Honda Fit/Jazz Towing Capacity: Can It Tow a Trailer, Boat, or Jet Ski?

Honda Fit, also known as Honda Jazz, is a supermini car known for its decent built quality and performance and a short list of common problems.

But does it have a decent towing capacity? Can it tow a large-sized loaded trailer? Do you have a better option for this purpose? In this article, we’ll discuss everything in this regard.

In the United States, Honda does not recommend the Fit for towing purposes, and doing so will void your vehicle’s warranty. However, in other markets, the Fit (known as the Honda Jazz) has an unbraked towing capacity of 992 pounds and a braked towing capacity of 2200 pounds.

Now that we have identified the towing capacity, let’s discuss what you can do with this power- even though there’s not exactly a ton of it.

In this article, we have computed three tables; the first mentions the change in the towing capacity over the years. The second one mentions the weighing limits of several trailer types and compares them against the towing capacity of this car. And lastly, the third one mentions the towing capacities of its counterparts.

Maximum Towing Capacity By Year

The following table contains the towing capacities of several generations of the Honda Fit.

Remember that these figures are obtained from the owner’s manual of the Honda Jazz (same car in non-US markets). Honda does not recommend using this car in the United States for towing purposes.

We suggest that you don’t test these limits unless it is essentially required in an emergency. Regularly towing a trailer with this car may damage its engine and seize its warranty.

It is unclear why Honda doesn’t recommend the Fit for towing purposes in the USA, while it doesn’t have problems with this on other continents. It could be that Honda is being cautious given the fact that Americans tow more often, and therefore, they try to avoid getting in trouble in the long run.

Year	Engine	Towing Capacity Unbraked (lbs)	Towing Capacity Braked (lbs)
2020	All	992	2,200
2019	All	992	2,200
2018	All	992	2,200
2017	All	992	2,200
2016	All	992	2,200
2015	All	992	2,200
2014	All	992	2,200
2013	All	992	2,200
2012	All	992	2,200
2011	All	992	2,200
2010	All	992	2,200
2009	All	992	2,200
2008	All	992	2,200
2007	All	992	2,200

Trailer Nose Weight

Again, the stated trailer nose weight applies to the owner’s manual of the Honda Jazz, but, since this is the same car, we thought it was valuable to mention it here as well.

The trailer nose load should never exceed 95 kg (209 lbs). This is the weight the trailer puts on the towbar when fully loaded. As a rule of thumb, for trailer weights of less than 450 kg (992 lbs), the trailer nose load should be 10 percent of the total trailer package.

Can The Honda Fit/Jazz Tow a Trailer, Boat, or Jet Ski?

Lots of trailers with varying weights and sizes are available for towing purposes. In this section, we have identified the weighing limits of different types of trailers. We then matched these weight limits against the towing capacity of the Honda Fit.

All new and old generations of the Honda Fit can tow empty small and medium-sized trailers with a maximum weight limit of 2,200 pounds without blowing up your transmission. These include canoe/kayak, jet ski, teardrop, and small open utility Trailers. The towing capacity of this car is not suitable for towing empty or loaded large-sized trailers.

Trailer Type	Average Empty Weight (lbs.)	Average Loaded Weight (lbs.)
Canoe / Kayak Trailer	200	400
Jet Ski Trailer	300	1,800
Motorcycle Trailer	500	2,400
Teardrop Trailer	1,700	2,400
Small Open Utility Trailer	700	2,500
A-Frame Camper	1,700	2,900
Small Enclosed Utility Trailer	1,000	3,200
Fishing Boat Trailer	600	3,300
Pop Up Camper	2,300	3,400
Small Travel Trailer	2,800	3,600
Tow Dolly	600	4,000
Large Enclosed Utility Trailer	2,700	7,100
Small Horse Trailer	2,900	7,200
Large Travel Trailer	6,700	8,300
Car Trailer	1,900	9,000
Large Flatbed Trailer	3,000	10,400
Large Boat Trailer	2,200	13,600
Dump Trailer	4,500	16,900
Toy Hauler	7,600	17,900
Large Livestock Trailer	7,300	18,700
5th Wheel Camper	12,700	18,700
Gooseneck Flatbed Trailer	7,200	23,200

• Kayak: All Honda Fit models will be able to tow a kayak trailer. On average, an empty kayak trailer will weigh 200 pounds. A loaded kayak trailer will weigh an average of 400 pounds with a maximum of 800 pounds which is well within the range of the Honda Fit.

• Jet Ski Trailer: All Honda Fit models will be able to tow an empty jet ski trailer. On average, an empty jet ski trailer will weigh 300 pounds. A loaded jet ski trailer weighs an average of 1,800 pounds with a maximum of 3,000 pounds which is outside the range of the Honda Fit.

• Motorcycle Trailer: All Honda Fit models will be able to tow an empty motorcycle trailer. On average, an empty motorcycle trailer will weigh 500 pounds. A loaded motorcycle trailer weighs an average of 2,400 pounds with a maximum of 3,500, which is outside the range of the Honda Fit.

• Teardrop Trailer: All  Honda Fit models will be able to tow an empty teardrop trailer. On average, an empty teardrop trailer will weigh 1,700 pounds. A loaded teardrop trailer weighs an average of 2,400 pounds which is outside the range of the  Honda Fit. Some teardrop trailers will weigh a maximum of 6,000 pounds, which is also outside the Honda Fit’s limits.

• Small Open Utility Trailer: All Honda Fit models will be able to tow an empty small open utility trailer. On average, an empty small open utility trailer will weigh 700 pounds. A loaded small open utility trailer weighs an average of 2,500 pounds with a maximum of 3,000 pounds which is outside the range of the Honda Fit.

• A-Frame Camper: All Honda Fit models will be able to tow an empty a-frame camper. On average, an empty a-frame camper weighs 1,700 pounds. A loaded a-frame camper weighs an average of 2,900 pounds with a maximum of 3,600 pounds which is outside the range of the  Honda Fit.

• Small Enclosed Utility Trailer: All Honda Fit models will be able to tow an empty small enclosed utility trailer. On average, an empty small enclosed utility trailer weighs 1,000 pounds. A loaded small enclosed utility trailer weighs an average of 3,200 pounds with a maximum of 7,000 pounds which is outside the range of the Honda Fit.

• Fishing Boat Trailer: All Honda Fit models will be able to tow an empty fishing boat trailer. On average, an empty fishing boat trailer weighs 600 pounds. A loaded fishing boat trailer will weigh an average of 3,300 pounds with a maximum of 6,000 pounds which is outside the range of the  Honda Fit.

• Pop-Up Camper: No Honda Fit model will be able to tow a pop-up camper. On average, an empty pop-up camper weighs 2,300 pounds. A loaded pop-up camper weighs an average of 3,400 pounds with a maximum of 4,000 pounds which is outside the range of the  Honda Fit.

• Small Travel Trailer: No Honda Fit model will be able to tow a small travel trailer. On average, an empty small travel trailer weighs 2,800 pounds. A loaded small travel trailer weighs an average of 3,600 pounds with a maximum of 4,500 pounds which is outside the range of the  Honda Fit.

• Tow Dolly: All Honda Fit models will be able to tow an empty tow dolly. On average, an empty tow dolly weighs 600 pounds. A loaded tow dolly will weigh an average of 4,000 pounds with a maximum of 5,000 pounds which is outside the range of the  Honda Fit.

• Large Enclosed Utility Trailer: No Honda Fit models will be able to tow an empty large enclosed utility trailer. On average, an empty large enclosed utility trailer weighs 2,700 pounds. A loaded large enclosed utility trailer weighs an average of 7,100 pounds with a maximum of 10,000 pounds which is outside the range of the  Honda Fit.

• Small Horse Trailer: No Honda Fit model will be able to tow a small horse trailer. On average, an empty small horse trailer weighs 2,900 pounds. A loaded small horse trailer weighs an average of 7,200 pounds with a maximum of 8,000 pounds which is outside the range of the  Honda Fit.

• Car Trailer: All Honda Fit models will be able to tow an empty car trailer. On average, an empty car trailer weighs 1,900 pounds. A loaded car trailer weighs an average of 9,000 pounds with a maximum of 15,000 pounds which is outside the range of the Honda Fit.

• Large Flatbed Trailer: No Honda Fit model will be able to tow a large flatbed trailer. On average, an empty large flatbed trailer weighs 3,000 pounds. A loaded large flatbed trailer weighs an average of 10,400 pounds with a maximum of 26,000 pounds which is outside the range of the Honda Fit.

• Large Boat Trailer: All Honda Fit models will be able to tow an empty large boat trailer. On average, an empty large boat trailer weighs 2,200 pounds. A loaded large boat trailer weighs an average of 13,600 pounds with a maximum of 34,000 pounds which is outside the range of the Honda Fit.

Can You Install A Hitch On A Honda Fit?

From the factory, Honda Fits do not come with a trailer hitch. However, you can install an aftermarket class 1 hitch on your Fit. Class 1 hitches are rated for a maximum towing weight of 2,000 pounds and a maximum tongue weight of 200 pounds. Expect to pay around $150 – $200 for a class 1 hitch.

How Well Can It Tow Compared to its Competitors?

In the supermini car category, we can witness decent competition in the towing capacities of various cars. These cars are not primarily built for towing purposes; their manufacturers have repeatedly communicated this. Yet, customers expect a decent tow rating for their car. The following table highlights the towing capacities of several cars in this category.

Does Fuel Type Matter When Towing?

While the Honda Fit is designed as a lightweight, efficient subcompact car and isn’t typically associated with heavy towing, the type of fuel used can still play a role. For most Honda Fit models, regular unleaded octane 87 gasoline is recommended.

Using this fuel grade should suffice for light towing needs, such as pulling a small utility trailer or hitch-mounted cargo carrier. Opting for higher octane fuel isn’t likely to offer noticeable benefits for a vehicle with modest towing capacity like the Fit.

Is The Towing Capacity Of The Honda Jazz Different From The Honda Fit?

The towing capacity for the Honda Jazz, the name for the Honda Fit in markets outside of North America, is generally the same.

Both versions are compact cars built on the same platform, with similar engine options and specifications.

Closing Thoughts

The Honda Fit certainly isn’t built for towing, so much so that it will void the warranty to use it for towing.

But it can be done. However, if you’re not careful, your Honda Fit may end up needing a tow instead of your RV!

The Fit is rated with an unbraked towing capacity of 992 pounds and a braked towing capacity of 2200 pounds. While these figures suggest that the Fit can handle some light towing duties, they clearly indicate that it is not suited for towing large-sized loaded trailers.

So just because it can be done doesn’t it mean it should be!