2001 Honda Insight Owner Complaints

LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED W/O WARNING OR EXTERNAL CAUSE. WORKED ONE DAY BUT NOT THE NEXT MORNING. NO OBVIOUS FUSE OR RELAY IS THE CAUSE. FOUND THAT THERE WAS AN INADEQUATELY DESIGNED SWITCH THAT WS PRONE TO FAILURE BY GOOGLING THE FAILURE, WHICH HWAS COVERED BY A RECALL. HONDA'S WEBSITE VIN SEARCH SAID THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THIS CAR. LOCAL DEALER SAYS RECAL WAS SATISFIED IN 2010. SEEMS THERE IS STILL AN INADEQUATELY DESIGNED SWITCH THAT CAN RESULT IN COMPLETE AND SUDDEN FAILURE OF THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS.

NHTSA ID

11151848

Incident

Nov 6, 2018

Mileage

143,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HONDA INSIGHT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO OPERATE PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V086000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 250,000.

NHTSA ID

10817606

Incident

Jan 1, 2014

Mileage

250,000 mi

BOTH MY LOW BEAMS FAILED SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING, BUT HIGH BEAMS STILL WORK. I CONFIRMED THAT THERE IS NO POWER BEING SENT TO THE LOW BEAMS. THIS VEHICLE HAD A RECALL FOR 2000-2002 MODEL YEARS FOR EXACT ISSUE. AMERICAN HONDA, AND THE LOCAL HONDA DEALER TELL ME MY VIN# IS OFF BY 1 MONTH (WITHIN SAME MODEL YEAR ASSOCIATED WITH RECALL), SO IT'S NOT UNDER "RECALL." THEY TOLD ME FURTHER DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR WOULD BE AT MY EXPENSE. REPORT RECEIPT DATE: FEB 24, 2004 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V086000 COMPONENT(S): EXTERIOR LIGHTING SUMMARY: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE LOW-BEAM TERMINAL ON THE HEAD LIGHT WIRE HARNESS CAN OVERHEAT AND COULD CAUSE THE LOW BEAMS TO FAIL WITHOUT WARNING. CONSEQUENCE: AN UNEXPECTED LOSS OF LOW BEAMS COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. HTTP://WWW-ODI.NHTSA.DOT.GOV/ACMS/CS/JAXRS/DOWNLOAD/DOC/ACM2982889/RCDNN-04V086-3477.PDF. *TR

NHTSA ID

10594214

Incident

May 23, 2014

Mileage

150,000 mi

HEADLIGHTS GO OFF. FIXED ONCE ON RECALL. NOW SAME PROBLEM. SAME HEAT DAMAGED SWITCH & THEY WONT REPAIR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10435513

Incident

Jun 16, 2010

Mileage

175,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HONDA INSIGHT. WHILE EXAMINING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE AIRBAG NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS.THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 55000.

NHTSA ID

10320280

Incident

Sep 9, 2008

Mileage

55,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HONDA INSIGHT. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH SHE SMELLED A CHEMICAL ODOR, AND SAW FLAMES BEHIND HER. SHE PULLED OVER AND ATTEMPTED TO PUT OUT OF THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES. THE ENTIRE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. . THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY, AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING INSPECTED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY WILL SEND SOMEONE OUT TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE DAMAGE. SHE SPECULATED THAT BATTERY FAILURE CAUSED THE FIRE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 100000.

NHTSA ID

10296694

Incident

Nov 23, 2009

Mileage

100,000 mi

MONDAY MORNING I HAD AN APPOINTMENT TO BRING MY CAT TO THE VET. I PUT HER IN A PET CARRIER AND PUT THE CARRIER IN MY 2001 HONDA INSIGHT WITH THE PET DOOR FACING FORWARD. I GOT ON THE 101 N. IN LOS ANGELES AND HAD DRIVEN ONLY A FEW MILES WHEN I SMELLED A STRONG CHEMICAL ODOR. THINKING THE SMELL WAS COMING PERHAPS FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE I CONTINUED. THEN MY DOOR OPEN LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR FILLED WITH A THICK SMOKE. I LOOKED BEHIND ME AND SAW FLAMES COMING FROM BELOW AND BEHIND THE CAT CARRIER. I QUICKLY PULLED ACROSS THE HIGHWAY LUCKILY THERE WAS AN EXIT WITH A VERY SHORT EXIT RAMP. I STOPPED THE CAR AND OPENED MY DOOR AND THREW MY PURSE OUT OF THE CAR, OPENED THE DOOR TO THE PET CARRIER AND REMOVED MY CAT. BY THIS TIME THE FLAMES AND SMOKE HAD INCREASED. I TRIED TO OPEN THE BACK HATCHBACK HOPING TO SMOTHER THE FLAMES WITH A COAT BUT THE DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED AND THE INTENSITY OF THE FIRE HAD ESCALATED. I MOVED AWAY FROM THE CAR AND YELLED FOR HELP. I WAS ABLE TO CALL 911 AND THE FIRE AND POLICE ARRIVED IN A FEW MOMENTS. I TOOK MANY PICTURES WITH MY CELL PHONE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT OUT THE FIRE WHICH COMPLETELY MELTED THE HOOD OF THE CAR. THIS CAR HAS NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND MY HUSBAND AND I ARE THE ONLY OWNERS. WE HAVE ALL SERVICE RECORDS AND HAVE REPLACED RECALLED ITEMS INCLUDING THE BATTERY AND THE OXYGEN SENSOR. THE CAR HAS BEEN TOWED TO OUR MECHANIC. *TR

NHTSA ID

10293334

Incident

Nov 23, 2009

Mileage

107 mi

BOTH DOORS ON OUR 2000 THE HONDA ODYSSEY GET STUCK AND POSE A SAFETY THREAT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10215563

Incident

Jan 21, 2008

Mileage

50,000 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50MPH, AND SHIFTING TO 3RD GEAR THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION SLIPPED INTO 1ST GEAR WITHOUT WARNING WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO STALL. THE ENGINE DID NOT RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT ALERTED.

NHTSA ID

10160000

Incident

Jun 15, 2004

Mileage

60,000 mi

CVT TRANSMISSION FAILING AT 51,000. VEHICLE BEGAN SMALL RANDOM SHUDDERS IN THE 40,000'S... (LIKE WHEN YOU PURCHASE CHEAP GASOLINE). THREE DAYS AGO MAJOR PROLONGED SHUDDERING AT ACCELERATION BEGAN, SO THAT EVEN THOUGH I HAD MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE FORWARD IN ITS USUAL MANNER. LUCKILY VEHICLES BEHIND ME WERE OBSERVING DISTANCE. DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSTIC ON 11/12/2004 REVEALED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. NO ACTION YET TAKEN. *JB

NHTSA ID

10098794

Incident

Nov 12, 2004

Mileage

51,000 mi

VEHICLE EXPERIENCES RANDOM EVENTS OF POWER LOSS (IMA BATTERY RECALIBRATING) THAT CAUSE SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHEN NEEDED (I.E. ACCELERATING TO CHANGE LANES, CLIMBING A STEEP HILL, OR STARTING TO MOVE FORWARD AFTER BEING STOPPED AT A LIGHT) THESE EVENTS HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED BY HONDA, BUT HAVE BEEN DISMISSED AS "NORMAL" EVENTS. HOWEVER, THESE POWER LOSS EVENTS CAN COME AT TIMES WHEN LOSS OF POWER CAN BE DANGEROUS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10039188

Incident

Jul 6, 2003

Mileage

78,000 mi

WHEN DRIVING IN THE RAIN, VEHICLE WILL HYDROPLANE(SKID ON A WET SURFACE), WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT DUE TO LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. . TS JG *JB

NHTSA ID

8023518

Incident

Nov 2, 2002

Mileage

15,000 mi

CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED PRIOR TO LEAVING FOR A TRIP, WHICH INCLUDED TIRE ROTATION. SOON AFTER, CONSUMER NOTICED THE VEHICLE PULLED SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT. THE VEHICLE WAS BUMPING, WEAVING AND VIBRATING. A TECHNICIAN INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE TIRES WERE SEPARATING AND THE STEEL BELTS WERE STICKING OUT OF THE SIDES. *JG *DT

NHTSA ID

568116

Incident

Oct 23, 2002

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLES DRIVEABILITY IS UNSAFE WHEN DRIVING ABOVE SPEEDS OF 35 MPH ON UNEVEN OR GROOVED PAVEMENT, WHEN VEHICLE IS DRIVEN ON THESE TYPES OF ROAD SURFACES, THE VEHICLES STEERING BECOMES ABNORMALLY UNSTABLE (SWERVES) AND DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL, THE VEHICLES NONCONFORMITY HAS FORCED CONSUMER TO LOOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE.*JB

NHTSA ID

562657

WHILE TRAVELING AT 35 MPH AND WHEN MAKING A SUDDEN STOP BY DEPRESSING THE BRAKES VEHICLE SKIDDED OUT OF CONTROL. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

893949

Incident

Aug 7, 2001