NHTSA Complaint #10907051 — 2016 HONDA FIT

NEW 2016 FIT WITH APPROX 5500 MILES STARTED DEVELOPING AN AUDIABLE TICKING/CLICKING NOISE WHEN RELEASING THE CLUTCH PEDAL GOING INTO 1ST GEAR FROM A STATIONARY POSITION. MUCH MORE PRONOUNCE WHEN ON AN INCLINE AND HAS PROGRESSIVELY WORSEN SINCE APPROX 3500 MILES. NO VIBRATIONS TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY NOTED. DID NOT HAVE THIS NOISE WHEN THE CAR WAS NEW. DEALER REMOVED TRANSMISSION, REPLACED CLUTCH ASSEMBLY AND THROWOUT BEARING AND RETURNED CAR UNDER WARRANTY. CLICKING NOISE PERSIST. BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER A SECOND TIME , SHOP FOREMAN SPOKE TO HONDA TECHLINE AND CONCLUDED AUDIABLE CLICKING/ TICKING DURING CLUTCH RELEASE IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE NEW 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION/GEARBOX, & DOCUMENTED ALL IS NORMAL. BEEN DRIVING MANUAL VEHICLES FOR OVER 20 YEARS WITH ALL TRANSMISSION/CLUTCH COMPONENTS LASTING 80-90K MILES BEFORE FIRST SERVICE/ COMPONENT REPLACEMENT. THIS INCLUDING A CABLE ACTUATED CLUTCH THAT WAS QUIETER THAN THIS. NEVER ENCOUNTERING THIS BEFORE. GUESS TIME WILL TELL IF IT IS A DESIGN OR ASSEMBLY FLAW, OR INFACT A " NORMAL CHARACTERISTICS" OF THIS NEW 6 SPEED MANUAL GEAR BOX. ATLEAST ALL IS DOCUMENTED IN HONDA DATABASE.