2011 Honda Insight Reliability Report

NHTSA data as of Oct 15, 2026Published Oct 23, 2026

A five-door, five-seat hybrid hatchback with Honda's IMA hybrid system. Not the same car as the 2019–2022 or 2000–2006 Insight.

Good

Ranks 2nd of the 5 years of the 2010–2014 Insight we score.

Owner complaints: 41; 22 are recall notices
Per 10,000 cars: 14.7; 12,913 made for the U.S.
Vs the average car: 0.42×; same age, 1× is average
Serious outcomes: 6; crash, fire, injury, stall or tow
Recalls: 10
NHTSA crash rating: Not rated; no overall rating

← 2010 Insight 2012 Insight →

Should You Buy the 2011 Honda Insight?

Yes, with the usual checks. Our reliability score for the 2011 Honda Insight is 78 out of 100, which rates Good. Owners reported about half as many problems as for the average car of the same age. It ranks 2nd of the 5 years of the 2010–2014 Insight we score.

The most reported problem is tires, mostly early wear (3 of 41 complaints). Owners also complain about unintended acceleration and seat belts. 6 of the 41 complaints describe a serious outcome, such as a crash, a fire, an injury or stalling while driving.

It has 10 recalls. For comparison, the 2010 scores 76 and the 2012 scores 61.

Before you buy, check that the recalls were done and get an independent inspection. The full checklist is at the end of this page.

Pros

Good reliability score of 78
About half the problems of the average car its age
No do-not-drive or park-outside recalls

Cons

Tires: early wear3 complaints
Unintended acceleration (cause not stated)3 complaints
Seat belts: sticking or stiffness2 complaints

How the 2011 Insight Earned Its Score

Every model year starts at 100. Each part takes points away when this year has more problems than the average car of the same age. How we score

Score breakdown
Item	Vs average	Points lost
Starting score		100
Serious problems6 complaints · average car: about 18	0.38×	−9
Everyday problems13 complaints · average car: about 27	0.51×	−5
Problems in the last two years1 complaint · average car: about 1.1	Not counted	–
Recalls10 recalls · average car: about 4.4	1.8×	−8
Score		78

The last two years are not counted for the 2011 Insight. Honda made 12,913 of them, and at this age an average car made in that number would get only about 1.9 complaints of any kind in two years. We need at least 5 to compare, so we leave this part out. Its 30% goes to serious and everyday problems instead, so they make up 80% of the score rather than 50%.

Each part shows two counts: this year's so far, and what an average car would have at the same age. For complaints, that average car was made in the same number as this one. “Vs average” compares the two counts, but in our scoring system we first add a little to both, so a few complaints cannot swing the result. That is why it is not simply one count divided by the other. The last two years count only complaints about five systems: the engine and fuel system, transmission, brakes, steering, and airbags and seat belts.

What Owners Report

We read all 41 complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Honda Insight, one by one, and grouped them by the problem they describe. The most reported problems come first.

Tires: early wear
3 complaints (7%)
Early wear. 1 of these 3 complaints describes a serious outcome: a crash. Median mileage when it started: about 17,000 miles.
Unintended acceleration (cause not stated)
3 complaints (7%)
Surging and sudden acceleration. 1 of these 3 complaints describes a serious outcome: sudden acceleration or braking. Median mileage when it started: about 25,000 miles.
Seat belts: sticking or stiffness
2 complaints (5%)
Sticking or stiffness and the system not working when needed. 1 of these 2 complaints describes a serious outcome: a crash.

Reported Once (9)

Show the 9 problems reported once

Airbag inflator (rupture risk or Takata): parts breaking or coming apart
Airbags: no deployment in a crash
Engine: a loss of power
Engine mounts failure
Headlights: inadequate low beam illumination
Ignition coils or spark plugs failure
Rollback during the idle stop restart (cause not stated)
Piston rings failure
Timing chain or camshaft failure

How the 2011 Honda Insight Compares With Other Years

The other Insight years of the 2nd generation, 2010 to 2014.

Year	Rating	Score	Vs average	Per 10k cars	Recalls	Most reported problem
2014	Excellent	84	0.34×	8.9	3	–
2013	Caution	61	2.1×	59.5	6	Engine oil consumption: burning or using oil
2012	Caution	61	2.0×	74.2	8	Engine oil consumption: burning or using oil
2011 This year	Good	78	0.42×	14.7	10	Tires: early wear
2010	Good	76	0.50×	17.3	10	Unintended acceleration (cause not stated)

See every Insight year

2011 Honda Insight Recalls

Ten recalls cover the 2011 Honda Insight. The most recent was issued in June 2019: “Driver Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode.” A VIN check at NHTSA shows which are still open on a given car.

Driver Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
NHTSA 19V500000 Recall report (PDF)Owner letter (PDF)Issued Jun 27, 2019. By the fourth quarter of 2020, 67% of the cars in this recall had been fixed.
Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode, June 2019
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
NHTSA 19V502000 Recall report (PDF)Owner letter (PDF)Issued Jun 27, 2019. By the fourth quarter of 2020, 36% of the cars in this recall had been fixed.
Improperly Installed Passenger Air Bag Inflator
An incorrectly installed air bag inflator may not properly deploy the passenger frontal air bag in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
NHTSA 19V378000 Recall report (PDF)Owner letter (PDF)Issued May 16, 2019. By the fourth quarter of 2020, 49% of the cars in this recall had been fixed.
Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode, September 2018
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
NHTSA 18V661000 Recall report (PDF)Owner letter (PDF)Issued Sep 27, 2018. By the first quarter of 2020, 78% of the cars in this recall had been fixed.
Improperly Installed Passenger Air Bag
An incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
NHTSA 18V268000 Recall report (PDF)Owner letter (PDF)Issued Apr 26, 2018. By the third quarter of 2019, 85% of the cars in this recall had been fixed.
Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode, January 2018
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
NHTSA 18V042000 Recall report (PDF)Owner letter (PDF)Issued Jan 9, 2018. By the second quarter of 2019, 72% of the cars in this recall had been fixed.

Show 4 more recalls

Incorrectly Installed Replacement Air Bag
In the event of a crash, an incorrectly installed passenger frontal air bag inflator may deploy the air bag improperly, increasing the risk of injury.
NHTSA 17V545000 Recall report (PDF)Owner letter (PDF)Issued Aug 31, 2017. By the first quarter of 2019, 94% of the cars in this recall had been fixed.
Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture, January 2017
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
NHTSA 17V030000 Recall report (PDF)Owner letter (PDF)Issued Jan 10, 2017. By the second quarter of 2018, 70% of the cars in this recall had been fixed.
Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture, May 2016
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
NHTSA 16V346000 Recall report (PDF)Owner letter (PDF)Issued May 24, 2016. By the first quarter of 2018, 64% of the cars in this recall had been fixed.
Driver's Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
NHTSA 16V061000 Recall report (PDF)Owner letter (PDF)Issued Feb 3, 2016. By the second quarter of 2018, 82% of the cars in this recall had been fixed.

2011 Honda Insight Warranty Extensions and Programs

Honda has seven customer support programs for the 2011 Honda Insight, separate from its recalls. All seven are for problems with the airbags. Two have ended. Whether one applies to a car depends on its VIN, which a Honda dealer can check.

Customer support programHonda 18-052, 18-055, 19-003 and 20-016
Front passenger's airbag inflator
4 programs with the same terms. Which one applies depends on the VIN.
The problem:
The front passenger's airbag inflator can be faulty, and the airbag warning light comes on.
The fix:
A Honda dealer replaces the front passenger's airbag inflator for free.
Who qualifies:
The airbag warning light must be on. A Honda dealer test must show the inflator is faulty. Only replacement inflators that fail later are covered. Open inflator recalls must be done first. Salvage or branded titles are not covered.
Coverage:
18-052: Covered until January 31, 2027.
18-055: Covered until January 31, 2028.
19-003: Covered until September 30, 2028.
20-016: Covered until January 31, 2030.
Another program for the same problem, Honda 18-066, has ended.
Bulletin 18-052 (PDF)Bulletin 18-055 (PDF)Bulletin 19-003 (PDF)Bulletin 20-016 (PDF)
Customer support programHonda 20-011
Driver's airbag inflator
The problem:
The driver's airbag inflator can be faulty, and the airbag warning light comes on.
The fix:
A Honda dealer replaces the driver's airbag inflator for free.
Who qualifies:
The airbag warning light must be on. A Honda dealer test must show the inflator is faulty. Only replacement inflators that fail later are covered. Open inflator recalls must be done first. Salvage or branded titles are not covered.
Coverage:
Covered until January 31, 2030.
Another program for the same problem, Honda 18-048, has ended.
Honda's bulletin (PDF)

2011 Honda Insight NHTSA Investigations

NHTSA has opened one investigation that covers the 2011 Honda Insight. It has closed.

Pedestrian alert sounds on hybrid and electric vehicles
Closed
A petition asked NHTSA to apply its pedestrian alert sound rule to all electric and hybrid vehicles. NHTSA opened a defect petition in January 2023. It lists Honda hybrids and electric cars, including the Insight, the CR-Z and the Accord, Civic and CR-V hybrids. The petitioner withdrew in June 2023. NHTSA closed the case in August 2023 without a finding.
NHTSA DP22005 Opening report (PDF)Closing report (PDF)Jan 27, 2023 to Aug 7, 2023

NHTSA Crash Test Ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for this model year. See the 2011 Insight ratings on NHTSA.gov.

5-door hatchback FWD

OverallNot rated

Frontal crashNot rated

Side crashNot rated

Rollover4/5

Check Before You Buy

A checklist for the 2011 Insight, from its ten recalls and the problems owners report most.

Confirm the Recalls Were Done

Ask the seller for proof that each of these recalls was repaired.

Driver Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA 19V500000
Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode, June 2019 NHTSA 19V502000
Improperly Installed Passenger Air Bag Inflator NHTSA 19V378000
Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode, September 2018 NHTSA 18V661000
Improperly Installed Passenger Air Bag NHTSA 18V268000
Look up the VIN at NHTSA to see all 10 recalls and which are still open.

On the Test Drive

Look for uneven tire wear and listen for clunks or humming that changes with speed.

Ask the Seller

Ask whether any of these were ever repaired, and ask to see the receipts.

Tires
Unintended acceleration
Seat belts
Also ask for the service records, especially oil changes.

Before You Pay

Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose.
Decode the VIN to confirm the model year, engine and trim.
Check the title for salvage, flood or rebuilt branding.

What to do next

All Insight Years →Best years and years to avoid, side by side.Compare With Other Years →Put up to four model years side by side.Find Warranty Extensions →Repairs Honda may still cover for this year.Decode a VIN →Confirm the exact year, engine and trim of a car.