Avoid: 2019, 2010 (lowest Year Scores on complaints per year on the road, crash reports and recalls)
Best: 2005 (few owner reports)
16 model years of NHTSA owner complaints and recalls · How we grade
Across 14 model years, the Honda Insight has 577 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 62 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are air bags and engine. 2010 drew the most complaints (119), 2006 the fewest (2).
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for Honda Insight vehicles (US, public record). Typical used asking price $15,995–$21,127.
Complaint volume by model year. Raw NHTSA totals, not adjusted for sales volume or time on the road, so older and higher-selling years accumulate more. Every year links to its full breakdown.
Highest: 2010 (119 complaints). Lowest: 2006 (2).
Sentiment varies significantly by generation.
Primary concern for older, high-mileage examples, particularly first-generation models. Owners express fear of costly battery replacement.
Struggles to reach and maintain highway speeds (e.g., getting up to 65 mph/105 km/h), lacks power for safe merging and passing.
Mentioned as a potential weakness in the second-generation model's "belted CVT," contrasted with the perceived robustness of other hybrid systems.
Described as "BORING" compared to manual or sportier vehicles, with a focus purely on efficiency.
Owner insights cover all generations of the Insight. Individual model years are broken down above.
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