EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
2002 Honda Insight
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 12 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2002 Honda Insight, most frequently naming the exterior lighting, electrical and tires & wheels categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 61 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2001 | 1 | 1 |
| Jul 2002 | 1 | 2 |
| Oct 2003 | 1 | 3 |
| Feb 2008 | 2 | 5 |
| Jun 2008 | 1 | 6 |
| Nov 2008 | 1 | 7 |
| Dec 2010 | 1 | 8 |
| Dec 2011 | 1 | 9 |
| Mar 2013 | 1 | 10 |
| Jul 2014 | 1 | 11 |
| Jan 2016 | 1 | 12 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Exterior lighting866.7%
- Electrical216.7%
- Tires & wheels18.3%
- Transmission18.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govSafety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA INSIGHT. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS MELTED AND CAUSED THE LOW BEAM FAILURE AND THAT THE LIGHT SWITCH AND CONNECTOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 278,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 10818606
- Incident
- Dec 23, 2015
- Mileage
- 278,000 mi
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA INSIGHT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOSS EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V086000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 10616244
- Incident
- Jul 23, 2014
- Mileage
- 104,000 mi
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA INSIGHT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED THEY WOULD FAIL INTERMITTENTLY AT UNKNOWN, INTERVALS AT RANDOM.. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000. UPDATED 4/26/13 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE, AS STATED IN THE RECALL. HOWEVER, HIS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED. UPDATED 05/01/13
- NHTSA ID
- 10504859
- Incident
- Feb 21, 2013
- Mileage
- 95,000 mi
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA INSIGHT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WITH THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ACTIVATED WHEN THEY SUDDENLY FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. IMMEDIATELY, THE HIGH BEAMS WERE ACTIVATED. THE CONTACT REPLACED BOTH LOW BEAM BULBS AND THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V086000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS). THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED AND THEY BOTH INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.
- NHTSA ID
- 10438732
- Incident
- Dec 5, 2011
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA INSIGHT. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE LOW BEAM SWITCH BURNED OUT. THE CONTACT SMELLED A BURNING ODOR WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS BLEW OUT. THE DEALER STATE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 04V086000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING: HEADLIGHTS). THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO VERIFIED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,678. UPDATED 03/03/11 *BF UPDATED 03/07/11
- NHTSA ID
- 10373284
- Incident
- Dec 16, 2010
- Mileage
- 99,678 mi
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA INSIGHT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH AT NIGHT, THE HIGH BEAMS WERE ACTIVATED. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACTIVATE THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS, THEY COMPLETELY DIMMED. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO HER RESIDENCE AND HER HUSBAND REPLACED THE BULBS AND CHECKED THE RELAY. HER HUSBAND THOUGHT THAT THE RELAYS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; HOWEVER, WHEN THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, THEY STATED THAT THE RELAYS WERE NOT DEFECTIVE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL; HOWEVER, HER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THEY WOULD REIMBURSE HER IF ANOTHER RECALL WAS OPENED AND WAS RELATED TO HER VIN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,565 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,321. UPDATED 11-25-08 *BF THE SWTICH ON THE STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 11/26/08. *JB
- NHTSA ID
- 10247598
- Incident
- Oct 29, 2008
- Mileage
- 104,321 mi
WHEN MEASURED WITH A TRIFIELD METER, THE ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD (EMF) IMPACTING THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER ARE DANGEROUSLY HIGH. THE DRIVER IS RECEIVING UP TO 135 MILLIGAUSS (MG) AT THE HIP, AND UP TO 100 MG IN THE UPPER TORSO AND HEAD AREA. (UNDER 10 MG IS CONSIDERED SAFE.) SEE HTTP://CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/HONDA_INSIGHT.HTML. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10231255
- Incident
- Jun 15, 2008
CAR STARTED JUDDERING AND LOOSING POWER. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THERE WAS A "JUDDER RECALL". AFTER GETTING THE CAR BACK, TRANSMISSION IS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. CONTACTED AMERICAN HONDA AND THEY MENTIONED TO ME THAT THE FLYWHEEL HAD GREASE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. AMERICAN HONDA DENIED MY CLAIM TO GET THIS COVERED. CVT TRANSMISSION IS SKIPPING, JUDDERING AND FAILS TO DELIVER POWER CORRECTLY. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10217002
- Incident
- Nov 9, 2007
- Mileage
- 87,000 mi
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
"Service Bulletin - There are several A/C leak detection tools available. -Refrigerant Gas Leak Detector -Ultrasonic Leak Detector -Leak Dye"
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES
SERVICE NEWS ARTICLE - PLANNING ON USING A LEAK CHECK DYE TO HELP FIND A LEAK? HERES THE CURRENT LIST OF VEHICLES THAT YOU SHOULDNT USE DYE ON.
AIR BAGS
Dealer message - On Monday, June 23, 2014, American Honda announced three recalls for various 2001-11 Honda models. As of August 4, 2014, affected VINs have been identified, and VIN status inquiry has been updated.
AIR BAGS
Dealer message - On Monday, June 23, 2014, American Honda announced three recalls for various 2001-11 Honda models. As of July 23, 2014, affected VINs have been identified, and service bulletins 14-040, Safety Recall: Accord, Civic, and Others ? Front Passenger?s Airbag Inflator Can Be Over-Pressurized, 14-045, Recall: Front Driver?s Airbag Inflator May Produce Excessive Pressure After Long-Term Exposure to High Absolute Humidity Recall, and 14-046, Recall: Front Passenger?s Airbag Inflator May Produce Excessive Pressure After Long-Term Exposure to High Absolute Humidity have been posted to ISIS. However, due to the large number of affected units, American Honda is still in the process of populating the VIN status inquiry function on iN, which is expected to take several days. When this process is complete, American Honda will notify all dealers again via iN message. Until that time, the existing acknowledgement procedure must be used for all potentially affected vehicles.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE; FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICES
HONDA: TROUBLESHOOTING OF DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC) P1456 AND P1457. DEALERS ARE TO RUN EVAP FUNCTION TEST TO FIND IF THERE IS A LEAK SO THE VEHICLE CAN BE REPAIRED. *KB
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
HONDA SERVICE CAMPAIGN: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. WARRANTY EXTENSION: INSIGHT IMA BATTERY MODULE. CSC WAS RECEIVED. *NJ UPDATED 3/8/13. *PE
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.