2012 Honda Fit: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
113 NHTSA owner complaints · 11 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
The Fit years to walk past are the 2015 and 2019, both CAUTION verdicts, at 52 on 282 complaints and 60 on 134. Buy a 2016 or 2020, which score 86 each on 119 and 35 complaints, or a 2018 at 75. Read the full note on the model page. 2012 specifically: a year the record favours — 113 complaints, score 74/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Honda Civic, Fit and HR-V: what the record says year by year, including 2012 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 113 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 8.07
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The electronic steering power assist failed several times in the past two weeks. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The safety of occupants was put at risk because of the difficulty of steering safely in traffic. The car has not yet been taken to my dealer for evaluation. The vehicle or component has not yet been inspected. No warning lamps or other symptoms of the problem appeared prior to the fai…
Three instances of engine misfiring, causing the car to immediately go into a speed limiting mode during driving. This is a major safety hazard and can happen in the middle of high speed driving. The first instance was a 52K miles, second at 69K miles, and third at 130K miles. The most recent instance resulted in the spark plug ejecting from the cylinder head, melting into the coil pack, and stripping out the cylinde…
The contact owns a 2012 Honda Fit. The contact stated he noticed a strong odor of gasoline inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the mechanic stated that spark plug #3 was loosened. The ignition wire was replaced, and the spark plug was tightened. The manufacturer was contacted, and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was 65,000.
Recalls: 11 campaigns (9 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 16V061000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016 Acura ILX, 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2007-2016 RDX, 2005-2012 Acura RL, 2009-2014 Acura TL, and 2010-2013 Acura ZDX vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped… |
| 18V042000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX, ZDX, Honda Accord Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot vehicles, 2011-13 Acura TSX Sportswagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord,, 2010-2011 Honda Civic, Civic NGV, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles and 2013 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles ever registered in the states of Alabama, California,… |
| 17V030000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Acura TSX, 2011-2012 Acura TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Acura ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2012 Honda Accord Crosstour and Honda Insight, 2009-2012 Honda Fit, 2009-2012 Pilot, 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2012 Honda FCX Clarity and 2006-2011 Honda Civic, Civic Hybrid, Civic NGV vehicles originally sold,… |
| 20V770000 | Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Acura ILX, 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid, and 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles with a manual transmission and 2009-2013 Honda Fit vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,… |
| 19V378000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2013 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The front passenger air bag inflator… |
| 13V157000 | Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | Honda is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Honda Fit Sport vehicles manufactured from May 23, 2011, through March 22, 2013, and model year 2012-2013 Honda Fit base vehicles manufactured from June 27, 2011, through April 19, 2013. In April 2013, Honda recalled 43,782 2012-2013 Honda Fit Sport vehicles. |
| 18V268000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012 Ridgeline vehicles. The front passenger air bag may have been installed incorrectly during replacement. |
| 19V500000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013 Acura ILX, 2015 RDX, 2005-2010 and 2012 RL, 2009-2014 TL, 2010 and 2012 ZDX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2011-2013 and 2015 CR-Z, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013 Fit EV, 2010-2011 and 2013 Insight and 2007-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a city car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 30 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,150
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Air Bags41 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Steering16 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Power Train14 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Engine12 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System9 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Vehicle Speed Control8 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
Other Honda Fit years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Honda Fit?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Air Bags (41 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2012 Honda Fit a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 74/100, computed from 113 NHTSA complaints and 11 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2012 Honda Fit's most common problem?
41 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2012 Honda Fit sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement: about 2.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $600–$1,700 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2012 Honda Fit cost to run per year?
About $4,722 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $23,612 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2012 Honda Fit have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 11 recall campaign(s) for the 2012 Honda Fit, 9 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 03/02/2016. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other economys of about the same age.
What will a 2012 Honda Fit really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 113 complaints, 11 recalls on record
- 113 NHTSA complaints on record (8.1/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (12.8/yr)
- 11 recall campaigns, 9 touching safety-critical systems