When Paula Oates bought her 2010 Honda Fit, she had no complaints about the car.
"I loved it," she said. "And I think the design was so cute."
But within a few months, Oates says her car had a problem.
"All of a sudden, the car starts to decelerate on its own involuntarily, no warnings on the dash board or anything," she said.
Oates says the problem happened while she and her sisters were traveling down Interstate 10.
"She began applying the accelerator pedal and it still decelerated, would not respond," said Oates. "We were scrambling to get off of Interstate 10 in the middle of the night in the dark."
Oates says the problem happened again, but adds her Honda dealership could not duplicate the problem.
On Thursday, Honda recalled 97,000 Honda Fits made in 2009 and 2010. The recall is to replace lost motion springs.
The company says the components are within the engine valve train. Honda says the springs may break or bend resulting in engine noise and potentially engine damage or stalling.
Oates says that sounds a lot like the problem she experienced.
"It did not go from 65 to zero, but it was progressively declining," she said.
Dealers we spoke with say they have already started getting calls about the recall. Right now, the vehicle owners will have to wait before getting their cars fixed. Honda says it will mail recall notices to affected drivers in early March.
Drivers of other Honda Fits not included in the recall say the problem has them worried about their cars, too.
"I have not been dissatisfied by the car, but I am a little disturbed by this news," said Honda Fit owner Francis Northcut.
If you own a Honda Fit, you can call the company to find out if your car is included in the recall. You can either call Honda or visit their recalls website.
