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The original hybrid Honda Insight, introduced in 1999 as a fuel-efficient, 2-passenger, 2-door commuter car, featured a 3-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor.
The company continued to manufacture the first-generation Insight until 2006. Then they launched the second generation, 5-passenger, 5-door car in 2010. Because of its increased size, weight, and power, its fuel efficiency decreased.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2020 2022
Contents
- 1| NHTSA Complaints for the 2021 Honda Insight
- 2| Most Common Problems with the 2021 Honda Insight
- 3| 2021 Honda Insight Airbag Problems
- 4| 2021 Honda Insight Brake Problems
- 5| 2021 Honda Insight Forward Collision Avoidance Problems
- 6| 2021 Honda Insight Powertrain/Electrical System Problems
- 7| What to do if your 2021 Honda Insight is a lemon? Your Lemon Rights
- 8| Complaint Data
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2021 Honda Insight
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Exterior Lighting | |
| Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Air Bags | |
| Electrical System | |
| Power Train |
Despite hundreds of complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Honda continued to manufacture the Insight until 2014. There are 111 complaints about the 2010 model and 10 recalls related to airbag problems. There are 40 complaints about the 2011 model plus the same 10 recalls that remain unresolved. NHTSA records show 55 complaints about the 2012 model along with 8 airbag-related recalls. A total of 43 complaints about the 2013 and 2014 models plus 6 and 3 airbag-related recalls respectively.
After another break in production, the third generation was unveiled in 2018 for the 2019 model year. A 4-door sedan, it features Honda’s 2-motor hybrid powertrain and uses a lithium-ion battery and an electric motor. The 2019 model has attracted 37 NHTSA complaints and 2020, 15. We provide more detail about the 2020 complaints in 2020 Honda Insight Problems and Top Complaints – Is Your Car A Lemon?
Now, Honda has announced that it won’t be producing the Insight after 2022. But if you’ve got a 2021 model and you think it’s a lemon, you can still do something about it.
Most Common Problems with the 2021 Honda Insight
Problems highlighted in consumer complaints to the NHTSA about the 2021 model are varied and cover issues about airbags, the electrical system, forward collision avoidance, the powertrain, brakes, and vehicle speed control.
On a positive note, the NHTSA safety ratings for this model are consistently 5-star for all frontal crash, side crash, and rollover tests. They do, though, warn that in the event of a driver losing control of the vehicle, there is a rollover risk of 9.30%.
2021 Honda Insight Airbag Problems
The airbag complaint is a result of an accident caused when a deer jumped in front of the car. The car hit the deer, but none of the airbags deployed. According to the complaint, the automatic brakes were engaged at the time but no warning lights came on. Nobody was injured in the crash, but they did file a police report.
2021 Honda Insight Brake Problems
Even though they are filed in various categories, all the other complaints refer to brake problems. One that is categorized as Service Brakes states that a brake system problem error message has popped up twice on the home screen inside the car as well as on the Hondalink app.
The message reads: “The brake system has a problem or the brake fluid may be low. There is no resistance from the brake pedal. Downshift to lower gears to slow the vehicle. Immediately stop in a safe place and contact roadside assistance.”
The second part of the message says: “The brake system has a problem. Avoid high speeds and sudden braking. Have your vehicle checked by a dealer immediately.”
According to the complaint, the message disappears after a few minutes. But the Honda dealer was unable to duplicate the brake error code with the car.
The complaint also says that the brakes squeak, often when taking off at startup.
2021 Honda Insight Forward Collision Avoidance Problems
This complaint states that the collision warning system has slammed on the brakes 6 times when there have been no vehicles on the road in front of the Insight.
“This is very dangerous when vehicles are behind you. I’m afraid that this car is going to cause a wreck and get me and my wife hurt. A device that is supposed to help you has the ability to get you hurt. The dealer said that they were unable to get it to do it and that if I was afraid of it, I could turn it off. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of getting it in the first place. I think Honda is just trying to sweep it under the table. Who knows how many other vehicles they have out there with this problem.”
2021 Honda Insight Powertrain/Electrical System Problems
This lengthy complaint explains how a power control unit (PCU) malfunction led to a loss of power steering and brakes.
“When I started the car, the warning lights came on. I turned the car off and then restarted it without warning lights. I then backed out of the drive and started on my way. As I was descending a hill, the transmission shut off. I was able to coast to a stop with some braking.”
The dealer replaced the PCU, and his wife was driving it home when “the PCU malfunctioned again, and the transmission stopped working. She was unable to accelerate, and the power steering and power braking would not function. She was able to coast over to the right lane from two lanes over and then coast to the exit to safety.
“When the tow truck came to retrieve the vehicle, the car started but would not get out of park. It could shift into neutral but would revert to park when my foot was taken off the brake.”
The car was with the dealer when the complaint was made.
What to do if your 2021 Honda Insight is a lemon? Your Lemon Rights
When problems affect the value of a car or impair its use or safety, it could qualify as a lemon. The same is true of cars that have recurring problems, especially when dealers are unable to fix them.
If you think your 2021 Honda Insight might be a lemon, the best thing to do is approach a reputable lemon law firm like Lemberg Law. We have helped many of our clients get replacement vehicles, trade-ins, and cash settlements. It won’t cost you anything either, because the law makes Honda pay the legal bills for cars that are lemons.
Call our Helpline so that we can assess your problems in terms of lemon law.
Complaint Data
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
| Date | Jan 21, 2023 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | Intermittently the car's forward collision warning will flash and occasionally start applying the brake without any other vehicles or obstacles in front of me. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting, Service Brakes, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 16, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Driver side headlight failed. Available for inspection upon request. Can't drive without headlight on at nighttime or dark days. I haven't gone to dealer yet. Not inspected by manufacturer yet. Warning and message: headlight system problem. Headlight performance may be reduced. See your dealer. First appeared on 12/12/22. And I was told by gateguard that my left headlight went out, complete off. There was no incident, I didn't even know that it was completely off. |
| Category | Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection |
| Date | Nov 14, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Several times since purchasing this vehicle the blindspot warning has lighted when no vehicles are present. It has lighted while driving next to the k rail center barrier, driving in the middle lane of a 3 lane highway, also at night when no cars are around on a 2 lane road. It has also lighted while driving in the rain with no vehicles around. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Oct 27, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Honda has a feature called "traffic sign recognition system". With its mounted cameras the car is able to capture traffic signs while driving and display them on the dashboard. The problem: the system is not very good at reading traffic signs and posts incorrect speed limits at times. I tried to turn this feature off but honda does not have an option for that. Displaying the incorrect speed limit is a huge liability for the owner of the car if they decide to lend it to a friend or rent it out. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
| Date | Jun 20, 2022 |
| State | MA |
| Description | The recent nhtsa disclosure of issues with honda's driver-assistance technologies causes me to write about the troubling performance of adaptive cruise control on my 2021 insight. When following another vehicle on controlled access highways, the system works fine. However if the vehicle in front enters an exit lane and slows, my car is slowed to the point that the brakes are fully applied, causing vehicles behind me slam on their brakes or swerve to avoid rear-ending me. The acc does not "let go" of the car in front of me. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
| Date | Apr 19, 2022 |
| State | OH |
| Description | I have had 6 times where the collision warning has slammed on the brakes when there is no vehicles on the road in front of me. This is very dangerous when vehicles are behind you. I'm afraid that this car is going to cause a reck and get me and my wife hurt. A device that is supposed to help you has the ability to get you hurt. The dealer said that they were unable to get it to do it, and that if I was afraid of it that I could turn it off. Dosen't that defeat the purpose of getting it in the first place. I think honda is just trying to sweep it under the table. Who knows how many other vehicles they have out there with this problem. |
| Category | Air Bags |
| Date | Jul 14, 2021 |
| State | IA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2021 honda insight. The contact stated while driving at 55 mph, a deer jumped in front of the vehicle causing the contact to hit the deer but none of the air bags deployed. The contact mentioned that the automatic brakes were engaged during the incident. No one was injured and a police report was filed. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and was awaiting an inspection. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,500. |
| Category | Electrical System, Power Train, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Feb 10, 2021 |
| State | NC |
| Description | We purchased the vehicle on 1/23/21. On 2/4/21, I was driving in dobson, nc, when the power control unit (pcu) malfunctioned, leading to loss of power steering and brakes. When I started the car, the warning lights came on. I turned the car off and then restarted it without warning lights. I then backed out of the drive and started on my way. As I was descending a hill, the transmission shut off. I was able to coast to a stop with some braking. The car was towed to flow honda in winston-salem, nc, where they replaced the pcu. We picked up the car on 2/9/21. My wife was able to drive it from winston-salem to durham, nc without incident. She then drove on I-40 towards our home in raleigh, nc. While traveling on I-40 at 65 mph, the pcu malfunctioned again, and the transmission stopped working. She was unable to accelerate, and the power steering and power braking would not function. She was able to coast over to the right lane from two lanes over and then coasted to the exit to safety. When the tow truck came to retrieve the vehicle, the car started but would not get out of park (it could shift into neutral but would revert to park when my foot was taken off the brake). The car was towed to crown honda of durham, where we purchased the vehicle. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Jan 16, 2021 |
| State | VA |
| Description | On two occasions I've had a brake system problem eror message pop up on my home screen inside of the car and on the hondalink app 12/09/2020 and on 12/18/2020. I was leaving work on both incidents. The message reads: the brake system has a problem or the brake fluid may be low. I there is no resistance from the bark pedal, downshift to lower gears to slow the vehicle. Immediately stop in a safe place and contact roadside assistance. Part two: the brake system has a problem. Avoid high speeds and sudden braking. Have your vehicles checked by a dealer immediately. The message disappears after a few minutes of being on the display screen. Also the brakes are squeaking mostly when I'm about to take off in motion durning startup. I took the car to the honda dealership on 01/15/2021. They could not get the car to duplicate the brake error code that's showed up before. The tech test drove my car for 20 miles and nothing was found. Today 01/16/2021 when I returned home from the store the brakes squeaked again, but this time when I was backing the car in to my parking space. |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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