2002 HONDA INSIGHT Problems
Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2002 Honda Insight. This model year has 24 NHTSA complaints — top issue: Headlight/Taillight Failures.
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This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about the specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer rollbacks, and open recalls.
Worst 2002 Honda Insight Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Headlight/Taillight Failures
Transmission / Drivetrain
Electrical Faults
Considering a 2002 Honda Insight?
This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about this specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2002 Honda Insight. A single complaint may appear in multiple categories.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 8 | — | — | — | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 6 | — | — | — | |
| Electrical Faults | 3 | 1 | — | — | |
| Airbag Malfunctions | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| Brake System | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| Hydraulic | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| Engine Problems | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Structural Problems | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Tire Issues | 1 | — | — | — |
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Complaint counts may exceed total complaints because one report can span multiple categories.
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2002 Honda Insight. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Showing 24 most recent complaints
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA INSIGHT. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS MELTED AND CAUSED THE LOW BEAM FAILURE AND THAT T…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA INSIGHT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOSS EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V0…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA INSIGHT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED THEY WOULD FAIL INTERMITTENTLY AT UNKNOWN, INTERVALS AT RANDOM.. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REP…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA INSIGHT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WITH THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ACTIVATED WHEN THEY SUDDENLY FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. IMMEDIATELY, THE HIGH BEAMS WERE ACTIVATED. THE CONTACT REPLACED BOTH LOW BEAM BULBS AND THE FAILURE CONTINUED. …
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA INSIGHT. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE LOW BEAM SWITCH BURNED OUT. THE CONTACT SMELLED A BURNING ODOR WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS BLEW OUT. THE DEALER STATE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 04V086000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING: HEADLIGHTS). THE VEHICLE HAD…
2002 HONDA ODYSSEY TRANSMISSION FAILURE NOTHING. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA INSIGHT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH AT NIGHT, THE HIGH BEAMS WERE ACTIVATED. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACTIVATE THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS, THEY COMPLETELY DIMMED. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO HER RESIDENCE AND HER HUSBAND REPLACED THE BULB…
WHEN MEASURED WITH A TRIFIELD METER, THE ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD (EMF) IMPACTING THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER ARE DANGEROUSLY HIGH. THE DRIVER IS RECEIVING UP TO 135 MILLIGAUSS (MG) AT THE HIP, AND UP TO 100 MG IN THE UPPER TORSO AND HEAD AREA. (UNDER 10 MG IS CONSIDERED SAFE.) SEE…
WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY MY LOW BEAMS WENT OUT... SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM THE STEERING WHEEL... CONDUCTED RESEARCH AND FOUND THIS RECALL: ID 04V086000 FROM FEB, 24 2004. CALLED HONDA AND THEY MENTIONED THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THIS ISSUE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HA…
CAR STARTED JUDDERING AND LOOSING POWER. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THERE WAS A "JUDDER RECALL". AFTER GETTING THE CAR BACK, TRANSMISSION IS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. CONTACTED AMERICAN HONDA AND THEY MENTIONED TO ME THAT THE FLYWHEEL HAD GREASE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. AME…
MY SRS LIGHT (AIR BAG) ON MY 2002 HONDA ACCORD CAME ON WITH NO REASON. NO ACCIDENT OR IMPACT THE CAR HAS 90K MILES. NOT SURE IF IT IS A DEFECT OR RECALL EQUIPMENT. *TR
WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE (CAR IN REVERSE). DUE TO THE TIGHTNESS OF THE AREA, HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE TO PULL FORWARD SLIGHTLY AND THEN AGAIN IN REVERSE. WHEN THE CAR WAS PUT IN DRIVE THE SECOND TIME, IT LUNGED FORWARD AND ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. CAR WAS STILL ACC…
THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 2002 HONDA ODDYSEY WAS MAKING CLUNKY SHIFTS TO 2ND AND 3RD GEARS. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. LARRY HOPKINS HONDA SERVICE SAID TRANSMISSION NEEDS REPLACEMENT. CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR 1999-2001 HONDA ODDYSEYS TRANSMISSIONS, AND THEY STILL DIDN'T FIX IT ON 2002…
2002 HONDA CIVIC COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER BRAKING GOING 15 MPH. CAUSING PROPERTY DAMAGE. THIS COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE FAILERE HAS BEEN REPORTED TO DEALERS AND BEEN SEEN IN MANY WEB FORUMS. THIS TIME MY SON WAS DRIVING WHEN THE ENGINE FAILERE LIGHT CAME ON AND BRAKES WENT …
WHILE DRIVING N ON I-97 I WAS ATTEMPTING TO TURN RIGHT ONTO THE EXIT RAMP TO 32-W WHEN THE STEERING ON MY 2002 HONDA CIVIC FAILED. ALTHOUGH I WAS TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, THE CAR KEPT GOING STRAIGHT. I ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES, BUT THEY ALSO FAILED, AND THE…
I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER IN THE MAIL FROM HONDA REGARDING MY 2002 HONDA ODYSSEY. IN THIS LETTER, IT CLEARLY STATES THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND WATER PUMP. HENCE I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP AT NORM REEVE'S HONDA - CERRITOS. AFTER HAVING MY CAR …
TRANSMISSION WORK VERY HEAVY LIKE IS PULLING SOMETHING, DON' SWIFT NORMAL. A TOOK THE VAN TO THE DEALER FOR THE RECALL AT THE DEALER THEY SAY THAT THEY USE A DIGITAL CAMERA TO CHECK THE INTERIOR OF THE TRANSMISSION. I AM NOT CONVINCED THAT THEY ACTUALLY FIX SOMETHING IN THE TRAN…
WHILE DRIVING DOWN HILL THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED TO 2ND GEAR. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE CAUSE WAS NOT DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL VEHICLE INFORMATION. *NM
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.*AK
IN JULY OF 2002, I PURCHASED A 2002 HONDA 919. IMMEDIATELY, I NOTICED THAT MY JACKET SMELLED OF EXHAUST FUMES. NOT THE SULFUR - ROTTEN EGG SMELL, BUT EXHAUST FUMES. ONE FRIDAY AFTERNOON IN AUGUST 2002, I TOOK MY WIFE FOR A RIDE - SHE WAS THE PASSENGER. AFTER ABOUT A 45-MINUTE RID…
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Real owner reports for the 2002 Honda Insight.
Recalls for 2002 Honda Insight
1 campaignNHTSA recall campaigns for the 2002 Honda Insight. Recalls are free to fix at any authorized dealer. Run a VIN check below to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
2002 Honda Insight — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2002 Honda Insight reliable?▾
Severe Issues. The 2002 Honda Insight has 24 NHTSA owner complaints, 4 crash-related, and 1 recall campaign. The most reported issue is Headlight/Taillight Failures (8 complaints). Source: NHTSA via VinSpector AI.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Honda Insight?▾
#1: Headlight/Taillight Failures (8 complaints). #2: Transmission / Drivetrain (6 complaints). #3: Electrical Faults (3 complaints)
At what mileage do problems start on the 2002 Honda Insight?▾
Mileage data is not available or insufficient for this model year.
How safe is the 2002 Honda Insight?▾
The 2002 Honda Insight has 4 crash-related complaints and 0 fire reports out of 24 total NHTSA complaints. 2 injuries were reported. For NCAP lab crash test star ratings, visit nhtsa.gov/ratings.
Does the 2002 Honda Insight have any recalls?▾
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign affect the 2002 Honda Insight. The largest issue: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
Should I buy a 2002 Honda Insight?▾
The 2002 Honda Insight has severe issues — review the top problems before buying. Pay particular attention to Headlight/Taillight Failures issues. Always run a VIN check on the specific car you're considering to check for accident history, open recalls, and title brands.
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinSpector AI.
Wider context: See the full Honda Insight reliability report with year-by-year comparison.
Check Your Specific 2002 Honda Insight
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99.