Used car guide · 2000–2014

Honda Insight common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong on a used Honda Insight, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 8,320 MOTs done during 2025), and what to check before you buy one.

8,320MOTs done in 2025, all years of this model
8,066on the UK register
2012best year at its MOT

Pick the year

Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).

201420132012201120102009200220012000

What usually goes wrong with a Honda Insight?

We haven’t found widely reported faults for the Honda Insight in the UK buying guides we use yet. That doesn’t mean it has none, so check the car carefully and look at the MOT weak spots below.

Common Honda Insight MOT failures to check

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2025.

  • Headlights

    up to 3.5× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

    Rough price £40–£400 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check both headlights on dipped and full beam, and look for cloudy or cracked lenses.

  • Chassis rust or damage

    up to 3.6× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

    Rough price £150–£1,000 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check the sills, wheel arches and underneath for rust, and look along the panels for uneven gaps or paint.

  • Body structure rust or damage

    up to 2.8× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

    Rough price £150–£1,000 our estimate

    At the viewing: Look underneath and along the sills for flaky rust or fresh underseal hiding it.

  • Corroded fuel pipes

    up to 6.2× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2009 and 2010.

    Rough price £100–£400 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask to see underneath, or check the MOT advisories: corroded brake or fuel pipes get worse every year and fail the MOT when they do.

  • Rust around suspension or steering mountings

    up to 2.5× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2009 and 2010.

    Rough price £100–£450 our estimate

    At the viewing: On a straight road the steering wheel should sit straight. Listen for knocks when turning, and check the steering feels even.

Honda Insight MOT pass rate by year

Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2012 Honda Insight did best (72% passed first time, 9 points above all 2012 cars) and the 2011 did worst (67%, 6 points above all 2011 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.

YearPass first timeAll cars that yearMOT tests
201477%69% +8236 (small sample)
201371%66% +5414 (small sample)
201272%63% +91,215
201167%61% +61,674
201066%59% +72,729
200965%58% +72,052

Questions to ask the seller before buying a Honda Insight

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the headlights? (Flagged at MOT 3.5× as often on the Honda Insight as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Any recent work on the chassis rust or damage? (Flagged at MOT 3.6× as often on the Honda Insight as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Any recent work on the body structure rust or damage? (Flagged at MOT 2.8× as often on the Honda Insight as on other cars the same age.)
  4. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Honda Insight?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, whether it already shows these weak spots and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score