Honda L15

Honda's 1.5-litre four, in naturally aspirated form in the Fit and Jazz and in direct-injected turbocharged form as the L15B7 in the Civic, CR-V and Accord — the engine that replaced larger naturally aspirated fours across Honda's range.

The turbocharged version's known issue is specific and worth naming: fuel dilution of the engine oil, most pronounced in cold climates and short-journey use. Unburnt fuel passes the rings into the sump, the oil level rises and its viscosity falls, and the result is accelerated bearing and cylinder wear. Honda addressed it with software and hardware updates in affected markets. A rising oil level with a fuel smell on an L15B7 is the fault, not a servicing error.

The naturally aspirated L15 in the Fit has none of this and is an unremarkable, durable engine whose complaints are ignition, sensors and — where the CVT is fitted — transmission behaviour reported as engine behaviour.