the Fit, or my departed Civic wagon. You'd think other manufacturers would have studied the Fit's magic seats and figured out how to put them in their small cars--they only came out in 2001 so it's not like they haven't had time or anything.
A possible miracle happened here. Mike from Honda's social media team (@HondaCustSvc) has reached out to me. Nothing has happened yet except them wanting my name, VIN and phone number. A nice outcome would be either my Fit gets fixed super fast or I get an old or new Fit (just not 2009-13) as a loaner. Even an HR-V would be acceptable. We'll see. I'm not holding my breath.
Now, how Honda's social media found a tiny blog like this is the really impressive point here. And that they have a social media team. I guess that makes sense. They would have found me sooner if my @hondaairbag twitter account hadn't been suspended. Hmmm, maybe that's why my @hondaairbag twitter feed got suspended.
A possible miracle happened here. Mike from Honda's social media team (@HondaCustSvc) has reached out to me. Nothing has happened yet except them wanting my name, VIN and phone number. A nice outcome would be either my Fit gets fixed super fast or I get an old or new Fit (just not 2009-13) as a loaner. Even an HR-V would be acceptable. We'll see. I'm not holding my breath.
Now, how Honda's social media found a tiny blog like this is the really impressive point here. And that they have a social media team. I guess that makes sense. They would have found me sooner if my @hondaairbag twitter account hadn't been suspended. Hmmm, maybe that's why my @hondaairbag twitter feed got suspended.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Day 9: Early April???
I read a rumor that the replacement parts could be ready as early as mid-April--I'll believe it when I see it. No use getting my hopes up. C'mon Honda, get your feces amalgamated.
Still no word from the dealer, or Honda, or anybody. The Ford Focus went out for a quick spin today, and doesn't fit as well in the garage as the Fit.
Still no word from the dealer, or Honda, or anybody. The Ford Focus went out for a quick spin today, and doesn't fit as well in the garage as the Fit.
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Day 8: No Joy in Mudville
No call from Honda. No sight of the Fit. No driving the rentacar. No joy in Mudville.
One of these day the NY Times is going to pick up this blog and publicize the heck out it shaming Honda to fix my car. Or not.
Did I mention I didn't drive the Ford Focus today?
One of these day the NY Times is going to pick up this blog and publicize the heck out it shaming Honda to fix my car. Or not.
Did I mention I didn't drive the Ford Focus today?
Monday, March 14, 2016
Day 7: One Week On and Fits 4 Sale
It's been a week without the Fit, and we really miss it.
I saw some Fits advertised on Craigslist by Honda dealers and thought there was a stop-sale on all Honda models with airbag issues. I wrote to the dealer asking for info about a 2009 Fit and the dealer got right back to me, but said the advertised car was actually not available due to the recall and tried selling me a new Fit instead, then a Yaris, then anything else he had on his lot.
I get that Honda dealers are hurting because they've got a bunch of cars on the lot they can't sell. Honda is giving them cash. Honda, can I have some cash too?
The Ford Focus went on a 180 mile round trip this past weekend, leaving me carless for the weekend, as my Car2Go membership hasn't kicked in yet. Bad timing. The Focus did what it does here--went to the destination, parked, then came back. And it didn't consus Wendy again, so I guess that's good.
I saw some Fits advertised on Craigslist by Honda dealers and thought there was a stop-sale on all Honda models with airbag issues. I wrote to the dealer asking for info about a 2009 Fit and the dealer got right back to me, but said the advertised car was actually not available due to the recall and tried selling me a new Fit instead, then a Yaris, then anything else he had on his lot.
I get that Honda dealers are hurting because they've got a bunch of cars on the lot they can't sell. Honda is giving them cash. Honda, can I have some cash too?
The Ford Focus went on a 180 mile round trip this past weekend, leaving me carless for the weekend, as my Car2Go membership hasn't kicked in yet. Bad timing. The Focus did what it does here--went to the destination, parked, then came back. And it didn't consus Wendy again, so I guess that's good.
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Day 6: Reliability
Nada, zilch, nuthin. No word from the dealer or Honda this week about anything to do with the Fit's airbag, but we didn't really expect there to be any communication, did we? I did get a survey from American Honda about the service performed on the Fit the previous week (manual transmission oil change) and when faced with the nearly final question of the rating the overall reliability of the Fit from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent), and thought long and hard before pressing the button next to 1. My thinking was that while the overall reliability of the car really has been fine. However, American Honda wrote on their website "please take immediate action to have your vehicle repaired, as your safety may be at risk." This is not a car that should be driven, so therefore, it is NOT a reliable car. It's too bad because I really do like the Fit so much better than the Ford Focus 5-door we're currently driving.
So I get it--Honda is trying to make this right by providing a rental vehicle while my Fit is not available. But here's a suggestion to make at least this Fit owner significantly happier--loan me another Fit that is not subject to the airbag recall--that will at least make me whole while I endure this episode.
So I get it--Honda is trying to make this right by providing a rental vehicle while my Fit is not available. But here's a suggestion to make at least this Fit owner significantly happier--loan me another Fit that is not subject to the airbag recall--that will at least make me whole while I endure this episode.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Day 5: Conked on the Head
A very inauspicious start to the day happened when Wendy got into the car and immediately brained herself on the low roofline. Of course everything has a lower door frame than a Fit, but the Focus is really pretty low. Her head hurt for the rest of the day. I got home to find her with a cat on her lap and an ice cube on her temple.
No news on the airbag front. I read that Honda is having to give dealers money because they are not allowed to sell used cars with airbag recalls. Now if we can just get some kind of pain and suffering for Honda owners forced out of their cars (and into ones that make them smack their heads), then we'll be talking.
Of course no word from the dealer or Honda or anybody else--we're hearing maybe by late summer. Enterprise points, here we come.
No news on the airbag front. I read that Honda is having to give dealers money because they are not allowed to sell used cars with airbag recalls. Now if we can just get some kind of pain and suffering for Honda owners forced out of their cars (and into ones that make them smack their heads), then we'll be talking.
Of course no word from the dealer or Honda or anybody else--we're hearing maybe by late summer. Enterprise points, here we come.
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Day 4: Did I say Fiesta?
Did I say Fiesta hatchback? Well Enterprise had other ideas and after the Hyundai get traded in and all the paperwork redone, I went out to the car to find...a Fiest sedan. Uhhh, this isn't a hatchback. Yes it is said the slightly british accented worker (New Zealand perhaps?). Not the kind of hatch I was looking for. And then a Focus hatchback came rolling in. I'll take that one. A half hour later it was cleaned and ready for rental. During the walk around I found some stuff--a dent in the frame above the passenger front door which probably led to the moonroof being unable to close properly which equals A LOT of wind noise (hurricane noise) and possibly water intrusion, though I haven't seen evidence of this yet. To add insult to injury, after driving the car home, and restarting it, I was faced with an Oil Minder message to change the oil immediately. Crap. Called back Enterprise and they said I could bring it to any oil change place and they would direct bill Enterprise. I bring it? I don't think so. So, by the time the car actually needs its oil changed (Enterprise said it would be in about 2000K miles), I'll have turned it in for a different hatchback.
Thanks again Honda, for this opportunity to test drive a boat load of competitor's cars.
And by the way, the Focus fits in the garage much better than the Hyundai.
Fit 162 inches
Focus 171 inches
Elantra 179 inches.
Maybe the next car will be the Elantra GT (169 inches)
As far as interior volume is concerned, the Fit still beats the Focus handily in cargo volume. Seats in the Focus don't fold flat, so weren't appropriate for holding the days shopping and dual 48 qt. coolers. I just kept the back seat up and put the coolers in the cargo area and everything else in the back seat. The Fit can not fit those two coolers in the cargo area unless they're stacked, which really is possible due to the low load floor. In the Focus the 2 coolers took up all the space,
Thanks again Honda, for this opportunity to test drive a boat load of competitor's cars.
And by the way, the Focus fits in the garage much better than the Hyundai.
Fit 162 inches
Focus 171 inches
Elantra 179 inches.
Maybe the next car will be the Elantra GT (169 inches)
As far as interior volume is concerned, the Fit still beats the Focus handily in cargo volume. Seats in the Focus don't fold flat, so weren't appropriate for holding the days shopping and dual 48 qt. coolers. I just kept the back seat up and put the coolers in the cargo area and everything else in the back seat. The Fit can not fit those two coolers in the cargo area unless they're stacked, which really is possible due to the low load floor. In the Focus the 2 coolers took up all the space,
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Day 3: Turn, Turn, Turn
So after two days with a Hyundai Elantra sedan, we can't stand it. Seems to be the combination of trunk and the weird acceleration. The trunk issue is that we've had hatchbacks for so long that a car with a trunk that is impossible to judge the back of makes backing up an adventure--don't want adventures with rentacars. And the acceleration is like you step on the gas and think, maybe I should give it some more gas because this thing isn't doing anything and then it does something. Might be the transmission, might be the programming--I don't care. I don't like it.
I called Enterprise and said I'd like to trade it for a small hatchback and they offered a Fiesta tomorrow morning. So it's off to Enterprise I go, and I'll swing thru the Honda lot to see what's up with my Fit.
Here's to a funner, smaller car tomorrow that will fit better in the garage and my life.
I called Enterprise and said I'd like to trade it for a small hatchback and they offered a Fiesta tomorrow morning. So it's off to Enterprise I go, and I'll swing thru the Honda lot to see what's up with my Fit.
Here's to a funner, smaller car tomorrow that will fit better in the garage and my life.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Day 2: Will it Fit?
Day 1: Bye Bye Fit
March 7 at 7:30 am, I drove to the Honda dealer to get my 2012 Honda Fit's Takata airbag inflator replaced. I made the appointment online on February 15th after finding out that my Fit was part of the infamous Takata recall that so many manufacturers, especially Honda, are dealing with. I scheduled the appointment for first thing in the morning and said I would wait for the repair to take place. What could go wrong?
I arrived at the dealer on time, and saw a service advisor (SA) immediately. He checked me in and said "the repair will take 2 or 3 months to complete." Stop. Wait a minute. Hold on. Did he just say 2 or 3 months? Yes. Yes he did. It seems Honda has just announced the recall and doesn't actually have any remanufactured non-shrapnelating parts for the recall. "Would you like to surrender your vehicle?" says SA. "Ummm, can I have a loaner car?" says I. "No loaners are available, but you can have a rental car from Enterprise" says SA. "Does Honda pay for the rental?" says I. "Yes" says SA. "Sure" says I.
So SA gets on the phone and scheduled me a rentacar. Then calls for a shuttle to bring me to Enterprise. I collect some stuff from my Fit, and off we go to Enterprise. At the rentacar counter the agent is very enthusiastic about selling me supplemental insurance for the car, all declined by me, because my insurance will cover the rentacar as my own. I'm eventually sitting in a 2015 Hyundai Elantra sedan. It's about 18 inches longer than my Fit. It has a trunk. It has no back up camera. The thought of 2 or 3 months with this car almost sends me back to the Honda dealer to claim my Fit, but the thought of a face and torso full of shrapnel keeps me in my rentacar seat.
I got home and made some room at the nose end of the garage and wedgied the Hyundai into the Fit's normal place. Does Honda really not have any newly engineered airbag inflators for Honda Fits? Does Honda really want me to test drive a Hyundai for 3 months? We'll find out over the course or what may be days or months.
Enjoy the ride,
Mark
I arrived at the dealer on time, and saw a service advisor (SA) immediately. He checked me in and said "the repair will take 2 or 3 months to complete." Stop. Wait a minute. Hold on. Did he just say 2 or 3 months? Yes. Yes he did. It seems Honda has just announced the recall and doesn't actually have any remanufactured non-shrapnelating parts for the recall. "Would you like to surrender your vehicle?" says SA. "Ummm, can I have a loaner car?" says I. "No loaners are available, but you can have a rental car from Enterprise" says SA. "Does Honda pay for the rental?" says I. "Yes" says SA. "Sure" says I.
So SA gets on the phone and scheduled me a rentacar. Then calls for a shuttle to bring me to Enterprise. I collect some stuff from my Fit, and off we go to Enterprise. At the rentacar counter the agent is very enthusiastic about selling me supplemental insurance for the car, all declined by me, because my insurance will cover the rentacar as my own. I'm eventually sitting in a 2015 Hyundai Elantra sedan. It's about 18 inches longer than my Fit. It has a trunk. It has no back up camera. The thought of 2 or 3 months with this car almost sends me back to the Honda dealer to claim my Fit, but the thought of a face and torso full of shrapnel keeps me in my rentacar seat.
I got home and made some room at the nose end of the garage and wedgied the Hyundai into the Fit's normal place. Does Honda really not have any newly engineered airbag inflators for Honda Fits? Does Honda really want me to test drive a Hyundai for 3 months? We'll find out over the course or what may be days or months.
Enjoy the ride,
Mark
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