2015-2020 Honda FIT Brake Caliper Problems and Replacement

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

On a 2015-2020 Honda Fit, the front brakes are the only disc brakes on the car, so "caliper problems" almost always means one of the two front calipers: a sticking slide pin, a piston that will not fully retract, or a torn boot that has let water in. The usual signs are a pull to one side under braking, one front wheel much hotter than the other, and a pad that is worn far more than its partner. Most cases are fixed by servicing the slides or replacing the caliper, and doing the pads (and usually rotors) on that axle at the same time.

How the Fit's brake system is laid out

Honda's own specifications for the third-generation Fit list power-assisted ventilated front discs and rear drums on every trim: 10.3-inch front discs and 7.9-inch rear drums on the LX, Sport, EX and EX-L. There is no rear caliper and no electronic parking brake on this car. The parking brake is a hand lever that works the rear drum shoes through cables.

That matters when you are shopping. If a listing or a shop quote mentions rear calipers for a U.S.-market 2015-2020 Fit, something is wrong. Rear braking issues on this car are drum issues: shoes, wheel cylinders, adjusters and the parking brake cable.

The front end also does most of the work. Honda lists the weight distribution of a manual-transmission Fit at roughly 61 percent front and 39 percent rear, and the car carries ABS, Electronic Brake Distribution and Brake Assist as standard equipment. With that much weight up front, the front calipers, pads and rotors see most of the heat, which is why that is where caliper trouble shows up.

Symptoms of a failing front caliper on a Fit

A caliper rarely fails all at once. It usually starts to drag or stops sliding freely, and the symptoms build over a few thousand miles:

• Pull under braking. If one caliper is not clamping evenly, the car drifts toward the side that is braking harder.
• Pull or drag while cruising. A piston that does not retract keeps the pad on the rotor, so the car can tug toward that side even with your foot off the pedal, and fuel economy drops.
• One hot wheel. After a short drive, a dragging caliper leaves that wheel noticeably hotter than the other front wheel. A burning smell after a highway run is the same problem in a more advanced state.
• Uneven pad wear. One pad worn to the backing plate while the other on the same wheel still has plenty of lining, or one side of the car worn far faster than the other.
• Noise. ADVICS, an OE brake supplier, lists brake pad noise and excessive pad wear as the main symptoms of a sticking caliper slide pin.
• Fluid on the inside of the wheel or a dropping reservoir. A leaking piston seal shows up as wetness on the caliper or tire sidewall. Honda's manual says that if the brake fluid is at or below the MIN mark, the car should be inspected for leaks or worn pads as soon as possible.

What actually goes wrong: slides, pistons and boots

The Fit uses a floating front caliper. The caliper body slides on two guide pins in the bracket so the single piston can push the inner pad while the body pulls the outer pad in. There are two main ways this stops working.

Sticking slide pins

ADVICS describes the chain plainly: the grease on the slide pin runs out, the pin rusts, and heat and friction damage the boot and sleeve. Once the pin is rusty, the caliper can no longer float, so one pad does most of the work. The fix is to clean the pin, replace it if it is pitted, replace any torn or swollen boot, and re-lubricate with a brake-specific grease that is safe for rubber. Never use general-purpose petroleum grease on the pins; it swells the boots.

Sticking or seized pistons

The piston boot keeps road grime and water off the piston. Brake and Front End, a trade publication for brake technicians, explains that a punctured boot lets moisture into the piston seal area, and that an aged or contaminated seal loses the flexibility it needs to pull the piston back to rest. The result is a dragging brake and fast pad wear. It also notes that if contamination is present in the boot area, the bore may be contaminated too, and the caliper should be rebuilt or replaced.

Old brake fluid

Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time, and that moisture is what corrodes pistons and bores from the inside. This is one reason Honda says to replace the Fit's brake fluid every 3 years regardless of what the Maintenance Minder shows. A Fit that has never had a fluid change is a much better candidate for a stuck caliper than one that has been serviced on schedule.

Service the slides or replace the caliper?

Start with a simple check. With the front of the car safely supported on stands and the wheel off, look at the pad wear pattern and the boots. Then, with the pads out, see whether the caliper body slides freely by hand on its pins.

• Pins stiff, pin boots and piston boot intact, no leaks: clean and re-grease the slides, replace the pin boots, fit new pads and hardware. This fixes a large share of Fit "caliper" complaints.
• Piston boot torn, piston rusty, or the piston will not push back smoothly: replace the caliper. Pushing a corroded piston back into its bore drags rust past the seal.
• Fluid leaking at the piston or bleeder: replace the caliper.
• Brake hose soft, cracked or bulging: replace it. A restricted hose can hold pressure on the caliper and mimic a stuck piston.

Most shops and DIYers replace front calipers as a pair so both sides have the same piston and seal condition and the car brakes evenly. It is not strictly required if the other side is in good shape, but a matched pair removes a variable when you are chasing a pull. Replacement calipers are in our brake calipers collection, and if the flexible lines are original, look at replacement brake hoses while the system is open.

What to replace at the same time

A dragging caliper has usually already cooked the pads on that wheel and put heat into the rotor. When you replace a Fit caliper, plan on:

1. Front pads on both sides. Pads are always replaced as an axle set. Our ceramic brake pads are a good match for a daily-driven Fit: quiet, low dust and gentle on rotors.
2. Front rotors, if they are blued, scored, below minimum thickness or causing a pulsation. A caliper that has been dragging often leaves the rotor with hard spots. See brake rotors, or the complete 2015-2020 Honda Fit front brake kit, which bundles rotors and pads for this car.
3. Abutment clips and pin boots. A fresh brake hardware kit keeps the new pads sliding freely.
4. Brake fluid. You will open the system anyway, so bleed the whole car with fresh DOT 3 from a sealed container. Honda warns that DOT 5 fluid can cause extensive damage to this system.

How hard is the job?

For someone who has done front pads before, a front caliper on a Fit is a straightforward bolt-on job with basic hand tools. The general sequence is:

1. Loosen the lug nuts, raise the front on jack stands, and remove the wheel.
2. Crack the banjo bolt at the caliper so the hose can be removed later, and cap the hose to limit fluid loss.
3. Remove the caliper guide bolts and the caliper, then the bracket bolts and bracket if you are replacing rotors.
4. Clean and grease the bracket and pins, install new hardware, pads and rotor, then mount the new caliper with new sealing washers on the banjo bolt.
5. Tighten every fastener to the value in the factory service manual. Guide bolts, bracket bolts and the banjo bolt each have their own specification.
6. Bleed the brakes until the fluid runs clean with no air, top the reservoir to between MIN and MAX, then pump the pedal until it is firm before moving the car.
7. Bed in the new pads with a series of moderate stops before normal driving.

The step that trips people up is bleeding. Because this car has ABS, take care not to run the reservoir dry while bleeding; if air gets into the ABS modulator, it may take a scan-tool bleed procedure to clear it. If the pedal is soft after the job, do not drive the car until it is sorted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 2015-2020 Honda Fit have rear brake calipers?

No. Honda's specifications for this generation list front disc and rear drum brakes on every U.S. trim. Rear brake service on this car means shoes, drums, wheel cylinders and the parking brake cable, not calipers.

Why does my Fit pull to one side when I brake?

The most common cause is a front caliper that is sticking on its slide pins or a piston that is not moving freely, so one side brakes harder. Uneven tire pressure and a collapsed brake hose can cause the same thing, so check those too.

Can I just grease the slide pins instead of replacing the caliper?

Often, yes. If the pins are only dry or lightly rusted, the boots are intact, and the piston moves smoothly with no leaks, cleaning and re-greasing the slides with new boots is a proper repair. If the piston boot is torn or the piston is corroded, replace the caliper.

Do I need to replace both front calipers?

It is not mandatory, but it is common practice to do them as a pair so both sides have the same seal and piston condition. Pads should always be replaced on both sides of the axle.

What brake fluid does a 2015-2020 Fit use?

Honda specifies Honda Heavy Duty Brake Fluid DOT 3, and says not to use DOT 5. Honda also says to replace the brake fluid every 3 years regardless of the Maintenance Minder.

Should I replace the rotors with a new caliper?

If the old caliper was dragging, the rotor on that side has usually been overheated. Replace the rotors if they are scored, blued, below minimum thickness, or cause a pulsing pedal, and always pair new rotors with new pads.

Sources

1. Honda News: 2018 Honda Fit Specifications and Features - front disc and rear drum sizes, ABS, EBD, Brake Assist, weight distribution
2. Honda Owners: 2019 Fit Maintenance Minder System - replace brake fluid every 3 years
3. Honda Fit Owner's Manual: Brake/Clutch Fluid - DOT 3 specification, MIN/MAX check, DOT 5 warning
4. ADVICS: Troubleshooting Caliper Slide Pin Sticking - slide pin symptoms, causes and fixes
5. Brake and Front End: Brake Caliper Diagnostics - boot punctures, seal flexibility, rebuild or replace when contaminated