NHTSA Complaint #11089792 — 2015 HONDA FIT

DEAR NHTSA, MY 2015 HONDA FIT RATTLE'S ON COLD START INITIALLY WHEN YOU START THE ENGINE. AFTER ABOUT 6-8 HOURS AFTER LETTING THE ENGINE COOL THE NOISE WILL REAPPEAR. THE ISSUE IS THE VTC ACTUATOR. BEING A FAIRLY NEW VEHICLE FOR IT'S AGE IT'S VERY DISAPPOINTING TO HEAR SUCH DISTURBING NOISE EVERY TIME I START UP THE CAR. I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THIS FOR THE PAST YEAR, STARTING IN JUNE 2017. AT FIRST, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT IT WAS THE ENGINE SPLASH GUARD. LAST YEAR I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY (70MPH ZONE) AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEAR A SCRAPPING NOISE. THE ROAD WAS COMPLETELY FREE OF DEBRIS, AND WHEN I PULLED OVER THE ENGINE SPLASH GUARD CAME UP, ALONG WITH BREAKING BOTH TABS ON THE FRONT BUMPER. I HAD ENGINE SPLASH REPLACED 3 MONTHS AGO USING BRAND NEW CLIPS (PLASTIC WHICH ACTUALLY ENDS UP BREAKING) AND SCREWS. EVEN AFTER FIXING THE ENGINE SPLASH GUARD, THE VTC RATTLE NOISE STILL APPEARED. RECENTLY, THE ENGINE SPLASH GUARD STILL MANAGED TO POP OFF ON THE FREEWAY. AT THIS POINT, I'M FED UP WITH THE TERRIBLE DISAPPOINTMENT THIS VEHICLE HAS GIVEN ME ALONG WITH ITS BUILD QUALITY. ANOTHER THING TO NOTE IS THE DOOR PANEL MAKING A RATTLING NOISE. AFTER TAKING OFF THE DOOR PANEL, I NOTICED THE THE PLASTIC LINING IS DETACHING FROM THE BLACK GLUE THAT IS KEEPING IT IN PLACE. POSSIBLY, THE HEAT IS CAUSING THE BLACK GLUE TO MELT.