Honda
Insight
15,304 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Insights pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 3.7 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
73.8%
Pass-after-fix
8.1%
Fail
17.0%
Avg miles
118,895
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Could not determine Euro standard — check the V5C or use the government's online ULEZ checker.
The picture
Honda Insight: mixed MOT record across 10,898 tests
The Honda Insight is a hybrid electric car which was manufactured and marketed by Honda. Its first generation is a two-door, two-seat liftback (1999–2006) and its second generation is a four-door, five-seat liftback (2009–2014).
MOT data from 10,898 tests puts this car on a 74.4% first-time pass rate, below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 116,042 miles. The most common fail item is steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, followed by headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective.
Easy to drive in town. Frugal on fuel. Plenty of space for the family.
Buyers weighing up a used Insight should treat the failure breakdown as a pre-purchase checklist. The pass rate is reasonable, but the gap between first attempt and a clean sheet narrows with age and mileage.
ABI Insurance Group
Group 18–24
Around the UK fleet average for insurance cost. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
18–24
out of 50
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
721 occurrences · 4.7% of tests
- 02
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
616 occurrences · 4.0% of tests
- 03
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
584 occurrences · 3.8% of tests
- 04
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
331 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
- 05
Wiper blade defective
281 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
- 06
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
255 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
- 07
The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired
238 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
- 08
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
226 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
- 09
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
224 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
- 10
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
223 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures
£118–£400
If every one of this Insight's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Tools that pre-empt a retest.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Headlight restoration kit
Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Parts & supplies for this fix
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Draper
Draper Drain Plug Key, 3/8 Square x 3/8 Sq. Dr.
£15.39
View at My Motor World →
Hycote
Hycote Honda Nighthawk Black Pearlescent Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml
£6.59
View at My Motor World →
Hycote
Hycote Honda Milano Red Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml
£6.59
View at My Motor World →
Hycote
Hycote Honda Satin Silver Metallic Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml
£6.59
View at My Motor World →
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Book a mobile mechanic
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
Book a mechanic at your door.
Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
Owner reports · Honest John
What owners actually report.
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
CVT gearbox is noisy under hard acceleration. Some of the interior quality isn't up to the usual Honda standard. Toyota Prius is better.
Where it falls short
CVT gearbox is noisy under hard acceleration. Some of the interior quality isn't up to the usual Honda standard. Toyota Prius is better.
Recent owner-reported faults
- 15 Jun 2012
Same c racking between the treads of Dunlop tyres fitted to 2009 Insights as on Ja
Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 1 reports indexed
Buying or keeping an Insight?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own an Insight and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.