2001 Honda Insight recalls and problems

The 2001 Honda Insight has 2 safety recalls and 15 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Honda dealer.

Recalls

Complaints

Crashes / fires

0 / 2

Injuries / deaths

0 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2001 Honda Insight vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2001 Honda Insight recalls

Recall 04V-086: Exterior Lighting

Reported Feb 24, 2004 · 440,000 vehicles affected · HONDA (AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO.)

Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the low-beam terminal on the head light wire harness can overheat and could cause the low beams to fail without warning.

Risk: An unexpected loss of low beams could result in a crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the head light switch and coupler for signs of heat damage. If heat damage is present, the dealer will replace the switch and coupler. If no heat damage is present, the dealer will replace the head light switch and one mating pin in the coupler. Owner notification began on april 5, 2004. Owners should contact honda at 1-800-999-1009.

Recall 02V-196: Air Bags

Reported Jul 24, 2002 · 375 vehicles affected · AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO.

Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, some of the passenger air bag modules were not properly welded and may not deploy in a collision.

Risk: The seat occupant may not be properly protected in the event of a collision, increasing the risk of personal injury.

Fix: Dealers will replace the passenger air bag module. Owner notification began august 2, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact honda at 1-800-999-1009 or acura at 1-800-382-2238.

2001 Honda Insight problems reported by owners

Problem area	Reports
Exterior Lighting	4
Steering	2
Electrical System	2
Power Train	2
Engine and Engine Cooling	2
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	1
Tires	1
Electronic Stability Control	1
Structure	1
Air Bags	1

Most reported parts

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 1
Electronic Stability Control › Automatic (Asc) — 1
Power Train › Automatic Transmission — 1
Power Train › Manual Transmission — 1
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine — 1
Structure › Body › Door — 1
Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery — 1

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 78,000 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2001 Honda Insight complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Exterior Lighting · at 143,000 miles · reported Nov 15, 2018

Low-beam headlights failed w/o warning or external cause. Worked one day but not the next morning. No obvious fuse or relay is the cause. Found that there was an inadequately designed switch that ws prone to failure by googling the failure, which hwas covered by a recall. Honda's website VIN search said there were no recalls for this car. Local dealer says recal was satisfied in 2010. Seems there is still an inadequately designed switch that can result in complete and sudden failure of the low beam headlights.

Exterior Lighting · at 250,000 miles · reported Jan 4, 2016

The contact owns a 2001 honda insight. The contact stated that the low beam headlights failed to operate properly. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 04v086000 (Exterior lighting) but the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 250,000.

Air Bags · at 55,000 miles · reported Mar 16, 2010

The contact owns a 2001 honda insight. While examining the vehicle the contact noticed that the check engine light had appeared on the dashboard. The vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that the airbag needed to be replaced. There were no prior warnings.the current and failure mileages were 55000.

Electrical System · at 100,000 miles · reported Dec 22, 2009

The contact owns a 2001 honda insight. While driving 55 MPH she smelled a chemical odor, and saw flames behind her. She pulled over and attempted to put out of the fire. The fire department was able to extinguish the flames. The entire interior of the vehicle was destroyed. . The vehicle was towed to a local repair facility, and was in the process of being inspected. The dealer was contacted and they will send someone out to take pictures of the vehicle damage. She speculated that battery failure caused the fire. No repairs were made. The failure and current mileages were 100000.

Power Train · at 60,000 miles · reported Jun 16, 2006

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 50mph, and shifting to 3rd gear the manual transmission slipped into 1st gear without warning which caused the engine to stall. The engine did not restart and was towed to the contact's home. The contact inspected the vehicle and determined the engine needed replaced. The dealer and manufacturer were not alerted.

Other Honda Insight years

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Compare all Honda Insight years · All Honda models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2001 Honda Insight have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2001 Honda Insight: 04V-086 (exterior lighting), 02V-196 (air bags). Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2001 Honda Insight?

Owners report exterior lighting problems most often (4 reports), followed by steering (2). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 78,000 miles.

Are Honda recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Honda dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.