[Ecky]

There are a handful of issues practically all Insights suffer from:

-Most develop a downshift grind from 3rd to 2nd gear, due to a design flaw in that syncro. The fix is detailed on IC (Insight Central), but I've driven mine for a long time by double clutching down from 3rd to 2nd.

-The driver's power window switch tends to wear out. There's a 3d printed replacement you can get from IC for about $4

-The buttons on the cluster eventually get hard to press. A member on IC offers pre-made replacements for a few dollars (~$6?)

-The trunk/hatch unlock latch has a plastic piece that may fail in some cars. You can still open it with the key, but there's a 3d-printed replacement available on IC for a few dollars

-A leak on the passenger side of the roof sometimes results in a wet seatbelt and the power locks not working for the trunk lid - there's an electrical connection in this area that can corrode. The connection is easily accessible (~30 seconds) and can be cleaned easily with a toothbrush and some baking soda, or electrical cleaner. The leak can be fixed with a line of caulk along the seam on the roof.

-The EGR passages tend to clog up after ~200k miles. The EGR plate is easily accessible from the front of the engine and can be scraped out with a screwdriver. I want to say it took me about 20 minutes to pull it apart. Until this is cleaned, lean burn may be a bit jerky.

-The rear engine mount usually needs replacement once in the lifetime of these cars. It's very easily accessible, but a bit pricey at ~$90 because it's made of aluminum. You could also fill the broken mount with silicone as a cheap repair.

-The hybrid battery will eventually fail, but it can be kept alive for years past its normal expiration with a grid charger, and the car will run perfectly fine without it.


Other than the minor details listed above, there are no major issues with the car, and in my build thread I've detailed how to fix all of these issues. There are plenty of examples of members on IC who have stock engines and transmissions still running like a Swiss watch with 5-700,000 miles. Mine doesn't burn a drop of oil between 10,000 mile oil changes with 215k on the clock, and right now the only thing mechanically I think I've ever done to it was replace the clutch master cylinder with a cheapo Rock Auto unit.