NHTSA Complaint #10325750 — 2008 HONDA FIT

I OWN A 2008 HONDA FIT. ON 1-7-2010, WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 -50 MPH, THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF MINE BEGAN TO BRAKE. MY BRAKES WERE APPLIED; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE DID NOT SEEM TO BE SLOWING. THE BRAKES WERE THEN DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED FORWARD UNTIL IT CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF MINE. THE ABS DID NOT ENGAGE DURING THIS INCIDENT. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE SEAT BELT BROKE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS INFORMED OF THE ABOVE NOTED FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, HOWEVER, NO BRAKE PROBLEMS WERE DETECTED. IN LATE FEBRUARY, 2010, I GOT MY VEHICLE BACK FROM THE REPAIR SHOP. ON 3-4-2010, I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN A VEHICLE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME CAUSING ME TO SLAM THE BRAKES AS HARD AS I COULD. AGAIN, THE ABS SYSTEM DID NOT ENGAGE AND MY VEHICLE CONTINUED FORWARD. THE ONLY REASON I DID NOT CRASH INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME IS BECAUSE IT CLEARED MY PATH BEFORE IMPACT. DURING THIS INCIDENT, MY SEAT BELT DID NOT "GRAB" ME. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY, EXPLAINED THE INCIDENT, AND ASKED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND SEAT BELT BE CHECKED OUT AGAIN THOROUGHLY. THE HONDA SERVICE WRITER TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES OR THE SEAT BELT. DUE TO MY FIELD OF EMPLOYMENT, I HAVE HAD EXTENSIVE TRAINING IN EMERGENCY VEHICLE OPERATION. I KNOW HOW THE ABS SYSTEM OPERATES AND HOW A VEHICLE SHOULD RESPOND WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED IN THE MANNER DESCRIBED ABOVE. *TR