2000 Honda Insight

THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE 2000 INSIGHT. FIRST, I NOTICED A BURNING SMELL. I PULLED OVER AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD BUT FOUND NOTHING. I GOT BACK IN AND THE SMELL CAME BACK AS I STARTED DRIVING. A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE HEADLIGHTS GOT DIM FOR A FEW SECONDS THEN WENT OUT. I STOPPED THE CAR. THE BURNING SMELL WAS COMING FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL, WHERE THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS. I TRIED THE HIGH BEAM AND IT WORKED. I DROVE THE REST OF THE WAY WITH HIGH BEAMS ON. I CHECKED WITH HONDA AND THEY SAID THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM ON THE INSIGHT, BUT THEIR RECORDS SHOWED A REPAIR HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE, SO THEY WOULD CHARGE ME TO REPAIR IT AGAIN. I THINK THE REPAIR IN THE RECALL MAY FIX THE PROBLEM FOR A WHILE BUT DOES NOT PREVENT THE PROBLEM FROM OCCURRING AGAIN. OR THEY DIDN'T DO THE RECALL PROCEDURE PROPERLY. HONDA NEEDS TO FIX THIS. IT IS DANGEROUS AND THEY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IT. *TR

THE "DIM" HEADLIGHTS ON MY HONDA INSIGHT WENT OUT. THE "BRIGHTS" STILL WORK BUT NO DIMS. I CHECKED ON LINE AND THERE IS A RECALL FOR MY CAR FOR A FAULTY DIM SWITCH THAT WILL MAKE THE DIMS GO OUT. WHEN I CALLED A DEALER AND GAVE HIM MY VIN HE SAID MY CAR HAD ALREADY BEEN "THROUGH" THE RECALL AND ANY ADDITIONAL REPAIRS WOULD COST SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS. I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER (SECOND OWNER) AND DO NOT KNOW IF IT WAS REPLACED OR NOT AND THE DEALER WILL NOT DO ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR FULL PAY. *TR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON MY 2000 HONDA INSIGHT WENT OUT AT 7,000 MILES AND THEY TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT. THEY REPLACED THE ON BOARD COMPUTER AND NOW THEY SAY THEY CAN FIX IT BUT WANT $500.00. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY 2 TIMES. THE LARGE ONE THAT POWERS THE CAR. DESPITE MANY MANY TRIES THEY HAVE NOT REPAIRED THIS LIGHT. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE OR NOT. I TOOK THIS TO CORPERATE AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR IT? *TR

PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT DATE, THE IMA BATTERY IN MY 2000 HONDA INSIGHT, HAS REPEATEDLY LOST ITS CHARGE, RAPIDLY (CALLED A "RECALL EVENT"). THIS CAUSES AN UNEXPECTED HESITATION AND LACK OF ACCELERATION. ON THE INCIDENT DATE, I WAS ENTERING A HIGHWAY FROM AN ON RAMP AND COULDN'T ACCELERATE AT THE RATE THAT I WAS ACCUSTOMED TO, BECAUSE THE IMA BATTERY HAD QUICKLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY DISCHARGED. THIS RESULTED IN ME BLOCKING UPCOMING TRAFFIC AND SEVERAL DRIVERS HAD TO PERFORM AVOIDANCE MANEUVERS. THIS SUDDEN, UNEXPECTED LOSS OF IMA ASSIST, IS INDICATIVE OF A FAILING/AGING IMA BATTERY. HONDA'S COMPUTER MONITORING SYSTEM DOES NOT REGISTER/DETECT THIS AS A MIL CODE. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL THIS UNEXPECTED LOSS OF ACCELERATION CAUSE A LOSS OF LIFE. MORE INFORMATION ON THIS CAN BE FOUND ON: HTTP://WWW.INSIGHTCENTRAL.NET/FORUM/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?T=750 THIS FORUM IS MADE OF INSIGHT OWNERS AND I DON'T PUT A LOT OF STOCK IN THEIR EXPLANATIONS OF WHAT A RECALL EVENT IS. I CAN SAY DEFINITIVELY THAT 1). THESE RECALL EVENTS BECOME MORE FREQUENT AS THE IMA BATTERY AGES AND 2).THEY ARE DANGEROUS, AS OUTLINED ABOVE. HONDA WILL NOT REPLACE THE BATTERY, EVEN THOUGH IT IS UNDER WARRANTY, UNLESS A MIL IS GENERATED. THIS WILL ONLY HAPPEN WHEN THE IMA BATTERY IS HEAVILY DEGRADED. THE RECALL EVENTS, HOWEVER, OCCUR WITH LESS THAN THIS LEVEL OF DEGRADATION AND HONDA'S MONITORING SYSTEM IGNORES THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION. *JB

THE STATE OF CHARGE GAUGE ON MY 2000 HONDA INSIGHT NO LONGER ACCURATELY REPORTS THE STATE OF CHARGE OF ITS IMA BATTERY. BOOST FROM THE IMA BATTERY IS CRUCIAL FOR PROVIDING ADDITIONAL POWER TO ACCELERATE SAFELY ON FREEWAY ONRAMPS, WHEN OVERTAKING CARS ON 2-LANE HIGHWAYS, ETC. WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY, WHEN THE STATE OF CHARGE GAUGE INDICATES THAT THE IMA BATTERY IS ONLY PARTIALLY DISCHARGED, IMA BATTERY BOOST SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY CEASES. IF THIS HAPPENS DURING A PERIOD OF CRUCIAL ACCELERATION, THE SUDDEN PLUMMET IN THE RATE OF ACCELERATION COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.THE INCIDENT DATE I HAVE LISTED IS ONLY THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT DATE. THIS PROBLEM NOW OCCURS ALMOST ANY TIME I ASCEND A LONG UPGRADE FOR MORE THAN A COUPLE OF MINUTES. IT ALSO OCCURRED SHORTLY AFTER MY ACQUISITION OF THIS INSIGHT USED IN MAY, 2002, BUT HAS BEEN OCCURRING WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY AS TIME PASSES. WHAT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING IS THAT THE IMA BATTERY'S CAPACITY HAS DIMINISHED TO ABOUT HALF OF ITS NEW CAPACITY WITH DETERIORATION CONTINUING. DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BY A NUMBER OF INSIGHT OWNERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, HONDA HAS REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM EXISTS AND SO HAS REFUSED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. HONDA'S ATTITUDE IS THAT IF NO DIAGNOSTIC CODE IS BEING SET, NO PROBLEM EXISTS.BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM COULD AFFECT THE GROWING NUMBER OF GASOLINE-ELECTRIC HYBRID VEHICLES IN THE UNITED STATES, I AM ASKING YOU TO INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM AND REQUIRE HONDA TO IMPLEMENT A SOLUTION.*AK