What are the most common problems with the 2020 Honda Insight?

Owners filed 31 complaints with NHTSA. The largest group names the forward collision avoidance system, followed by the electrical system and the power train.

Does the 2020 Honda Insight have any recalls?

Yes. This model year has recalls on record. See the Recalls section on this page for the list.

How many complaints does the 2020 Honda Insight have?

NHTSA lists 31 owner complaints for this model year. They are unverified and not adjusted for sales.

What is the gas mileage of the 2020 Honda Insight?

See the fuel economy section on this page for the EPA figures.

Is the 2020 Honda Insight reliable?

The complaint record is fairly small and spread across several groups. Check the Recalls section and the by-year comparison on this page before you decide.

2020 Honda Insight Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 31 owner complaints on file for the 2020 Honda Insight^[1]. The biggest group is about the forward collision avoidance system^[2].

31owner complaints^[1]

6recalls^[3]

48–52MPG combined (EPA)^[4]

5★NHTSA overall rating^[5]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Here are the complaint groups in the reports owners filed, biggest first.

Forward collision avoidance. 12 complaints^[2]. Owners describe the car braking hard on its own when the road ahead looked clear, including on highways, city streets and curved freeway lanes. Some say it worries them about being hit from behind.
Electrical system. 7 complaints^[6]. In the stories we read, owners describe warning lights, safety features switching off, and the car losing power on the road. Some of these reports overlap with the braking complaints.
Power train. 5 complaints^[7]. Owners describe a transmission warning on the dash, a car that struggled to climb a hill, and a sudden loss of power at speed.
Engine. 4 complaints^[8].
Brakes. 4 complaints^[9]. Owners describe the automatic braking kicking in with nothing in the way, and warning lights that came on right after starting the car.
Structure. 3 complaints^[10].
Unknown or other. 3 complaints^[11].
Speed control. 2 complaints^[12].

These are unverified reports sent to NHTSA, and one complaint can name more than one part.

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2020 Insight is necessarily included.

Air Bags › Sensor › Occupant Classification › Front Passenger (26V332), May 2026. About 98,892 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, injury, an air bag that may not work as intended. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[13]
Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump (23V858), December 2023. About 2,490,460 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, stalling. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[14]
Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump (21V215), March 2021. About 624,552 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, stalling. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[15]
Electrical System › Propulsion System › Charging › Module › Software (20V798), December 2020. About 27,838 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[16]
Electrical System › Body Control Module › Software (20V771), December 2020. About 737,233 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[17]
Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump (20V314), May 2020. About 135,995 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, stalling. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[18]

Fuel economy

EPA ratings depend on the engine and drive. Annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices when the car was new.

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
Insight, 1.5L 4-cyl, Automatic (variable gear ratios), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[4]	55 / 49 / 52	$1,300
Insight Touring, 1.5L 4-cyl, Automatic (variable gear ratios), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[19]	51 / 45 / 48	$1,400

Safety ratings

Version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR FWD^[5]	5	5	5	5	9.3%

Engine and size

Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles.

Engine	Horsepower
2020 Honda Insight with 1.5L 4-cylinder^[20]	107 hp

These are Canadian-market specifications from Transport Canada, so US models can differ slightly.

Version	Length	Width	Height	Wheelbase	Curb weight
INSIGHT 4DR SEDAN^[21]	183 in	74 in	56 in	106 in	3,047 lb

How 2020 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each Insight model year. The 2020 is highlighted^[3].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
2000	24	1
2001	15	2
2002	12	1
2003	3	0
2004	2	0
2005	2	0
2006	2	1
2010	119	10
2011	41	10
2012	59	8
2013	45	6
2014	5	3
2019	99	8
2020	31	6
2021	25	3
2022	33	3

NHTSA's counts for the Insight show 31 complaints and 6 recalls for 2020^[3]. Among the 16 model years listed, 9 have fewer complaints than 2020 and 6 have more^[3]. The fewest complaints are for 2004 (2) and the most are for 2010 (119)^[3]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as a rough guide. The chart above shows every year.

Should you buy a used 2020 Insight?

The complaints on file lean toward one theme, which is the forward collision avoidance system^[2]. Electrical and power train reports follow^[6]^[7]. Most groups are small, and these are unverified owner reports that are not adjusted for sales^[1]. The record also shows recalls for this model year, so check the Recalls section above^[3]. If you are shopping for one, test drive it on a stretch of open road and ask the seller about any warning lights or sudden braking.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2020 Honda Insight?: Owners filed 31 complaints with NHTSA^[1]. The largest group names the forward collision avoidance system^[2], followed by the electrical system^[6] and the power train^[7].
Does the 2020 Honda Insight have any recalls?: Yes. This model year has recalls on record^[3]. See the Recalls section on this page for the list.
How many complaints does the 2020 Honda Insight have?: NHTSA lists 31 owner complaints for this model year^[1]. They are unverified and not adjusted for sales.
What is the gas mileage of the 2020 Honda Insight?: See the fuel economy section on this page for the EPA figures.
Is the 2020 Honda Insight reliable?: The complaint record is fairly small and spread across several groups^[1]^[2]. Check the Recalls section and the by-year comparison on this page before you decide.

Keep exploring

Other model years of the Honda Insight

2000 24 complaints, 1 recall
2001 15 complaints, 2 recalls
2010 119 complaints, 10 recalls
2011 41 complaints, 10 recalls
2012 59 complaints, 8 recalls
2013 45 complaints, 6 recalls
2019 99 complaints, 8 recalls
2020 this page
2022 33 complaints, 3 recalls

Compare all model years of the Honda Insight

Other Honda models from 2020

2020 Honda Passport 104 complaints, 10 recalls
2020 Honda Ridgeline 169 complaints, 8 recalls

All Honda models

Similar cars from 2020: midsize cars

2020 Ford Fusion 235 complaints, 3 recalls
2020 Kia Forte 78 complaints, 0 recalls
2020 Tesla Model 3 452 complaints, 21 recalls
2020 Toyota Camry 284 complaints, 3 recalls

All midsize cars we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 31 owner complaints on file for the 2020 Honda Insight (3 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 2 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
12 complaints name the forward collision avoidance component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every Honda Insight model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Insight, 1.5L 4-cyl, Automatic (variable gear ratios), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 55 city / 49 highway / 52 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $1,300. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, 4 DR FWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 5 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 5 stars; rollover risk 9.3%. NHTSA vehicle records
7 complaints name the electrical system component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
5 complaints name the power train component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
4 complaints name the engine component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
4 complaints name the brakes component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
3 complaints name the structure component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
3 complaints name the unknown or other component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
2 complaints name the speed control component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 26V332, filed May 21, 2026: Air Bags › Sensor › Occupant Classification › Front Passenger. NHTSA recall database
Recall 23V858, filed December 18, 2023: Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump. NHTSA recall database
Recall 21V215, filed March 25, 2021: Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump. NHTSA recall database
Recall 20V798, filed December 17, 2020: Electrical System › Propulsion System › Charging › Module › Software. NHTSA recall database
Recall 20V771, filed December 10, 2020: Electrical System › Body Control Module › Software. NHTSA recall database
Recall 20V314, filed May 28, 2020: Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump. NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Insight Touring, 1.5L 4-cyl, Automatic (variable gear ratios), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 51 city / 45 highway / 48 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $1,400. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA Test Car List, 2020 Honda Insight with 1.5L 4-cylinder: rated 107 hp. www.epa.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, INSIGHT 4DR SEDAN: length 183 in, width 74 in, height 56 in, wheelbase 106 in, curb weight 3,047 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2020 Honda Insight: problems, recalls and fuel economy