THE HONDA JAZZ / FIT (mk1) BUYERS GUIDE | AVOID THIS CAR until you watch this! 

Hi Everyone, here's the link to the DIY guide if your getting water in the boot / trunk : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lcF6UJ5TfQM.html

Easily overlooked is that the i-DSI engines have 8 spark plugs and coils - very common for the full complement not to have been replaced in the past! They also require periodic valve lash adjustment. When I bought my GD1 a couple of years ago, it had a pond in the spare wheel well and issues with juddering on take-off, especially uphill, and the seller thought the CVT was on its last legs. However, with new plugs and coils, new CVT fluid (use only Honda CVT fluid for the start-clutch CVTs), and treatment with Xado EX120 Revitalizant, it's been fine. The body leaks took quite a bit of effort to seal up completely: in addition to the usual cracks beside the boot hinges and in the roof gutters, there was water coming in behind one of the brake lights!

Fabulous information, thanks for making this video.

Nice video clear and precise

I bought one of these as a 2nd car / runabout. 2006 with only 21k miles, one owner and full service history. What an amazing practical car, especially with the rear seat options. And strangely enough, I also call it "the mighty Jazz" as I have more fun in this than my 2017 Tiguan R-Line 190. I had another one a number of years ago with 98k miles. Ran like a swiss watch, but the 8 spark plugs were a problem. Someone must have over tightened and the Honda dealer could only get 6 of the 8 out.

Great video mate.

Great video, nice detail!

Great video ✌🏽

Very thorough review 👍 It seems my jazz has most of these issues. The input shaft bearing, the tailgate leaking, and the air conditioning condenser 🙃

Love the wee jazz's another top notch review

Thank you! This was really, really helpful!

I have one of these from new with nearly 1/4 million miles on. It was a Cypriot import from motorpoint. Best car ever had, but it’s needed some welding, and I had to put in a new engine from a scrapyard. Yes it’s leaked in its time, still gets a bit damp, but drives really well and av 53mpg from new! Just needed new after market catalyst ( you forgot to mention theft problem) cost £70, sensors wouldn’t come off so needed Chinese replacements at £11 each, worked fine. Would recommend but corrosion becoming biggest issue now.

Cracking wee video, thanks!

Two Honda Jazz videos in your channel homage to a great car and I've had two of the models. Shame UK don't appreciate them as much as other countries.

Great little car, know somebody on her third or fourth now. Excellent little buyers guide as always.

This is an incredibly useful video. New subscriber.

Hey 👋 there I bought a car yesterday has the same issue described 5:10 I bought it yesterday I am from Sydney Australia 🇦🇺 thank you so much i am now little relaxed after listening to you going to mechanic today will update in comments cheers Thank you

Just want to say thanks for the video. I was off to look at a Jazz yesterday and found your video to watch before I viewed the car. You armed me with a list of things to check and a grounded expectation of problems I may find. Anyway, I bought the car and thank you for the informative video which helped me greatly.

Had one from new for 15 years it was a 1500cc VTI model with cvt transmission, it never let me down once and lived outdoors most of those years, pretty much zero rust, beyond cosmetic, it’s good little car, best ever consumption 4.8 litres per hundred when driving economically. Typically about 6.0. The Honda magic seats and folding system was and is still a class leader at any price. Folds into a small van when needed. The only thing I never liked was the cvt box and that goes for any car, sounds and performs like a sewing machine. I won’t buy any brand car with a cvt ever again. But it never was a deal breaker, just my preference that never changed in 15 years.

Very good and informative video, well done!. Also your scottish accent is cool

Thank you so much for this guide, I am trying to buy a mk1 jazz on a budget and this has really helped. I wondered if there was a certain year of the MK1 that is best to get?

Hi, heres a bit of extra info you missed out for prospective buyers to check out. The steering on some of the early models have an annoying and very tiring need for constant correction of the steering wheel to keep them in a straight line, especially on the motorway and are vague and definitely have no self centring when you exit a curve. Honda denied it was a problem claiming it was a "feature" of the car. Monaco red eventually becomes Monaco pink no matter how much elbow grease you put into polishing it ( the finish is two part and the base coat fades). Rear footwells can become waterlogged if the polythene membrane detaches behind the rear door cards or the rear well for the spare tyre actually fills up and overflows (yes some guys on the forums have had this happen). The front calipers are also prone to seizing up and you'll get smart arsed mot testers failing the car on the top front suspension mounts when there's nowt wrong with em cos they just don't know how to test the buggers or are looking to shaft you for some extra cash. Just sayin' from experience but then again maybe I'm just being picky..

Very helpful 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

I have the same car (1.4 idsi sport) & same colour 06 reg. Had the same issue with the water ingress which i only discovered when moving a friend's washing machine (yes these have a massive boot space!) which fooled me at first as i wasn't sure if the washer had filled up the wheel well nearly to capacity! Finally fixed the issue a week or so ago with a bit of deep cleaning & some gorrila silicone where the panels come together on the outside of either boot hinges. Dry as a bone now & very happy with the result. Best car I've owned apart from my 98 Mitsubishi Colt GLX with full leather interior which incidentally my jazz has the full leather too which probably makes it a bit of a rarity☺

my first car! jus the best, many good memories!

I have a 2007 Honda Fit base with 89k miles and just picked up a 2018 Fit EX. My 2007, I just fixed the water problem in it yesterday. Ran a dehumidifier in it until it was dry and then used my ozone machine in it for an hour. Hope my sealant holds.

Thank you for this great info. I am looking for a car and it is confusing to find a deason car since bunch of dealers are very dishonest when you are a female looking for a car.

I have this exact judder you are speaking of, i always thought i needed new transmition fluid

Well done!

Ive had 3 x honda Jazz! 1 being a cvt - least liked!!... BUT I would have another jazz tomorrow!! My first one died on ice - :( Brilliant - never let you down starting and the space and clever magic seats are amazing! - I gave my Volvo C30 to my son when he passed his driving test!! (bad move - he wrecked it! :(. ... and I got this - £600, 2003 model - thought I was badly done to!...but driving home 25 miles ....from picking it up....I can remember thinking....OMG - this is good!! ....and I loved that little car - big car!! Don't hesitate, if you're thinking of buying one! - the magic seats plus all seats go down flat too - simple car but very lovable and nothing to dislike ....except for one thing!!...they have a small battery - my only fault.....BUT, .Just get one! and love it - I called my first one 'Bob and Doris'. :)

Common problem is clogged egr, gets sooted up giving a misfire. Easy to do yourself with a can of cleaner . Also there are 8 spark plugs and rear ones can be a pain to get out and a Honda garage will charge the earth to do them.

Crank shaft sensor replacement resolved CVT knocking /vibrating for my dad

I just got a 1.3 gd 2003 Fit. Engine sometimes has no power even on very small inclines when starting off. Other wise very practical. Noticed that it uses 5 litres/65km on average. City driving which is pricy here in Zim263.

I've got 2003 honda jazz 1.4 petrol my gear box went at 78,000 and clutch , so I fitted a new recon gear box and clutch for £600 , touch wood no problems now it's done 90,000 miles now 🙏 from the UK in 2023

What an excellent video im going to view one of these on Monday (2006 1.2) im looking for a reliable 2nd vehicle the guy selling it has had the gear box reconditioned & a clutch kit by a very reputable company who im aware of even sent me the receipt & its still under warranty is there anything else i need to be aware of i hate buying cars privately ...

Three days ago I bought a 2004 Jazz 1.4L with 74000 miles on the clock for £2100. It going really well and smooth specially that it is automatic. No dashboard lights at all, but the brake parts needed a change (4x brake discs + pads + calipers) for £600.

My first car was a 54 plate 1.4 manual gearbox Jazz, which was a great wee car. However, I noticed that it felt like it ever so slightly oversteered at times. Whenever I took a corner, I felt like the back of the car still wanted to go straight. Has anyone else had that issue? I had an issue with leaking in the boot when I first bought it but my husband fixed this. I also had to change the AC condenser, reinforce bar and new radiator. Thankfully, my husband did all the work so I didn't need to put it into a garage. I sold it & got £400 for it - not bad as I paid £800 for it when I got it. Miss it sometimes but it was time for it to go.

Every jazz I had the back discs start to pit and rust it's the most common thing with them and when braking you can hear that grinding noise from the rear easily fixed and parts are cheap.

Damn, Why do I always find these guides AFTER I've bought the bloody car. Found a clean an tidy 1.2, good Honda service history for most of its life, only 2 previous owners. Manual gearbox is a joy to use. However I've noticed a bit of noise on/off the clutch, but it has had a new gearbox about 4 years ago, but that's all I know. I didn't know about the leaky boot - and mine has it. I didn't know about the radio issues, and mine has this problem also. Defintiely a great little motor, but soured a little with these issues. But at least it was cheap...

It is reliable just don't forget to change x8 spark plugs sometimes.

My jazz had the gearbox bearings go! Also the anti roll bar and it has rust on the wheel arches

It's not the roof where the water leaks in from but the rusted holes above your back tires. I had to large holes in the back of my Honda fit. You will have to remove the panels to see it. I used Bondo: Fiberglass Resin repair kit to patch the holes. Good luck to you.

Great video!!! I like your details and approach..great job! I just bought a 2004 JDM Honda Fit Auto which had this shuddering/vibration when moving from stand still. and the garage are suggesting a gearbox oil flush that is literally going to cost me 2 gallons of oil from Honda and an hours labour. So I would be looking forward to seeing what DIY fix you going to advice! other than that! I like throwing my fit around... its such a nimble car!

I think the 2001-2005 civic 1.6 had the same gearbox. I have one and had to have the gearbox rebuilt earlier this year due to input shaft bearing failure. As you said it's pretty pricey. £360 for the rebuild. £490 for a clutch and labour for removal and refitting of the box. I had to get a local garage to remove the gearbox I then had to send it to a gearbox specialist who completely rebuilt it. I decided to get it all done rather than the just the input shaft bearing. It did well to be fair as the car had 146k on it when I had it done it's now at 152k and drives like new. Also have a MK2 jazz ivtec. Did the gearboxes in these suffer with input shaft issues?

2023 still driving a 2006 honda fit 1.5 cvt in Argentina. Had newer / bigger and 'better' cars. Still hitting the road with almost no maintenance. Oil, cvt fluid, and gas. Unstoppable even with tough use fully loaded of construction materials, and friends moves. Newer fits are expensive related to the benefit they bring. Fit G1 price/depreciation/quality is difficult to beat in the market

I got one of these jazz model i-dsi 1.4 . It has had a new gearbox a few years back and full service history, until I owned it when Ive done them myself. And I do have a judder when pulling away from stationary. I thought it is the clutch on the way out and have notice a noise when clutch is out that disappearing when pedal is pressed. Thrust bearing? Don't know. I had a quote for a new clutch near £300! Just one point. This 2002 to 2008 model is actually a mk .2 the mk.1 was released in 1980s

I have a 2013 Honda Fit Sport my main issues have been a known problem with cylinder 2 spark plug not properly torqued at the factory and the wires being a rodent attractant.

A curiosity: the 1.5 i-vtec engine (GE8) is the same of the CR-Z, with not IMA motor. So if you were curious about that rare hybrid coupe, you can go straight and buy the Jazz 1.5, it makes more sense - as a compact - than the CR-Z as a coupe.

New subscriber here. Thank you for your informative review of the 1st gen Jazz, which I hope to buy. I need to get a cvt one, but I am wary of the starter clutch issue, for which you said you would tell us of the diy fix. But you haven't. I think it a bit unfair to promise something, and not deliver on it 🙁.

Hi, this is a very helpful video. Mine had the Juddering starter clutch on auto gearbox problem, Do you care to help me with the DIY solution I can try on it

Great video, I’m getting a slight leak in the boot

I both same with automatic gearbox for my other half, and has vibrating issue on when on steep hill car rolls back when brake is realised, looking for solution

Can you post the cvt diy fix please

Could you please send a link to the starter motor clutch fix?

The gearbox whine when you dip the clutch doesnt immediately define the issue. Could be a worn clutch release bearing as the noise goes away when pressure is applied to the pedal. Normally youll hear the noise from take of from still. I had a Civic Ep1 (1.4) from new and the bearings didnt start to become noisey til above 80,000 miles and luckily i was a Honda Technician at the time so it was a cheaper job for me

This water leak only happened 21 years after we’d had it from new and had no idea of this issue - whole rear passenger footwells completely sodden and spare tyre well full of water!

That's not an input shaft bearing. It's called a throw out bearing. It pushes against clutch center to release it when u depress the pedal. It can run for years with a growling throw out bearing. These are super reliable. Needs a coil now and then.

So how do I fix the juddering as I pull.away on a auto please

Many thanks watched this earlier before going to look at one, It was a 1.4 on 118k so my main concerns were your rust issues unfortunately despite it being pretty cheap just had fresh brakes and clutch every panel was dented scratched bumpers out of place interior just as tired so passed for now. These were new cars when I passed my test they were all driven by old people,would be nice to find one now that’s only been driven to the shops once a week.

Hi I have a 56 plate CVT version and have recently started having the low speed/gear judder issue… what is the fix???

My 2004 automatic Jazz has started vibrating as I take OFF , please advise on how to Fix. Thanks

My car is Honda Jazz but the heater taken long time and not enough unless if I use the A/C green button I will get hot air. What should I do please. Thanks mate

Use EX120 addtive and replace CVT fluid.

Hi, I have the problem that you talk about at 5.05. I have a vibrate violent maybe who come ot the gearbx cvt. You have talk about a possible simple solution. Can you tell me what is this solution please. Sorry for my bad english. Thanks for the video.

Just bought a 2004 for some cheap run-around wheels. 72,000 mile. so far excellent, but oddly found rust all the top of rear door under the rubber seal; now fixed. Brilliant little car with only basic features i.e. just fm radio and cd player.

Theirs a special additives for a CVT transmissions and it works on my Honda fit 05 cvt. I have a start-up clutch problem when cold but after putting the additives now it's fix. 90% better than before

I've got and 07 Fit S with the 1.5VTEC that just crossed 220k, suspension is getting old and electrical gremlins are starting to kick in but motor is still good but I think I gotta do my valve lash. I've done it before but I'm a bit traumatized as I was using an angle torque wrench and snapped a valve cover bolt off in the head on accident so I had to go on an adventure but I got it taken care of, extracting bolts might be as stressful as surgery, maybe even bomb diffusal jkjk 😂

i need to know how to resolve the automatic box judder problem, please type the answer here please. Does it involve using Xado Revitalizant?

Hi My wife ha sthis problem of a juddering starter clutch on her automatic. Could you tell me what the solution is? Thanks

Hi I have the judder can you tell me please how to fix.

Hi, 2001 1.3lt CVT Honda Fit has shuddering on takeoff. Please send me your DIY FIX. Thanks

I've a honda jazz 2004 automatic and the accelerator when if first start the car doesn't pump. I press it and nothing. If I leave it for 2mins running. It works fine after. But just as I start it I pump the accelerator and had no power. The car is fine otherwise. Help. It pass it mot recently also.

I hv that start vibrating issue , please I need diy

Hello sir..I have same model honda jazz automatic. But my car have problem with inside heating and air conditioning totally not working working even the middle digital number nothing comes up. I hope you can help me about this problem please

Two days ago I bought a 2003 Jazz 1.5 VVT with 250,000 kms on the clock. Timed it at 9.3 seconds 0-100kmh and averaged 5 litres/100 for a tank of fuel. I'm happy, just need to check out the front end, which feels like it's about to fall apart, and the handbrake is sticking, and of course the aircon doesn't work.

Hi man..still got this juddering problem..

My Honda fit 7 speed vibrates when it takes off.?what is that problem?

I have an 07 Jazz..there is sometimes a Judder when Pulling away ...it rarely does in the S gearshift position...but frequently in the D position..and more so in Wet Weather.

Can you add remote start to the 1st gen ?

I have a 2016. Any issues with the starter?

Hi. My 2007 Honda jazz 1.5 VTEC with a CVT transmission is broken. The engine works fine but the car wouldn’t go into gears. The CVT Transmission is broken. It goes into reverse but than the car just stops and the engines shuts down. it doesn’t wanna go into drive. When I put it on drive it doesn’t move at all. I have found a second generation gear box for the Honda jazz 2010 model and I’m just wondering if the gear box will work on my 2007 Honda jazz. I’m watching all the way from South Africa. Please help a brother out with some advice .

I have the CVT juddering issue, is the fix to put an additive into the transmission fluid?

My car jecks like you have said at about 10-30 mph, please assist to how to solve it

CVT shudder , yep I got it. Usually it was a dealer service item and it stays fixed for a certain number of km's then comes back again. I've had my car since new now almost 200K km's and I intend to keep it as long as possible because it's frugal on gas and the interior very versatile and still looks like new after all these years. I can't say the same about my Subaru SJ XT that's ten years younger... I've finally started to learn how to service the car myself - so what's the DIY fix for that shudder?

Hi,my Honda jazz year03 1.3auto has the shudder vibrating and when am at 5-15speed its as if it wants to stall.

Need one in Zimbabwe

Hello Scottish Car Clan, I'm after the CVT fix you mentioned. I solved minor shudder years ago by adding XADO Revitalizant to the transmission oil, and it's been good ever since. My CVT has another problem when coming to a stop . As you stop the idle revs drop quickly from around 800 to less than 300 then bounces back to around 800rpm. It never stalls but it wobbles and occasionally gives a little 'bump' from the transmission. Our local Honda Dealer did a clutch reset, road tested the car and said it's OK, but it is not as the occasional bump or thump is not good and sometimes it even briefly bumps out of gear. It's not an engine problem as the idle is perfect, it's only for that 1 second of stopping , or when you release the brake pedal ready for takeoff ... it just a problem for about 1 second but causes issues with takeoff from stationary at times.

I have honda Jazz and i have a issue of Vibration at 5 to 10 mile per hour speed after that it fly but more horrible vibration at start

I'm on the fence between 2007 fit and 2009 yaris, the gearbox thing is making me go for the yaris even I despise the center console on them, how about plugin a OBD2 scanner on a fit, would it show the gearbox problem?

I have a problem with juddering

is that a 2004 jazz or 2005. 2008

Hi Scott, I’ve bought a Honda jazz 07 plat and it’s jaddle as start driving any tips pls ?

On first gear that noise on gear box coming out

I have the staring vibration issue

My jazz had the manual gearbox issue, ended up completely locking up the front wheels😂

Hi do you have the diy fix for the shuddery gear box? Thank you x

Love my jazz gd.! 😁

Hi i have a 2007 Gd3 1.5vtec. Im getting rain water behind the drivers seat. How do i stop it?

2007. 1.4LS, first owner, 140000km, I have manual gearbox issue (noise), rust and paint issues and now serious engine issue. Serviced regularly at Honda certified service center. Never Honda again!

just got the maunal version, mk1, 2006.. 1.2 engine.. I dont know why, it might be me driving or trying to change the gears too quickly. But the thing that feels weird is when I am trying to change the gears. Once I release the accelerator, the rpms go slightly up... And it not even much, its like 100-200rpms.. and they go down immediately as I press the clutch.. It's like I pressed the gas as I released the pedal... (before pressing the clutch, so its not the clutch slipping).. Really weird... Has anyone had this situation happening to them? Like I said, it might be my driving, but I've never had this happen to me on any other car... Hopefully this made some sense haha...