NHTSA Complaint #10629447 — 2007 HONDA FIT

I AM THE OWNER OF MODEL YEAR 2007 HONDA FIT. THIS YEAR, WHEN THE CAR REACHED AROUND 76,000 MILES THE CLUTCH BEGAN TO FAIL TO FULLY DISENGAGE WITH THE PEDAL FULLY DEPRESSED. EVENTUALLY THE PROBLEM WAS ISOLATED TO THE MECHANICAL CLUTCH ASSEMBLY (AS OPPOSED TO THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM). AFTER DISASSEMBLY IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT ALL OF THE ?DIAPHRAGM SPRINGS? ON THE CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE WERE BENT, SOME MORE SEVERELY THAN OTHERS. MY TECHNICIAN NOTED THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN THIS SORT OF THING HAPPEN BEFORE. IN ORDER FOR THE PRESSURE PLATE DIAPHRAGM SPRINGS TO HAVE BENT, ONE OF TWO THINGS MUST HAVE OCCURRED: 1. THE DIAPHRAGM SPRINGS WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY. IF THIS IS THE CASE, THEN THE DAMAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN APPARENT WHEN THE CAR WAS NEW, NOT SOME 76,000 MILES LATER. IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS ON THE CLUTCH (M41L 11 23/50) SHOULD PROVE THAT THIS CLUTCH WAS THE ORIGINAL AND HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED. 2. THE DIAPHRAGM SPRINGS OF THE CLUTCH LOST THEIR SPRING TENSION. THIS TO ME SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATION. THIS COULD BE DUE TO DEFECTS IN THE STEEL ITSELF OR IMPROPER HEAT-TREATING. I BELIEVE THAT A SERIES OF BRINELL HARDNESS TESTS AT VARIOUS DEPTHS WOULD PROVE THAT THE CLUTCH DIAPHRAGM SPRINGS ARE TOO SOFT AND THAT THIS CONDITION THAT ULTIMATELY CAUSED THE CLUTCH TO FAIL. *TR