NHTSA Complaint #10033500 — 2000 HONDA INSIGHT

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