IMA Battery death
For me, the IMA issue maybe started as early as 82,000 (lots of clicking from one of the modules), but the light came on at ~86,000, several weeks ago now. Similar to what happened for Delta Flyer, the dealership talked to Honda regional, and they agreed to cover everything under warranty, minus labor. The BCM and MCM modules came in quickly, but no battery pack after six weeks. The IMA battery pack completely discharged after three weeks, 42 miles round trip each day for 15 days, in very mild weather. Two bars of charge now showing on the dash, and the engine is cranking and running only by the 12V battery.
Since the dealership really has been given no info. on when the battery might be in, they finally referred me to Honda Corporate. After two calls in four days, and two promises for a call back with 48hours, I am left with the impression it will be several more weeks before a battery pack is available. One person at Honda also implied the repair may not be covered under warranty extension since I am not the original purchaser of the car (despite the fact I have owned it for years, and it was still under full warranty when I bought it), because I "went past the dealership level". This doesn't make sense, and really makes me begin to wonder.
A note to Honda, we all know you scan this site from time to time: I am carefully documenting the details and conversations regarding this problem. This includes the discovery of five other owners of 2000 to 2002 Insights that have had recent IMA battery failures within the range of 84,000 to 86,000 miles, or ~5% over the original warranty mileage limit. And to think your battery partner, Panasonic, published service life estimates of at least 150,000 miles before failure for this pack.
Your hybrid car reputation may be on the line, don't blow it. Before the IMA issue, this was a wonderfully reliable car. A little hard to find parts in my area, especially since my local dealership never really sold any Insights. The reliability made up for it. A typical 2000 Insight trade-in value is currently ~$5,500 to $6500, and the "retail" costs for the IMA parts plus labor are about the same. No consumer is going to take this kind of hit. For now, covering IMA failures a little past the 80K as a warranty repair is a wise move.