Service Bulletin - A combination of carbon deposits on the intake valves and the PGM-FI software settings may lead to reduced combustion stability under certain circumstances. This results in a misfire being detected and DTC stored.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2019 Honda Fit electrical problems
moderate 40 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $850 · see electrical across all vehicles →
Complaints
40
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$850
What stands out
Electrical accounts for 30% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 7 categories tracked.
Owners have filed 40 electrical complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering electrical on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Service bulletin - The MIL comes on with DTC P0300 (random misfire detected) or P0301âP0304 (cylinder misfire detected). Carbon buildup on the intake valves may be affecting combustion.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Service Bulletin - The MIL comes on with DTC P0300 (random misfire detected) or P0301-P0304 (cylinder misfire detected).
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Service Bulletin - The Bluetooth HandsFreeLink (HFL) system freezes after a phone call and stored voice tags are missing when the ignition is turned ON.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Service Bulletin - iPhones cannot connect to Apple CarPlay. The audio unit will not launch Apple CarPlay when an iPhone is connected to the USB port.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The dominant complaint across these 40 narratives is an instrument cluster that flickers, goes blank, or displays garbage characters in cold weather. Fuel gauge, odometer, trip meter, and oil-life information become unreadable—sometimes for minutes, sometimes longer. Most owners say it clears as the car warms up. One owner documented the problem starting at 20k miles; others report it developing years into ownership or intensifying in winter months. Multiple owners found online discussions and forum posts confirming the same failure on 2015–2020 Fit models, with some citing cracked solder joints on the display board as the culprit. Honda dealerships acknowledge the issue as "known," and quoted repair costs run $1,000 to $1,100 for cluster replacement. One owner reported Honda authorized only 50% coverage after warranty expiration.
A secondary cluster of complaints involves persistent or intermittent warning lights—check engine, TPMS, VSA, EPS, emission system—that illuminate together and either stay on or recur despite dealer resets and no confirmed faults in sensors or systems. One owner's multiple warnings appeared after a fuel-pump recall service in 2021 and lasted months.
Isolated complaints report excessive battery drain, touchscreen unresponsiveness requiring battery disconnect, and starting delay with inadvertent alarm engagement, though these are less frequent than the display problem.
Same Honda Fit electrical reports on nearby years: 2016 · 2017 · 2018
Failure modes owners describe
Instrument cluster display glitching, blanking, or showing gibberish in cold weather
The multi-function instrument cluster (fuel gauge, odometer, trip meter, MPG, clock, oil life indicators) flickers, displays corrupted characters, or goes completely blank. Problem occurs predominantly in cold weather (below 40°F), with display typically restoring once the vehicle warms up. One owner reported this as an intermittent cold-start issue; another noted it happens with temperatures around 30°F. Multiple owners cite online research pointing to cracked soldering on the display control board as the root cause.
When: Cold weather (below 40°F typical trigger); can occur within minutes of cold start and persist 15 minutes to over an hour. One owner reports first occurrence at 20k miles; another reports onset after 5+ years of ownership; one notes it started in September 2022.
Symptoms owners cite: Display shows no information (completely blank with backlight only); Display shows jumbled, unreadable, or garbage characters; Fuel gauge unreadable or not visible; Odometer, trip meter, or mileage display not visible; Oil life or service reminders not visible; Clock display not visible; MPG/fuel economy display not visible; Problem improves or clears as vehicle warms up; May recur if vehicle is shut off and restarted while still cold
Codes mentioned: U0155
Repairs/costs cited: Honda dealers confirm the issue and typically recommend replacement of the entire instrument cluster unit. Quoted repair costs range from $1,000 to $1,100. One owner reports Honda agreed to cover only 50% of the $1,100+ repair cost when vehicle was out of warranty. One owner's warranty repair (dashboard flickering in 2019) was covered with no cost after over one week at dealership.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Multiple owners report that Honda customer service and dealerships are aware the problem exists, with some dealers confirming it as a 'known issue.' One owner states Honda customer service denied knowledge of the problem. No recall has been issued.
Persistent warning lights illuminating (check engine, TPMS, VSA, EPS, road departure mitigation, hill start assist, emissions)
Multiple warning lights come on simultaneously and either remain illuminated persistently or turn on/off intermittently without obvious cause. Warning lights include check engine, TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system), VSA (vehicle stability assist), EPS (electric power steering), road departure mitigation system, hill start assist, and emission system. Owners report these lights remain on for extended periods (at least 4 months in one case) despite no corresponding mechanical issues being found upon inspection.
When: One complaint noted all warnings came on after vehicle sat unused for several hours; another reports TPMS warning lit despite no tire pressure issues. One owner reports multiple warnings starting after fuel pump recall in 2021 and lasting months; another reports warnings onset around September 2021.
Symptoms owners cite: Check engine light on; TPMS warning light illuminated despite tire pressures being normal; VSA (vehicle stability assist) warning on; EPS (power steering assist) warning on; Road departure mitigation system warning on; Hill start assist warning on; Emission system warning on; Multiple warning lights on simultaneously; Warnings persist despite dealer resets; Owner feels unsafe driving vehicle
Codes mentioned: U0155
Repairs/costs cited: Multiple non-Honda repair visits found no sensor issues, yet warnings recurred. One owner reports dealership confirmed no issues were found. Another owner states dealership was aware of the problem. One owner reports dealer cited misfire due to carbon buildup as related issue and deemed vehicle unsafe to drive until remedied.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: One owner had a vehicle VIN mentioned in a repair bulletin for a known carbon buildup/misfire issue but was not covered under an extended warranty program offered for certain VINs. No recall response mentioned.
Excessive electrical system drain (parasitic draw)
Battery discharges rapidly when vehicle is parked with no electronics left on and no aftermarket equipment installed. Vehicle voltage drops from normal charging voltage (14.4V) to 12.2V without user equipment changes. One owner measured severe and variable electrical drain unrelated to high-draw equipment like rear window defrosters. Owner suspects possible external or cellular system compromise.
When: Battery dies after vehicle left for several hours while parked with no electronics on.
Symptoms owners cite: Battery completely dead after vehicle sits for several hours; No aftermarket equipment or user electronics left on; Voltage drops from 14.4V to 12.2V unrelated to equipment use; Electrical drain variable and inconsistent
Repairs/costs cited: Owner attached volt meter and documented abnormal voltage drop. Battery disconnect temporarily restores normal operation.
Touchscreen display loses functionality and radio presets change randomly
Electronic display touchscreen becomes unresponsive and requires battery disconnect to restore. Radio presets change to channels not selected by owner. One owner suspected possible hacker compromise or GPS/cellular system compromise, noting symptoms stop when vehicle has no view of sky (e.g., in metal roof garage). Another owner reports navigation system frozen and display percentage frozen at 70% before next oil change.
When: One owner reports issue in early 2020; affects operation intermittently.
Symptoms owners cite: Touchscreen display loses touch functionality; Radio presets change without user input; Navigation system frozen on test screen; Oil change percentage display frozen at 70%; Lane assist turns off in curves and when wipers are on; Issues stop when vehicle in garage with metal roof (no sky view)
Repairs/costs cited: Battery disconnect restores touchscreen functionality. One owner suggests possible software upgrade needed.
Starting delay and alarm engagement issues
Vehicle takes 5–10 seconds to start when pressing start button. Alarm engages inadvertently without cause. One owner noted battery appeared physically damaged, though dealer diagnostic found no issues.
When: Occurred at approximately 22,000 miles. Failure persisted despite dealer visit.
Symptoms owners cite: 5–10 second delay before engine starts; Alarm engages without user activation; Battery appears physically damaged
Repairs/costs cited: Taken to dealer but not repaired; dealer diagnostic found no issues.
Synthesized from 40 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 4 most recent
Fuel Gauge Cluster fails in weather sometimes outside of weather conditions and will glitch out causing an inability to see mileage and fuel amount.
Digital Dash - past 3 years occurring more, it will blank out, information is distorted can’t read digits or anything for a long weird of time. Unable to detect fuel levels, miles, rest function
The dashboard display fuel gauge is back lit but won’t actually work.
I have a 2019 Honda Fit Sport. Within the last year, the instrument panel with all notifications regarding the vehicle, such as the fuel level, check engine light, low tire pressure light, low oil pressure, and any notifications regarding the braking systems, began flickering intermittantly. Now the instrument panel is completely blank. This has been confirmed by the Capital Honda in Lansing,…
Had electrical trouble with your 2019 Honda Fit?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the electrical problem on the 2019 Honda Fit?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 40 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $850 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the electrical typically fail?
Based on the 40 complaints filed, electrical issues most often appear around 22,334 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $850 for electrical repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to electrical?
No active recalls currently cover electrical issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2019/Honda/Fit.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.