[JK919]

Just put a deposit down on a low vin# (008000ish) Touring - $27370 out the door, with a 50mi free delivery to my door. I've noticed a few of these cars have been sitting on lots for months, some over a year. I wonder how that will affect the battery longevity, baking in the NC heat all summer.

CarGurus will help you find some dealers further out of the cities, where hybrids are likely not in high demand.

 

[andrew28]

Just put a deposit down on a low vin# (008000ish) Touring - $27370 out the door, with a 50mi free delivery to my door. I've noticed a few of these cars have been sitting on lots for months, some over a year. I wonder how that will affect the battery longevity, baking in the NC heat all summer.

CarGurus will help you find some dealers further out of the cities, where hybrids are likely not in high demand.

A VIN in the 8000 means it must be close to a year old. I would be concern if it just sat in storage with no maintenance or movement that whole time. The hybrid battery and AGM battery are probably dead which you never want to happen even once. Factory oil would had been degraded due to time including the gas in the tank. I would ask for a lower price or a Insight manufactured during the last 6 months at most.

The High Voltage battery gradually discharges even if the vehicle is not in use. As a result, if your vehicle is parked for an extended period of time, the battery charge level will become low. Extended periods of time at a low state of charge will shorten battery life. To maintain the battery state of charge, drive your vehicle for more than 30 minutes at least once every three months.Extreme high temperatures can affect the battery life. You can minimize the effects by parking the vehicle in the shade during the summer

 

[insightfully]

Just put a deposit down on a low vin# (008000ish) Touring - $27370 out the door, with a 50mi free delivery to my door. I've noticed a few of these cars have been sitting on lots for months, some over a year. I wonder how that will affect the battery longevity, baking in the NC heat all summer.

CarGurus will help you find some dealers further out of the cities, where hybrids are likely not in high demand.

Congrats on pulling the trigger - know you've been looking/watching for a while. Did you have a chance to drive the specific car and see how the battery cycled? How many miles are on the car?

On battery life, NC average climate seems similar to TX, which projects ~40% battery loss after 15 years per this presentation from the Society of Automotive Engineers:

AZ = 75F avg, 111F max (Phoenix)
TX = 68F avg, 102F max (Houston)
NC = 60F avg, 105F max (Raleigh)
MN = 46F avg, 99F max (Minneapolis)​

The high voltage battery discharges when not in use, and Honda suggests maintaining charge by driving the car 30+ minutes every 3 mo. Maybe worth asking the dealer if they run/drive/maintain hybrids that have been on the lot for >3 months...?

 

[JK919]

I haven't gotten a chance to drive it, and I'm pretty concerned whether it's been neglected on the lot or not. They're supposed to deliver it tomorrow afternoon, but I can refuse the sale if necessary. I think I'm going to call someone there first thing in the morning.

Is there a test they can perform to determine if battery capacity has been impacted?

 

[insightfully]

I haven't gotten a chance to drive it, and I'm pretty concerned whether it's been neglected on the lot or not. They're supposed to deliver it tomorrow afternoon, but I can refuse the sale if necessary. I think I'm going to call someone there first thing in the morning.

Is there a test they can perform to determine if battery capacity has been impacted?

I don't think you can do a full test on the battery pack capacity without removing it or taking it apart. But one way to gauge the battery is to drive it and observe how the high voltage battery charges/discharges... and ideally compare the car you're looking at to another Insight that you know is fresh/new. Or better yet, perhaps negotiate on a newer Insight, as andrew28 suggested.

On new batteries, the battery will cycle between 3-8 bars. As the battery capacity fades, the battery will operate in a wider 'bar' range to deliver the same energy performance. If you see that the battery needs to cycle over the full bar range, it's one sign that the battery is aged and under stress. See the attached snippet from this EV Article from Battery University.

In NC, Honda covers the hybrid battery (accounting for normal wear/cycles and power loss) for up to 8 yr/100k miles. Maybe you can ask the dealer to find/provide you more specific information on the coverage, AND/OR ask them to test the battery using the method that would be used for that warranty check. It may also be worth going in to the dealer to drive it yourself and watch the battery testing, rather than having the dealer deliver to you.

 

[JK919]

I've seen a few examples of Insights listed on CarGurus for over 6 months, up to a year. I ended up putting a deposit on a Touring model with a 008000s VIN, that had been for sale for 300 days. Got a decent deal, but I'm pretty concerned about how long it's been sitting. If the HV battery or 12v died at some point, I may have to back out of the deal.

On the other hand, it may end up a blessing in disguise. If the battery has a greater tendency to fail within the 8yr/100k, I could get a new one under warranty.

 

[andrew28]

I've seen a few examples of Insights listed on CarGurus for over 6 months, up to a year. I ended up putting a deposit on a Touring model with a 008000s VIN, that had been for sale for 300 days. Got a decent deal, but I'm pretty concerned about how long it's been sitting. If the HV battery or 12v died at some point, I may have to back out of the deal.

On the other hand, it may end up a blessing in disguise. If the battery has a greater tendency to fail within the 8yr/100k, I could get a new one under warranty.

That's if you're lucky to have it fail within the warranty period. What if you're unlucky and it failed not long after the warranty?

I don't mind getting a great deal on a 1 year old gas car cause I can ask the dealership to replace most of the "consumables" or no deal. You can't really do that on an electrified car with a lithium ion battery where how long that battery last will determine your ownership cost & resale value down the line. I doubt you will notice any impact on battery life right now but you will notice it years down the road when you compare battery replacement time-frame with other owners. Buying a used Insight might be a better option than purchasing a new Insight not being used for 1 year.


I forgot to bring up that you should be concerned about moisture sitting in the gas tank and the condition of the tires, too.

 

[insightfully]

I've seen a few examples of Insights listed on CarGurus for over 6 months, up to a year. I ended up putting a deposit on a Touring model with a 008000s VIN, that had been for sale for 300 days. Got a decent deal, but I'm pretty concerned about how long it's been sitting. If the HV battery or 12v died at some point, I may have to back out of the deal.

On the other hand, it may end up a blessing in disguise. If the battery has a greater tendency to fail within the 8yr/100k, I could get a new one under warranty.

That's the tricky part about batteries... there's a "range" of acceptable (or warranted) performance. I don't think you'll see absolute failure, but instead would be getting less performance / capacity than fully possible.

For the 12V AGM battery, there is limited coverage for 100 months total. It's full warranty coverage for the first 36 months, then limited/pro-rated coverage / credit for the next 64 months.

For the Lithium Ion battery, only "greater than normal degradation" is covered by the warranty. An "authorized Honda dealer can determine the state of your high voltage battery and determine if the degradation level is within the expected range." I'd suggest you ask the dealer for more info on what this range is, and have them (or an impartial dealer/party?) test the HV battery condition.

The standard battery warranty pages are attached below for reference.

 

[JK919]

I’m going to have the dealer contact me first thing tomorrow, and I’ll see if I can get a battery test of some kind done. At the very least, we’ll figure out how much degradation to expect from a (potentially) neglected car.

 

[hasarad]

I wouldn't be at all concerned. The hybrid system/battery is covered for 8 years. Any issues should show up well before that time if it was neglected.

 

[Wifey'sInsight]

Price is good, do you plan on keeping the car for 5+ years, 10+ years? If your answer is shorter than 10 years, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Pay it off and trade it in, In and out 5-6 years, there is no reason why the battery should go bad in that time frame.

Could always ask them about an extended warranty, they won't likely just give it to you though. Could always refuse delivery and if they want to play ball, they may re-open negotiations, but it's a risk.

 

[JK919]

I ended up getting it. AGM battery was replaced, and it passed all pre-sale inspections (whatever that means). I requested any additional information about the state of the hybrid battery pack though.

 

[hasarad]

I ended up getting it. AGM battery was replaced, and it passed all pre-sale inspections (whatever that means). I requested any additional information about the state of the hybrid battery pack though.

If the AGM battery was replaced, it likely sat for a while without being driven. Honda's recommendation is that the Insight be driven al least 30 minutes every three months to maintain the battery. Kudos on the new AGM battery. The 144V battery has an 8 year warranty. If you turn cars over before that amount of time, I wouldn't be concerned. You have time to shake things out.

 

[JK919]

Not too worried. It drives great, got 52mpg displayed on my 20mi trip to work with mixed highway/city driving.

 

[insightfully]

I ended up getting it. AGM battery was replaced, and it passed all pre-sale inspections (whatever that means). I requested any additional information about the state of the hybrid battery pack though.

Congrats! Did you end up having them deliver it to you, or did you go in to dealer?

 

[JK919]

Congrats! Did you end up having them deliver it to you, or did you go in to dealer?

Free delivery to my door. Interestingly had 160ish miles when it came, which included the 50 it took to come here. Maybe it was driven occasionally after all.

 

[Doogie]

Been reading your thread, Congrats on the purchase. I picked up a May 18 build (unknowingly) about 3-4 weeks ago, (Vin 19XZE******001254). The Maintenance Required light cam eon yesterday, apparently the oil is original, so over a year old? Will be calling the dealer for the Free Oil Change Monday..

Other than that, love this car.. 50.9 MPG without even really trying hard...

Congrats!
Doogie

 

[andrew28]

Free delivery to my door. Interestingly had 160ish miles when it came, which included the 50 it took to come here. Maybe it was driven occasionally after all.

Your Insight could had been a "swap" car between multiple dealerships over the course of time it remained unsold. It could explain the miles on it since "swap" cars are exchanged between dealerships by the employee driving it instead of loaded onto a truck. You can check the window sticker to see who the original dealership ordered the Insight.

 

[g3nerational]

I picked mine up with close to 300 km’s on it. The oil life was also at around 60%. I was a bit concerned by this as I was advised this car was new and not a demo vehicle.

I’m also wondering if the car was being driven around to keep the AGM battery properly functioning while it sat on the lot?

 

[insightfully]

I picked mine up with close to 300 km’s on it. The oil life was also at around 60%. I was a bit concerned by this as I was advised this car was new and not a demo vehicle.

I’m also wondering if the car was being driven around to keep the AGM battery properly functioning while it sat on the lot?

HV battery charge/health is more concerning, as it's what delivers the hybrid fuel economy and recharges the AGM battery (versus alternator in conventional cars).

What is the production date (MM/YY on sticker at driver's side door jamb) compared to the date you picked up the car? If ~3 month difference it would be less of a concern, as Honda's reco is to run the car for at least 30 minutes once every 3 months. And the 300 kms (186 mi) suggests that the car was driven several times, so maybe even not concerning up to ~6 months on lot before purchase.