Fault File
All models / All cars / Family hatchbacks / Honda Insight

Honda Insight

All generations and engines together · 7,401 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 109k

Reliability verdict
DBy miles

Graded against its peers

Worse than most family hatchbacks per mile driven. Watch lights & electrics and steering. A used buy worth some caution. Check the MOT history for repeating lights & electrics advisories before you go.

First-time failure at 50-60k miles
23.7%
Across 367 tests. The average for family hatchbacks is 20.4%.
Typical mileage at age 7
109k miles
How far the average car has gone by seven years old. Low-mileage models can look better by age than they are.

What owners report

Reported

Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.

IMA hybrid battery pack degrading or failing

Confirmed pattern

The nickel-metal-hydride IMA battery pack that sits behind the rear seats loses capacity with age, and on the first-generation two-seater (2000-2006) full failure is common once the car passes 7-13 years old, showing up as a flashing battery warning light, lost assist, and a big drop in economy. Honda itself has acknowledged the issue through service bulletins covering the IMA warning system on 2000-2004 cars. A genuine Honda pack replacement can run to £1,500-2,500, though reconditioned or aftermarket packs (fitted independently) are commonly used instead for a few hundred pounds.

Typically fails 7-13 years old · sources: InsightCentral forum, Go-Parts technical guides, owner reports on CarProblemZoo

Second-gen (2009-2014) engine oil consumption

Confirmed pattern

Some 1.3 i-VTEC engines in the 2009-2014 car burn oil faster than they should, with owners reporting the level dropping below the dipstick mark in as little as a couple of thousand miles between services. Honda extended the warranty on the affected engines to 8 years in the US to cover piston ring replacement, and UK owners on Honest John have reported the same consumption pattern from around 35,000 miles onward. Repair, when it comes to a ring or short-engine rebuild, is a four-figure job.

Reported from 35k miles · sources: Honest John carbycar, Wikipedia (citing Honda's 2017 warranty extension)

CVT judder and failure on the 2009-2014 car

Emerging

Owners describe a noticeable judder pulling away from a dead stop that clears once the car is rolling, and in worse cases the CVT has gone into limp mode or failed outright well within what most owners would expect, in one Honest John owner-review case at 29,000 miles just after the warranty ran out. Regular CVT fluid changes (every couple of years) are widely recommended by owners to keep it healthy. Repair costs vary hugely depending on whether it is a sensor or the whole transmission, from a few hundred pounds to several thousand.

Reported under 30-80k miles · sources: Honest John owner reviews, Honest John forum, InsightCentral forum

Dashboard warning lights cascading from a weak 12V battery

Partly in the MOT data

This model's measured MOT signature fault is lights and electrics, and there's a real owner-folklore version of it: a tired 12V auxiliary battery (separate from the hybrid pack) drops voltage low enough to confuse the sensors that feed the instrument cluster, lighting up warning lamps that have nothing to do with the actual fault. Owners on forums report fuses, relays and even sensors being replaced before someone finally swaps the 12V battery and the lights stop coming back. It's a cheap fix, usually under £100, but it gets misdiagnosed a lot first.

Reported at various ages · sources: r/HondaInsight, InsightCentral forum, kevinsautos diagnostic notes

Interior trim quality and rattles

Disputed

Reviewers and owners both note that cabin plastics on the 2009-2014 car feel a step down from typical Honda quality, and some owners describe the interior as "lightweight and rattly" even on cars in good condition. It's not a reliability fault as such, more a lived-with annoyance, and opinion is split on whether it's a real problem or just Honda's weight-saving design doing its job.

Reported from new · sources: Honest John carbycar review, Honest John owner reviews

Dunlop tyre tread cracking on 2009-on cars

Confirmed pattern2009-2014 (factory Dunlop tyres)

Some 2009-model-year cars were fitted with Dunlop tyres that developed cracking between the tread blocks, the same problem seen on the contemporary Jazz. Honda initially replaced affected tyres free of charge but later stopped doing so once tyres had worn down, leaving owners to buy replacements themselves. Only relevant if the car still wears its original tyres, which is unlikely on anything bought secondhand today.

Reported on early cars · sources: Honest John carbycar

What to check on this car

Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.

Saveable checklist

From this model’s MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Headlamp lensesRuns high on this model Check for condensation inside the headlamps and for cloudy or yellowed lenses. Both attract MOT trouble, and moisture inside a sealed LED unit generally means a whole new lamp.Recorded on 10.6% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 0.9%
Lights and horn walkroundRuns high on this model With a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 7.1% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 3.5%
Rubber boots and gaitersRuns high on this model On full steering lock, look in behind each front wheel at the concertina rubber boots on the driveshafts and steering rack. Splits, or grease flung around the arch, mean dirt is getting into a joint that costs far more than the boot protecting it.Recorded on 6.9% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 0.9%
DampersRuns high on this model Look for oil misting on the damper body behind each wheel, then push down hard on each corner of the car. It should settle in one bounce. A floaty or crashy ride on the test drive is the same fault felt from the driver's seat.Recorded on 5.6% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 2.7%
Bushes and ball joints Drive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 6.4% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 9.0%
Coil springs Look through the wheel spokes at the bottom coil of each spring; when springs snap it is usually there, and the break is visible. Step back and check the car sits level too. A dropped corner is often a broken spring.Recorded on 6.0% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 5.0%
Underneath, with a torchRuns high on this model Get down and look at the sills, the subframes and the rear suspension mounting points. Flaking scale and bubbling matter; light surface rust does not. On older cars this is the one check that finds the fault that scraps them.Recorded on 3.7% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 1.3%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.

Tyres, all four Check the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 18.2% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 20.9%
Pads and discsRuns high on this model Look through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 18.0% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 11.4%
Windscreen and wipersRuns high on this model Scan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 3.6% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 2.0%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Check the IMA/hybrid battery warning light with the car running and watch it for a full test drive. Any flashing or staying lit, especially on a pre-2007 car, points to a dying IMA pack.
Ask for oil consumption history and check the level against the dipstick yourself. Low or recently topped-up oil on a 2009-2014 car suggests the consumption fault is present.
Pull away from a complete stop a few times, including on a slight incline. A pronounced judder or hesitation before it smooths out is the CVT fault owners report.
Note every warning light on the dash at start-up and see if any come and go as you drive. Lights that clear and reappear randomly point to a weak 12V battery rather than the system they're warning about.
Ask when the CVT fluid was last changed and look for a stamp in the service book. No record of a change in the last two years or so is a bad sign on this gearbox.
Listen and feel for rattles over rough surfaces on the test drive. Loose trim rattles are cosmetic, not a reliability issue, but worth knowing before you buy.
Check the date codes on the tyres if the car still has what look like original rubber. Cracking between the tread blocks on old Dunlops means budgeting for a new set regardless of tread depth.

Open the saveable checklist, tick it off at the car

The MOT data

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

How this model wears

Honda InsightClass average, all tracked models

What testers flag

Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 7,336 tests in this band.

Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than whit
Advisory
10.6%class 0.9%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
9.2%class 10.8%
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
Minor
7.3%class 1.3%
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
Fail
7.1%class 3.5%
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
Minor
6.9%class 0.9%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Advisory
6.0%class 5.0%
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
Advisory
5.6%class 2.7%
Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced
Advisory
4.7%class 0.8%
The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mo
Advisory
3.7%class 1.3%
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
Fail
3.3%class 1.4%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
21.2%class 23.4%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
18.0%class 11.4%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
14.7%class 9.7%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
12.3%class 7.3%
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
Minor
5.1%class 3.3%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
4.7%class 2.8%
Number plate inscription missing or illegible
Advisory
4.6%class 2.3%
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
Fail
3.7%class 1.4%

Others in its class

Same segment (Family hatchbacks), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.

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