NHTSA Complaint #10331132 — 2009 HONDA FIT

THIS COMPLAINT REGARDS A 2009 HONDA FIT THAT WE HAVE/HAD OWNED FOR A LITTLE OVER ONE YEAR. LAST SATURDAY, WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS TURNING LEFT INTO OUR DRIVEWAY, AND SO WAS GOING QUITE SLOW, HE TURNED INTO A PERSON WHO WAS COMING STRAIGHT TOWARD HIM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD. SHE WAS APPROACHING BY COMING UP A MODERATE INCLINE, BUT WELL NOTICEABLE BY ANY OTHER CAR THAT I HAVE DRIVEN. WE HAVE OWNED THIS PROPERTY FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND THERE HAS BEEN NO OTHER TROUBLE IN THIS VICINITY. I HAVE BEEN VERY LEERY OF DRIVING THE FIT SINCE A FEW DAYS AFTER PURCHASE BECAUSE OF THE BLIND SPOTS THAT I NOTICED WHEN DRIVING THE CAR. THE SAME KIND OF ACCIDENT HAS ALMOST HAPPENED TO ME AND TO MY HUSBAND SEVERAL OTHER TIMES WITH THIS CAR, THE 2009 HONDA FIT, SINCE OUR OWNERSHIP OF IT. THE MAJOR PROBLEM HAS BEEN THE A-PILLARS IN THE LARGE FRONT WINDOW. THE FIRST TIME THAT I NOTICED IT WAS A FEW DAYS AFTER OWNERSHIP IN 2009, A PERSON STEPPED OFF A CURB AS I WAS TURNING, AND I DID NOT INITIALLY SEE HIM. FORTUNATELY, I DID SEE HIM AS THE CAR MOVED AND THE BLIND SPOT WAS NO LONGER IMPEDING MY VIEW. UNFORTUNATELY FOR MY HUSBAND, WHEN HE TURNED LAST SATURDAY THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT ACCIDENT WITH HOPEFULLY MINOR INJURIES, AND THE FIT WAS TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE OTHER DRIVER INVOLVED ALSO SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL TO BE CHECKED FOR INJURY. THERE IS NO WAY FOR US TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM, BUT I HOPE THAT SOMEONE WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THIS ISSUE SO THAT INJURY AND DAMAGE AND POSSIBLY, DEATH, CAN BE AVOIDED FOR OTHERS. EXCEPT FOR THIS SIGNIFICANT SAFETY PROBLEM, THE CAR FIT OUR LIFESTYLE PERFECTLY, BUT I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER AS LONG AS THIS PROBLEM PERSISTS. *TR