2000 Honda Insight problems & reliability
24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2000 Honda Insight, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2000 Honda Insight vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 7 | 29% |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 21% |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 13% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 13% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 8% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 8% |
| Power Train | 2 | 8% |
| Visibility | 2 | 8% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Honda insight 2000 low beam lights failed while driving 55 mph. A recall was issued for this problem, but honda is refusing to cover the cost of repair because my vin did not show a recall. The honda insight 2000 is listed for this recall. I have owned many hondas in the past, but now am extremely disappointed in…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Aug 13, 2015
“The headlights went out while I was driving the 2000 insight. First, I noticed a burning smell. I pulled over and checked under the hood but found nothing. I got back in and the smell came back as I started driving. A few minutes later, the headlights got dim for a few seconds then went out. I stopped the car. The…”
Electrical System · filed Apr 7, 2014
“Tl* the contact owns a 2000 honda insight. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph with the low beam headlights in operation, the headlights suddenly failed to illuminate. The high beam headlights were activated in order to continue driving. There was a recall associated with nhtsa campaign id…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Dec 7, 2012
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
88 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2000 Honda Insight. The 10 most recent:
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
SB-99-075 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 9, 2013
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
06-057 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 8, 2012
Honda: product update for a manufacturing problem with the roof molding may allow the roof molding to come loose. *kb
SB-12-01-2012 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2012
Honda: see document search button for owner letter. Battery system light comes on with trouble codes stored. *rm models 2000-2004 insight. Updted 5/14/13. *pe
SB-04-028 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 16, 2011
Honda: hybrid batteries can be affected and damaged by excessively high temperatures. *pe
SB-08-062 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2008
Load carrying capacity reduced label for all honda vehicles. *pe
08-040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 31, 2008
Warranty extension: ima battery. *nj
06-027 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 16, 2008
Honda service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. Product update: premature ima battery module failure. Csc was received. *nj
06-026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 5, 2008
Stalls with electrical load after body shop repair. Dtc p1588 and/or p1589 stored. P1163 and/or surge, jerks, bucks between 20-60 mph. Tire pressure monitoring system dtc 32, 34, 36, 38, 41. *kb
1006 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 16, 2006
POOR FUEL ECONOMY. *EH
09162004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 16, 2004
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2000 Honda Insight has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2000 Honda Insight?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.