2012 Honda Insight

ON JULY 31, 2015, AT APPROXIMATELY NOON, I WAS TRAVELING SOUTH ON PA RT. 663 APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE NORTH ON RT. 73, WEATHER WAS CLEAR, TEMPERATURE APPROXIMATELY 85 F. THE SPEED CONTROL HAD BEEN SET AT 45 MPH BUT PREVIOUSLY DISENGAGED AT A STOP LIGHT. AS I ACCELERATED THROUGH 40 MPH I RE-ENGAGED THE SPEED CONTROL USING THE RES/ACC SWITCH ON THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE TROUGH 45 MPH AND AT 58 MPH I DISCONNECTED THE SPEED CONTROL USING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS IS THE THIRD OR FOURTH INCIDENT OF THIS TYPE AND HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPORTED TO HIS OFFICE AND HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE ...UPDATED 10/01/15*BF

I WAS DRIVING IN A LINE OF SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC ON A TWO LINE LANE MAIN STREET KEEPING A CONSTANT SPEED OF 22 MPH WHEN SUDDENLY MY CAR LURCHED FORWARD ACCELERATING RAPIDLY MAKING A HIGH PITCHED SCREAMING SOUND. AS THE CAR GAINED SPEED I SWERVED INTO THE OTHER LANE TO AVOID CRASHING INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. MEANWHILE I STOMPED ON THE FOOT BRAKES, PULLED ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND SHIFTED INTO PARK TRYING TO STOP THE CAR. BARELY MISSING A HEAD ON COLLUSION, THE CAR JUMPED OVER THE SIDEWALK, TOOK DOWN A STEEL SIGN, SCRAPED OVER CONCRETE BARRIERS AS IT CONTINUED NOW AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. IT STOPPED ONLY AFTER I CRASHED IT INTO THE FRONT WINDOW OF A CAFE. I'M CONCERNED THAT THIS HYBRID HAS A SERIOUS DEFECT CAUSING IT TO SUDDENLY ACCELERATE. *TR

CHECKED OIL LEVEL AND FOUND IT BELOW THE BOTTOM INDICATOR MARK (OIL PERCENTAGE LIFE METER WAS ABOVE 60% AT THIS POINT.. TOOK IT IN TO HONDA OF SANTA MARIA, CA , WHILE DRIVING TO DEALERSHIP EMISSION SYSTEMS FAULT WARNING CAME ON. THEY CONFIRMED ALMOST ALL OIL WAS GONE. THEY HAD ME PAY FOR AN OIL CHANGE TO START A OIL CONSUMPTION TEST, AND RETURN AT 500 MILE POINT TO VIEW LOSS. THEY SAID NO LOSS AT THAT POINT. 4000 MILES LATER THE EMISSION SYSTEM WARNING CAME BACK, SAME AS BEFORE ALL OIL WAS GONE. THIS TIME THEY DID AN OIL CHANGE AND WANTED ME TO DO A 1000 MILE AND RETURN TO CHECK - OIL DOWN .25 OF OIL INDICATOR MARKS. DID NO TOP OFF AND WENT ANOTHER 1000 MILES AND RECHECKED, 1 QUART LOW ON OIL, BUT HONDA AMERICA SAYS THIS IS WITH IN TOLERANCE AND TO DATE REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING G ABOUT IT. MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR HAD SAME ISSUE BUT IT GET PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AFTER 64000 TOTAL MILES TO POINT THAT HONDA AMERICA FINALLY OFFERED TO REPLACE THEIR ENGINE AT 10% OF COST (THEY DID NOT COME IN DURING WARRANTY PERIOD). THEY SO FAR REFUSE TO EXPLAIN WHY A MODERN CAR LIKE THIS HAS SUCH A HUGE TOLERANCE FOR OIL CONSUMPTION. ALONG WITH THIS WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR IT HAD SOME SORT OF WINDSHIELD SEAL PROBLEM THAT CAUSED A LOUD VIBRATION NOISE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR IF HIGH WINDS HIT FRONT OF CAR AT NORMAL SPEEDS (25 TO 35 MPH). THEY DID FIX THIS, BUT AGAIN MY NEIGHBOR HAD EXACT SAME PROBLEM. SEEM THESE CARS A PIECES OF JUNK AND NO ONE IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I HOPE YOU WILL INVESTIGATE THIS AS MORE THAN JUST A COMPLAINT!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA INSIGHT. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS NO OIL IN THE VEHICLE. THREE WEEKS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE HAD AN OIL CHANGE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED. 5/28/15 *TA THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE RAN OUT OF OIL BUT THAT THERE WAS NO SIGN OF AN OIL LEAK. UPDATED 9/18/2015 *JS

APPROXIMATELY 5 MONTHS AGO I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS MAKING A SLIGHT TICKING SOUND. I CHECKED THE OIL AND IT WAS A QUART LOW SO I ADDED A QUART. I DIDN'T CHECK IT AGAIN BECAUSE I DIDN'T HEAR THAT TICKING NOISE AGAIN. APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH LATER I TOOK IT TO HONDA IN STOCKTON, CA. TO HAVE A NOISE CHECKED THAT I THOUGHT WAS A BRAKE ISSUE. THERE WAS ALSO A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR THAT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING SCRAPING OR DRAGGING. WHEN I WENT TO PICK IT UP THE MAN SAID THAT IT WAS A QUART LOW AND THAT IF I DIDN'T ALWAYS KEEP MY OIL CHECKED THEN IT WOULD VOID MY WARRANTIES. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD JUST ADDED A WHOLE QUART A MONTH EARLIER. HE SAID THAT HE WOULD PUSH IT THROUGH THIS TIME AND TO MAKE SURE I CHECKED IT REGULARLY, AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO CHECK A CAR'S OIL THAT OFTEN AND I HAD THIS ONE SERVICED REGULARLY AND I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT IT WAS LOW AGAIN, SO I STARTED TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO IT AND CHECK IT REGULARLY. I KEPT THE RADIO OFF SO I COULD LISTEN TO THE ENGINE FOR THAT TICKING NOISE AND SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD TO CHECK AND ADD 1/2 OF A QUART EVERY SINGLE WEEK. IT IS A ROUTINE NOW AS THE NOISE WILL GET LOUDER, IT LOSES POWER, I CHECK IT AND IT IS FAITHFULLY 1/2 QUART LOW, SO I ADD IT. I CALLED HONDA SERVICE IN LODI, CA. (WHERE I USUALLY TAKE IT FOR OIL CHANGES) AND TOLD HIM THE STORY. HE SAID THAT IN ORDER FOR THEM TO DETERMINE IF IT IS USING OIL I HAVE TO BRING IT IN, HAVE THEM DO AN OIL CHANGE, THEN HAVE ME BRING IT BACK IN ONCE A WEEK SO THEY CAN CHECK IT AND DOCUMENT IT- I LIVE 45 MINUTES AWAY AND THAT IS THE CLOSEST ONE! HE SAID THAT AT THAT POINT I WILL HAVE TO APPROVE A TOTAL BREAK-DOWN ($1200 POSSIBLY OUT-OF-POCKET) TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE AND TO SEE IF IT WILL BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS RIDICULOUS! I BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW AND IT ONLY HAS 89K MI ON IT AND I ALWAYS GET IT SERVICED ON TIME AND TAKE CARE OF IT. *TR

DRIVING WITH SPEED CONTROL ON, ON I20 EAST OF COLUMBIA SC, AUTOMOBILE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. WHEN IT REACHED 85 MPH I ATTEMPTED DO DECREASE SPEED USING THE DECEL/SET BUTTON, CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I WAS ABLE TO DISCONNECT SPEED CONTROL USING CANCEL BUTTON. AFTER WE SLOWED TO 70MPH I REENGAGED THE SPEED CONTROL. ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AGAIN AND AT ABOUT 77MPH I DISENGAGED THE SPEED CONTROL USING THE CANCEL BUTTON. I HAD A SIMILAR INCIDENT SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, WHICH I VERBALLY REPORTED TO .HONDA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE. I WAS ADVISED AT THAT TIME THAT THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY SIMILAR REPORTS. *TR

[I HAVE THE SVC RECORDS FOR THIS INFO-POINTS OF CONTACT ARE AT THE END OF THE REPORT] ON JAN 8TH AT ABOUT 630 AM I WAS DRIVING ON I495W IN VA - I WAS AT THE INTERSECTION OF I495 AND THE EXITS FOR I95S AND I395 WASHINGTON. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 55 MILES/HR AND MY CAR ENGINE SIMPLY STOPPED. I PUT MY HAZARDS ON AND GLIDED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR HAS 125,400 MILES--I PURCHASED IT NEW IN FEB, 2012. I WAS TOWED TO SHEEHY HONDA, ALEXANDRIA, VA. THEY SAID THE SPARK PLUGS WERE FOULED AND REPLACED THEM. AFTER REPLACEMENT, THEY SAID THE THERE WAS OIL IN THE SPARK PLUG CYLINDERS. THEY THEN TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT FIX MY CAR - ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $12,000. I CALLED AMERICAN HONDA AND THE CASE MANAGER SAID THE CAUSE OF THE STALL WAS OIL IN THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. I GAVE HER THE CAR HISTORY-SHE SAID THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY- THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ME SUBSTANTIAL ASSISTANCE FOR ENGINE REPLACEMENT. SHE DID OFFER TO INVESTIGATE THE CASE BUT GAVE NO ESTIMATE FOR COMPLETION. I HAVE TRADED THE CAR IN ON A NEW PRIUS. BKGRND- PROBLEMS BEGAN WITH LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT FLASHING AT 75,000 IN DEC, 2013. SINCE THEN I HAVE BEEN BURNING (1) QUART OF OIL EVERY 1,000 MILES. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN ABOUT (8) TIMES TO MY NORMAL SERVICE CTR, HERITAGE HONDA, PARKVILLE, MD, FOR OIL SENSOR REPLACEMENTS AND OILL CONSUMPTION CHECKS CONDUCTED BY THE DEALERSHIP BETWEEN DEC,2013-JULY2014. I ALSO HAD OIL CHANGES AT JIFFY LUBE. IN JULY, 2014 AT 100,000 MILES THE CAR STALLED OUT ON I95. I DRIFTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, RESTARTED AND BROUGHT IT TO HERITAGE HONDA. THEY SAID IT NEEDED NEW SPARK PLUGS. I CONTINUED TO DO NORMAL OIL CHANGES AND, IN BETWEEN, ADDED (1) QT OIL PER 1000MILES UNTIL THE INCIDENT ON JAN 8. POCS AMERICAN HONDA - [XXX], CASE [XXX]; HERITAGE HONDA, [XXX];SHEEHY HONDA, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

BEGAN HAVING HIP AND LOWER BACK PAIN ON A LONGER COMMUTE THAN I WAS NORMALLY DRIVING AFTER CHANGING JOBS. IT STARTED AS DISCOMFORT AND SOON MOVED TO SEVERE PAIN IN THE LOWER BACK, NUMBNESS IN MY LEFT LEG AND FOOT. I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS JUST ME. MY WIFE'S CAR LEASE WAS ENDING AROUND THIS TIME SO I GOT A DIFFERENT CAR AND THE LOW BACK PAIN WENT AWAY ALONG WITH THE NUMBNESS. NOW MY WIFE, WHO IS STILL DRIVING THE 2012 INSIGHT AND HAS NEVER HAD BACK OR HIP PAIN, IS EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS I WAS WHEN I WAS DRIVING THE INSIGHT. *TR

WITHIN A FEW WEEKS OF PURCHASING MY HONDA INSIGHT, I BEGAN TO DEVELOP LOWER BACK PAIN RELATED TO SITTING IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT. NOT ONLY IS THERE A GENERAL LACK OF CUSHIONING IN THE BASE OF THE SEAT WHICH ALONE WOULD BE FRUSTRATING, BUT THERE ALSO IS A RIGID LOWER BACK / LUMBAR SUPPORT THAT IS EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I CAN RECALL WHERE I HAVE HAD AN ISSUE WITH A CAR SEAT. THERE UNFORTUNATELY IS NO APPARENT METHOD TO ADJUST THE AMOUNT OF LOWER BACK SUPPORT, AND MODIFYING THE POSITION OF THE SEAT HAS PROVEN FRUITLESS. I BELIEVE THAT THE DESIGN OF THE SEAT IS FLAWED. *JS