Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Honda Insight owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns 2013 Honda Insight. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered. Additionally, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that the engine was consuming 3-4 quarts of oil per 1,000 miles driven. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who performed an oil change. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
I have had a 2013 Honda Insight since September 2024 and I have complained about excessive oil consumption since October 2024.This past Saturday my car stopped on the highway when I tried to accelerate. It was towed to Honda and the diagnostic comes back as piston ring replacement with spark plugs. Last November I had 2 spark plugs replaced and my ignition coils. There was an ESB put out by Honda but I was not the current owner then so Honda doesn't want to cover the cost. I also have contacted the dealership, that is not a certified reseller of Honda, mark Sweeney Buick of Cincinnati, Ohio but since I signed an As Is contract they stated they wouldn't assist. The first week I got the car there were problems. I feel like mark Sweeney didn't fully check their car before it was sold. …
We were driving our Honda in a 70mph zone and the car's speed suddenly dropped to 15mph. We were not able to drive any faster than 15mph and could have been killed while driving on a highway where other cars were driving at 70mph, or we could have caused a pile up of cars with multiple accidents. We were very lucky that we were able to pull over to the side of the highway before another car hit us. We were not even able to drive to an exit, and had to sit on the side of a busy highway for nearly 3 hours as we waited for a tow truck. Multiple warning lights came on at the same time the speed of the car suddenly dropped. Warning lights for most systems on the car starting flashing at this point, but not in advance to warn us. We had the car towed to a local mechanic and he told us that a piston in the engine had failed completely and the engine would need to be rebuilt. …
2013 Honda Insight Hybrid LX (4 cylinder) vehicle purchased on 8/19/14. thanks This complaint is was filed to due engine oil consumption on my Honda-hybrid. In 2020 my car began losing oil quite frequently as I was having to add or change the oil often. On 8/27/21 I took the vehicle to Honda of Downtown Los Angeles, Kesean Zachary informed me they would need to perform an engine oil consumption test and change the oil. Soon after that the car was again losing oil so I returned it to Honda of Downtown on 11/18/21, where Kesean checked the oil with the dipstick and informed that there was no oil consumption. A month later, the car was still losing oil.. this is my work car and I needed to get this problem resolved.. so I decided to take it back to where I purchased the car, Honda of Hollywood on 3/23/22. …
I have owned my Honda Insight for almost 10 years now. I bought it because it has great MPG. But this year has been horrible for it. It suddenly lost power while I was driving on the highway. Luckily I was able to move over to the side, and traffic was not too heavy at the time. Checkered Flag Honda in Virginia Beach, VA performed a TSB on it, and again two months ago, stating the exact same repair to be done each time. Now, it is displaying the very same symptoms I took it in for the first time, AGAIN. I will be uploading those reciepts as soon as I can find them tomorrow. After looking online, it is very obvious that I am not the only one with this same problem that could possibly endanger drivers. …
I experienced "rough running" of my 2013 Honda Insight just prior to August of 2021. Initial work on the vehicle helped, but repairs became increasingly expensive and extensive. EX: A simple oil change on about 8/2/2021 (mileage at 64,545). At about mileage 68,370 the vehicle failed again (showing check engine light / stalling); repair shop found a misfire on cylinder #4, and all 8 of the spark plugs were replaced. Then on/about Nov./2022 (mileage at 71,988), the vehicle was running rough again (with check engine light on) and the repair shop found a miss in cylinder #4 again, and then replaced cylinder #4 spark plugs and coils. On/about Feb./2023, the vehicle had more problems (running rough) and then the repair shop found a misfire on #4 again (spark plug was replaced.) On/about 5/18/2023, I took my vehicle in for a routine oil change. …
Noticed decreased performance & frequent oil changes in 2015. At first, I did not know the weak engine performance was related to the oil consumption & was never offered diagnostic testing until May 2023 across multiple Honda shops in different states. With this, I was under the impression that my car was performing within normal limits. Finally in May 2023 the local Honda shop recommended the proper diagnostic test & told me about the known piston/oil consumption defect known to this model & the (expired) warranty extension that was associated with it. I returned end of Aug 2023 to get results of my oil consumption test, which was positive. At this time, they quoted me a repair cost (to change out the piston rings, gaskets, & spark plugs) but I had to defer due to the high cost. …
The vehicle has on-going "oil consumption" issues that American Honda neglected to address. As a result, the oil goes up exhaust pipes to caused engine over heat and blow up during driving on highway. American Honda issued an "internal memo" to extend engine warranty to 8 years without notifying car owners. However, they failed to cover our blew-up engine when the first time happened and charged us $4600 for an used engine. Within 8 months, the second engine blew up again on the highway. American Honda finally covered the second engine repair. The American Honda rejected to reimburse the first engine blow-up. They denied anything wrong with the engine, but the extended the warranty to 8 years??? We have the records for both engine blow-ups.
My car had been sitting for 2 and a half weeks while I was out of the country. Upon starting the car, check brake system, check vsa system, check hill start assist system, service due soon and check emission lights illuminated on my dashboard. When I began to accelerate, the car only got up to 5 miles per hour. It was a 7 minute drive from airport parking to my residence. I parked the car and it sat over the thanksgiving weekend. The following week I had the car towed to the mcdavid Honda in irving, tx. I gave detailed history from the time of purchase a year and half ago. I advised the dealership, I was full aware of the excessive oil burning in issue that had been previous diagnosed at the original Honda dealership I purchased the car from. I kept up with excessive oil changes that needed to be done. The service tech said it had zero oil and the piston rings would need to be changed. …
We purchased a new 2013 Honda Insight.the car had excessive oil consumption from the very beginning. It required one quart of oil to be added every 2-3 weeks. We repeatedly voiced our concerns in at least 5 occasions. Each time we were told by the the dealership that the oil consumption 'was normal'. Our complaints were ignored, our concerns dismissed.on January 25, 2017, while my husband was driving on highway I-78, the engine suddenly started losing power and completely stalled. Luckily, there were no other vehicles behind. The car was towed to the dealer, it was discovered there that a cylinder exhaust valve had broken off, causing severe and irreparable damage to pistons and the cylinder head. The engine was rendered useless. American Honda rejected to cover any of the expenses. …
Engine complaints in other Insight years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2013 Honda Insight?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2013 Honda Insight, 69% of the model year's 45 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2013 Honda Insight engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2013 Honda Insight, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2013 Honda Insight engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.