NHTSA Complaint #11203349 — 2013 HONDA FIT

WHILE DRIVING THE RADIO, DASH LIGHTS, HEAD LIGHTS, AND POWER STEERING CUTS OUT FOR A MOMENT THEN COMES BACK ON. THIS STARTED OCCASIONALLY 3 MONTHS AGO WITH JUST THE RADIO AND DASH LIGHTS AND HAS PROGRESSED TO SEVERAL TIMES IN A ROW AND NOW INCLUDES THE HEAD LIGHTS AND POWER STEERING. THERE IS NO PREDICTABILITY TO WHEN OR HOW MANY TIMES IT WILL HAPPEN. ONCE IT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS COMING OFF THE HIGHWAY GOING AROUND THE RAMP AT A GOOD SPEED, THE ELECTRICAL WENT OUT I LOST POWER STEERING AND ALMOST HIT THE GUARD RAIL IT CAME BACK ON JUST IN TIME FOR ME TO REGAIN CONTROL. TOOK IT TO HONDA DEALER WITH MY COMPLAINTS; THEY DID A MULTI POINT INSPECTION AND CHECKED FAULTS-NO FAULTS STORED. ALSO CHECKED WIRING AND CONNECTORS-ALL OK. TOLD ME IT WAS PROBABLY THE AFTER MARKET STARTER, I SHOULD BE FINE, TO CONTACT THE STARTER PEOPLE AS IT IS MOST LIKELY THEIR PRODUCT ISSUE AND NOT HONDA'S, THEN SENT ME HOME CHARGING ME OVER AN HOUR OF LABOR. A FEW DAYS LATER IT CUT OUT 12 TIMES IN LESS THAN 3 MILE; I HAD TO FIND A GAS STATION TO PULL OVER IN AS I DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR. TURNED IT OFF & LET IT SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES, STARTED IT AGAIN & HAD NO FURTHER ISSUES UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DAY WHEN IT HAPPENED ANOTHER 8 TIMES IN A ROW. CONTACTED THE CAR STARTER COMPANY TOLD THEM WHAT WAS GOING ON; THEY REMOVED THE STARTER. BUT TOLD ME HE LOOKED IT UP ONLINE & DISCOVERED THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER HONDA FITS & IS MOST LIKELY RELATED TO A FAULTY ALTERNATOR. ANOTHER ISSUE RELATED WITH THIS ALTERNATOR PROBLEM IS DEAD BATTERIES WHICH HAS HAPPENED TO ME AS WELL & AM ON MY 3RD BATTERY WITH IN 6 YEARS! THE CAR STARTER GUY SAID HE WAS CONCERNED WITH MY SAFETY & TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT BY MY MECHANIC AND HAVE THEM LOOK AT THE ALTERNATOR. WELL 2 DAYS LATER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON & IS IN THE GARAGE TODAY; NOT THE HONDA DEALERSHIP