Honda Insight Battery Packs Still Going

MBCook writes "The Detroit Free Press is running a piece about the 8th anniversary of the US release of the Honda Insight. via Slashdot

[john schisler]

honda insight is the chevy vega of the new milenium. every problem on this car would justify a mass recall. the exhaust collapsed and caused such a loss of power that the car was RAN INTO and totalled. it seems thaT THE DEALER CANNOT REPAIR ALUMINUM CONSTRUCTION. THE CAR LITERALLY HAD A DENT THE SIZE OF YOUR FIST IN THE DRIVERS REAR QUARTER PANEL. tHE TYPICAL DEALER CANNOT AFFORD A SPOT WELDER FOR ALUMINUM, SO FOR THE PRICE OF A QUARTER PANEL THEY TOTALLED THE CAR. SERIOUSLY UNBELIEVABLE. TRY TELLING A FUTURE BUYER THAT A SIMPLE DENT WILL CAUSE THEIR CAR TO BE A TOTAL LOSS. NATURALLY, THE MANUFACTURER DENIES ANY FUTURE WARRANTY COVERAGE.
THE BATTERY HAS GONE OUT BECAUSE OF A PROBLEM WITH THEIR BATTERY CHARGE CONTROLLER OVERCHARGING THE PACK. COST $3,500. ANOTHER TRADITIONAL PROBLEM IS THE ALIGNMENT OF THE REAR WHEELS. IT WILL GO THROUGH REAR TIRES FAR QUICKER THAN THE FRONT.(FRONT DRIVE CAR) THERE IS NO ADJUSTABILITY, AND I AM GOING TO REDESIGN THE REAR SUSPENSION IF I CAN KEEP THE CAR RUNNING LONG ENOUGH. TYPICALLY THE DEALERS I HAVE TALKED TO WILL NOT HELP WITH ANY PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH HONDA HAS EXTENDED THE BATTERY AND CONTROLLER WARRANTIES BECAUSE OF THE ACKNOWLEDGED PROBLEM.
UNFORTUNATELY, MOST SELLOUTS WO'NT ADMIT IT WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN ROOKED. THEY ARE EMBARASSED, BECAUSE THEY PAID $20.000 FOR A NEW HONDA CRX.
(SAW AN AD FOR AN 85 CRX THE OTHER DAY THAT HAD PRINTED BETTER GAS MILEAGE FIGURES THAN WHAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET WITH THIS INSIGHT). YOU DO NOT HAVE PEOPLE STANDING UP AND TELLING YOU THAT THEIR HONDA HAS HORRIBLE QUALITY AND REAL PROBLEMS THAT KEEP IT FROM BEING DRIVEN.
BY THE WAY THE AMOUNT OF CARPET THAT HONDA PUTS IN THESE CAR OUGHT TO CURB THE MARKET ON DOGHAIR.
SEE THEY ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE. THEY EAT THE DOG AND SAVE THE HAIR FOR THE CARPET.
tHEY EVEN STOPPED BUILDING THIS PIECE OF CRAP.
IF YOU EVER NEED A REFERENCE FOR THEIR ABILITY TO BUILD A CAR PLEASE USE ME AS A REFERENCE. I REMEMBER IN THE SEVENTIES WHEN A PINTO OWNER DROVE HIS CAR TO FORDS DEARBORN HEADQUARTERS AND PROCEEDED TO SET THE CAR ABLAZE ON THEIR FRONT LAWN. HE CLAIMED THE CAR WAS A LEMON, IT WAS A MONDAY CAR AND HAD EXTENSIVE PROBLEMS. I NEVER BELIEVED IN MONDAY CARS, AND TO ME IT SOUNDED LIKE SOUR GRAPES. NOW I UNDERSTAND, AND I AM CONVINCED THAT HONDAS WORLD HEADQUARTERS IS ON AN ISLAND TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM DRIVING/TOWING THEIR CAR TO THE FRONT LAWN AND SETTING FIRE TO IT. SERIOUSLY THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT A HYDROGEN BASED CAR IN THE NEAR TERM, MY BIGGEST DILEMMA WOULD BE WHETHER TO SINK IT AND LET IT RETURN TO ITS WATER BASED STATE, OR TO LIGHT A SPARK IN ITS GENERAL DIRECTION. iN CONCLUSION, MAYBE THIS HYDROGEN CAR WILL BE A BETTER SUCCESS THAN THEIR OLD ALLIES HAD WITH THE HINDENBURG

[Ghazelle]

Too funny, only thing that would keep me from laughing is realizing this was a daytime nightmare for you. Thanks for the heads up. Was thinking about an insight as a way to continue to feed my children and not go on public dole due to cost of getting to work. Think again, right?!