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2010 Honda Insight problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
17%
9 of 53 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2010 Honda Insight. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 17% of relevant complaints.

Better than 91% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 66 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 8%).

NHTSA data checked October 3, 2026

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2010 Honda Insight have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 9 of 53 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2010 Honda Insight concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (17%). For comparison, the 2011 scores 50%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
9
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
119
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
10
21 crashes · 11 injuries

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS57 · 48%
SERVICE BRAKES17 · 14%
STRUCTURE15 · 13%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL8 · 7%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING7 · 6%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM7 · 6%

The years either side

2010
17%
9 of 119
2011
50%
6 of 41
2012
79%
38 of 59
2013
95%
35 of 45
2014
too few complaints
2015
no data
2016
no data
2017
no data
2018
no data
2019
21%
18 of 98
2020
23%
7 of 31
2021
14%
3 of 25
2022
13%
4 of 32
2023
no data

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

How the 2010 compares with other Honda Insight years

Of the 8 Honda Insight years with enough complaints to score, the 2010 is the 3rd-best on engine and transmission share (17%). The worst is the 2013 (95%), the best the 2022 (13%). By volume, the 2010 drew 119 complaints (9 drivetrain), against 41 for the 2011.

Honda Insight years to avoid and best years →

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2010 Honda Insight

  • Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
  • What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
  • Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.

What one owner reported

SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,WHEELS07/17/2016CRASH
MY HONDA 2010 INSIGHT - VEHICLE ROLLS BACK AFTER RELEASING BRAKE GOING UP HILL. THIS INTERMITTENTLY HAPPENED SINCE BUYING VEHICLE LAST YEAR AROUND 2/30/2015. LAST YEAR AROUND THE MONTH OF JUNE - A ROLL-BACK CAUSED VEHICLE TO ROLL-BACK ON A CURB ON RIGHT SIDE AND REAR TIRE HIT CURB PRETTY HARD. I CONFIRMED LATER THE…

One of 9 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

2010 Honda Insight engine and transmission recalls

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns on the 2010 Honda Insight, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

10 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module19V500000 · Jun 2019
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013 Acura ILX, 2015 RDX, 2005-2010 and 2012 RL, 2009-2014 TL, 2010 and 2012 ZDX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2011-2013 and 2015 CR-Z, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module19V502000 · Jun 2019
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module19V378000 · May 2019
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module18V661000 · Sep 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Insight and Acura TSX and TSX Wagon, 2014-2015 Honda Crosstour and Pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 Honda FCX…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module18V268000 · Apr 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module18V042000 · Jan 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX, ZDX, Honda Accord Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot vehicles, 2011-13 Acura TSX Sportswagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord,,…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module17V545000 · Aug 2017
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2008-2012 Accord, 2010-2012 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2012 Fit and Pilot, 2010-2012 Insight, and 2009-2012 Acura…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module17V030000 · Jan 2017
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Acura TSX, 2011-2012 Acura TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Acura ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2012 Honda Accord Crosstour and Honda Insight,…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module16V346000 · May 2016
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Acura TSX, 2011 TSX Wagon, 2010-2011 Acura ZDX, 2008-2011 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic…
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module16V061000 · Feb 2016
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 3, 2026.

Checking one particular 2010 Honda Insight? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2010 Honda Insight

Does the 2010 Honda Insight have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 9 of 53 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2010 Honda Insight concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (17%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

What is the most common problem with the 2010 Honda Insight?

Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2010 Honda Insight is air bags: 57 of 119 complaints (48%) name it, followed by service brakes (17) and structure (15). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap. Engine, transmission and fuel-system complaints together make up 17% of the relevant total.

Is the 2010 Honda Insight reliable?

On the engine and transmission, nothing stands out: 17% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain, below the 33% line where we call a signal elevated. That is better than 91% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 8 Honda Insight years we score, it ranks 3rd-best. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2010 Honda Insight?

No. NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns on the 2010 Honda Insight, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Honda Insight years are better?

Among the Honda Insight years we track, the 2022 (13%) and the 2021 (14%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2010 (17%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/honda-insight

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.