Wrench.Pro

2020 Honda Insight Recalls, Issues & Maintenance

The 2020 Honda Insight carries 6 open NHTSA recalls — most recently covering dc/dc converter and fuel pump. Owners report 5 recurring issue clusters, led by “Body panel and underbody trim detachment.” Honda vehicles use the Maintenance Minder system — your dashboard displays a Code A (oil change) or Code B (oil change plus inspections) along with sub-codes 1-6 for additional services. Intervals adjust based on how you drive. The schedule below reflects Honda's underlying targets.

6 Open Recalls

Source: NHTSA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:DC/DC CONVERTER

Campaign #20V798000 · Dec 17, 2020

Issue: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020 CR-V Hybrid, Accord Hybrid, and 2020-2021 Insight vehicles. The DC-DC converter may shut down and prevent the 12-volt battery from recharging, possibly resulting in a loss of drive power.

Risk: A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the power converter unit (PCU) software, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2021. Owners can contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is K9E.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

Campaign #20V314000 · May 28, 2020

Issue: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura NSX, 2019 Acura RDX, RLX and RLX Sport Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R and HR-V, 2019-2020 Insight and 2019 Fit vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Honda will notify owners and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 22, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE

Campaign #20V771000 · Oct 12, 2020

Issue: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Accord Sedan, Accord Hybrid, and 2019-2020 Insight vehicles. A software error may cause intermittent or continuous disruptions in communication between the Body Control Module (BCM) and other components. This may result in malfunctions of various systems such as the windshield wipers and defroster, rearview camera, exterior lights, audible warning of a stopped vehicle, and power window operation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems" and number 111, "Rear Visibility" as well as FMVSS numbers 104, 108, 114, 118, and 305.

Risk: Various system malfunctions such as inoperative windshield wipers, defroster, rearview camera, or exterior lighting can increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the BCM software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 22, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is X95.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

Campaign #21V215000 · Mar 25, 2021

Issue: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 18, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-314.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

Campaign #23V858000 · Dec 18, 2023

Issue: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

Campaign #26V332000 · May 21, 2026

Issue: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.

Recall data refreshed Sep 6, 2026.

Known issues for this vehicle

What drivers and federal regulators have officially reported about the 2020 Honda Insight.

1 active NHTSA investigation

Source: NHTSA

  • Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking

    Action #EA25002 · opened Jan 17, 2025

    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 compl…

    View on NHTSA →

Reported to NHTSA

Body panel and underbody trim detachment

STRUCTURE

3 NHTSA complaints · 2020-08 → 2025-07

“I was driving home from vacation when my engine splash plate came loose from my car on the interstate. The splash plate fell down and dragged on highway creating friction under my car. The metal had fallen down and was chipping away creating dangerous debris to my car and other”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11671578
“The whole hood vibrates while driving or when is windy, very noticeable at times. It was replaced once, almost a year ago but now it needs to be replaced again. same problem eventually the latches will be damaged creating a very hazardous situation. This vehicle has not been on”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11523320

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Unintended forward collision avoidance braking

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

11 NHTSA complaints · 2020-09 → 2026-08

“I was driving on a two lane road driving over a small paved bridge going about 40mph with a car next to me and a car behind me nothing in front of me when my car did a hard phantom brake. No pre warning, the display did show BRAKE and it did beep. But everything was sudden”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11610677
“Two instances of braking system activating at highway speeds. In one instance, it was broad daylight, there was some traffic but nothing in my lane for a good distance, highway speed (approximately 65 mph) short sharp braking maneuver that dropped the speed approximately 10mph”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11453970
“DRIVING ALONE ON ROAD DOING 30 MPH THE CAR SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND SLOWED TO ABOUT 20 MPH WHILE FLASHING "BRAKE" IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. NO OTHER CARS ON THIS ROAD AT THE TIME. THERE WERE SHADOWS ACROSS THE ROAD FROM SUN AND TREES. SINCE I ALWAYS DRIVE THE SPEED LIMIT, IF THERE”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11374922

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Power system warning with loss of propulsion

POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE

7 NHTSA complaints · 2020-12 → 2026-01

“I WAS DRIVING AT 65-70 MPH ON A FREEWAY, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR SPEED DROPPED EVEN MY FOOT IS ON THE GAS PEDAL, THE CAR SLOW DOWN TO 40MPH WHEN DECIDED TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER, BARELY ENOUGH TIME TO GET OUT OF DANGER. THE CAR ENGINE SHOT DOWN BY ITS SELF, I COULD NOT”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11477975
“On July 22, 2022 I was driving my Honda Insight 2020. I was on the highway, current mileage on vehicle 50,796 miles, my speed was normal at 65 MPH when the car lost the ability to accelerate and it stalled. I was forced to make an emergency stop on the side of the interstate”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11476142
“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”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11714605

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Steering rack and linkage failure

STEERING

2 NHTSA complaints · 2021-03 → 2026-04

“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”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11728435
“DAMAGE TO THE POWER STEERING LINKAGE CABLE AND OXYGEN SENSOR CAUSED ALL ADAS SYSTEMS TO BE OFFLINE INCLUDING POWER STEERING. IF THIS UNIT WERE TO BE DAMAGED JUST ENOUGH AND FAIL WHILE DRIVING THIS WILL LIKELY RESULT IN A CRASH/COLLISION AS THE CAR BECOMES COMPLETELY UNDRIVABLE”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11398985

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Unintended acceleration without driver input

UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

2 NHTSA complaints · 2021-11 → 2026-06

“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”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11747521
“The contact stated 2020 Honda Insight. The contact stated while driving approximately 4-5 MPH through a drive-thru, the cruise control set button was tapped and the speed increased to 25 mph without warning. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11441308

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Note: NHTSA also opened 2 defect investigation(s) on this vehicle that closed without action.

Issues on other model years

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Complaint data refreshed Sep 11, 2026. Investigation data refreshed Sep 11, 2026.

We display NHTSA's record with attribution; we don't editorialize on what these complaints mean for any specific vehicle.

Essential maintenance

Critical for safety and preventing major damage

Engine Oil & Filter (Code A)

Every 7,500 mi

Replace 0W-20 full-synthetic oil and filter. The Maintenance Minder triggers Code A between 7,500 and 10,000 miles depending on driving conditions.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$120–$160

Shop

~$85–$115

DIY

~$25–$55

Full synthetic costs more than conventional. 5-quart 0W-20 + filter is the typical bill.

Tire Rotation (Sub-code 1)

Every 7,500 mi

Rotate tires front-to-back to even out wear. Honda triggers Sub-code 1 alongside every other oil change.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Free

Often free at the shop where you bought the tires — worth asking before paying.

Brake Inspection (Code B)

Every 15,000 mi

Inspect brake pads, rotors, and parking brake. Code B includes a multi-point inspection of brakes, suspension, and fluids.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Free

Most shops do this free as a courtesy with any service. Don't pay separately if you can avoid it.

Brake Fluid (Sub-code 5)

Every 45,000 mi

Replace DOT 3 brake fluid every 3 years regardless of mileage to prevent moisture absorption and corrosion of ABS components.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$180–$200

Shop

~$125–$140

DIY

~$10–$25

DOT 3 or 4 — match the cap. Vacuum bleeders make this a one-person DIY.

Important maintenance

Keeps your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently

Automatic Transmission / CVT Fluid (Sub-code 3)

Every 30,000 mi

Replace ATF or CVT fluid. Honda CVT models (Civic, HR-V, Accord LX) use Honda HCF-2 — do not substitute. The Maintenance Minder triggers earlier under heavy stop-and-go.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$330–$500

Shop

~$235–$355

DIY

~$60–$180

Some sealed transmissions have no dipstick — fill is precise and best left to a shop. Many drivers can still DIY drain-and-fill.

Rear Differential Fluid (AWD models, Sub-code 5)

Every 30,000 mi

AWD CR-V, Pilot, Passport, Ridgeline: replace rear diff fluid every 30,000 miles, sooner if towing.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$150–$195

Shop

~$105–$135

DIY

~$20–$50

Drain plug + fill plug — straightforward DIY. AWD vehicles have two; budget for both.

Engine Air Filter (Sub-code 4)

Every 30,000 mi

Replace the engine air filter every 30,000 miles. Honda uses a long-life cellulose element on most port-injected engines.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$60–$95

Shop

~$45–$70

DIY

~$15–$40

5-minute job on most cars; the airbox lid usually has clips, no tools needed.

Spark Plugs (Sub-code 6)

Every 105,000 mi

Honda uses iridium-tipped plugs rated for 100,000+ miles. Replace at 105,000 miles or whenever Sub-code 6 displays.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$285–$390

Shop

~$200–$275

DIY

~$25–$100

Iridium plugs cost more but last 100k+ miles. V6/V8 access varies wildly — some are tough.

Engine Coolant (Sub-code 5)

Every 60,000 mi

Honda Long-Life Type 2 (blue) coolant: first change at 120,000 miles, then every 60,000 miles. Do not mix with other coolant types.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$285–$330

Shop

~$200–$235

DIY

~$25–$60

Use the manufacturer-specified coolant — wrong color/chemistry can damage the cooling system.

Recommended maintenance

Extends the life of your vehicle and improves comfort

Cabin Air Filter (Sub-code 3)

Every 15,000 mi

Replace the cabin air filter — accessible behind the glove box on most Hondas. Honda recommends 15,000 miles in dusty conditions, longer in clean climates.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$60–$95

Shop

~$45–$70

DIY

~$15–$40

Usually behind the glovebox. Shops charge labor for a 10-minute job — easy DIY win.

Valve Clearance Adjustment (Sub-code 6)

Every 105,000 mi

Inspect and adjust valve clearances at 105,000 miles. Critical on K-series and L-series engines to prevent valve recession.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$495–$535

Shop

~$345–$375

DIY

Pro only

Mechanical-bucket valvetrains (many Honda 4-cyls, older Toyotas) need this. Hydraulic lifters don't. Shop work — feeler-gauge precision required.

Timing Chain — No Replacement

On condition / lifetime

Modern Honda engines (K-series, L-series, R-series, plus all Earth Dreams 1.5T and 2.0T) use a timing chain designed to last the life of the engine. No scheduled replacement.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Pro only

Timing chains are normally lifetime. Listen for rattle on cold start — that's the actionable signal. Replacement is major work, quote separately.

Fatal crash history & reported problems

Occupant deaths in fatal crashes (FARS)

2 crashes 2010–2024

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road. How to read this number

Owner-reported problem signals

Separate from the federal fatality data above: complaints owners filed with NHTSA about this year and model. These are reports of problems, unverified, and are counted here only as signals.

3

complaints mentioning a crash

0

complaints mentioning a fire

Reviewed known issues for this vehicle·Open recalls for this vehicle

Typical U.S. ranges. Actual quotes vary by shop, parts choice, and vehicle condition.

How we estimate: Dealer = OEM parts × 1.4 + labor × $165/hr. Shop = parts + labor × $115/hr. DIY = parts only.

This maintenance schedule for the 2020 Honda Insight reflects Honda's published service intervals and the Maintenance Minder system. Your actual service needs may vary based on driving conditions, climate, and vehicle usage. Always consult your owner's manual for model-specific recommendations.

Check another vehicle →