2000 Honda Insight Complaint Log

HONDA INSIGHT 2000 LOW BEAM LIGHTS FAILED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH. A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT HONDA IS REFUSING TO COVER THE COST OF REPAIR BECAUSE MY VIN DID NOT SHOW A RECALL. THE HONDA INSIGHT 2000 IS LISTED FOR THIS RECALL. I HAVE OWNED MANY HONDAS IN THE PAST, BUT NOW AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED IN HONDA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WILL NOT BE PURCHASING ANY HONDA PRODUCTS IN THE FUTURE.

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 HONDA INSIGHT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WITH THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS IN OPERATION, THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED IN ORDER TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V086000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS); HOWEVER THE CONTACT'S VIN WAS INELIGIBLE FOR REPAIRS UNDER THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 178,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 HONDA INSIGHT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ACTIVATED, THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY FAILED. THE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED SO THAT THE CONTACT COULD CONTINUE TO HIS DESTINATION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WIRING FOR THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V086000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 165,000.

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

I DROVE MY (ALWAYS GARAGED) INSIGHT TO WORK ON A COLD MORNING WHERE THE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 15 DEGREES WHEN I REACHED MY PLACE OF WORK AT 7:20 A.M. I RETURNED TO MY VEHICLE, IN THE PARKING LOT AT A LITTLE AFTER 12:00 P.M. TO FIND THAT THE REAR GLASS WAS COMPLETELY SHATTERED. THIS IS THE MAIN REAR GLASS THAT INCLUDES THE WINDOW DEFROSTER AND IS ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH GENUINE HONDA PARTS. THERE IS NO AFTERMARKET MANUFACTURER OF THIS GLASS. MY PARKING LOT HAS FULL TIME SECURITY WITH CAMERAS IN PLACE. NO EXTERIOR FORCE, OTHER THAN THE ENVIRONMENT, HAD ANY EFFECT ON THE MALFUNCTION OF THE CAR'S REAR GLASS. THE ONLY THING I CAN IMAGINE IS THAT THE SUN HEATED THE COLD ALUMINUM HATCH AT A MUCH FASTER RATE THAN IT HEATED THE GLASS. THIS CAUSED THE GLASS TO BURST AND SHATTER. THERE WAS NO IMPACT MARK LIKE A ROCK OR BLUNT OBJECT MIGHT CREATE. BUT RATHER THERE WAS A FRACTURE ALL ALONG THE PERIMETER OF THE GLASS. UPON CONTACTING HONDA, AND TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE ALL SERVICE IN THE PAST HAS BEEN DONE, THEY DECLINED, ON BEHALF OF HONDA USA, TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEFECT IN THE AUTOMOBILE. THEREFORE, I HAD TO USE OUT OF POCKET AND INSURANCE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS CLEARLY DEFECTIVE PART. I TOOK PICTURES AND DOCUMENTED THE BROKEN GLASS. HONDA MOTOR COMPANY USA SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR AN UNSAFE AND DEFECTIVE REAR GLASS. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT'S 2000 HYBRID HONDA INSIGHT HAD A DEFECTIVE BATTERY. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT THE VEHICLE LOST POWER . DURING THE LAST INCIDENT THE CAR BECAME STRANDED ON A BUSY ROAD IN THE DARK WITHOUT ANY LIGHTS. THE DEALER TOLD HIM TO COME IN SO THAT THEY COULD REPAIR THE BATTERY.*AK

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

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 HONDA INSIGHT. THE CAR MADE VERY MINIMAL NOISE. HAD SCHEDULED THE CAR TO BE LOOKED AT. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT THE CAR HAD BEEN IN THE SHOP WITH ALL FOUR TIRES OFF THE CAR. WHEN THE CONTACT THE CAR BACK THERE WAS NEW NOISE. BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER NEXT DAY. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT WRONG LUGS:NUTS WERE ON THE TIRES. THEY REPLACED THEM, AND THE CONTACT TOOK THE CAR. 3,000 MILES LATER, WITH LESS OF A NOISE , MADE A TURN AND THE CAR DID NOT MAKE THE TURN AND STOPPED. THE CONTACT GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND NOTICED THE TIRE WAS STILL GOING DOWN THE ROAD WITH THE CAR IN BETWEEN OTHER CARS . PICKED UP THE TIRE, MADE PHONE CALLS TO GET THE CAR TOWED. WHEN THE CONTACT ASKED THE DEALER WHAT HAPPENED, THE DEALER TOLD THE CONTACT THAT THEY ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THE CAR HAD BEEN VANDALIZED. BECAUSE ALL OF THE TIRES WERE COMPLETELY LOOSE BECAUSE THE RIMS AND POST WERE MADE OUT OF ALUMINUM. THE CAR WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE UNLESS THE RIMS AND POST WERE REPLACED. WHEN CALLING HONDA, THEY TOLD THE CONTACT THAT NOTHING WAS TO BE DONE, AND THAT IT WASN'T THEIR FAULT. THE DEALER DID NOT FEEL RESPONSIBLE , EVEN ON A MAINTENANCE LEVEL TO ADVISE THE CONTACT OF THIS EVEN 3000 MILES EARLIER WHEN TIRES WERE OFF THE CAR, AND TWO NEW TIRES WERE PUT ON. THE RIMS COST $500 EACH. MAKING IT A TOTAL OF $2,000. *AK

THE REAR HATCH WINDOW OF THE INSIGHT "SELF-DESTRUCTED" WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE OVERNIGHT. THE WEATHER HAD BEEN EXTREMELY COLD (IN THE TEENS), THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE ALL DAY WHILE AT WORK, AND THE REAR DEFROSTER HAD BEEN USED ON THE COMMUTE HOME. THE FOLLOWING MORNING, THE WINDOW WAS FOUND STILL BE IN PLACE BUT WAS BROKEN AROUND THE ENTIRE PERIMETER AND THE WINDOW ITSELF WAS COMPLETELY SHATTERED BEING HELD IN PLACE BY THE LAMINATE. THROUGH SOME ONLINE RESEARCH, I TRACKED DOWN ANOTHER INSIGHT OWNER WHO HAD REPORTED THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM ON "YAHOO! GROUPS" TWO WEEKS EARLIER. I CONTACTED HIM AND FOUND THAT HIS WINDOW HAD "SELF-DESTRUCTED" IN THE EXACT SAME MANNER AFTER BEING PARKED OUTSIDE IN COLD WEATHER. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP ALONG WITH THE RESULTS OF MY RESEARCH AND THEY CONTACTED HONDA AMERICA. HONDA AMERICA TOLD THE DEALER THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDOW THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF AND THAT THEY CONSIDER IT NORMAL DAMAGE THAT WILL HAVE TO BE PAID FOR (MY INSURANCE IS COVERING IT). AS THE INSIGHT IS A RATHER LIMITED PRODUCTION VEHICLE, THE REPAIR PARTS WILL TAKE A FEW DAYS TO OBTAIN. FOR THIS REASON, THE CURRENT DAMAGED PART (WINDOW) IS STILL AVAILABLE SHOULD AN INVESTIGATION BE WARRANTED. I CONSIDER THIS A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE AS THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY FOR THE WINDOW TO SPONTANEOUSLY BREAK WHILE THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN. LUCKILY MYSELF AND THE OTHER OWNER HAD OUR VEHICLES PARKED AT THE TIME SO WE DID NOT HAVE ANY MOVING VEHICLE ISSUES. THIS WOULD APPEAR TO BE A CONCERN FOR PEOPLE WITH INSIGHT'S IN COLD WEATHER CLIMATES.*AK

THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED. AS A RESULT THE SEAT BELT COULD NOT BE USED. *AK *SC THE CONSUMER STATED THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME IN A FIVE MONTH PERIOD THE RETRACTOR FAILED. *JB

THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT MECHANISM FAILED AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH ALL DIGITAL READINGS ON THE DASHBOARD VANISHED. ALSO, THE POWER WINDOWS AND POWER STEERING SIMULTANEOUSLY WENT OUT. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WAS FAULTY AND REPAIRED IT. THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE FAILED THREE TIMES ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. *AK

THE ELECTRIC MOTOR ASSIST (IMA) IN MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND UNPREDICTABLY LOSES POWER ON A FREQUENT BASIS. THIS CAUSES A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF POWER THROUGH A PROCESS CALLED "RECALIBRATING" IN WHICH THE BATTERIES BECOME FULLY DISCHARGED, AND THEN RECHARGE AGAIN VERY SLOWLY OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. AS THE IMA IS A SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF POWER FOR THE VEHICLE, THE SUDDEN LOSS HAS ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT ON AT LEAST THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE BATTERIES FOR THE IMA SEEM TO BEHAVE IN A WAY THAT SUGGESTS THE BATTERIES HAVE LOST A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THEIR ORIGINAL POWER, WHILE HONDA HAS SETUP VERY CAREFUL LEGAL LANGUAGE TO DENY OTHERWISE. *JB

I OWN A 2000 MODEL 5 SPEED HONDA INSIGHT. PERIODICALLY, AND WITH NO PATTERN OF PREDICTABILITY, THE ELECTRIC ASSIST PORTION OF THE HYBRID ELECTRIC MOTOR/ GAS ENGINE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS POWER IS GREATLY DIMINISHED, DANGEROUSLY SO IN SOME CASES: I.E. WHEN TRYING TO MERGE WITH FAST MOVING FREEWAY TRAFFIC, CLIMBING A STEEP GRADE, ACCELERATING FROM A STOP.

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

MY CAR LOSES ALL ELECTRIC ASSIST WITHOUT WARNING. A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER OCCURS AND CAUSES THE CAR TO STALL WHEN TRYING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC, LEAVING THE VEHICLE TEMPORARILY STALLED. THE BATTERY-CHARGE DISPLAY GIVES NO INDICATION THAT THIS SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WILL OCCUR. GENERALLY IT IS SHOWING CLOSE TO FULL WHEN IT RECALIBRATES, USUALLY WHILE I'M NOT LOOKING AT IT (JUDGING TRAFFIC CONDITIONS) THEN MY CAR STALLS OUT AS I TRY TO LET OUT THE CLUTCH. *NLM

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

FENDER SKIRT FASTENERS ON THE 2000 HONDA INSIGHT ARE NOT COATED. THEY RUST TOO EASILY AND IF GONE UNCHECKED, CAN LEAD TO THE FENDER SKIRTS FALLING OFF AND BEING LOST OR DESTROYED. *NLM

IN SHORT: THE FENDER SPAT FASTENERS FELL OFF CAUSING THE SPAT TO FLY OFF THE CAR. THE CAR IS ADVERTISED TO BE MADE OF NON-OXIDIZING METALS, THE SPAT FASTENERS; HOWEVER, DO RUST. THEY ARE A QUICK RELEASE FASTENER (NOT A BOLT AND NUT). I AM CONCERNED THAT THE SKIRT WILL FALL OFF AND HIT A CAR OR MOTORCYCLE AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE NOTIFIED HONDA ABOUT MY CONCERNS.

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. ERROR P1164, LEAN BURN, O2 SENSOR ERROR. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG INADVERTENLY DEPLOYED, CAUSING CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS DID NOT PERFORM AS DESIGNED, CONSUMER NOT ONLY SUFFERED INJURIES FROM THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, BUT ALSO SUFFERED INJURIES FROM THE BELT RETRACTOR.*JB

WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO DOWN SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR, WHEN SUDDENLY THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON, BLINDING THE MOTORIST, THE VEHICLE SWIRLED OUT OF CONTROL HITTING THE MEDIAN, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF, AND THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED AND MOTORIST SUSTAINED INJURIES TO HIS HANDS, WRIST AND ANKLES. *TT

CONSUMER STATES LESS THAN 24000 MILES THREE OF THE VEHICLE TIRES WERE REPLACED DUE TO SIDEWALL FAILURE. T16565R1478F. *AK