NHTSA Complaint #10607633 — 2008 HONDA FIT

MY 2008 HONDA FIT SPORT BEGAN HAVING A "SURGING" ISSUE FROM THE 2ND WEEK AFTER I BOUGHT IT NEW IN 2008. I WOULD TAP THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN AND THE ENGINE WOULD SURGE. HITTING THE BRAKES A SECOND TIME USUALLY STOPPED IT BUT THROWING IT INTO NEUTRAL HELPED TOO. I REPORTED IT FREQUENTLY TO THE HONDA DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM AND SAID THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF IT. IT CONTINUED FOR 4 YEARS, AND THEN SEEMED TO STOP FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS. THIS PAST MARCH, IT STARTED AGAIN, AND I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BEFORE AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THEN IT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS COMING DOWN THE HILL I LIVE ON. THE CAR WAS IN 2ND GEAR (USING THE SHIFTER), AND I TAPPED THE BRAKES TO SLOW A BIT. THE ENGINE BEGAN ACCELERATING AND GOING FASTER. THE BRAKES DID NO GOOD; NEITHER DID THE EMERGENCY BRAKE; FINALLY, THE BRAKES GAVE OUT AND MY FOOT WAS FLAT ON THE FLOOR. I FINALLY PUT IT INTO PARK AND IT SLOWED DOWN TO A STOP. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND NO PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH I PUT IT INTO PARK WHILE MOVING, NOR COULD THEY FIND ANY REASON FOR THE ACCELERATION. AMERICAN HONDA IS NO HELP EITHER. THEY DID BUY THE CAR BACK, BUT HAVE SOLD IT AS A USED CAR, AND I FEAR FOR THE PERSON WHO PURCHASED IT. I'M SURE THEY DID NOT LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM FURTHER. ON YOUR WEBSITE, I FOUND SEVEN (7) SIMILAR REPORTS FOR THE 2008 FIT AND FIVE (5) MORE FOR THE 2009. OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM ON EDMUNDS.COM FOR SEVERAL YEARS, YET THE HONDA SALES MANAGER DID NOT WANT TO LOOK AT THE PRINTOUT I GAVE HIM. HERE ARE THE NHTSA ID#S THAT REPORT A SIMILAR PROBLEM: 10523098, 1049187, 10425811, 10344231, 10323002, 10317179, 10282552, 10266390, 10368077, 10329557, 10308988, 10280593. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER - IT IS VERY SERIOUS. *TR