DETROIT (AP) — Honda is recalling 12,000 Fit subcompacts to replace the steel front bumper beams so the cars are more crash-resistant.
The tiny Fit was redesigned for the 2015 model year, and initially it flunked a key front-end crash test done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The test simulates a 40 mph crash between the front corner of a car and a utility pole.
Honda engineers strengthened the welds on the beams so energy from a crash would be spread over the entire front of the car. That got the Fit an "Acceptable" rating in a second test, and earned it a "Top Safety Pick" designation.
Honda strengthened the bumpers at the factory and is voluntarily recalling all 2015 Fits now on the road in North America.