BrandsABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZAll 1 →

2013 Honda Insight Common Problems & Recalls

Every recall campaign and owner complaint the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration holds for the 2013 Honda Insight. Nothing on this page is written from memory — it is all imported from NHTSA's public database.

Safety recall campaigns

6 recall campaigns filed by Honda for the 2013 Insight, newest first.

CampaignComponentWhat the recall says
18V661000
2018-09-27
Air Bags
Frontal
Passenger Side › Inflator Module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Insight and Acura TSX and TSX Wagon, 2014-2015 Honda Crosstour and Pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, California, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan) and the U.S. Virgin…

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M2J and S2K.
19V500000
2019-06-27
Air Bags
Frontal
Driver Side › Inflator Module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013 Acura ILX, 2015 RDX, 2005-2010 and 2012 RL, 2009-2014 TL, 2010 and 2012 ZDX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2011-2013 and 2015 CR-Z, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013 Fit EV, 2010-2011 and 2013 Insight and 2007-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due…

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are S5B and W59.
19V502000
2019-06-27
Air Bags
Frontal
Passenger Side › Inflator Module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2014 Fit EV, 2010-2014 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators…

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are F5F and Q5E.
19V378000
2019-05-16
Air Bags
Frontal
Passenger Side › Inflator Module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2013 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The front passenger air bag inflator may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.

Risk: An incorrectly installed air bag inflator may not properly deploy the passenger frontal air bag in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator installation and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are…
18V042000
2018-01-09
Air Bags
Frontal
Passenger Side › Inflator Module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX, ZDX, Honda Accord Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot vehicles, 2011-13 Acura TSX Sportswagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord,, 2010-2011 Honda Civic, Civic NGV, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles and 2013 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South…

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are B0K and L0J.
16V061000
2016-02-03
Air Bags
Frontal
Driver Side › Inflator Module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016 Acura ILX, 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2007-2016 RDX, 2005-2012 Acura RL, 2009-2014 Acura TL, and 2010-2013 Acura ZDX vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be…

Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are JY0, JY1, and JY2.

Summaries are quoted verbatim from NHTSA's official campaign records. A single campaign often covers dozens of model years and several nameplates, so a summary may name vehicles other than the 2013 Insight — that is normal. Every record listed here carries this vehicle's own make, model and model year in NHTSA's database. Whether a recall is still open on a particular car can only be determined by VIN.

Owner complaints by component

45 owner complaints on file with NHTSA for the 2013 Insight, grouped by the component owners reported. Counts reflect how many owners complained, not how often the fault actually occurs.

Reported componentComplaints
Engine 22
Air Bags
1 crash, 2 injured
7
Power Train,Engine
1 fire
3
Power Train 2
Electrical System,Service Brakes,Engine 1
Power Train,Electrical System,Engine 1
Electrical System,Engine 1
Visibility/Wiper 1
Electrical System,Electronic Stability Control (Esc),Engine 1
Power Train,Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System
1 fire
1
Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System 1
Unknown Or Other,Fuel/Propulsion System 1

A complaint is an unverified owner report. It is a signal about where to look, not proof of a defect.

What owners actually wrote

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaint filings on this model year. These are the owners' own words, not our diagnosis, and each one is a single unverified report.

Engine (22 complaints)

I have had a 2013 Honda Insight since September 2024 and I have complained about excessive oil consumption since October 2024.This past Saturday my car stopped on the highway when I tried to accelerate. It was towed to Honda and the diagnostic comes back as piston ring replacement with spark plugs. Last November I had 2 spark plugs replaced and my ignition coils. There was an ESB put out by Honda but I was not the current owner then so Honda doesn’t want to cover the cost. I also have contacted the dealership, that is not a certified reseller of Honda, mark Sweeney Buick of Cincinnati, Ohio b
filed 11/18/2025 · ODI 11700069
Noticed decreased performance & frequent oil changes in 2015. At first, I did not know the weak engine performance was related to the oil consumption & was never offered diagnostic testing until May 2023 across multiple Honda shops in different states. With this, I was under the impression that my car was performing within normal limits. Finally in May 2023 the local Honda shop recommended the proper diagnostic test & told me about the known piston/oil consumption defect known to this model & the (expired) warranty extension that was associated with it. I returned end of Aug 2023 to get resul
filed 11/12/2023 · ODI 11554741

Air Bags (7 complaints)

"TAKATA RECALL DEALER FAILURE TO ADDRESS-REMEDY SITUATION (PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENT)
filed 09/27/2018 · ODI 11132006
I WAS DRIVING ALONG ON THE HIGH WAY DRIVING NORMALLY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG WENT OFF, I HIT MY BRAKES IMMEDIATELY OUT OF FEAR. MY HAND WAS CUT, BRUISED AND SLIGHTLY BLEEDING. LUCKILY I DIDN'T HIT ANYONE. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING THIS MODEL OF CAR IS IN RECALL, YET MY VIN ISN'T ONE OF THEM. IT SCARES ME THAT THIS HAS BEEN A TICKING TIME BOMB SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW. I FEEL LOST SINCE HONDA SAYS MY CAR ISN'T ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED, YET WHY WOULD MY AIR BAG JUST DEPLOY WHILE DRIVING?
filed 02/17/2017 · ODI 10955304

Power Train,Engine (3 complaints)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HONDA INSIGHT. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL HAD TO BE DEPRESSED WITH FORCE FOR THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. ALSO, THE VEHICLE EMITTED A METAL RATTLING NOISE AND THE ENGINE WAS LOSING OIL PREMATURELY. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE ENGINE LOSING OIL MAY HAVE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LOSE ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.
filed 09/09/2019 · ODI 11254159
WE PURCHASED A NEW 2013 HONDA INSIGHT.THE CAR HAD EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. IT REQUIRED ONE QUART OF OIL TO BE ADDED EVERY 2-3 WEEKS. WE REPEATEDLY VOICED OUR CONCERNS IN AT LEAST 5 OCCASIONS. EACH TIME WE WERE TOLD BY THE THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE OIL CONSUMPTION 'WAS NORMAL'. OUR COMPLAINTS WERE IGNORED, OUR CONCERNS DISMISSED.ON JANUARY 25, 2017, WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY I-78, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STARTED LOSING POWER AND COMPLETELY STALLED. LUCKILY, THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES BEHIND. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, IT WAS DISCOVERED THERE THAT A CYL Fire reported
filed 11/09/2017 · ODI 11045051

Power Train (2 complaints)

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Insight. The contact stated that vehicle failed to respond after shifting the transmission to the desired gear. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with a defective CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
filed 08/15/2023 · ODI 11538658
TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY MALFUNCTIONED AFTER 3 YEARS, SINGLE OWNER AND REGULAR MAINTENANCE. COULD NOT BE REBUILT, FLYWHEEL INVOLVED AS WELL.
filed 02/19/2018 · ODI 11073569

Check your own VIN

A recall only matters if it is open on your car. The lists above are for the model year as a whole; the free official lookup below tells you what applies to your specific 17-character VIN.

NHTSA recall lookup by VIN

Free, official, and takes about thirty seconds. No account needed.

05Common questions

Does the 2013 Honda Insight have any safety recalls?

Yes. NHTSA records 6 recall campaigns filed by Honda for the 2013 Insight. The most recent is campaign 18V661000, filed 2018-09-27, covering Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module.

Was the 2013 Honda Insight affected by an airbag inflator recall?

Yes. 6 of the 6 campaigns on record for this model year involve the airbag system. The fix is a free inflator replacement at an authorised dealer.

What do owners complain about most on the 2013 Honda Insight?

The most-reported component is Engine with 22 of the 45 owner complaints on file. Complaint counts show where owners report trouble; they are not proof of a defect.

How many owner complaints are on file for the 2013 Honda Insight?

45 complaints with NHTSA for the 2013 Insight, spread across 15 reported component groups.

How do I check if my 2013 Honda Insight has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's free recall lookup. Recalls are applied per vehicle, so the model-year lists above cannot tell you whether your particular car is covered.

Related