Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Honda Insight - part 1

The car has only 83000 miles. We bought the vehicle 2 months ago from the estate of an individual that passed away. We were driving the vehicle and the gas pedal stopped working. Prior to this happening, we noticed no oil leak from the car. Per the manual we were checking oil level everytime we filled car up and would top it as it would be lower. We were driving the car on the highway and when we pressed on the gas pedal it stopped working, the car was not moving. Several lights came on the car, check engine etc. We took it to the dealership for a check and was told that the car needed a new engine at the tune of $17000. Honda company stated that the car had no warranty on the engine and they would take no responsibility for failure. Was told engine block and piston 1 to 4 had misfire. No prior warning was given to us. The spark plugs for those pistons had melted the head.

See all problems of the 2012 Honda Insight 🔎.

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 results of my oil consumption test, which was positive. At this time, they quoted me a repair cost (to change out the piston rings, gaskets, & spark plugs) but I had to defer due to the high cost. The service representative that day happened to be rude/dismissive & also did not tell me how urgent this repair is or what the consequences of not repairing could be. I have been driving my car in the local area/mainly on surface streets while waiting for the service manager to get back to me about appealing to Honda USA for a goodwill repair. In the interim, my car suddenly & randomly stopped working while on the road. Just started shuddering, engine lost power & could not go more than 10 mph. 4 engine lights came on (check emissions, steering, vsa, hill assist systems). No real warning beforehand, I had been living with this defect undiagnosed for years. I was fortunately on a small streets at night when there was no traffic, so I did not lose power with other cars around, but had this happened on a busy/fast road, it could have easily caused an accident.

See all problems of the 2013 Honda Insight 🔎.

Engine light came on around 60,000 miles. Indicated cylinder 4 compression off. Eventually diagnosed as blown head gasket resulting in engine replacement costing over $4300. I was told there was an extended warranty on the 2017 and 2018 models but not the 2019 model year. I did purchase one of the first Insights produced in the 2019 model year and wonder if I received an engine with the same issue as the 2018.

See all problems of the 2019 Honda Insight 🔎.

I experienced "rough running" of my 2013 Honda Insight just prior to August of 2021. Initial work on the vehicle helped, but repairs became increasingly expensive and extensive. A simple oil change on about 8/2/2021 (mileage at 64,545). At about mileage 68,370 the vehicle failed again (showing check engine light / stalling); repair shop found a misfire on cylinder #4, and all 8 of the spark plugs were replaced.  then on/about Nov. /2022 (mileage at 71,988), the vehicle was running rough again (with check engine light on) and the repair shop found a miss in cylinder #4 again, and then replaced cylinder #4  spark plugs and coils. On/about Feb. /2023, the vehicle had more problems (running rough) and then the repair shop found a misfire on #4 again (spark plug was replaced. ) on/about 5/18/2023, I took my vehicle in for a routine oil change. About two days later, on/about 5/20/2023, I (along with my girlfriend) drove on the freeway for a long trip. We had only been on the freeway for a few miles when the engine died. I had accelerated to 75 m. P. H. On a slight upgrade and was in the process of setting the cruise control when the engine revved up to 4,000 r. P. M. 's (as if it was climbing a steep hill); several warning lights showed up on the dashboard.  I immediately disengaged the cruise control while in the left lane and (thankfully due to no vehicles being near us) was able to get the vehicle off to the right edge of the freeway. The vehicle had no power. I called a tow truck and the driver attempted to drive the Honda Insight onto his ramp (with thick smoke billowing out of the exhaust pipe) but it was only able to go half the car length up the ramp. At first, I was told it needed 2 spark plugs and was fixed. I reminded them that all 8 had recently been replaced; they then said no compression on #2 / that engine was dead. Took it to Honda; diagnosed it as the oil consumption issue. Check lights are for systems: emmission, brake, vsa, w/ various other lights on dash.

I have owned my Honda Insight for almost 10 years now. I bought it because it has great mpg. But this year has been horrible for it. It suddenly lost power while I was driving on the highway. Luckily I was able to move over to the side, and traffic was not too heavy at the time. Checkered flag Honda in virginia beach, va performed a TSB on it, and again two months ago, stating the exact same repair to be done each time. Now, it is displaying the very same symptoms I took it in for the first time, again. I will be uploading those reciepts as soon as I can find them tomorrow. After looking online, it is very obvious that I am not the only one with this same problem that could possibly endanger drivers. Honda has failed for over 10 years to find the manufacturer defect in the 2010-2014 Honda Insights, and have been issuing repeated tsbs, with only minor deviations stating the same repair to be performed (details below). I confirmed in carcomplaints. Com and Insightcentral. Net, that Honda is indeed screwing people over on this. A compiled TSB history and detailed list are available in a shared excel file from my google drive here: https://docs. Google. Com/spreadsheets/d/1lo7z4vrtbts9ezqw-ppwutnhtc4ipa2r/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107278015992975669585&rtpof=true&sd=true my guess is this could end up being a class action lawsuit, judging by the responses of some of these folks in the forums. If you have any possibility of helping us with this, please do. And god bless. -beau anderson, usn (ret. ).

Driving down highway at highway speed and car shot 52 failure codes. Car lost power and crawled to side of road. Nearly got rear ended multiple times trying to remove vehicle from roadway. Engine permanent codes u0111 u012d u0110 u12a5 u1206 u1205 anti lock brakes permanent codes u040168 can gateway permanent codes u0029-00 electric power train traction motor control module permanent code u1204 u12a5 u1205 u0100 u012d u1206 u0111 electric power steering permanent codes u0416-68 electric servo brake - permanent codes u0029-00 u0401-68 integrated driver support system - permanent codes u0418-92 c0023-f0 u0100-f1 u0122-f1 u0100-00 c0031-62 c0034-62 c003a-62 u0416-68 tire pressure monitoring permanent codes u040168 obdii codes u1204 u12a5 u1205 u0100 u012d u1206 u0111 obdii permanent codes u1206 u12a5 u1205 u0111 u012d u0110 over 41 codes documented and Honda says there is nothing wrong with the vehicle.

See all problems of the 2020 Honda Insight 🔎.

Oil consumption issues. I can't drive my car 10 feet without dying. I was stuck in traffic when my car died from the issues. Look up TSB 15-015.

I was driving at 65-70 mph on a freeway, and all of a sudden the car speed dropped even my foot is on the gas pedal, the car slow down to 40mph when decided to pull over to the shoulder, barely enough time to get out of danger. The car engine shot down by its self, I could not move the vehicle to the far right ass I wanted too. The warning light on dash board indicated in red " power system " bottom of it in white light " power system problem do not drive" then a minute later, the warning light changed to a red logo of a battery 12 volt battery charging system problem do not drive.

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Insight. The contact stated while driving 25 mph, the vehicle jerked forward. The contact stated that the check engine, emissions, and abs warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to park near a gas station. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing an oil consumption test to completed. The dealer informed the contact that the pistons needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

It had problems with this car in the first 500 miles on oct 31st 2021 while driving on long island expressway in nassau county, NY. I have proof. I took pictures of the dashboard while getting lots of error codes while driving and only had 500 miles on the car. I experience loss of power, loss of steering and brake failure while driving on the long island expressway. I was lucky to be near an exit and I let the car roll away through the exit and I was able to pull over to the side of the service road of lie. After an hour the car started. I didn't know then, but this car has had chewed up wires ever since I picked it up from the dealership in pennsylvania( Honda vinart of emmaus, PA ). I observed exposed wires when I changed oil for the first time in December 2021. At that time, I thought it is a hybrid thing and didn't think much about it. I was driving with exposed wires this entire time! I could had had the brakes lock up or lose complete power while driving on the highway and cause a major accident. You can try to deflect he blame away from Honda manufacturer, but we all know it is your fault. On March 4th 2022, the Honda Insight barely started , engine knocking and sputtering. I towed it to the staten island Honda service (which estimated the damage at $7000 , but the warranty doesn't cover ) and they told me that a rodent finished the job Sunday night. The soy based harness on my 2022 Honda Insight attracts rodents. Why didn't the rodents attack my wife car that is parked right next to mine in the same driveway? I never had this type of problem with the other cars I owned in the past. I had owned dozens of cars and left them months parked in my driveway and they never attracted any rodents. This is a warranty issue and a safety issue . I could have been killed while driving with exposed wires. How do I even know, that other wires are also chewed? can I trust this car to be reliable anymore? a $30,000 car that can be my death trap.

See all problems of the 2022 Honda Insight 🔎.

2013 Honda Insight hybrid lx (4 cylinder) vehicle purchased on 8/19/14. Thanks this complaint is was filed to due engine oil consumption on my Honda-hybrid. In 2020 my car began losing oil quite frequently as I was having to add or change the oil often. On 8/27/21 I took the vehicle to Honda of downtown los angeles, kesean zachary informed me they would need to perform an engine oil consumption test and change the oil. Soon after that the car was again losing oil so I returned it to Honda of downtown on 11/18/21, where kesean checked the oil with the dipstick and informed that there was no oil consumption. A month later, the car was still losing oil. . This is my work car and I needed to get this problem resolved. . So I decided to take it back to where I purchased the car, Honda of hollywood on 3/23/22. I spoke with willie pittman who informed me they would need to perform another engine oil consumption test and change the oil. He said to me, drive the vehicle for 1,000 miles and bring the car back - this was on a Wednesday, and on Saturday 3/26/22 I told my wife we were going for a drive to see how the car runs. We drove a 52 miles when we decided to head back home, we drove another 11 miles when the vehicle stalled on the 101-fwy in the city of camarillo, the car just died while driving in the 2nd lane I veered to the right to try to make it to the shoulder but the car only idled over two more lanes to the right and died in the 4th lane, that's when my wife really panic. I had to replace the engine because the piston rings were all black carbon burnt which were burning the oil. Replaced the electrical and the regular batteries . Replaced two emission exhausted sensors and also the computer.

The contact owns 2013 Honda Insight. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered. Additionally, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that the engine was consuming 3-4 quarts of oil per 1,000 miles driven. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who performed an oil change. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

We were driving our Honda in a 70mph zone and the car's speed suddenly dropped to 15mph. We were not able to drive any faster than 15mph and could have been killed while driving on a highway where other cars were driving at 70mph, or we could have caused a pile up of cars with multiple accidents. We were very lucky that we were able to pull over to the side of the highway before another car hit us. We were not even able to drive to an exit, and had to sit on the side of a busy highway for nearly 3 hours as we waited for a tow truck. Multiple warning lights came on at the same time the speed of the car suddenly dropped. Warning lights for most systems on the car starting flashing at this point, but not in advance to warn us. We had the car towed to a local mechanic and he told us that a piston in the engine had failed completely and the engine would need to be rebuilt. We contacted Honda on the first business day after our engine failed, which was Monday, November 15. The engine in our car is currently under an extended warranty with Honda because of problems with the pistons and engine. It was not part of a recall, but definitely should have been! instead, Honda called it a "customer preference". Honda admitted to us on the phone that this was part of the "customer preference" and that the Honda dealer should repair the engine as part of the extended warranty; however, it has been nearly a month since our initial call to Honda and they still have not authorized the work. We have called them approximately 15-20 times in the past month and they continue to evade our calls by telling us that "a manager will get back to us". We have been told this repair will cost approximately $10,000, and therefore, it's not an option for us to just pay for the repair ourselves. Honda is aware of this safety issue, they have not issued a recall for it and they clearly have no intention of honoring their warranty for this issue. As consumers, we don't know what to do.

There were 2 recalls on my car and both have been serviced. But I keep having issues with a whole host of sensors including check engine light that lights up every week and the car is practically unusable. When the check engine and other lights/sensors trigger, the gas pedal is practically useless and cannot accelerate the car. This is a big problem when I'm on the road and might lead to catastrophic accident. I have taken my car several times to have it checked and I'm still having issues. Of late I keep hearing a whole lot of fan that are whirling and I could feel heat inside the car even when a/c is on. I have a feeling that this car has serious cooling issues and I'm feel unsafe driving this car. I would appreciate your help in this regard.

While driving on the interstate where speed limit is 70 miles per hour, I looked in my rear view mirror and saw smoke coming out of the back of my car. I then saw warnings flashing from my dash board saying: ac malfunction, lkas malfunction,and then another warning flashed saying - low oil fluid, stop car do not drive. I coasted car to the side of the interstate and got out of vehicle and called towing service.

On June 3, 2019, I brought the car to Honda of illinois (2500 prairie crossing dr, springfield (217-547-0750) for major safety regarding malfunctioning driving assisting problems and conflicting signals. After diagnostics, the dealer technicians reported codes u128d, u1291, u1281, etc. For solution, they reset the code and told me that they cannot definitely fix those safety issues. They advised me to come back when the safety issues are back. On January 15, 2020, I went back to Honda of illinois for the same safety issues that became worst. At this time, the technicians were unable to even provide a temporary fix for the car. I had to go to another dealer for solution (bob brady Honda at 4025 east boyd road, decatur, illinois 62521 (217 876-3800)). Similarly to Honda of illinois, bob brady Honda confirmed that they don't have a permanent fix for those safety issues. In addition, they have not provided summary of work completed. Both dealers are acting negligently for allowing a car with some many safety issues to be driven on the roads. I called american Honda motor (800-999-1009) in multiple occasions to report all the safety issues and concerns for fatal crashes. American Honda refused to provide relief and solution to address the safety issues. They only referred to both local dealers. They both confirmed that they cannot fix the issues. Clearly, road and vehicle safety is not part of Honda's goals. In summary, my 2019 Honda Insight has major safety issues and is sending malfunctioning and conflicting driving assisting signals, lane watch, turn signals, etc. I am requesting nthsa to gather and investigate the provided information for a fair and expeditious resolution of my claim. For resolution, I request a car replacement or a refund.

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Insight. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the collision avoidance sensor activated which caused the automatic braking system to abruptly stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to pohanka Honda located at 1772 ritchie station CT, capital heights, MD (301) 899-7800, however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 1,000.

So my 2013 Honda Insight has always consumed oil. I drove from idaho to utah stopped at the store when I started my vehicle up my display has check vsa, check hill start assist system, and check tpms. I tried driving away from the store to get to Honda and it loses all power and barley moves. Kinda like a safe mode and does this every time I start my car.

Car quite running on busy interstate I managed to get off nearest exit almost got hit by several vehicles. Had to have towed to auto shop that had replaced 8 spark plugs 8 monthes earlier. Automotive shop replaced plugs 8 plugs said they where under warranty but found no compression in cylinders.

Tl the contact owns a 2013 Honda Insight. While driving 73 mph, the vehicle decelerated and shut off. The contact could not coast the vehicle and let it veer off to the shoulder. The vehicle would not restart and was towed to the contact's home. The vehicle was taken to vandergriff Honda (1104 w interstate 20, arlington, TX 76017, (817) 533-4266), but they stated that they could not assist. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,514.

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Insight. Upon inspection, the contact noticed an abnormally low oil level after driving 2,000 miles. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to winter Honda (3850 century CT, pittsburg, CA) where it was confirmed that the vehicle consumed an abnormal amount of oil. The dealer stated that there were no further actions that could be taken at that time due to the consumption being less than one quart every 1,000 miles. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

Major carbon build up in a car that has less than 63,000 miles on it.

I have no loaner car to drive for more than one week.

The contact leased a 2013 Honda Insight. The contact stated that there was a premature failure of the engine assembly. The dealer (Honda of salem, 1101 van ness Ave ne, salem, or 97301, (971) 701-2708) indicated that there was a service campaign and an extended service campaign to remedy the failure. The dealer diagnosed that the oil control rings built up residue, which caused the engine to seize. Also, there was a lack of oil internally as the failure occurred. The contact was to check with the manufacturer to determine a solution and to trade-in the vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Insight. While driving at any speed, the oil indicator illuminated and "check oil" displayed on the instrument panel. The check emission warning indicator remained illuminated. The vehicle was driven to a mechanic who diagnosed that the piston and rings had to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 66,000.

I bought my Insight new in 2012. I now have 74k miles. At approximately 55k miles my Insight began to have an "emissions" error code. After some inspection it was found that the oil was low (2-3 quarts). This has occurred since that time every 5-6 weeks, according to how much I drive the car. The "emissions" error illuminates, I check the oil and it is low. It just happened again last month. I have had the car serviced religiously at the dealership from the time of purchase and have not missed an oil change, tire rotation, etc.

Unexpected acceleration when braking, this is a reoccurring problem. I was driving about the speed limit on secondary roads ~40 mph no traffic and the roads were clear of ice and snow and the engine was warm, the instrument panel indicator for cold engine had extinguished. I approached a red street light I press the brake pedal lightly, there were no cars in front of me (foot clearly not on the gas pedal) I expected the car come to a leisurely stop by coasting with little braking help. The brake pedal felt stiff, resisted the pressing of the foot. The engine began to rev up and I also noted the battery ima charge/assist gauge went higher into the blue (ima assist). I applied more pressure to the brake pedal the engine accelerated more and assist gauge increased further into the blue area. I repeat: the brake pedal feels hard like putting your foot on a rock, no give. I now know this is the first sign there is going to be a braking issue. It happened every time the problem occurs! but the problem did not occur every time I stopped on this trip. When I brake and the car and the car goes into auto-stop mode there is no issue. When the unexpected acceleration occurs I can shift the car out of drive (d) and into neutral (n) the engine will momentarily race, exceeding 5000 rpm, almost red lining, and then return to a normal idle. It should be noted that the problem persisted thought the trip with the car being shut off and parked for a short time (2 occurrences) restarted and driven again. Only when the car was left for hours including overnight did the problem go away, my guess is 19 hours.

See all problems of the 2010 Honda Insight 🔎.

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Insight. While driving at approximately 60 mph, all of the warning lights on the instrument panel illuminated. In addition, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle would not accelerate. The failure recurred twice. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was no oil in the vehicle. Three weeks prior to the failure, the vehicle had an oil change. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Unexpected acceleration when braking. While attempting to stop at a traffic light I experienced an acceleration surge while braking. This happened numerous times on this trip. Almost every time when I was coming to a stop and I applied the brakes the engine would increase rpms. This gave me an opportunity to analyze what was going on with the car. The revving of the engine was directly affected by braking. Simply removing my foot from the gas pedal and coasting did not result in the engine surging. When I shifted out of drive and into neutral, the engine would momentarily exceeded 5000 rpm almost red lining and then return to a normal idle. I stopped the car, turned the engine off and opened the hood looking for ice on linkages, fouled air filter or anything unusual. There was nothing that looked out of the ordinary. I then proceeded to drive the car home experiencing the same issue with every braking action. The next morning the car acted normally.

This is an update to odi # 10628879, created in Aug. 2014. Insight hybrid is stopped at intersection--auto idle stop. Suddenly engine races wildly, tachometer registers greater than 3,000 r/min. Usually occurs within the first 5 minutes of driving and first 3-5 miles of driving. If I my foot would slip off the brake the car would lurch forward, creating a risk of a collision with the car in front of it. The Honda dealer speculated that the weathertech floor mat under the accelerator might be causing the problem, and an independent repair shop agreed with this hypothesis. I chopped off a large piece of the floor mat from under the accelerator. The problem did not recur for several months, but recently has resumed. So the floor mat is not the cause. Because the racing still occurs unexpectedly from time to time, I am concerned that this is a dangerous condition. But Honda cannot fix it because they can't diagnose it.

See all problems of the 2011 Honda Insight 🔎.

Insight hybrid stopped at intersection--auto idle stop. Suddenly engine raced wildly, tachometer registered greater than 3000 r/min. My foot was firmly on brake, and I stopped the racing by shifting out of gear. It felt as if the car might lurch forward from a stop and cause a collision in the intersection. Happened again same day. Dealer said don't operate car in econ mode in city driving, even though that's why I bought a hybrid. Said floor mat might have interfered with accelerator--not true. Dealer not really sure of cause. I will get a second opinion. Do not feel safe until a plausible cause is determined. If the econ mode can cause uncontrolled engine racing then Honda should give customers a warning.

I was driving on an road with no traffic and came upon a red light. As I applied the brakes, I experienced an acceleration surge while braking. I could feel the brakes working but the engine began to rev up and was trying to overpower the brakes. In desperation I pushed the shifter into neutral (n). The engine continued to rev for a moment then returned to normal. Then I was able to proceed and the Insight acted normal.

The contact owns a 2011 Honda Insight. The contact stated that while he stopped on a steep incline, there was a hesitation between the time the electric engine stopped and the gas engine re-engaged. The delay caused the vehicle to roll backward be fore the gas engine re-engaged. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis where the failure was replicated. The contact was informed that the vehicle was operating as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 29,989.

Tl-the contact owns a 2010 Honda Insight. The contact stated that the vehicle would hesitate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. After hesitating, the vehicle would jerk forward. The contact also stated that while driving, the tacometer would display erratic readings as low as 1,000 and as high as 6,500. As a result, the vehicle would accelerate and decelerate uncontrollably. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer, where they were unable to duplicate the failure. The contact also stated that the vehicle was experiencing an electrical failure because it would routinely need to be jump started. The battery and cables were replaced on several occasions, but the failure continued. The failure mileage was 18,800 and the current mileage was 19,000. Sm.

When I stop or take off my car excelerates on its own. Or it jerks. I am afraid it will hit someone or make me go out into the traffic. Also my airbag light comes on when I put a large object in the seat not a person.