2012 Honda INSIGHT

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Average

Quick Summary

The 2012 Honda INSIGHT has 66 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.8x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (55% of all complaints), specifically: approximately 5 months ago i noticed that the engine was making a slight ticking sound. i checked the oil and it was a quart low so i added a quart. i didn't check it again because i didn't hear that ticking noise again. approximately 1 month later i took it to honda in stockton, ca. to have a noise.

4 crash reports

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.8x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

36 complaints

55%

• APPROXIMATELY 5 MONTHS AGO I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS MAKING A SLIGHT TICKING SOUND. I CHECKED THE OIL AND IT WAS A QUART LOW SO I ADDED A QUART. I DIDN'T CHECK IT AGAIN BECAUSE I DIDN'T HEAR THAT TICKING NOISE AGAIN. APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH LATER I TOOK IT TO HONDA IN STOCKTON, CA. TO HAVE A NOISE
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA INSIGHT. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHER
• CHECKED OIL LEVEL AND FOUND IT BELOW THE BOTTOM INDICATOR MARK (OIL PERCENTAGE LIFE METER WAS ABOVE 60% AT THIS POINT.. TOOK IT IN TO HONDA OF SANTA MARIA, CA , WHILE DRIVING TO DEALERSHIP EMISSION SYSTEMS FAULT WARNING CAME ON. THEY CONFIRMED ALMOST ALL OIL WAS GONE. THEY HAD ME PAY FOR AN OIL CHAN

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“APPROXIMATELY 5 MONTHS AGO I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS MAKING A SLIGHT TICKING SOUND. I CHECKED THE OIL AND IT WAS A QUART LOW SO I ADDED A QUART. I DIDN'T CHECK IT AGAIN BECAUSE I DIDN'T HEAR THAT TICKING NOISE AGAIN. APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH LATER I TOOK IT TO HONDA IN STOCKTON, CA. TO HAVE A NOISE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

AIR BAGS

11 complaints

17%

• TAKATA RECALL MY INSIGHT WAS ON THE RECALL LIST EARLY IN 2016. LETTER THAT CAME IN MARCH SAID PART WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN MID-SUMMER. I'D CALLED DEALER WITH SIMILAR RESULTS. WAY OVER 60 DAYS SINCE THE VIN WAS POSTED ONLINE. I TRY TO DRIVE IT AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE WHILE WAITING. SAD, FOR SOME TRAGIC,
• TAKATA RECALL: CALLED MY HONDA DEALER (BRILLIANT HONDA OF CRYSTAL LAKE, IL) ON APRIL 8 AFTER RECEIVING LETTER FROM HONDA CORP. IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN 3 MONTHS & I STILL HAVE NOT BEEN CALLED FOR MY REPLACEMENT. I LIVE AN HOUR AWAY FROM CLOSEST HONDA DEALER & ASKED THEM FOR A "LOANER CAR" WHICH THEY
• WHEN THE CAR WAS PURCHASED LAST YEAR IN 2015 JULY ..IT HAD THE INDICATOR LIGHT ON AND. IT HAD TROUBLE WITH THE WAY RAN AND FEE EFFECTED THE MILEAGE AND OVER ALL VEHICLE PERFORMANCE . THE SALES PERSON [XXX] OUT OF JASPER FORD IN JASPER TEXAS SAID THAT JASPER FORD WOULD COVER IN FULL THE CHARGE OF

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“TAKATA RECALL MY INSIGHT WAS ON THE RECALL LIST EARLY IN 2016. LETTER THAT CAME IN MARCH SAID PART WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN MID-SUMMER. I'D CALLED DEALER WITH SIMILAR RESULTS. WAY OVER 60 DAYS SINCE THE VIN WAS POSTED ONLINE. I TRY TO DRIVE IT AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE WHILE WAITING. SAD, FOR SOME TRAGIC,”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

6 complaints

• APPROXIMATELY 5 MONTHS AGO I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS MAKING A SLIGHT TICKING SOUND. I CHECKED THE OIL AND IT WAS A QUART LOW SO I ADDED A QUART. I DIDN'T CHECK IT AGAIN BECAUSE I DIDN'T HEAR THAT TICKING NOISE AGAIN. APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH LATER I TOOK IT TO HONDA IN STOCKTON, CA. TO HAVE A NOISE
• NTSB: 2012 HONDA HAS PROBLEMS WITH BOTH SHOCK ABSORBERS WERE LEAKING FLUID ALL OVER THE WHEEL WELLS. *BF THE CONSUMER REQUESTED INFORMATION ABOUT THE VEHICLE'S AIRBAG RECALL THAT WAS PERFORMED.THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT REPAIRING THE TPMS WOULD COST $700.00. UPDATED 04/17/2017*JS
• HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION BEFORE EVERY OIL CHANGE.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

3 complaints

• [I HAVE THE SVC RECORDS FOR THIS INFO-POINTS OF CONTACT ARE AT THE END OF THE REPORT] ON JAN 8TH AT ABOUT 630 AM I WAS DRIVING ON I495W IN VA - I WAS AT THE INTERSECTION OF I495 AND THE EXITS FOR I95S AND I395 WASHINGTON. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 55 MILES/HR AND MY CAR ENGINE SIMPLY STOPPED. I PUT MY HA
• I PURCHASED MY CAR IN JULY 2015 FROM A USED CAR DEALERSHIP. IT HAD APPROXIMATELY 64K MILES ON IT. A MONTH LATER MY CHECK EMISSIONS LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. THE CAR HAD RECEIVED A COMPLETE OIL CHANGE THE DAY I PURCHASED IT BUT I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL SERVICE SHOP WHERE THEY

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“[I HAVE THE SVC RECORDS FOR THIS INFO-POINTS OF CONTACT ARE AT THE END OF THE REPORT] ON JAN 8TH AT ABOUT 630 AM I WAS DRIVING ON I495W IN VA - I WAS AT THE INTERSECTION OF I495 AND THE EXITS FOR I95S AND I395 WASHINGTON. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 55 MILES/HR AND MY CAR ENGINE SIMPLY STOPPED. I PUT MY HA”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SPEED CONTROL

3 complaints

• DRIVING WITH SPEED CONTROL ON, ON I20 EAST OF COLUMBIA SC, AUTOMOBILE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. WHEN IT REACHED 85 MPH I ATTEMPTED DO DECREASE SPEED USING THE DECEL/SET BUTTON, CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I WAS ABLE TO DISCONNECT SPEED CONTROL USING CANCEL BUTTON. AFTER WE SLOWED TO 70MPH
• I WAS DRIVING IN A LINE OF SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC ON A TWO LINE LANE MAIN STREET KEEPING A CONSTANT SPEED OF 22 MPH WHEN SUDDENLY MY CAR LURCHED FORWARD ACCELERATING RAPIDLY MAKING A HIGH PITCHED SCREAMING SOUND. AS THE CAR GAINED SPEED I SWERVED INTO THE OTHER LANE TO AVOID CRASHING INTO THE CAR IN F
• ON JULY 31, 2015, AT APPROXIMATELY NOON, I WAS TRAVELING SOUTH ON PA RT. 663 APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE NORTH ON RT. 73, WEATHER WAS CLEAR, TEMPERATURE APPROXIMATELY 85 F. THE SPEED CONTROL HAD BEEN SET AT 45 MPH BUT PREVIOUSLY DISENGAGED AT A STOP LIGHT. AS I ACCELERATED THROUGH 40 MPH I RE-ENGAGED

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“DRIVING WITH SPEED CONTROL ON, ON I20 EAST OF COLUMBIA SC, AUTOMOBILE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. WHEN IT REACHED 85 MPH I ATTEMPTED DO DECREASE SPEED USING THE DECEL/SET BUTTON, CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I WAS ABLE TO DISCONNECT SPEED CONTROL USING CANCEL BUTTON. AFTER WE SLOWED TO 70MPH ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

AIR BAGS(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 66 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: APPROXIMATELY 5 MONTHS AGO I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS MAKING A SLIGHT TICKING SOUND. I CHECKED THE OIL AND IT WAS A QUART LOW SO I ADDED A QUART. I DIDN'T CHECK IT AGAIN BECAUSE I DIDN'T HEAR THAT TICKING NOISE AGAIN. APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH LATER I TOOK IT TO HONDA IN STOCKTON, CA. TO HAVE A NOISE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
AIR BAGS: TAKATA RECALL MY INSIGHT WAS ON THE RECALL LIST EARLY IN 2016. LETTER THAT CAME IN MARCH SAID PART WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN MID-SUMMER. I'D CALLED DEALER WITH SIMILAR RESULTS. WAY OVER 60 DAYS SINCE THE VIN WAS POSTED ONLINE. I TRY TO DRIVE IT AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE WHILE WAITING. SAD, FOR SOME TRAGIC,
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: APPROXIMATELY 5 MONTHS AGO I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS MAKING A SLIGHT TICKING SOUND. I CHECKED THE OIL AND IT WAS A QUART LOW SO I ADDED A QUART. I DIDN'T CHECK IT AGAIN BECAUSE I DIDN'T HEAR THAT TICKING NOISE AGAIN. APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH LATER I TOOK IT TO HONDA IN STOCKTON, CA. TO HAVE A NOISE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: [I HAVE THE SVC RECORDS FOR THIS INFO-POINTS OF CONTACT ARE AT THE END OF THE REPORT] ON JAN 8TH AT ABOUT 630 AM I WAS DRIVING ON I495W IN VA - I WAS AT THE INTERSECTION OF I495 AND THE EXITS FOR I95S AND I395 WASHINGTON. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 55 MILES/HR AND MY CAR ENGINE SIMPLY STOPPED. I PUT MY HA
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)