HondaInsight2003Overview/honda/insight/2003/base/

2003 Honda Insight

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2003 Insight.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (variable gear ratios)

The 2003 Honda Insight is a passenger car equipped with an automatic transmission utilizing variable gear ratios, delivering EPA-rated efficiency of 45/49/47 mpg and requiring 2.6 quarts of 0W-20 API engine oil. Within the model’s 2000–2022 complaint history, the 2003 model year registers only 29 owner complaints—far below the 2010 peak of 119 and notably higher than the 2004 low of 2—while carrying zero recalls. This places the 2003 example in the lower tier of reported issues for the nameplate, suggesting a comparatively stable reliability profile for this production year.

Model year202220212020201920142013201220112003

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity2.6 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type0W-20 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque80 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy45/49/47 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 51 · 270 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 51 · 270 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP165-65SR14OEM · verified
Wheel / rimN/A inOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (variable gear ratios)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length155.1 in
Overall width66.9 in
Overall height52.8 in
Wheelbase94.5 in
Curb weight1878 lb
Track (front / rear)57.1 / 52 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)57/43

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined45 / 49 / 47 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Insight of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

10.5–11.2 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 10.50 sec — 2000 Hatchback
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2002Hatchback 1.0L I-3 + Elec11.10 sec18.30 sec73 hpFWD
2000Hatchback 1.0L I-3 + Elec10.50 sec17.90 sec73 hpFWD
2000Hatchback 1.0L I-3 + Elec10.60 sec18.00 sec73 hpFWD
2000Hatchback 1.0L I-3 + Elec11.20 sec18.30 sec73 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 2.6 qt of 0W-20 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 80 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 29.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine Oil0W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity2.6 qt

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs9 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts33 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts16 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug29.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/StudsBolts: 6 ft-lbs, Screws: 4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts80 ft-lbs
Automatic Transmission Drain Plug36.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub134 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub119 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)900 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Spark Plug ManufacturerNGK
Spark Plug Gap0.039-0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque13.0 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing12 degrees
Ignition Timing Acceptable Variance2 degrees

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.10-1.21 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity4.33-5.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number51
Standard BCI Cranking Performance270 cca

Service checks

Regulated Fuel System Pressure (Without Vacuum)40-47 psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)30-38 psi
Engine Compression128 minimum PSI. 28 maximum variation PSI.
Engine Oil Pressure10 psi @ idle, 50 psi @ 3000 rpm psi
Intake Valve Lash0.078-0.009 in
Exhaust Valve Lash0.008-0.010 in

Brakes

Brake ApplicationWITH DISC BRAKES / WITH DRUM BRAKES
Torque Caliper to Bracket24 ft-lbs / 17 ft-lbs / 80 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle80 ft-lbs / 41 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness0.063 in
Minimum Shoe Thickness0.039 in
Brake ApplicationWITH DISC BRAKES / WITH DRUM BRAKES
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0006 in / 0.0012 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.004 in / 0.002 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
17 ft. lbs., Step 2: 907 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

Prep bolts A:

18.7 ft. lbs.; bolts 1-8:8.7 ft. lbs
129 ft. lbs.29 ft. lbs
290
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
118 ft. lbs., Step 2: 6018 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs at 105,000 mi; coolant at 120,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 120,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 miBrake Line (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
At 105,000 miEngine Valves (inspect valve lash) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Universal Vehicle Operation (inspect idle speed)
At 120,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 180,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2003 Honda Insight lead in one area — the air bags, 6 of 29 reports (21%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 5 of the reports describe a crash and 1 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the air bags pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
55
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
29
Owner complaints
5 involved a crash · 1 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 29 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags6
Visibility5
Service Brakes, Hydraulic3
Structure2
Power Train2
Equipment2
Electrical System,Vehicle Speed Control,Fuel/Propulsion System1
Power Train,Electrical System1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 55 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
A07-0302021-01-23Equipment"Service Bulletin - There are several A/C leak detection tools available. -Refrigerant…
ABOM080920189012018-08-09EquipmentDealer message - Today, American Honda is notifying dealers of a voluntary noncompliance…
A180702018-08-09Engine And Engine CoolingService bulletin - Emission certification labels that were replaced on a small number of…
A15070B - 7-2-152015-07-02Power TrainSERVICE NEWS ARTICLE - PLANNING ON USING A LEAK CHECK DYE TO HELP FIND A LEAK? HERE’S THE…
DLR MSG - Honda2014-08-06Air BagsDealer message - On Monday, June 23, 2014, American Honda announced three recalls for…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Insight. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2003 Insight take?

2.6 qt of 0W-20 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2003 Insight have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Insight get?

EPA figures are 45 city / 49 highway / 47 combined mpg.