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Total NHTSA Complaints
31
Owner filings recorded
#1 Reported Problem
Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
15 reports (48.4%)
Crash Incident Reports
3
Filings citing a crash
Fire & Injury Reports
2
0 fire • 2 injury filings
Defect Investigation Analysis

Executive Problem Findings

AutoUtility currently tracks 31 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2020 Honda Insight. Driver Assistance & Safety Tech issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 15 complaints (48.4% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 3 filings cite a crash, 2 report one or more injuries.

Methodology Notice: Consumer complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Filings are not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and do not constitute an audited component failure rate.
Incident & Severity Profile
  • • Total Owner Reports: 31 complaints submitted under federal penalty.
  • • Primary Subsystem: Driver Assistance & Safety Tech accounts for 48.4% of submissions (15 reports).
  • • Secondary Systems: Electrical System (7), Powertrain & Transmission (5).
  • • Crash Incidents: 3 filings cite an impact or collision.
  • • Thermal Incidents: 0 filings cite smoke or fire.
  • • Reported Casualties: 2 injury filings • 0 fatality filings.
Category Distribution

Reported Defect Categories for 2020 Honda Insight

Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records

Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
15
48.4%
Electrical System
7
22.6%
Powertrain & Transmission
5
16.1%
Brakes & Traction Control
4
12.9%
Engine & Cooling
4
12.9%
#1 48.4% SHARE

Driver Assistance & Safety Tech

15 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 1 Crash
#2 22.6% SHARE

Electrical System

7 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

✓ 0 Incidents
⚠️ 2 Associated Recall Campaigns
#3 16.1% SHARE

Powertrain & Transmission

5 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 1 Crash 🩹 1 Injury
#4 12.9% SHARE

Brakes & Traction Control

4 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

✓ 0 Incidents
Federal Oversight

Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (3)

Formal engineering analyses and preliminary evaluations opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

ODI Action #EA25002 OPEN Engineering Analysis (EA)
Opened: 2025-01-17 • Active
Subject / Subsystem
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
Affected Component
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Recall Linkage
No direct recall linkage
On March 7, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE24008) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system in model year 2019-2022 Honda Insight and 2019-2022 Honda Passport vehicles. The complainants allege activation of the AEB system with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's path, resulting in rapid vehicle deceleration. Honda indicated that it is aware of a total of 412 reports that may relate to the alleged defect. Honda provided analysis of the alleged defect and stated that some customers possibly had an inadequate understanding of the AEB system and its limitations. However, many consumer complaints received by ODI allege that Honda dealerships were unable to reproduce the condition or state that Honda dealerships informed the consumer that this is considered normal AEB operation. To date, ODI has received a total of 106 consumer complaints of inadvertent activation of AEB in the subject vehicles.In total, ODI reviewed 475 reports involving vehicles with unique VINs that may relate to the alleged defect. Of the reports reviewed by ODI, three (3) allege a crash caused by the inadvertent activation of AEB and two (2) allege injury. This Engineering Analysis is being opened to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety related consequences of the inadvertent AEB activations. Further, the scope of the investigation is being expanded to include assessment of model year 2023 Honda Passport vehicles. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
ODI Action #PE24008 CLOSED Preliminary Evaluation (PE)
Opened: 2024-03-07 • Closed: 2025-01-17
Subject / Subsystem
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
Affected Component
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Recall Linkage
No direct recall linkage
On March 7, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE24008) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system in model year 2019-2022 Honda Insight and 2019-2022 Honda Passport vehicles. The complainants allege activation of the AEB system with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's path, resulting in rapid vehicle deceleration. Honda indicated that it is aware of a total of 412 reports that may relate to the alleged defect. Honda provided analysis of the alleged defect and stated that some customers possibly had an inadequate understanding of the AEB system and its limitations. However, many consumer complaints received by ODI allege that Honda dealerships were unable to reproduce the condition or state that Honda dealerships informed the consumer that this is considered normal AEB operation. To date, ODI has received a total of 106 consumer complaints of inadvertent activation of AEB in the subject vehicles.In total, ODI reviewed 475 reports involving vehicles with unique VINs that may relate to the alleged defect. Of the reports reviewed by ODI, three (3) allege a crash caused by the inadvertent activation of AEB and two (2) allege injury. This Preliminary Evaluation is being upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA25002) to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety related consequences of the inadvertent AEB activations. Further, the scope of the Engineering Analysis is being expanded to include assessment of model year 2023 Honda Passport vehicles. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
ODI Action #DP22005 CLOSED Defect Petition (DP)
Opened: 2023-01-27 • Closed: 2023-08-07
Subject / Subsystem
Pedestrian alert sounds
Affected Component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM
Recall Linkage
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
Consumer Filings

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2020 Honda Insight

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Driver Assistance & Safety Tech ODI #11754308
Filed: 08/02/2026
Defect Report

"I was driving to Pilates class and everything was normal but as I reached a railroad crossing the car suddenly and for no reason stopped dead on the tracks. Luckily for me there were no vehicles in front or behind me and there were no trains coming. I was terrified and wasn’t sure what to do but I..."

Driver Assistance & Safety Tech ODI #11747521
Filed: 06/30/2026
⚠️ Crash Cited

"The vehicle unintentionally accelerated while pulling into a parking space. I was depressing the brake to slow down while making the right turn into the space. The engine suddenly revved up (as though you were depressing the gas and brake at the same time) and it accelerated forward (a though you..."

Steering System ODI #11728435
Filed: 04/01/2026
Defect Report

"At approximately 148,000 miles the steering would have an intermittent notchy, or sticky, feeling while driving straight. While driving straight at cruising speed, I noticed that the resistance on the left side of the steering wheel was greater than the right side, then the resistance would..."

Electrical System ODI #11714605
Filed: 01/30/2026
Defect Report

"Battery keeps draining. On my 3rd battery and believe there’s a defect in the DC/DC converter (earlier recall - K9E). This has caused issues being stranded in the cold."

Driver Assistance & Safety Tech ODI #11682568
Filed: 08/23/2025
Defect Report

"This 2020 Honda Insight performed “phantom braking” of the automated braking system when I was about to enter a clear intersection with no vehicles or obstacles in front of me. It activated the automated braking system and endangered my life and the lives of others over no real threat. This..."

Multi-Year Trend

Complaint History for Honda Insight

Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2019–2022)

Model Year NHTSA Complaints Crash Reports Safety Recalls Detailed Report
2019 Honda Insight 97 12 8 View 2019 Problems →
2020 Honda Insight Current Page 31 3 6 Current
2021 Honda Insight 24 1 3 View 2021 Problems →
2022 Honda Insight 31 0 3 View 2022 Problems →
Exhaustive System Audit

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2020 Honda Insight

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 20 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications

Vehicle Component / System Total Complaints Crash Reports Fire Reports Injury Entries Fatality Entries
Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 7 0 0 0 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 3 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2 0 0 0 0
Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 0 0 0 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 1 1 0 1 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 1 0 0 0 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,WHEELS 1 1 0 1 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 1 0 0 0
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Common Problems & Reliability Questions for the 2020 Honda Insight

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2020 Honda Insight

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

In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2020 Honda Insight is Driver Assistance & Safety Tech, appearing in 15 records (48.4% of submitted filings).

Secondary reported categories include Electrical System (7) and Powertrain & Transmission (5).

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Is the 2020 Honda Insight a reliable vehicle?

AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 31 consumer defect complaints and 6 safety recall campaigns for the 2020 Honda Insight.

Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.

Source: NHTSA ODI & Safety Recalls Databases

Are there crash, fire, or injury reports associated with the 2020 Honda Insight?

Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2020 Honda Insight, 3 filings cite a crash, 0 cite smoke or fire, and 2 report one or more injuries.

Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Consumer Logs

Has NHTSA formally investigated defects on the 2020 Honda Insight?

NHTSA ODI records list 3 formal defect investigations involving the 2020 Honda Insight (1 currently open).

Federal defect investigations are formal engineering evaluations opened when safety defect trends emerge, and do not by themselves establish a confirmed defect or mandatory recall.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Registry
Official US Government Data Provenance

The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.