NHTSA Complaint #10461696 — 2010 HONDA INSIGHT

HONDA INSIGHT HYBRID - UNPREDICTABLE ACCELERATION COMBINED WITH LOCKING OF THE BRAKES CAUSED THE CAR TO MOVE FORWARD AT AN ACCELERATED RATE WITH NO CONTROL, TWICE IN A SHORT TIME SPAN. FIRST INCIDENT WAS DEC.2011, SECOND IN JAN. 2012. THIS DID NOT HAPPEN IN PREVIOUS 1 1/2 YRS. I OWNED THE CAR. I HAD AN ACCIDENT THE FIRST TIME GOING VERY SLOWLY UP A HILL AT 10:AM WITH CLEAR ROADS. THE LIGHT WAS RED AND I BRAKED TO SLOW DOWN AND WHEN CRAWLING, SLIGHTLY RELEASED THE BRAKE TO ROLL FORWARD, BUT THE CAR ACCELERATED 6 FEET FROM A SMALL TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME.I FELT LIKE I WAS BEING PUSHED FROM BEHIND. I PUMPED BUT THE BRAKES WERE LOCKED. CAR WENT FORWARD VERY SLOW UPHILL. I TAPPED THE TRUCK. MY DAMAGE WAS A SMALL CHIP IN MY PLASTIC PLATE COVER. HIS FENDER FELL DOWN. WE REPORTED THE ACCIDENT AND WILL IMPACT MY INSURANCE. I THEN DECIDED TO GET SNOW TIRES. SECOND TIME WAS IN FRONT OF A COLLEGE, IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, SLOWING DOWN FOR A RED LIGHT. THERE WERE KIDS, CARS ALL AROUND ETC., EVERYONE SLOWING DOWN, COMING TO A STOP. THERE WAS SNOW AND ICE ON THE ROAD. I HAD NEW SNOW TIRES, I BRAKE, THE CAR SLOWED DOWN, I RELEASED THE BRAKE A LITTLE, INSTEAD OF MAINTAINING THE SLOWER SPEED, THE CAR ACCELERATED. I BRAKE AGAIN QUICKLY, BUT I WAS ON ICE AND THE BRAKES LOCKED. I SLID AS IF BEING PUSHED. I TURNED INTO A SMALL SNOW BANK JUST IN FRONT OF THE SIDEWALK AND THE CAR STOPPED. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO CHECKED FOR 3 WKS. THEY SAID NO PROBLEMS. SUGGESTED THE FLOOR MATS? SEVERAL OTHER 2010 INSIGHT OWNERS HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS ALL WHO SAID THE DEALERSHIP COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. IF IT WAS THE FLOOR MATS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPENING ALL THE TIME! I ASKED THE DEALERSHIP TO BUY THE INSIGHT BACK FROM ME. I TOOK A $10,000. LOSS. I AM SO RELIEVED IT'S WORTH IT. NOTE: I'M IN CANADA SO I HAD TO PUT YOUR ADDRESS IN ORDER FOR MY COMPLAINT TO GO THROUGH. ALL CAR PROBLEMS IN NA SB TOGETHER. *TR