NHTSA complaint: 2008 HONDA FIT — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
AFTER ATTEMPTING TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY STOP ON A CITY STREET ON A SUNNY DAY WITH ABOUT 2.5 CAR LENGTHS BETWEEN MY FIT AND AN ACCORD. THE VEHICLE'S ABS SYSTEM OVERREACTED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BECOME VERY CHOPPY, DRAMATICALLY INCREASING THE DISTANCE IT TOOK TO STOP. THIS CAUSED MY VEHICLE TO REAR END THE ACCORD. IN RETROSPECT, HAD I NOT APPLIED 100% BRAKE FORCE AND DID NOT TRIGGER THE ABS, I MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE JUST SHORT OF REAR ENDING THE OTHER VEHICLE. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR SITUATIONS UNDER VARIOUS ROAD AND WEATHER CONDITIONS WITH THIS VEHICLE, WHERE THE ABS ACTIVATES PREMATURELY AND REMAINS ACTIVE, EVEN WHEN THERE SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT GRIP. EVEN LIGHT PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE GOING OVER SOME POT HOLES AND UP ONTO DRIVE WAYS TRIGGERS THE ABS SYSTEM. I NEVER PAID MUCH ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE BECAUSE I ALWAYS LEAVE ENOUGH SPACE BETWEEN MYSELF AND OTHER VEHICLES, BUT AFTER DOING SOME ONLINE RESEARCH AFTER MY ACCIDENT, IT HAS BECOME APPARENT TO ME THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE ABS PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. NOR AM I THE ONLY INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS REPORTED THIS ISSUE TO THE NHTSA. AS A NOTE, I HAVE DRIVEN VARIOUS SMALL AND LARGE VEHICLES - WITH AND WITHOUT ABS - AND THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN REACTED SO POORLY IN AN EMERGENCY/PANIC SITUATION. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THESE ABS PROBLEMS OCCURRED WITH THE FACTORY DUNLOP TIRES AS MY RECENT ACCIDENT WITH PERFORMANCE (GRIPPY) FIRESTONE FIREHAWK WIDE OVAL INDY 500 TIRES (WITH >50
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation