2021 Honda Insight Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Insight years
- About as many complaints as other years 8th of 16 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 25 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Honda Insight. That ranks 8th out of 16 Insight model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is forward collision avoidance (8 complaints, 32%). Complaints mention 1 crash, 1 injury. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 25owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2021 Honda Insight problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 8 | 32% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 24% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 16% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 12% | 78,250 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 3 | 12% | 400 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 12% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 4% | 400 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 4% | 400 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2021 Honda Insight recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
Electrical system:propulsion system:charging:module:software; electrical system:propulsion system:dc/dc converter; electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020 CR-V Hybrid, Accord Hybrid, and 2020-2021 Insight vehicles. The DC-DC converter may shut down and prevent the 12-volt battery from recharging, possibly resulting in a loss of drive power.
Risk: A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the power converter unit (PCU) software, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2021. Owners can contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is K9E.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking (EA25002) — opened Jan 17, 2025, still open.
- Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking (PE24008) — opened Mar 7, 2024, closed Jan 17, 2025.
- Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The Honda infotainment screens have a history of "Phantom Touches". I have replaced my infotainment system once under warranty. The problem is that while out in sunlight the vehicle's infotainment system will randomly beep and change screens and functions on its own as bands of sunlight enter via…
The contact's daughter owns a 2021 Honda Insight. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver's and passenger-side air bags suddenly deployed without impact. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the air bags cracked…
There is a massive hood flutter when large vehicle drive towards me going above 50mph. It feels and looks like the hood is not latched correctly and going to open into my windshield. This has happened since I purchase the vehicle new in 2021
Went in for a typical servicing. They noted that the downstream O2 sensor was damaged by rodents. The vehicle, with around 14k has always been stored in a weather tight garage, never stored outside. There has been no rodents in the building since I owned it from 1999. This is a presumptuous…
I received a 2021 Insight Seat Weight Sensor Safety Recall in September 2025 saying that recall replacement parts were now available at Honda Dealers. Ever since I received this notice, none of the Atlanta area Honda dealers are able to remedy the defect in my vehicle due to lack of parts, contrary…
Other Honda Insight years
← 2020 Insight · 2022 Insight →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Insight | 33 | 3 |
| 2021 | 25 | 3 |
| 2020 Insight | 31 | 6 |
| 2019 Insight | 98 | 8 |
| 2014 Insight | 5 | 3 |
| 2013 Insight | 45 | 6 |
| 2012 Insight | 59 | 8 |
| 2011 Insight | 41 | 10 |
| 2010 Insight | 119 | 10 |
| 2006 Insight | 2 | 1 |
| 2005 Insight | 2 | 0 |
| 2004 Insight | 2 | 0 |
| 2003 Insight | 3 | 0 |
| 2002 Insight | 12 | 1 |
| 2001 Insight | 15 | 2 |
| 2000 Insight | 24 | 1 |
See all Honda Insight problems by year, every Honda model, or the Honda VIN decoder.
Similar Honda models
Embed this 2021 Honda Insight badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Honda Insight?
Owners most often report forward collision avoidance, unknown or other, service brakes problems. The top one, forward collision avoidance, accounts for 8 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Honda Insight?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2021 Honda Insight a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Insight model years, the 2021 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.