Hey guys.
I have a 2002 Blue Insight with 210,323 miles. I am the brother of the original owner. I took possession of the car 2 years ago and the car has been driven 50 miles in that time. I have to sell it and want to make sure a “family member” gets it so it’s not yet listed anywhere but here.
Here’s the sad story…
Brother bought it new and used it for his long daily commute. He loved it. Original battery died and was replaced by dealer. That battery eventually died and was now out of warranty due to mileage. I did the research here (great resource!) and found out how to pull and ship the battery to Ron Hansen / Hybrid-Battey. Got it repaired and I reinstalled the battery.
Brother drove it for another 6 months until it again showed IMA light due to bad battery. Ron agreed to repair under warrantee so I again pulled and again shipped the battery to him.
Then, the Ron problem…. Long time goes by with me being patient, then annoyed, then aggressive with the phone calls. I get the same stories everyone else reported “your batter is next in line, is almost done, will ship next week” until I hear here that he’s out of business and everyone else is out of luck. Somehow, magically, a battery arrives from him in a cardboard box that same week. No explanation, no note, nothing. I consider myself EXTREMELY lucky that he only stole my time, peace-of-mine and the repair costs I’d paid him since I know some people lost more.
I reinstall the battery, but the battery cooling fan is missing. I reread the disassembly instructions he had sent and can’t figure out if I sent the fan to him and he didn’t return it or I just misplaced it during the time I had the car in storage. I am 90% sure that the fan must be in my garage (misplaced by me) since I don’t think the fan even fit in his shipping crate. But there’s that other 10% of uncertainity….so I’m blaming Ron.
Anyway, I had hopes of getting the battery fixed and doing other minor repairs to the Insight and putting it back in service. But I have other issues now that prevent me from putting more money into it, my brother has a new hybrid and I have to give up on this project.
For sale: 2002 Blue Insight. No accidents. High lifetime MPG. All work, down to oil changes, done at local dealer. Located in the San Fernando Valley, CA. No issues with the 5 speed transmission – I know some people report age related stickiness. AC good, no body damage.
The negatives: Battery is of unknown state. Battery fan is missing. Windshield is cracked – one of the things I’d planned on replacing. In general, the car is probably not as pristine as some of yours both because of the high mileage and because my brother is not the kind of guy who “cleans.” Having said that, I emphasize that all maintenance was done on schedule by the dealer and I see no mechanical problems with the car other than as listed.
Am thinking $2,500 is a fair price (considering my location – I know prices are lower in other parts of the country) since I’m thinking it would take $1, 500 to put it in good shape (battery, windshield, detailing).
You can contact me here or via PM and I’ll give you a phone number for more detailed questions. Can get pictures and I’m willing to work with you to get the car into the right hands - am flexible on the price for a forum member.
It’s been a bittersweet experience but I’d feel better knowing one of you could use it.
For Sale - 2002 Blue, high mileage, bad battery - SFV, CA
