The Lemon Index
200120031st generation
Complaints only. Too few sold to score: 2,216 in the U.S. in 2002 (sales source), under the 20,000 a fair per-car score needs. Owners filed 3 complaints in its first 3 years.
Better years to buy
3 owner complaints, first 3 years 47–53 mpg combined, EPA
Similar cars, same year
When problems show up
No complaints for this year listed a mileage, so we can't say when problems show up.
Questions to ask the seller
- Were recall 04V086000 (lights) done? Ask for the dealer printout, or check the VIN.
- Do all the lights, screens and power features work? Has the battery, alternator or any wiring been replaced?
- Do all the headlights, taillights and turn signals work?
- Honda sent dealers 61 repair notes for this car. Was this one done: “Customer complaints of very little or no ima battery assist and/or stalls after a stop and…”?
From this year's own recalls, top problems, top repair bills and Honda's repair notes. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.
How serious. Out of all 3 owner complaints filed so far (every year since it was sold, not just the first 3), owners reported:
“Average car” = what the same number of complaints would include at the rate across every model year we track. Owners report these themselves; NHTSA doesn't confirm the cause.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
Check engine light on? Look up any code →
In owners' words
Tire blew out for no apparent reason after only 3 weeks of driving.
2002 Honda Insight owner · NHTSA complaint 754405
More owner reports
Battery is discharging within 18 hours of driving. The manual/instruction booklet does not allow the consumer to understand the limit of driving distance when traveling long distances. This is a gas operated vehicle.
NHTSA complaint 10042209
Fixes owners look up most.
From 179 YouTube videos · 1.6M views · 2000–2006 Honda Insight
What owners say one repair costs on YouTube
- Batteryone repair, as owners say it$1,100most $620–$2,500 · 6 videos▶ Hear it
Most-watched topics
- Intake, EGR & engine sensors40K views
2001 Honda Insight O2 sensor and P1166 P1167 fixJRobling · 22K views · 6 videos - Cooling system37K views
![Honda Insight '00-06 Replacing Coolant Air Burp [_ANNOTATIONS_ VERSION - use Incognito in CHROME]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eLm4efPSQaU/mqdefault.jpg)
Honda Insight '00-06 Replacing Coolant Air Burp [_ANNOTATIONS_ VERSION - use Incognito in CHROME]rollthefilmutube · 33K views · 4 videos - Infotainment, battery & electrical20K views
HONDA INSIGHT HYBRID BATTERY REPAIR RECONDITION REMOVAL INSTALLATION IMA LIGHT 2001 DEEP DISCHARGEJesse Hoff · 11K views · 3 videos - Gauges, lights & wiring13K views
Honda Insight Gen1, 2000-2006, Maintenance Light ResetScott Kulbeck · 13K views
Show 4 more
- Transmission & shifter12K views
How To Rebuild and Repair 2000-2006 Honda Insight 5 Speed Transmission - Modify SynchronyzersFetch A Wrench · 9K views · 3 videos - Timing chain & engine6K views
eBay ECM and Immobilizer bypass into my 2000 Honda Insight IMA Hybrid trying to fix IMMO MisfireBen Huttash · 6K views - Spark plugs & ignition coils6K views
2001 Honda Insight spark plug changeJRobling · 6K views - Oil leaks & gaskets4K views
2001 Honda Insight new valve cover gasket, clean vtec solenoid, and cam chain tensionerJRobling · 4K views
Before you buy, watch
Battery Problems First Generation Honda Insight 2000-2006 The Mechanic Installed the Cells BackwardsBen Huttash · 3K views
Removing the transmission from a 2001 Honda Insight that I JUST bought. Problems with disassembly! 🙄MikeTheMechanic123 · 289 views
2001 Honda Insight-more MPG problems, original injectors 44 MPG, wrong injectors, 70 MPG???MikeTheMechanic123 · 78 viewsViews show how many people looked up each fix, not how often it breaks. Videos belong to their creators; we link to them. The 2002 is the same generation.
Costs are the middle (median) of the dollar amounts people say out loud in these videos, so one wild number can't swing it. They aren't verified bills or sales; real prices depend on year, miles, condition and where you live. Tap Hear it to jump to the moment.
Problems Honda told dealers about
Honda sent dealers 61 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Customer complaints of very little or no ima battery assist and/or stalls after a stop and…
- Stalls with electrical load after body shop repair
- On some vehicles, the ima battery loses charge overnight
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Recalls 1
- Lights · recall issued 2004
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE LOW-BEAM TERMINAL ON THE HEAD LIGHT WIRE HARNESS CAN OVERHEAT AND COULD CAUSE THE LOW BEAMS TO FAIL WITHOUT WARNING.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Canada? See recalls at Transport Canada
Government investigations
- ClosedPedestrian alert sounds2023
NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.
Fuel cost and engines
About $1,150–$1,300 (USD) a year in fuel (EPA estimate at U.S. prices, 15,000 miles or 24,000 km a year). Engines: 1.0L 3-cyl.
Every Honda Insight year. 2002 is highlighted. Lower is better.
Show 1 older years (2004–2004, YouTube reviews only, no complaint data)
Newest year first. Red = worse than average, gray = about average or too few complaints to score. #1, #2… = that year's YouTube rank among the 8 Honda Insight years with enough videos (#1 = the year owners and reviewers talk about most positively). It is not a reliability rank.
Embed this chart
Put this chart on your site, blog or forum. Free, with the credit line built in; the 2002 bar is highlighted.
<iframe src="https://lemonindex.com/embed/cars/honda-insight/?y=2002" title="Honda Insight reliability by model year (The Lemon Index)" width="100%" height="261" style="border:0;max-width:720px" loading="lazy"></iframe><p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Data: <a href="https://lemonindex.com/cars/honda-insight/2002/">Lemon Index</a> (2002 Honda Insight reliability)</p>Quick answers
Is the 2002 Honda Insight reliable?
We can't score it: only 2,216 were sold in the U.S. in 2002 (calendar-year sales), under the 20,000 we need for a fair per-car score. Owners filed 3 complaints with NHTSA in its first 3 years.
What are the most common 2002 Honda Insight problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are electrical (33%), tires (33%) and lights (33%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2002 Honda Insight have?
1 safety recall (latest: lights). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2002 Honda Insight get?
47 to 53 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
Does the 2002 Honda Insight have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues aren't among its top 5 complaint areas.
How much does the 2002 Honda Insight cost in fuel a year?
About $1,150 to $1,300 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2002 Honda Insight have?
1.0L 3-cyl.
What Honda Insight year is better than the 2002?
No year within 3 model years of it drew fewer complaints. Across every year, 2010 drew the fewest (about two-thirds as many complaints as the average car).
The Lemon Index counts owner complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model years (100 = average, lower is better). It measures complaints, not crash safety. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works