Problems · NHTSA complaints

2003 Honda Insight problems

Owners filed 29 complaints about the 2003 Honda Insight with NHTSA between Jul 2002 and Dec 2019. The most-cited component is air bags (6).

Complaints
29
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
5
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
8
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags6
  2. Visibility5
  3. Electrical system3
  4. Power train3
  5. Service brakes, hydraulic3
  6. Structure2
  7. Equipment2
  8. Vehicle speed control1
  9. Fuel/propulsion system1
  10. Service brakes, air1
  11. Tires1
  12. Engine and engine cooling1
  13. Steering1
  14. Latches/locks/linkages1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20022
20036
20042
200511
20060
20076
20080
20090
20100
20110
20120
20130
20141
20150
20160
20170
20180
20191

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Air bags

6 reports3 crashes1 fire
“DT: CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT ON AUGUST 1, 2005 . UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. HAD NOT CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 4, 2005Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10131545

Visibility

5 reports
“SPONTANEOUS WINDSHIELD CRACKS, RIGHT LOWER WINDSHIELD AND LEFT LOWER WINDSHIELD AT 13 MONTHS OF PURCHASE AND 15 MONTHS OF PURCHASE CONSECUTIVELY. MILLER HONDA OF WINCHESTER, VA REFUSES TO FIX SAYING THE CRACKS OCCURRED FROM A STRIKE FROM ROCK OR SOMETHING. WEBSITE FOUND CONTAINING SEVERAL C/O HONDA ELEMENT CRACKED WINDSHIELDS. MILLER HONDA STILL REFUSES TO FIX. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 25, 2005VisibilityODI 10114706

Electrical system

3 reports1 crash
“MY HYBRID BATTERY IS OVERHEATING WHICH MY HYBRID BATTERY IS 7 YEARS OLD WITH ONLY 31,680 MILES ON IT AND ITS AFFECTING THE INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST AND THE MONITOR SCREEN WITH THE CONTROL GAUGES AND MY VEHICLES ACCELERATION AND MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE WITHOUT IT SHUTTING OFF AND LOCKING UP, I TALKED TO HONDA AND THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT EVEN THO OTHER CUSTOMERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE HYBRID BATTERY AND IT SHOULD STILL BE COVERED BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE ITS BE USED FOR AND HAS BEEN STORED AND HIGHLY TAKEN CARE OF, THE EPA CLASSIFIES HYBRID BATTERIES UNDER EMISSIONS EQUIPMENT, REQUIRING MANUFACTURERS TO WARRANTY THEM FOR EIGHT YEARS AND 100,000 MILES. SOME STATES, LIKE CALIFORNIA, REQUIRE EMISSIONS EQUIPMENT TO BE COVERED FOR TEN YEARS AND 150,000 MILES. IF THE BATTERY FAILS WITHIN WARRANTY RANGE, YOUR TOTAL REPLACEMENT COST IS ZERO.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 13, 2019Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11288797

Power train

3 reports
“VEHICLE WAS STOPPED TO BE PARKED. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS IN D(RIVE). KEY WAS TURNED OFF AND REMOVED. OWNER WALKED AWAY FOR APPOINTMENT. WHEN OWNER RETURNED, VEHICLE HAD MOVED. OWNER NOTICED VEHICLE WAS STILL IN D(RIVE). LATER TEST CONFIRMED KEY COULD BE REMOVED WITH VEHICLE IN D(RIVE). *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 25, 2014Power train, Electrical systemODI 10574658

Service brakes, hydraulic

3 reports
“SINCE I BOUGHT MY PILOT LAST NOV. EVERYTIME I APPLY THE BRAKES, GOING LESS THAN 10 MPH, BUT MORE THAN 5 MPH, MY BRAKES POP VERY LOAD, IT CONTINUES EVEN AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING ALL DAY. I BOUGHT IT IN TWICE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY TOLD ME IT'S SUPPOSE TO DO THAT. I TALK TO PEOPLE THAT OWN PILOTS AND HAVE KNOW PROBLEM WITH LOAD POPPING NOISES WHEN THEY APPLY THE BRAKES. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 1, 2005Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10144164

Structure

2 reports
“I TOOK THE CAR IN TO HAVE THE SRS SYSTEM CHECKED BECAUSE THE LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALER DID A 40 POINT INSPECTION WHICH RESULTED IN THE RECOMMENDATION TO REPLACE THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNT DUE TO A "FAILURE" IN THE SYSTEM. I WAS TOLD THE MOUNTS (FRONT, SIDE AND BACK) FAIL ON THE HONDA ODYSSEY'S (NEWER MODELS, OURS IS AN '03) OFTEN. THE RESULT OF MOTOR MOUNT FAILURE IS EXCESSIVE MOVEMENT OF THE ENGINE WHEN UNDER "LOAD." I WAS TOLD THAT MEANS THE ENGINE MOVES WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT DURING BRAKING, SHARP TURNS, BUMPS AND ACCELERATION. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT ONCE ONE MOTOR MOUNT "BREAKS" THE OTHERS HAVE MORE TENSION AND WILL ALSO FAIL. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE PART BE REPLACED BEFORE THE OTHER MOTOR MOUNTS FAIL AND CAUSE MAJOR PROBLEMS. THIS IS CURRENTLY NOT A RECALL OR FREE LIFETIME WARRANTY. OUR LOCAL HONDA MECHANIC TOLD US THAT THE MOTOR MOUNTS SHOULD NEVER FAIL (ESPECIALLY ON SUCH A NEW CAR). HE SAID MOTOR MOUNTS SHOULD OUTLAST THE ENGINE/CAR AND HE HAD NEVER IN ALL OF HIS EXPERIENCE SEEN A MOTOR MOUNT FAIL. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 29, 2007StructureODI 10210305
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.