Independent · Not affiliated with NHTSA or any automaker MethodologyData sourcesData refreshed Oct 6, 2026

2021 Honda Insight: Problems, Recalls and MPG

What this means

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2021 Honda Insight, most recently filed May 2026. Owners have filed 25 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the forward collision avoidance. In NHTSA crash tests it earned 5 stars overall.

Data summary generated from official records. Methodology Data: NHTSA, DOT, EPA · Refreshed Oct 6, 2026
Caution Fewer than 50 complaints filed. With this few reports, patterns may not be meaningful.
Compare

Recalls (3)

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2021 Honda Insight. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗

Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.

Check on NHTSA ↗
Listed for 2021 Honda Insight. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 26V332000 Filed May 21, 2026

Air Bags May Deploy Unintentionally During a Crash

Air bags · sensor · occupant classification · front passenger
Official NHTSA text
Summary
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.
Consequence
Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
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.
Repair progress not yet reported98,892 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 26V332000
Listed for 2021 Honda Insight. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 24V064000 Filed Feb 1, 2024

Air Bag May Deploy Unintentionally During a Crash

Air bags · sensor · occupant classification · front passenger
Official NHTSA text
Summary
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Consequence
An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
53.6% repairedof 750,114 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 24V064000
Listed for 2021 Honda Insight. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 20V798000 Filed Dec 17, 2020

Loss of Drive Power from DC-DC Converter Shutdown

Electrical system · 12v/24v/48v battery
Official NHTSA text
Summary
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.
Consequence
A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
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.
98.3% repairedof 27,838 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 20V798000

PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.

Owner complaints (25)

25 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The forward collision avoidance is mentioned most often.

1involved a crash
0involved a fire
1injuries reported
0deaths reported

As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.

Most-reported components

Complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Honda Insight, by component (top 10). One complaint can list several components, so these add up to more than 25.Source: NHTSA ODI owner complaints · Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 · Report a data error

How 2021 compares with other Insight years

Best and worst Insight years →
2006201020112012201320142019202020212022
This year (2021)Other yearsStill collecting reports

Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Crash tests: 5 stars overall

Overall★★★★★
Frontal crashDriver 5★ · Passenger 5★★★★★★
Side crashDriver 5★ · Passenger 5★★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
RolloverRollover risk 9.3%★★★★★
Front seat of a modern car with the seat belt buckled across the passenger seat
Compare fairly. Compare stars only between vehicles of similar size and weight. Ratings apply to the tested configuration.

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), 2021 Honda Insight 4 dr fwd, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Fuel economy: up to 52 mpg combined

52
mpg combined
55
city
49
highway
EPA annual fuel cost
$1,300
CO₂ tailpipe
170 g/mi
EPA class
Midsize Cars

What it costs you to run

$1,256per year
$105per month
288gallons a year

Miles ÷ 52 mpg × $4.354 (EIA US average regular, week of Oct 5, 2026, all taxes included). Source: EPA · EIA.

EPA label estimates from lab tests; your mileage will vary.

Specs by configuration

2021 Honda Insight configurations with EPA data
Engine · transmissionDriveCity / Hwy / CombEPA $/yrCO₂ g/mi
1.5 L 4-cyl · CVTFront-Wheel Drive55 / 49 / 52$1,300170
1.5 L 4-cyl · CVTFront-Wheel Drive51 / 45 / 48$1,400184

Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.

Used blue SUV on a sunny dealer lot with its hood open and a clipboard on the fender

Looking at a 2021 Insight for sale?

Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.

All Insight years

Where to next

2021 Honda Insight FAQ

How many recalls does the 2021 Honda Insight have?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns: 26V332000 (air bag), 24V064000 (air bag), 20V798000 (electrical). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.

What are the most common 2021 Honda Insight problems?

Owners filed 25 complaints with NHTSA. Forward collision avoidance (8), Unknown or other (6), Service brakes (4) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.

What mpg does the 2021 Honda Insight get?

EPA rates the 1.5 L 4-cyl · CVT version at 55 city, 49 highway and 52 combined mpg. Other configurations are listed in the fuel economy section.

What safety rating did the 2021 Honda Insight get?

NHTSA rated the 2021 Honda Insight 4 dr fwd 5 stars overall, with 5 stars frontal, 5 stars side and 5 stars rollover (9.3% rollover risk).

How does the 2021 Insight compare with other years?

Among the 2006–2021 Honda Insight model years at least five years old, the 2006 drew the fewest complaints (2) and the 2010 the most (119). The 2021 drew 25. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.

How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes

Processing

  • Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
  • Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.

Limitations

  • Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
  • Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
  • Recent model years are still collecting reports.

Review

Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.

Changelog

  • 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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