I purchased a new 2022 Honda Insight from a dealership. The vehicle began shaking when I was driving and even stopped in the roadway several times. Honda has inspected and attempted to repair the vehicle but multiple people have indicated that the issue cannot be resolved and was sold to me as a faulty vehicle. Honda, specifically, the mediation department ([XXX]), has indicated that they would not be resolving the issue in any way. It is important to note that this occurred regardless of whether the check engine light was on or off. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Honda Insight check engine light comes on
24 of the 519 owner complaints about the Honda Insight describe check engine light, most of them for the 2013 model year.
- owner complaints
- 24
- worst model year
- 2013
- typical mileage
- 92,000
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
By model year
Often reported together
Oil consumption 7Loss of power 5Stalling 4Engine failure 4Misfire 3Adaptive cruise 3Warning lights 2Shudder 2
What owners say
This issue actually started in November of 2022. Driving down from the mountains the car started losing power. I took the car to the dealership on Monday. I was then advised that there was not an issue they could they could find. A few months later the car would not start. They replaced the battery and the issue was resolved (I don’t recall the exact month the battery was replaced). November 29,2025, I started my car and when I accelerated to about 30+ miles the car started to hesitate and it felt as if the car was going to stop. The check engine light came on and stayed on. I had over a half a tank of gas and temperature was around 28-30 degrees. I drove the car for about 2 miles to fill up to make the drive to my house. The distance is about 170 miles. Once the tank was full, I started up with no issues of shaking/hesitation/loss of power. Monday December 1,2025, Two days later. Started the car. Check engine light came on/car was vibrating/hesitation when giving gas. Drove to the dealership for them to check what the issue is. I noticed there are two other reported issues with the same/similar issue. At this moment, I’m waiting for the dealership to advise what the issue is/how to resolve the issue. It would be beneficial if service bulletins were added in the recall section. That could help fix problems faster and help make recalls faster.
The car has only 83000 miles. We bought the vehicle 2 months ago from the estate of an individual that passed away. We were driving the vehicle and the gas pedal stopped working. Prior to this happening, we noticed no oil leak from the car. Per the manual we were checking oil level everytime we filled car up and would top it as it would be lower. We were driving the car on the highway and when we pressed on the gas pedal it stopped working, the car was not moving. Several lights came on the car, check engine etc. We took it to the dealership for a check and was told that the car needed a new engine at the tune of $17000. Honda Company stated that the car had no warranty on the engine and they would take no responsibility for failure. Was told engine block and piston 1 to 4 had misfire. No prior warning was given to us. The spark plugs for those pistons had melted the head.
Engine will start shaking and making a helicopter sound while idling or driving under 45. Check engine light will begin to blink. While on the interstate, engine began to shake loudly making helicopter sound. Then it began to decelerate from 75 to 40 ON THE INTERSTATE before stalling out completely. I had to coast it into the pull off lane to avoid being hit. Spark plugs were replaced, but issue continues. Mechanic said it sounds like a fuel pump issue when I recorded it on video. When we restarted the car, engine light was not on so error codes could not be read.
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Insight. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact stated that the message “Engine Overheating” had flashed on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over and then stopped the vehicle and waited 15 minutes before restarting the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had become a recurring failure with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the check engine warning illuminated and the vehicle almost stalled. Additionally, the contact stated that the check brakes message was displayed and the stabili-trak warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Insight. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light and several other unknown warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle decelerated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not part of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 157,000.
Noticed decreased performance & frequent oil changes in 2015. At first, I did not know the weak engine performance was related to the oil consumption & was never offered diagnostic testing until May 2023 across multiple Honda shops in different states. With this, I was under the impression that my car was performing within normal limits. Finally in May 2023 the local Honda shop recommended the proper diagnostic test & told me about the known piston/oil consumption defect known to this model & the (expired) warranty extension that was associated with it. I returned end of Aug 2023 to get results of my oil consumption test, which was positive. At this time, they quoted me a repair cost (to change out the piston rings, gaskets, & spark plugs) but I had to defer due to the high cost. The service representative that day happened to be rude/dismissive & also did not tell me how urgent this repair is or what the consequences of not repairing could be. I have been driving my car in the local area/mainly on surface streets while waiting for the service manager to get back to me about appealing to Honda USA for a goodwill repair. In the interim, my car suddenly & randomly stopped working while on the road. Just started shuddering, engine lost power & could not go more than 10 mph. 4 engine lights came on (check emissions, steering, VSA, hill assist systems). No real warning beforehand, I had been living with this defect undiagnosed for years. I was fortunately on a small streets at night when there was no traffic, so I did not lose power with other cars around, but had this happened on a busy/fast road, it could have easily caused an accident.
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Insight. The contact stated that vehicle failed to respond after shifting the transmission to the desired gear. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with a defective CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
Engine light came on around 60,000 miles. Indicated cylinder 4 compression off. Eventually diagnosed as blown head gasket resulting in engine replacement costing over $4300. I was told there was an extended warranty on the 2017 and 2018 models but not the 2019 model year. I did purchase one of the first insights produced in the 2019 model year and wonder if I received an engine with the same issue as the 2018.
I experienced "rough running" of my 2013 Honda Insight just prior to August of 2021. Initial work on the vehicle helped, but repairs became increasingly expensive and extensive. EX: A simple oil change on about 8/2/2021 (mileage at 64,545). At about mileage 68,370 the vehicle failed again (showing check engine light / stalling); repair shop found a misfire on cylinder #4, and all 8 of the spark plugs were replaced. Â Then on/about Nov./2022 (mileage at 71,988), the vehicle was running rough again (with check engine light on) and the repair shop found a miss in cylinder #4 again, and then replaced cylinder #4 Â spark plugs and coils. On/about Feb./2023, the vehicle had more problems (running rough) and then the repair shop found a misfire on #4 again (spark plug was replaced.) On/about 5/18/2023, I took my vehicle in for a routine oil change. About two days later, on/about 5/20/2023, I (along with my girlfriend) drove on the freeway for a long trip. We had only been on the freeway for a few miles when the engine died. I had accelerated to 75 m.p.h. on a slight upgrade and was in the process of setting the cruise control when the engine revved up to 4,000 r.p.m.'s (as if it was climbing a steep hill); several warning lights showed up on the dashboard. Â I immediately disengaged the cruise control while in the left lane and (thankfully due to no vehicles being near us) was able to get the vehicle off to the right edge of the freeway. The vehicle had no power. I called a tow truck and the driver attempted to drive the Honda Insight onto his ramp (with thick smoke billowing out of the exhaust pipe) but it was only able to go half the car length up the ramp. At first, I was told it needed 2 spark plugs and was fixed. I reminded them that all 8 had recently been replaced; they then said no compression on #2 / that engine was dead. Took it to Honda; diagnosed it as the oil consumption issue. Check lights are for systems: emmission, brake, VSA, w/ various other lights on dash.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Honda Insight check engine light
Why does the check engine light come on in the Honda Insight?
Owners who report it most often also describe excessive oil consumption, sudden loss of power and engine stalls while driving.
Which Honda Insight years have check engine light problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2013 (8 complaints), 2012 (5 complaints) and 2019 (5 complaints).
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