There are 6 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2017 Honda Fitin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Rattling noise coming from engine when starting engine cold
After replacing fuel injectors recently I have no warning lights on but the car has been stalling and pulling. Today on the freeway as I attempted to accelerate from 30 mph my car jerked and pulled 3 times harshly almost causing an accident. Still no warning lights and this has happened multiple times. I have submitted a prior concern and it has not been addressed and the problem only continues and has gotten worse.
The car will stall while on the freeway. Had fuel injectors replaced and still does not drive well. I am now being told I may have to look at the fuel pump which should be working automatically. I have now invested almost 3,000 on a car with less than 90,000 miles on it that is maintained religiously so that nothing happens to it.
Like 4 others on NHTSA, I am reporting intermittent cold start rattle coming from the VTC actuator. I have tried the following: cleaning the intake valves, changing the oil every 3k miles, using a high quality oil filter with a silicone drain back valve, and using Top Tier fuel on every fuel up. 2015-2016 Honda Fits have a TSB regarding this issue, and my 2017 Honda Fit also has this issue. @HondaMotorCompany, please right this design defect by releasing a TSB. I recommend replacing the VTC Actuator (Part#:14310-5R1-013), CAM CHAIN (Part#:14401-5K9-004), CAM CHAIN TENSIONER ARM (Part#:14520-5R0-003) and CAM CHAIN TENSIONER (Part#:14510-5R1-003). Thank you. Related to Complaint NHTSA ID NUMBERS: 11518951, 11507525, 11455247, and 11431811
The VTC actuator is showing signs of failing. Upon starting the car cold, there is a harsh rattling sound for about 2 seconds. If the VTC actuator fails it could do serious damage to the engine and cause an accident if the engine fails while driving, potentially resulting in death. The 3rd Generation Fits seem to have the same issues with them that the 2015-2016 models had. I have had issues with my fuel injectors also. Honda has failed to address these issues claiming that these issues were remedied with the 3rd generation car when they really were not.
At cold start up, the engine rattles loudly for about 2 seconds. This is intermittent and occurs on cold starts when the car has not been started for 6-8 hours.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026