HONDA ALREADY KNEW THE PROBLEM EXISTED BUT DID NOTHING UNTIL NOW.
OK hot shot: you're the lead engineer on the Fit. Scattered reports begin to come in that there might be a problem with the car. You dutifully look into the problem, collecting information as best you can and trying to determine the exact problem and what causes it. This is difficult, because there are so few incidents, so you probably have to wait some time before you can actually accomplish anything. Eventually, you manage to determine the cause of the problem. You set about engineering a fix, which also takes time, since you have to figure out where the error was in the original design and correct it.
That done, you talk to your boss and approve the ordering of 600 000 new parts, to replace the existing parts in all those Fits that have already sold. This might require the factory to retool its assembly line, depending on the severity of the problem and how complicated the fix is. Then they have to manufacture 600 000+ of those units, so that they have them available to ship out once the recall is announced.
Finally, the Service departments at thousands of Honda dealerships need to be notified, the techs trained, and stock shipped out. Then Honda can announce a recall, and bring all those cars in and have them fixed with a minimum of downtime and time to the owner.
Your assertion that Honda "knew" but "did nothing" is not only wrong, but completely and utterly idiotic. It demonstrates a complete and utter lack of consideration for the way the world works: Honda cannot simply wave a magic wand and fix 600 000 cars. It takes time to address a problem, especially when you're a company with operations in dozens of countries around the world and 600 000 potentially affected units. This fix does not happen overnight.
I've no problem with your paranoia - as crazy as it is, you're welcome to it - but I do have a problem with your slandering a company based on insane assumptions about how the world works. At least Honda isn't lying to you: they never said "There's no problem" - they said "There's a problem, we're working on a fix".
But this aint Hogwarts - Honda isn't some magical fairy that can correct all wrongs with a wave of a twig. I don't know what's so difficult to grasp about that fact...
