Unpleasant smells started coming out of vents in early July 2014 (I purchased the vehicle new on June 13, 2014). They started as smelling like fresh mulch or dog poo, but became more like mold/mildew, sometimes smelling like wet dirty gym socks and getting as bad as smelling like rotting meat. Several attempts (one by me and three by the service department where I'd purchased the vehicle) have been made to correct the problem. Chemical cleaners, replacing the cabin air filter have been done. I have inspected the cowl intakes, cabin air filter and blower box myself and the smells do not emanate from them. I was informed there was a worker walkout at the New Mexico-based plant (the real reason for the launch delay in the us from mid-April to mid-June), where the 2015 Honda Fits for North America are made, and that many vehicles were left standing where they were when the walkout commenced, and the walkout lasted weeks. Someone should investigate this and see what else may have happened to these vehicles while they sat stagnant during the walkout.

- West Chester, OH, USA

The new car turns out to have been infested with fleas. I did not notice this when I test-drove the car on Wednesday, June 11. During the drive home on June 13, I noticed what I though were fruit flies (or some other insect that size and are brown and oblong in shape) on my wrists, which I waved out the window. Later that night, I felt intense itching on my lower legs. I found several above the sock line on each leg. I suspected fleas and confirmed it with flea traps (the flat type with strong adhesive). My wife insisted I take it back to the dealer, but I thought they'd just use a bug/flea bomb and do a worse job of vacuuming than I would do, so I decided to handle it myself with a bug/flea bomb and intense vacuuming for 2 weeks, which seems to have solved the problem. Over the course of the first weekend, before I started the treatment, I eventually got a total of 25 flea bites, mostly on my legs (higher than on the first day as I wore shorts during the weekend drives), but a few on my forearms as well. I have pictures of the bites, if you are interested. I didn't keep the vacuum bags or flea traps, unfortunately. While working to address a possibly related problem about bad smells coming out of the ventilation system (separately reported here and on carcomplaints.com), I learned there was a worker walkout at the Mexico-based plant. I wonder if the fleas and rotting meat smell are related to that incident.

- West Chester, OH, USA